Byron Hamish Black (born 6 October 1969) is a former touring professional tennis and Davis Cup player for Zimbabwe.

Byron Black
Country (sports) Zimbabwe
ResidenceWhite River, South Africa
Born (1969-10-06) 6 October 1969 (age 54)
Salisbury, Rhodesia
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro1991
Retired2002
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed both sides)
Prize money$5,159,775
Singles
Career record257–246
Career titles2
Highest rankingNo. 22 (29 April 1996)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open4R (1998)
French Open3R (1999)
WimbledonQF (2000)
US OpenQF (1995)
Other tournaments
Grand Slam CupQF (1995)
Olympic Games2R (1996)
Doubles
Career record328–201
Career titles22
Highest rankingNo. 1 (14 February 1994)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenF (1994, 2001)
French OpenW (1994)
WimbledonF (1996)
US OpenSF (1999)

Personal life edit

He is the son of Donald Black and Velia Black and brother to Wayne Black and Cara, who were also professional tennis players. He is married to Fiona Black, and has children. He attended the University of Southern California and was named an All-American by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).[1]

Tennis career edit

Black started playing tennis at a young age at his father’s grass court in Highlands, and played the game for Lewisham Primary School in his hometown. He played for the tennis team when he moved to the Oriel Boys High School, where he was exposed to other future Davis Cup players for Zimbabwe, like Greig Rodgers and Mark Gurr.

Pro tour edit

In 1995, Black was a US Open quarterfinalist, and in 2000, he reached the same round at Wimbledon. His career-high singles ranking was world No. 22, which he achieved in June 1996.

An accomplished doubles player, Black became world No. 1 in doubles in February 1994. He won the 1994 French Open partnering Jonathan Stark. Black was a doubles finalist in three other majors, the 1994 and 2001 Australian Opens and the 1996 Wimbledon Championships.

Black is one of the few professional players to have played with a double-handed forehand.[2]

Black formed the core of the Zimbabwe Davis Cup team with his brother Wayne.

