| Intro | South African tennis player |
| Was |
Athlete Tennis player |
| From |
South Africa |
| Type |
Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 23 October 1930, Johannesburg, City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Death |
4 April 2016, Cape Town, City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa (aged 85 years)
|
Alan Abraham “Abe” Segal (23 October 1930 – 4 April 2016) was a South African tennis player. During the 1950s and 1960s, he was the doubles partner of Gordon Forbes. Together, they were considered one of the best doubles teams in the world.
Due to South Africa’s policy of Apartheid, Alex Metreveli and István Gulyás both refused to compete in the 1964 Wimbledon against Segal, a white South African. This prompted the International Lawn Tennis Federation to pass a resolution prohibiting racial discrimination and withdrawing from a tournament except for “health or bereavement” reasons.
In 1951 he won the singles title at the Irish Open defeating Guy Jackson in the final in straight sets.
He played for the South African Davis Cup team in 19 ties in the years 1955, 57, 59, 61-65 and compiled a record of 24 wins and 14 losses.
After retiring from tennis, Segal took up painting. In 2008 he published a memoir titled Hey Big Boy!.
Segal died of cancer on 4 April 2016 at the age of 85.
Grand Slam finals
Doubles (2 runner-ups)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1958 | French Championships | Clay | Robert Howe |
Ashley Cooper Neale Fraser |
6–3, 6–8, 3–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 1963 | French Championships | Clay | Gordon Forbes |
Roy Emerson Manuel Santana |
2–6, 4–6, 4–6 |