| Full name | Jairo Velasco Sr. |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Colombia |
| Residence | Barcelona, Spain |
| Born | (1947-05-09)9 May 1947 (age 77) Bogotá, Colombia |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 125–164 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 46 (20 December 1982) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | 2R (1969,71,75,82,83) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (1972,1975) |
| US Open | 4R (1976) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 105–116 |
| Career titles | 2 |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | 4R (1971) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1974) |
| US Open | 2R (1972) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | SF (1973) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1973) |
| US Open | 1R (1972) |
Jairo Velasco Sr. (born 9 May 1947) is a former professionaltennis player from Colombia.[note 1] Velasco has additionally several Senior World Championship titles in different age classes in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
World Singles Champion:
World Doubles Champion:
World Mixed Champion:
Velasco teamed withIván Molina to reach the fourth round of the1971 French Open, where they were defeated by eventual championsArthur Ashe andMarty Riessen. In mixed doubles at the1973 French Open, he and countrywomanIsabel Fernández de Soto lost in the semifinals in three sets toPatrice Dominguez andBetty Stöve. He became the first Colombian to reach the fourth round of the singles draw at aGrand Slam when he beat three players at the1976 US Open,Ferdi Taygan,Barry Phillips-Moore andBill Scanlon. His run ended when he lost toDick Stockton.[1] He remained the only player from his country to go that deep in a Grand Slam tournament untilAlejandro Falla made the four round at the2011 French Open.
The Colombian made seven doubles finals on theGrand Prix tennis circuit, winning two, atKitzbühel and at home inBogota. He also made the singles final at Bogota, in 1979, but lost toVíctor Pecci.[2]
He won 24 singles rubbers for theColombia Davis Cup team, a national record. In all, he participated in 21 ties and won a total of 33 matches, being victorious in nine doubles rubbers. He was most notably a member of the side which defeated theUnited States in theNorth & Central America Zone final of the1974 Davis Cup, beating bothHarold Solomon andErik van Dillen in his two singles rubbers. In the Americas Inter-Zonal final, which curiously featured theSouth African team, Velasco lost his first match toBob Hewitt and was defeated in the doubles, to surrender the tie. He then beatRay Moore in a dead rubber. The Colombians, with Velasco in the side, made the Inter-Zonal final again in 1981, but were defeated byChile.[3]
Early in his career, Velasco moved to Barcelona in Spain, where he still lives.[4] He married a woman from the area, and they have three children, includingJairo Velasco Jr., a doubles specialist on the ATP Tour andGabriela Velasco Andreu, who has been in the world's top 400.[5]
| Result | W-L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | 1979 | Bogotá, Colombia | Clay |  Víctor Pecci | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Result | W-L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | 1974 | Calgary, Canada | Carpet (i) | Iván Molina |  Jürgen FassbenderKarl Meiler | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 0–2 | 1974 | Salt Lake City, United States | Hard (i) | Iván Molina |  Jimmy ConnorsVitas Gerulaitis | 6–2, 6–7, 5–7 |
| Win | 1–2 | 1974 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Iván Molina |  František Pála Balázs Taróczy | 2–6, 7–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1–3 | 1977 | Florence, Italy | Clay | Iván Molina |  Chris LewisRussell Simpson | 6–2, 6–7, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1–4 | 1979 | Quito, Ecuador | Clay | Iván Molina |  Jaime FillolÁlvaro Fillol | 7–6, 3–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 2–4 | 1979 | Bogotá, Colombia | Clay |  Emilio Montaño | Bruce NicholsCharles Owens | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2–5 | 1981 | Mar del Plata, Argentina | Clay |  Ángel Giménez |  David CarterPaul Kronk | 7–6, 4–6, 0–6 |
| No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1979 | Le Touquet, France | Clay | Fernando Luna | 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–1 |
| 2. | 1981 | Tarragona, Spain | Clay | Eduardo Osta | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 3. | 1982 | Porto, Portugal | Clay |  Juan Avendaño | 6–7, 6–3, 6–3 |
| No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1979 | Le Touquet, France | Clay | Antonio Muñoz |  Éric DeblickerGeorges Goven | 6–0, 3–6, 6–3 |
