Brian Gottfried Heads State's Best Junior Boys

[bbb]

On the eve of BlueCross Spring Fling XX and the tennis state tournament it’s worth ranking the top junior boys' players across Tennessee for the last five plus decades.

 

One’s junior career is the major factor (no current high school players are considered), although college and pro accomplishments are also taken into consideration.

 

With a good balance from each of the past five plus decades, the players vary in talent as well as backgrounds. Some took the traditional high school route in the TSSAA or the old Mid-South Conference, while others opted to play a full time junior schedule.

 

No.1 is Brian Gottfried - A native of Florida, but one who played as a boarding student at Baylor School (Chattanooga) for three years in the late 60s, Gottfried’s record is impressive rom his early national success with three national titles on clay at Chattanooga’s Manker Patten followed by three grand slam doubles on the pro tour.

 

So as Spring Fling XX crowns singles and doubles champions later this week, one can compare today’s junior champions with those from the past.

Editor’s Note: Kalamazoo = boys national hard courts championships

s&d = singles and doubles

 

Looking to the Future ... by end of summer two names can be added to the list ... Maxx Lipman (Brentwood HS) and Sean Karl (Ravenwood HS) .

 

Lipman and Karl were ranked No.1-2 in National Boys 16s (s) two years ago ... won the National 18s Clays (d) ... Karl is a 3x TSSAA state singles champ and headed to U. of Tenn ... was diagnosed with cancer last fall ... should have full recovery and play for the Vols ... Lipman will play at Florida

 

1 Brian Gottfried (Baylor/Trinity) … Kalamazoo titles – 18s (s&d) … also won national 12s (s), 12s (d), 14s (d) … Pro Titles - singles (25) and doubles (54) … grand slam doubles titles (3) - French (2), Wimbledon (1) plus Italian (4) ... Singles results … French (2nd) Wimbledon (semis) US Open (quarters)

 

 

2 Roscoe Tanner (Baylor/Stanford) … won Mid-South Conference (2x) plus national interscholastic (doubles with David Dick) and national collegiate amateur (s) … 1972 NCAA doubles champ … 3x All-American … Pro Tour Ranking: No.4 - pro titles – singles (16) doubles (13) … grand slams (1) Australian Open winner … on Davis Cup winning team

 

 

3 Chris Woodruff (Knox Bearden/U. of Tenn.) TSSAA – 1990 state singles champ … national interscholastic singles champ … NCAA singles champ … Pro Ranking – No.29 … won two ATP singles titles … won first round clinching match for US in Davis Cup

 

 

4 Ben Testerman (from Knoxville) … Kalamazoo titles – 16s (s&d) … Pro Ranking: No.22

(singles), No.33 (doubles) … Australian Open semis … U.S. Open quarters

 

 

5 Brian Baker (Hillwood HS) TSSAA – 2000 singles title … In Juniors – No.2 in world (s) and No.5 (d)) … won 2002 Orange Bowl … runner-up at 2003 Junior French Open … reached quarters at junior U.S. Open and Wimbledon … Pro Tour Ranking – No.52 in singles … has won one match in each grand slam event in 2012 … advanced to Wimbledon round of 16

 

 

6 Zan Guerry (Baylor./Rice) … Junior National Ranking - the 1960s (No.2) … 31 national titles …3x All-American at Rice … Kalamazoo titles - 16s (s), 18s (d) in mid-1960s …. national singles titles; 11s, 14s, 16s 18s, 35s, 40, and 45s .. numerous national doubles titles … national interscholastic singles and doubles champion in 1967 …

 

 

7 Jimmy Brown (Nashville) … Kalamazoo titles - 16s (s) and 18s (s) in 1979-80… Junior National Ranking - 1980s (No.7) … Pro Tour Ranking: No.42

 

 

8 Rhyne Williams (U. of Tennessee) … NCAA runner-up … won ITA national collegiate indoor. Pro Tour Ranking: 119

 

 

9 Tennys Sandgren (Knoxville/U. of Tennessee ) … No.9 in world in juniors ...won matches at junior French, Wimbledon and Australian … Kalamazoo titles - 16s (s) in 2007 … Pro Tour Ranking: 211

 

 

10 Ricky Brown (Nashville) … Junior National Ranking - 1980s (No.19) … Kalamazoo titles – 16s (s), 18s (s) in early 80s

 

 

11 Turner Howard (McCallie/Tulane) … played No.1 at McCallie and a top Southern player in the ‘60s … named to 8-man Junior Davis Cup team … All-American at Tulane … No.5 in USLTA in men’s doubles … won Southern Men’s (s&d) … played U.S. Open 4x (s&d)

 

 

12 Mark Styslinger (Baylor-SMU) … TSSAA - 2x state champ, ’79, ’82 ... 2x All-American at SMU … SWC champ in singles/doubles

 

 

13 Chuck Coleman (Baylor/ Notre Dame) … top 5 in South in 12s, 14s, 18s in singles ...… in 1989, won 18s national interscholastic doubles with Bobby Mariencheck … 2x All-American in doubles at Notre Dame (5th / 6th in nation) …

 

 

14 Bobby Mariencheck (Memphis/ U of Georgia) … national interscholastic doubles champ … 3x All-American in doubles at Georgia

 

 

15 Chris Brown (Notre Dame HS/Ga. Tech) … TSSAA – 3x state singles champion (’62-63-64) … led ND to two state team titles in early 60s … Three junior Southern singles titles; 13s, 15s, 16s ... Chattanooga Men’s City champ .. ranked in top 10 nationally in various age groups … Kalamazoo semis in 18s ...

