Butch Seewagen
George Lansing "Butch" Seewagen (born June 13, 1946) is a former professional tennis player from the United States.
| Full name | George Lansing Seewagen |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | June 13, 1946 New York City, United States |
| Turned pro | 1970 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 39–68 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 87 (October 15, 1973) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | 1R (1970) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1972) |
| US Open | 3R (1967, 1971) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 22–44 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | 2R (1973) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1970, 1972) |
| US Open | 2R (1968, 1971, 1976) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1972) |
| US Open | SF (1966) |
Biography
He was born in New York City on June 13, 1946, to George and Clella Seewagen.[1] His father was the tennis coach at St. John’s University and a former player, who played against Don Budge at the 1936 U.S. National Championships.[1]
An Orange Bowl winner in 1959, Seewagen was only 17 when he made his first appearance at the US National Championships.[1] He was a member of the United States Junior Davis Cup team from 1963 to 1965.[1]
With Kathy Blake, he made the semi-finals of the mixed doubles at the 1966 US National Championships.[1]
At Rice University he twice received NCAA All-American honours, in 1967 and 1968.[1] He won the 1969 United States Amateur Championships in a closely fought final against Zan Guerry, which he won 6–4 in the fifth set.[1]
Seewagen, who turned professional in 1970, played against top seed Rod Laver in the first round at the 1970 Wimbledon Championships.[2]
He defeated both Jimmy Connors and Jan Kodeš during the 1972 Grand Prix tennis season. His win over Connors came en route to a quarter-final appearance in the Tanglewood International Tennis Classic and he beat Kodeš in South Orange, where he also reached the quarter-finals.[3][4] As a doubles player he was runner-up at two Grand Prix tournaments, the Swedish Open in 1971 and Roanoke International Tennis Tournament in 1973.[5]
In 1975 he suffered a groin injury which left him unable to walk for nine months.[1]
During his professional career he was also the head coach at Columbia University, of teams that included Vitas Gerulaitis and Eric Fromm.[1]
He was inducted into the USTA Eastern Hall of Fame in 2005.[1]
Grand Prix career finals
Doubles: 2 (0–2)
| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Jul 1971 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay |  Jaime Pinto-Bravo |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac |
6–7, 1–6 |
| Loss | 0–2 | Jan 1973 | Roanoke, United States | Hard | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ian Fletcher |
Jimmy Connors.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Juan Gisbert, Sr. |
0–6, 6–7 |
References
- Gill McShea, Nancy. "USTA Eastern Hall of Fame : 2005 Inductees". United States Tennis Association. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
- "Hat-Trick Attempt by Laver". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 23 June 1970. p. 22. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
- "Seewagen Still In Tanglewood Race". The Evening Independent. July 28, 1972. p. 5C. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
- "New Yorker Ousts Kodes In 3 Sets". Reading Eagle. August 23, 1972. p. 61. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
- "Connors keeps Roanoke title". Independent. Long Beach. January 22, 1973. p. 32. Retrieved 18 December 2015.