| Country (sports) |  Yugoslavia |
|---|---|
| Born | (1917-09-16)16 September 1917 |
| Died | 27 August 1986(1986-08-27) (aged 68) Houston, Texas, U.S.[1] |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 5 (The Star magazine) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | QF (1938,1946,1949) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1938,1946) |
| US Open | 3R (1939) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | SF (1946) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1938) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1939,1950) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | F (1939) |
Dragutin Mitić (Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic:Драгутин Митић,pronounced[draɡǔtinmǐːtitɕ];[2][3] 16 September 1917 – 27 August 1986) was atennis player fromYugoslavia. He defected to the West in 1952 and afterwards lived in the United States.
Dragutin Mitić was born inZagreb on 16 September 1917.[1] He was nicknamedDragec.[4] His first tennis performance was an instant success. In 1932 he played at the national junior championships and won. At eighteen, he competed inBled and upset CzechoslovakJosef Caska, and brought home the mixed doubles withHella Kovač. He made his Davis Cup debut in 1936. That same year he traveled toSouth Africa and, although he didn't return with any major result, gained international experience.[4]
Mitić played tennis for Zagreb clubsAkademski teniski klub ATK, between 1935 and 1940,[1][5]Slavija in 1946,[1][5]Dinamo in 1947–48,[1][6]Naprijed in 1949,[1][5] and ZTK in 1951.[6] He played for theKingdom of Yugoslavia Davis Cup team, first at theInternational Lawn Tennis Challenge, and later theDavis Cup, from 1936 to 1951.[1]
Mitić's breakthrough year was in 1938 with back-to-back victories over well-established names such as CzechoslovakRoderich Menzel, FrenchChristian Boussus, andIgnacy Tłoczyński in matches inAlexandria,Cairo, and Beaulieu, respectively. InNice, he lost toKho Sin-Kie. He also did well in two big tournaments. At the1938 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles he dropped out of the AustralianMervyn Weston in four sets, then ArgentineAlejo Russell in five, and BrazilianAlcides Procopio in three, losing in the fourth round toMax Ellmer. In theRoland Garros he advanced one more round into the quarterfinals, but there won only one game against Menzel. He booked his first and onlyGrand Slam title (as it was called in the Open era) in the mixed doubles, where he andSimonne Mathieu rebounded from a one-set disadvantage againstNancye Wynne Bolton and Boussus to achieve their biggest feat.[7]
In 1939 Mitić made a name for himself on theFrench Riviera tennis circuit. InMonaco he beatAdam Baworowski, and inBordighera, the home favoriteGiorgio de Stefani, claiming the title in both tournaments. In Cairo he won the mixed doubles with his partner,Billie Yorke.[7] AfterWorld War II he won the first post-war tournament in Budapest, theHungarian Tennis Championships, fromJózsef Asbóth, along with the doubles with partnerJosip Pallada, and the mixed doubles.[8] He also won five consecutive singles titles in the Yugoslavian Nationals from 1946 to 1950.[7]
In 1947 Mitić repeated his Hungarian success and became a two-time singles champion.[1] In 1948 he won the Czechoslovakia International doubles tournament with Palada.[1] In 1950 he was crowned Indian champion in the mixed doubles category, teaming withPatricia Canning Todd.[1]
Mitićdefected to theWest together withMilan Branović while competing at the 1952Italian International Championships.[9]
After his defection in 1952, he lived inNew York City, where he opened a tennis center.[1]
According to tennis expert Predrag Briksi: "Mitić had a world-class backhand, sharp and accurate, coherent and well coordinated. He had a very good service and refined volley, strong smash, and the only weak point in his refined game was his above-average forehand shot. The Mitić forehand was slightly weaker because it was regularly struck with the weight of the body on the 'wrong foot'. His on-court reach showed vulnerability when it came to movement. He covered a great range from right to the left side, but he was a little slower relative to his front-back reach. He was excellent at baseline, and just as good at the net when he went volleying".[4]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1938 | French Championships | Clay |  Simonne Mathieu |  Nancye WynneChristian Boussus | 2–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Dragùtin
Mítić
{{cite book}}:|website= ignored (help)