Career finals edit

Doubles: 41 (22 titles, 19 runner-ups) edit

Legend
Grand Slam (1–3)
ATP Masters Series (5–5)
ATP Championship Series (3–4)
ATP Tour (13–7)
Finals by surface
Hard (14–12)
Clay (4–2)
Grass (1–2)
Carpet (3–3)
Result No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. Apr 1992 Hong Kong, UK Hard   Byron Talbot   Brad Gilbert
  Jim Grabb
2–6, 1–6
Win 1. Apr 1993 Durban, South Africa Hard   Lan Bale   Johan de Beer
  Marcos Ondruska
7–6, 6–2
Loss 2. Jul 1993 Newport, U.S. Grass   Jim Pugh   Javier Frana
  Christo van Rensburg
6–4, 1–6, 6–7
Win 2. Jul 1993 Washington, D.C., U.S. Hard   Rick Leach   Grant Connell
  Patrick Galbraith
6–4, 7–5
Loss 3. Aug 1993 Schenectady, U.S. Hard   Brett Steven   Bernd Karbacher
  Andrei Olhovskiy
6–2, 6–7, 1–6
Win 3. Oct 1993 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i)   Jonathan Stark   Brad Pearce
  Dave Randall
3–6, 7–5, 6–3
Win 4. Oct 1993 Toulouse, France Hard (i)   Jonathan Stark   David Prinosil
  Udo Riglewski
7–5, 7–6
Win 5. Oct 1993 Vienna, Austria Carpet (i)   Jonathan Stark   Mike Bauer
  David Prinosil
6–3, 7–6
Win 6. Nov 1993 Paris, France Carpet (i)   Jonathan Stark   Tom Nijssen
  Cyril Suk
4–6, 7–5, 6–2
Loss 4. Jan 1994 Adelaide, Australia Hard   David Adams   Mark Kratzmann
  Andrew Kratzmann
4–6, 3–6
Loss 5. Jan 1994 Australian Open, Melbourne Hard   Jonathan Stark   Jacco Eltingh
  Paul Haarhuis
7–6, 3–6, 4–6, 3–6
Loss 6. Feb 1994 San Jose, U.S. Hard (i)   Jonathan Stark   Rick Leach
  Jared Palmer
6–4, 4–6, 4–6
Win 7. Feb 1994 Memphis, U.S. Hard (i)   Jonathan Stark   Jim Grabb
  Jared Palmer
7–6, 6–4
Loss 7. Feb 1994 Indian Wells, U.S. Hard   Jonathan Stark   Grant Connell
  Patrick Galbraith
5–7, 3–6
Win 8. Jun 1994 French Open, Paris Clay   Jonathan Stark   Jan Apell
  Jonas Björkman
6–4, 7–6
Win 9. Aug 1994 Toronto, Canada Hard   Jonathan Stark   Patrick McEnroe
  Jared Palmer
6–4, 6–4
Loss 8. Oct 1994 Sydney Indoor, Australia Hard (i)   Jonathan Stark   Jacco Eltingh
  Paul Haarhuis
4–6, 6–7
Loss 9. Oct 1994 Tokyo Indoor, Japan Hard (i)   Jonathan Stark   Grant Connell
  Patrick Galbraith
3–6, 6–3, 4–6
Loss 10. Nov 1994 Paris, France Carpet (i)   Jonathan Stark   Jacco Eltingh
  Paul Haarhuis
6–3, 6–7, 5–7
Loss 11. Jan 1995 Adelaide, Australia Hard   Grant Connell   Jim Courier
  Patrick Rafter
6–7, 4–6
Loss 12. May 1995 Hamburg, Germany Clay   Andrei Olhovskiy   Wayne Ferreira
  Yevgeny Kafelnikov
1–6, 6–7
Win 10. May 1995 Bologna, Italy Clay   Jonathan Stark   Libor Pimek
  Vince Spadea
7–5, 6–3
Win 11. Nov 1995 Moscow, Russia Carpet (i)   Jonathan Stark   Tommy Ho
  Brett Steven
6–4, 3–6, 6–3
Win 12. Feb 1996 Dubai, UAE Hard   Grant Connell   Karel Nováček
  Jiří Novák
6–0, 6–1
Loss 13. Mar 1996 Philadelphia, U.S. Carpet (i)   Grant Connell   Todd Woodbridge
  Mark Woodforde
6–7, 2–6
Loss 14. Apr 1996 New Delhi, India Hard   Sandon Stolle   Jonas Björkman
  Nicklas Kulti
6–4, 4–6, 4–6
Win 13. May 1996 Rome, Italy Clay   Jonathan Stark   Libor Pimek
  Byron Talbot
6–2, 6–3
Win 14. Jun 1996 Halle, Germany Grass   Grant Connell   Yevgeny Kafelnikov
  Daniel Vacek
6–1, 7–5
Loss 15. Jul 1996 Wimbledon, England Grass   Grant Connell   Todd Woodbridge
  Mark Woodforde
6–4, 1–6, 3–6, 2–6
Win 15. Aug 1996 New Haven, U.S. Hard   Grant Connell   Jonas Björkman
  Nicklas Kulti
6–4, 6–4
Loss 16. May 1997 Rome, Italy Clay   Alex O'Brien   Mark Knowles
  Daniel Nestor
3–6, 6–4, 5–7
Win 16. Apr 1998 Hong Kong Hard   Alex O'Brien   Neville Godwin
  Tuomas Ketola
7–5, 6–1
Loss 17. Mar 1999 London, England Carpet (i)   Wayne Ferreira   Tim Henman
  Greg Rusedski
3–6, 6–7(6–8)
Win 17. Aug 1999 Los Angeles, U.S. Hard   Wayne Ferreira   Goran Ivanišević
  Brian MacPhie
6–2, 7–6(7–4)
Loss 18. Aug 1999 Montreal, Canada Hard   Wayne Ferreira   Jonas Björkman
  Patrick Rafter
6–7(5–7), 4–6
Win 18. Aug 1999 Cincinnati, U.S. Hard   Jonas Björkman   Todd Woodbridge
  Mark Woodforde
6–3, 7–6(8–6)
Win 19. Nov 1999 Stuttgart Indoor, Germany Hard (i)   Jonas Björkman   David Adams
  John-Laffnie de Jager
6–7(6–8), 7–6(7–2), 6–0
Win 20. Feb 2000 Mexico City, Mexico Clay   Donald Johnson   Gastón Etlis
  Martín Rodríguez
6–3, 7–5
Win 21. Jan 2001 Chennai, India Hard   Wayne Black   Barry Cowan
  Mosé Navarra
6–4, 6–3
Loss 19. Jan 2001 Australian Open, Melbourne Hard   David Prinosil   Jonas Björkman
  Todd Woodbridge
1–6, 7–5, 4–6, 4–6
Win 22. Sep 2001 Shanghai, China Hard   Thomas Shimada   John-Laffnie de Jager
  Robbie Koenig
6–2, 3–6, 7–5