 

 

16 Ali Hamedah (Christian Brothers/Ole Miss) …. National interscholastic doubles in 1992 … 1995 NCAA Doubles champion … member of Rebs NCAA runner-up team.

 

 

17 Ryan Lipman (Vanderbilt) ... ITF World Junior Ranking: No.34 ... Kalamazoo - Boys 18s runner-up (s) ... Boys' 18s - top 20 national ranking ... 2013 - First Team All-SEC for third year ... No.13 in NCAA in singles and will compete in NCAAs.

 

 

18 Tommy Mozur (TMI/U. of Tennessee) … 2x All-American … No. 15 national ranking

 

 

19 Chris Groer (Farragut/ U.of Tenn) …. TSSAA - 2x state champ, 1991-92 … All-American at Vandy

 

 

20 Pem Guerry (Baylor/SMU) ... TSSAA – titles in singles (1), doubles (3) … National Junior Ranking – 1970s (No.34) … .Southern titles – singles in 12s, 14s, 16s … s&d in 10s and 18s ... national rankings – top 5 in 12s, 14s … top 10 in 16s … top 15 in 18s …national interscholastic champ (s&d) … SWC champ at No.3 doubles in 1977

 

 

21 Wes Cash (Baylor/Georgia) TSSAA titles – titles singles (1) … doubles (3 with Pem Guerry) ... national interscholastic champion (d) ... at Georgia won SEC singles and doubles ... No.1 in SEC Indoors (d), No.2 (s) … NCAA qualifier ... has won 12 national age division titles including golden slams in 2002 and 2012 ...2013 world doubles champ in 55s .. No.4 in world in 45s (s)

 

 

22 Davey Sandgren (Knoxville/U. of Tennessee) … Ranked No.2 in 18s in South … 2x NCAA doubles runner-up (2009-10) … SEC Coaches Indoor doubles champs … First team All-SEC

 

 

23 Eddie Coates (Bradley Central/Vandy) ... TSSAA – 2x state champion (s) … All-SEC at Vandy …

 

 

24 Bo Seal (Baylor/Georgia) TSSAA- 2x singles state champ … No.46 in junior worlds … national rankings of No.1 in 12s and 16s and No.10 in 18s … national tourneys won - National Clay 18s (d, 2x) … National Hard Courts (14s) USTA Winter Nationals (16s) … national runner-up ... National Hard Courts (16s) Easter Bowl (16s) ... member of US Davis Cup for 16s.

 

 

25 Gary Dunn (David Lipscomb/U. of Tenn.) … TSSAA – 2x state doubles, 3x state singles in mid 1970s … SEC No.2 doubles champ

 

 

26 Bill Cherry (MBA) – TSSAA - 3x state singles

 

 

27 Forrest Simmons (Westminster (Ga.)/UNC) .. growing up on Lookout Mountain he won Southern 16s …won Southern 14s (open) … No.1 in South, 14s (s) and No.2 (d) … No.6 nationally in 14s (s) …14s national tourney semis (d) … 3x ACC doubles champ at UNC at Nos.2-3 ... UNC was 5th in the nation his junior year … Chattanooga City champ (s, 2x) .. undefeated in Southern TVI in the 90s in 40s and 45s singles

 

 

28 David Dick (Baylor/U of Georgia) – TSSAA – 2x champs (d) … national interscholastic champion, 3x (d) … SEC champ at No.3 doubles

 

 

29 Brandon Fickey (Knox. Webb./U.of Tenn.) .. TSSAA – first boy to win four state singles …

 

 

30 George Dickinson (Chattanooga City/U. of Chattanooga) … NCAA small college singles champion in 1966 …

 

 

31 Ian Chadwell (Centenntial/U of Alabama) … TSSAA – 3x singles champ … Southern Boys 18s (d)

 

 

32 Murray Garrott (MUS/Vanderbilt) ... No.1 in Boys 18s in South ... played No.1 at Vandy in late 1980s

 

 

33 Andy Avram (McCallie/Wake Forest) … TSSAA – singles (2x) in mid-1970s …

 

 

34 Pat Guerry (Baylor/Sewanee) – undefeated in career in regular season singles at Baylor ... 4x All-American at Sewanee … 1986 national semifinalist in singles .. ITA Senior Player of the Year … ITA Freshman of the Year … ranked No.1 in South in men’s doubles in the late 1980s …

 

 

35 Blake McMeans (Knoxville) … 5 Southern junior titles ... ranked as high as No.4 nationally .. career ending car wreck in 1994

 

 

36 Tiger Buford (MUS/UNC-Memphis State) … TSSAA – state singles in 1978

 

 

37 Jack Webb (McCallie/Kentucky) … Southern doubles 18s in mid-1970s… First team All-SEC … SEC No.2 doubles) in 1977

 

 

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited May 21, 2013 by bbb