All-American Monday - Pancho Segura

Pancho Segura (1943-95)

Coral Gables, Fla. – Born on June 20, 1921 in Guayaquil,Ecuador, Francisco “Pancho” Segura suffered from rickets as a youth. Restrictedfrom playing some sports, Segura took to tennis and developed what the lateJack Kramer would once call “the single greatest shot in the history of tennis”- a two-handed forehand.

Segura would enter the University of Miami on a tennisscholarship while Gardnar Mulloy was at the helm of the program. On November 4,1943, Segura, the fourth ranking amateur in the United States at the time, metthe world’s No. 1 professional tennis player J. Donald Budge in an exhibitionmatch. After dropping the first set 3-6, Segura came back to dominate the nexttwo sets (6-0, 6-1) to win the match.

As a Hurricane, he won three straight NCAA singleschampionships from 1943-45. Segura also won the U.S. Indoor Title of 1946 andthe U.S. Clay Court of 1944. He was a U.S. semifinalist from 1942-45 and amember of the U.S. Top Ten six times, No. 3 in 1943, 1944 and 1945.

Click here to read about Segura’s USPTA Induction

In 1950, three years after turning pro, Segura won theU.S. Pro Tennis Championship singles title over Frank Kovacs. In 1951 and 1952,Segura defeated Pancho Gonzalez claiming his second and third consecutivesingles titles. In 1950 and 1952, Segura was the World Co-No. 1 player. 

In addition to his singles titles, Segura won the U.S.Pro Tennis Championship doubles title with Kramer in 1948 and 1955 and the 1954and 1958 titles with Gonzalez.

Click here to view Segura’s International HOF page

In 1968, Segura partnered with Alex Olmedo and enteredthe doubles of the first open Wimbledon. In the second round they won thelongest doubles match of Wimbeldon’s open era, 94 games, over Abe Segal andGordon Forbes (32-30, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4). The 62-game set was the longest ever.

Due to his astonishing career, Segura would be electedinto three Halls of Fame. The University of Miami’s hall in 1970, theInternational Tennis’ hall in 1984, and the USTPA’s hall in 2012.