Jeff Simpson
New Zealand tennis player and coach
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The basics
Quick Facts
| Intro | New Zealand tennis player and coach | |
| Places | New Zealand | |
| is | Athlete Tennis player | |
| Work field | Sports | |
| Gender |
| |
| Birth | 29 October 1950, Hamilton | |
| Age | 74 years | |
| Residence | Auckland |
The details
Biography
Jeff Simpson (born 29 October 1950) is a former professional tennis player from New Zealand.
Playing career
Over the course of his career, Simpson competed in five Davis Cup ties for the New Zealand team. He won a total of four rubbers, two in singles and two in doubles.
In 1973, Simpson reached the third round of both Wimbledon and the US Open. Those performances saw him reach his career best ranking of 66.
Simpson was a singles semi-finalist at Newport in 1973 and Auckland in 1975. As a doubles player he was runner-up at three Grand Prix events, in Tokyo, Christchurch and Roanoke.
Coaching
Simpson was New Zealand's Davis Cup captain for 16 years, from 1984 to 1999, as well as Fed Cup captain for five years. He also coached New Zealand in the 1988 Summer Olympics and 1996 Summer Olympics.
Personal life
Simpson is the elder brother of Russell Simpson, who was also a professional tennis player.
His son, Matt, competes on the Futures circuit.
Grand Prix career finals
Doubles: 3 (0–3)
| Outcome | No. | Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1972 | Tokyo Outdoor, Japan | Marcello Lara | Dick Dell Sherwood Stewart | 3–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1973 | Christchurch, New Zealand | Jürgen Fassbender | Anand Amritraj Fred McNair | W/O |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1974 | Roanoke, United States | Ian Crookenden | Vitas Gerulaitis Sandy Mayer | 6-7, 1-6 |
Challenger titles
Singles: (1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1982 | Le Touquet, France | Clay | Roland Stadler | 6-7, 6-2, 6-1 |