 Crookenden as a member of the 1962 New Zealand Davis Cup team | |
| Full name | Ian Sinclair Crookenden |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  New Zealand |
| Born | (1943-12-10)10 December 1943 (age 81) Lower Hutt,Wellington |
| Plays | Left-handed |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 23–40 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | 2R (1963) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1962) |
| US Open | 4R (1966) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 15–27 |
| Career titles | 1 |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | SF (1964) |
| US Open | 3R (1968) |
Ian Sinclair Crookenden (born 10 December 1943) is a former professionaltennis player from New Zealand. Crookenden currently serves as the Head Men's and Women's Coach atSaint Joseph's University. He is a member of the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.
Crookenden first represented theNew Zealand Davis Cup team in 1962, for a tie againstDenmark in Copenhagen. It came soon after he had finished runner-up toRod Laver at the 1962British Hard Court Championships in Bournemouth.[1] He also competed at theFrench Championships andWimbledon that year, making the third round of the latter.[2]
In 1963 he won theNewport Casino Invitational and also finished runner-up in theAll England Plate.[citation needed]
He playedcollegiate tennis in the United States forUCLA from 1963 to 1967 and won twoNCAA Division I doubles titles.[3] In 1965, his third year, he was a member of the championship winning team. He also partneredArthur Ashe to win the NCAA doubles title, then in 1966 claimed the doubles again, to become the second UCLA player to achieve this feat.[3] On this occasion he teamed up withCharlie Pasarell.[3] His final year in 1967 was served as captain and he steered UCLA to second place in the championships. He earnedAll-American selection in each of his last three seasons.[citation needed]
During his time at UCLA he continued to represent theNew Zealand Davis Cup team in international competition. He made his last Davis Cup appearance in the1965 competition and finished with a 4/9 record from five ties.[citation needed]
Crookenden reached the fourth round of the1966 U.S. National Championships, which was the furthest he went in singles at aGrand Slam tournament. He did however make the semi-finals in men's doubles with countrymanLew Gerrard at the1964 Wimbledon Championships.[4]
He continued competing professionally in the 1970s in both singles and doubles events. His best singles performances were semi-final appearances atGrand Prix tournaments in theOmaha Open andCalgary Indoor in 1974. He also won a set against world number oneJimmy Connors when they met in aWashington quarter-final that year. In doubles he won one Grand Prix title, atHampton in 1975, withIan Fletcher.[5]
A coaching pro for many years, Crookenden joinedWake Forest University in 1984 as the head men's tennis coach and indoor tennis club director, a role he held for 12 years.[6] From 1997 to 2008 he served as director of tennis at thePhiladelphia Cricket Club.[6] He returned to collegiate tennis in 2008 when he was appointed head coach of the tennis programs atSaint Joseph's University.[6]
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Jan 1972 | Roanoke, U. S. | Carpet |  Vladimír Zedník |  Jimmy Connors Haroon Rahim | 4–6, 6–3, 3–6 |
| Loss | 0–2 | Jan 1974 | Roanoke, U. S. | Carpet | Jeff Simpson | Vitas GerulaitisSandy Mayer | 6–7, 1–6 |
| Win | 1–2 | Mar 1975 | Hampton, U. S. | Carpet |  Ian Fletcher |  Karl MeilerJan Písecký | 6–2, 6–7, 6–4 |
