Pavel Složil
Quick Facts
Biography
Pavel Složil (born 29 December 1955) is a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia.
Složil enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career, he won 32 doubles titles and finished runner-up an additional 29 times, including at the French Open in.
Slozil and his partner, Renata Tomanová (also from Czechoslovakia), won the 1978 French Open mixed-doubles championship, defeating Virginia Ruzici (Romania) and Patrice Dominguez (France). The mixed doubles championship was an important event in those days, contested by top players, with John McEnroe and Mary Carillo having won the year before.
In 1985, Složil achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 4.
Složil participated in eleven Davis Cup ties for Czechoslovakia from 1978 to 1986, posting a 7–2 record in doubles and a 4–2 record in singles. He was a member of the winning Czech Davis Cup team in 1980, along with teammates Ivan Lendl, Tomáš Šmíd and Jan Kodeš.
Složil served as Steffi Graf's coach from November 1986 until the end of 1991. Shortly after the start of his tenure as Graf's coach, she had her Grand Slam breakthrough year in 1987, winning six tournaments and then defeating Martina Navratilova in the French Open. Graf went on to be a finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open, losing both times to Navratilova. The next year, Graf achieved a calendar year's Grand Slam, a feat performed only twice before. She also won the 1988 Olympics singles and the Wimbledon ladies' doubles that same year.
From 1987 through 1991, coached by Složil, Graf won ten Grand Slam singles championships, winning the Australian Open (1988–89-90), the French Open (1987–88), Wimbledon (1988–89-91) and the US Open (1988–89), plus numerous side tournaments.
He subsequently served as coach for Jennifer Capriati, Anna Kournikova and Magdalena Maleeva between 1992 and 1999.
In 2002, he began work at the World Tennis Club in Naples, Florida. He served there as Tennis Director until 2014 when he began coaching and teaching at the Sanchez-Casal Tennis Academy, also in Naples. There he works with the junior players in the morning and continues to teach tennis to a wide range of players.
Career finals
Singles (2 titles, 3 runner-ups)
Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 0–1 | Jul 1979 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Vitas Gerulaitis | 2–6, 2–6, 4–6 |
Win | 1–1 | Mar 1981 | Nancy, France | Carpet (i) | Ilie Năstase | 6–2, 7–5 |
Loss | 1–2 | Feb 1983 | Delray Beach WCT, U.S. | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | 1–6, 4–6, 0–6 |
Loss | 1–3 | Oct 1984 | Vienna, Austria | Carpet (i) | Tim Wilkison | 1–6, 1–6, 2–6 |
Win | 2–3 | Aug 1985 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Michael Westphal | 7–5, 6–2 |
Doubles (32 titles, 29 runner-ups)
Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1. | 1978 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Pavel Hutka | Mike Fishbach Chris Lewis | 7–6, 4–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 2. | 1978 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Wojciech Fibak Jan Kodeš | 7–6, 1–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 3. | 1979 | Nice, France | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Peter McNamara Paul McNamee | 1–6, 6–3, 2–6 |
Loss | 4. | 1979 | Florence, Italy | Clay | Ivan Lendl | Paolo Bertolucci Adriano Panatta | 4–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 5. | 1979 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | Wojciech Fibak | Colin Dowdeswell Frew McMillan | 4–6, 2–6, 6–2, 4–6 |
Loss | 6. | 1979 | Cologne, Germany | Carpet (i) | Heinz Günthardt | Gene Mayer Stan Smith | 3–6, 4–6 |
Loss | 7. | 1980 | Vienna, Austria | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Gianni Ocleppo Christophe Roger-Vasselin | def. |
Loss | 8. | 1980 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Balázs Taróczy | Steve Denton Ivan Lendl | 2–6, 7–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 9. | 1980 | Vienna, Austria | Carpet (i) | Heinz Günthardt | Bob Lutz Stan Smith | 1–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 10. | 1981 | Linz, Austria | Hard (i) | Brad Drewett | Anders Järryd Hans Simonsson | 4–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 11. | 1981 | Nice, France | Clay | Chris Lewis | Yannick Noah Pascal Portes | 6–4, 3–6, 4–6 |
Loss | 12. | 1981 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy | 3–6, 3–6 |
Win | 1. | 1981 | Florence, Italy | Clay | Raúl Ramírez | Paolo Bertolucci Adriano Panatta | 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 |
Win | 2. | 1981 | Boston, U.S. | Clay | Raúl Ramírez | Hans Gildemeister Andrés Gómez | 6–4, 7–6 |
Loss | 13. | 1981 | Washington, D.C., U.S. | Hard | Ferdi Taygan | Raúl Ramírez Van Winitsky | 7–5, 6–7, 6–7 |
Loss | 14. | 1981 | North Conway, U.S. | Clay | Ferdi Taygan | Heinz Günthardt Peter McNamara | 7–6, 5–7, 4–6 |
Loss | 15. | 1981 | Geneva, Switzerland | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy | 4–6, 6–3, 2–6 |
Loss | 16. | 1981 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | Markus Günthardt | José Luis Clerc Ilie Năstase | 6–7, 7–6, 6–7 |
