Phil Neer

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Philip F. Neer (born December 24, 1901[1] in Portland, Oregon - died Dec 1989[2]) was a youth, college, and professional tennis player.

Contents

[edit] Early career

Neer, a native of Portland,[2] was one of the first male tennis players from the west coast to achieve national tennis success. He and partner Don Gilman won the Oregon state doubles championship in 1918,[3] and in 1919, was the national junior doubles runner-up and the Pacific Northwest singles champion.[4] A year later, he won the British Columbia men’s singles championship[4] and the Oregon state singles championship.[5]

[edit] College and professional career

Neer attended Stanford University and in 1921, became the first player from a western U.S. university to win the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship.[6][7] A year later, Neer and partner Jim Davies won the NCAA doubles championship, the first team from a non-Ivy League school to do so.[7]

As a professional player, Neer won back-to-back doubles championships at the Pacific Coast Championships (now the SAP Open) in 1932 and 1933.

On January 28, 1933, Neer, who was ranked #8 in the United States at the time, played his friend and occasional mixed doubles partner[8] Helen Wills Moody in an exhibition match in San Francisco. Moody, who was the reigning ladies' Wimbledon champion, defeated Neer 6–3, 6–4.[9][10] This match predated the Bobby Riggs-Billie Jean King "Battle of the Sexes" by 40 years.

[edit] Honors

Neer was inducted into the United States Tennis Association Pacific Northwest Hall of Fame in 2003,[4] and is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame.

[edit] Personal

Neer's brothers, Jacie and Henry, were also prominent in Portland tennis, as well as his nephew (Jacie's son) Jack Neer.[11]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Birthdate obtained from Social Security Death Index.
  2. ^ a b Eggers, Kerry. "Parrott serves notice he's real", Portland Tribune, May 6, 2003. Retrieved on 2007-04-26. 
  3. ^ Oregon State Tournament Men's Doubles Champions. Oregon Tennis Historical Committee. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
  4. ^ a b c USTA Pacific Northwest Hall of Fame Inductee Bios. United States Tennis Association. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
  5. ^ Oregon State Tournament Men's Singles Champions. Oregon Tennis Historical Committee. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
  6. ^ Oregon Tennis History: College Tennis. Oregon Tennis Historical Committee. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
  7. ^ a b Men's Tennis: Past Champions. NCAA. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
  8. ^ Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament Mixed Doubles Champions. Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
  9. ^ Fein, Paul (April 2006). "Who is the greatest female player ever?". Inside Tennis. 
  10. ^ "This Day in Sports: January 28", USA Today, January 31, 1999. Retrieved on 2007-04-26. 
  11. ^ Phil Neer profile. Oregon Tennis Historical Committee. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.