Singles: 10 (2 titles, 8 runner-ups) edit

Result No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1. Jan 1996 Adelaide, Australia Hard   Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6–7, 6–3, 1–6
Loss 2. Apr 1996 New Delhi, India Hard   Thomas Enqvist 2–6, 6–7
Win 1. Apr 1996 Seoul, South Korea Hard   Martin Damm 7–6, 6–3
Loss 3. Apr 1998 Hong Kong Hard   Kenneth Carlsen 2–6, 0–6
Loss 4. Apr 1998 Tokyo, Japan Hard   Andrei Pavel 3–6, 4–6
Loss 5. Jun 1998 Nottingham, England Grass   Jonas Björkman 3–6, 2–6
Win 2. Apr 1999 Chennai, India Hard   Rainer Schüttler 6–4, 1–6, 6–3
Loss 6. Nov 1999 Moscow, Russia Carpet (i)   Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6–7, 4–6
Loss 7. Feb 2000 Memphis, USA Hard (i)   Magnus Larsson 2–6, 6–1, 3–6
Loss 8. Jun 2000 Nottingham, England Grass   Sébastien Grosjean 6–7, 3–6

Performance timelines edit

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Doubles edit

Tournament 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Career SR Career win–loss
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A A A 2R 1R F 1R 2R 3R 1R 2R 2R F 3R 0 / 11 18–11
French Open A A A 1R 1R W 2R 2R 1R 1R 2R 2R 1R 3R 1 / 11 12–10
Wimbledon A A 2R 1R QF 3R 3R F 2R 1R 1R 3R 1R 2R 0 / 12 17–12
US Open 2R A A 1R 2R 3R QF 1R 1R 3R SF 1R 2R A 0 / 11 14–11
Grand Slam SR 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 4 0 / 4 1 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 3 1 / 45 N/A
Annual win–loss 1–1 0–0 1–1 1–4 4–4 15–3 6–4 7–4 3–4 2–4 6–4 4–4 6–4 5–3 N/A 61–44
ATP Masters Series
Indian Wells NME 2R A A A F 2R SF 2R 2R 1R 1R QF A 0 / 9 9–8
Miami NME A A A SF SF SF SF QF 3R 1R QF 2R A 0 / 9 17–9
Monte Carlo NME A A A A A 2R A A A A A A A 0 / 1 0–1
Rome NME A A A A A 1R W F A A QF A A 1 / 4 11–3
Hamburg NME A A A A A F A A A A 2R A A 0 / 2 4–2
Canada NME A A A 2R W 2R QF 1R 1R F A 1R A 1 / 8 9–7
Cincinnati NME A A A A QF SF QF 1R 1R W A 2R A 1 / 7 10–6
Stuttgart (Stockholm) NME A A A A A QF 2R A 1R W A A A 1 / 4 5–3
Paris NME A A A W F 2R SF 1R 2R 2R 1R A A 1/ 8 11–7
Masters Series SR N/A 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 0 1 / 3 1 / 5 0 / 9 1 / 7 0 / 6 0 / 6 2 / 6 0 / 5 0 / 4 0 / 0 5 / 52 N/A
Annual win–loss N/A 1–0 0–0 0–0 9–2 14–4 9–9 12–6 6–6 4–6 13–4 5–5 3–4 0–0 N/A 76–46
Year-end ranking 586 381 149 90 5 6 18 4 70 70 10 53 34 106 N/A

References edit

  1. ^ "ATP Player Profile". ATP. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  2. ^ "Copa Davis - Perfil de jugador - Byron BLACK (ZIM)". Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2012.

External links edit