Win | 3. | 1982 | Genova WCT, Italy | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Mike Cahill Buster Mottram | 6–7, 7–5, 6–3 |
Win | 4. | 1982 | Brussels, Belgium | Carpet (i) | Sherwood Stewart | Tracy Delatte Chris Dunk | 6–4, 6–7, 7–5 |
Win | 5. | 1982 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy | 6–1, 3–6, 9–7 |
Win | 6. | 1982 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Anders Järryd Hans Simonsson | 6–4, 6–3 |
Loss | 17. | 1982 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Rod Frawley | Mark Edmondson Kim Warwick | 6–4, 4–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 18. | 1982 | Cap d'Agde WCT, France | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Andy Andrews Drew Gitlin | 2–6, 4–6 |
Win | 7. | 1982 | Geneva, Switzerland | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Carl Limberger Mike Myburg | 6–4, 6–0 |
Loss | 19. | 1982 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | Fritz Buehning | Henri Leconte Yannick Noah | 2–6, 2–6 |
Win | 8. | 1982 | Vienna, Austria | Carpet (i) | Henri Leconte | Mark Dickson Terry Moor | 6–1, 7–6 |
Win | 9. | 1982 | Dortmund WCT, Germany | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Mike Cahill Francisco González | 6–2, 6–7, 6–1 |
Win | 10. | 1982 | Toulouse, France | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Jean-Louis Haillet Yannick Noah | 6–4, 6–4 |
Win | 11. | 1983 | Richmond WCT, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Fritz Buehning Brian Teacher | 6–2, 6–4 |
Win | 12. | 1983 | Delray Beach WCT, U.S. | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Anand Amritraj Johan Kriek | 7–6, 6–4 |
Loss | 20. | 1983 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Carpet (i) | Peter Fleming | Fritz Buehning Tom Gullikson | 6–7, 6–4, 6–7 |
Win | 13. | 1983 | Milan, Italy | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Fritz Buehning Peter Fleming | 6–2, 5–7, 6–4 |
Loss | 21. | 1983 | Lisbon, Portugal | Clay | Ferdi Taygan | Carlos Kirmayr Cássio Motta | 5–7, 4–6 |
Win | 14. | 1983 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Heinz Günthardt | Markus Günthardt Zoltán Kuhárszky | 6–3, 6–3 |
Win | 15. | 1983 | Munich, Germany | Clay | Chris Lewis | Anders Järryd Tomáš Šmíd | 6–4, 6–2 |
Win | 16. | 1983 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Colin Dowdeswell Wojciech Fibak | 6–7, 6–4, 6–2 |
Loss | 22. | 1983 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Anand Amritraj Mike Bauer | 6–4, 3–6, 2–6 |
Win | 17. | 1983 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Wojciech Fibak | Colin Dowdeswell Zoltán Kuhárszky | 7–5, 6–2 |
Win | 18. | 1983 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Stefan Edberg Florin Segărceanu | 6–1, 3–6, 7–6 |
Win | 19. | 1983 | Toulouse, France | Carpet (i) | Heinz Günthardt | Bernard Mitton Butch Walts | 5–7, 7–5, 6–4 |
Win | 20. | 1984 | Masters Doubles WCT, London | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Anders Järryd Hans Simonsson | 1–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–1, 6–3 |
Win | 21. | 1984 | Milan, Italy | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Kevin Curren Steve Denton | 6–4, 6–3 |
Loss | 23. | 1984 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Henri Leconte Yannick Noah | 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6 |
Win | 22. | 1984 | Washington, D.C., U.S. | Clay | Ferdi Taygan | Drew Gitlin Blaine Willenborg | 7–6, 6–1 |
Win | 23. | 1984 | Bordeaux, France | Clay | Blaine Willenborg | Loïc Courteau Guy Forget | 6–1, 6–4 |
Win | 24. | 1984 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Martín Jaite Víctor Pecci | 6–2, 6–0 |
Win | 25. | 1984 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Stefan Edberg Tim Wilkison | 7–6, 6–2 |
Loss | 24. | 1984 | Wembley, England | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Andrés Gómez Ivan Lendl | 2–6, 2–6 |
Win | 26. | 1984 | Treviso, Italy | Clay | Tim Wilkison | Jan Gunnarsson Sherwood Stewart | 6–2, 6–3 |
Loss | 25. | 1984 | Toulouse, France | Carpet (i) | Tim Wilkison | Jan Gunnarsson Michael Mortensen | 4–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 26. | 1984 | Masters, New York | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 2–6, 2–6 |
Win | 27. | 1985 | Memphis, U.S. | Hard (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Kevin Curren Steve Denton | 1–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Win | 28. | 1985 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Vitas Gerulaitis Paul McNamee | 6–4, 6–4 |
Win | 29. | 1985 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Shlomo Glickstein Shahar Perkiss | 6–2, 6–3 |
Win | 30. | 1985 | Nice, France | Clay | Claudio Panatta | Loïc Courteau Guy Forget | 3–6, 6–3, 8–6 |
Loss | 27. | 1985 | Indianapolis, U.S. | Clay | Kim Warwick | Ken Flach Robert Seguso | 4–6, 4–6 |
Loss | 28. | 1985 | Toulouse, France | Carpet (i) | Tomáš Šmíd | Ricardo Acuña Jakob Hlasek | 6–3, 2–6, 7–9 |
Win | 31. | 1986 | Nice, France | Clay | Jakob Hlasek | Gary Donnelly Colin Dowdeswell | 6–3, 4–6, 11–9 |
Win | 32. | 1986 | Saint Vincent, Italy | Clay | Libor Pimek | Bud Cox Michael Fancutt | 6–3, 6–3 |
Loss | 29. | 1986 | Toulouse, France | Carpet (i) | Jakob Hlasek | Miloslav Mečíř Tomáš Šmíd | 2–6, 6–3, 4–6 |