| Country (sports) |  Canada |
|---|---|
| Born | (1941-08-03)August 3, 1941 (age 84) |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Plays | Left-handed |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | 2R (1964) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966) |
| US Open | 4R (1965) |
Keith A. Carpenter (born August 3, 1941) was one ofCanada's top men'stennis players during the 1960s.
Carpenter's best result was winning the Canadian Open Men's Doubles Championship in 1966 alongside his older brother,Michael Carpenter. It was their first and only Grand Slam Event win for both brothers' careers and a proud moment in Canadian tennis history.[citation needed] Fourth round in singles of the1965 U.S. Nationals.[1] The year before he also reached the third round. Carpenter reached the second round atWimbledon every year from 1963, his first appearance in the main draw, which he reached through qualifying, through 1966.[1] In 1964 he also reached the second round atRoland Garros, his only time in three appearances in the main draw.
In doubles, Carpenter competed in the main draw of a grand slam event twice.[1] At the1968 Wimbledon Championships, he and partnerBerry Geraghty lost in the opening round.[2] The following year, he and his partner, compatriotJohn Sharpe, reached the second round, where they lost in straight sets to the tandem ofRoy Emerson andRod Laver.
In Davis Cup, Carpenter competed forCanada each year from 1963 through 1968.[3] His overall record was 1 win, 4 losses in singles, and 1 win, 6 losses in doubles, in a total of 7 ties. Canada lost all but one of these match-ups, their only victory coming overFinland in the first round of Europe Group in 1966.[3] In the following round that year they lost toFrance 5-0 at Roland Garros.
Carpenter was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996.[4]
Carpenter competed in singles in the main draw of threeU.S. National Championships over three consecutive years before contesting any other majors, losing in the first round each time. As a 19 years old, he lost in theU.S. Nationals toEduardo Zuleta in three sets. Thefollowing year, Carpenter lost to eventual quarter-finalistDonald Dell. In1962, he lost toBodo Nitsche comprehensively in straight sets.
Carpenter played both the U.S. Championship andWimbledon, the later for the first time. AtWimbledon, he won his first match at a major event, reaching the second round. Qualifying for the main draw, Carpenter beat MexicanAngel Ochoa in straight sets. In the second round he faced JapaneseOsamu Ishiguro. Carpenter leveled the match at a set apiece before dropping the next two, the last 15-17, to lose. At theU.S. Nationals, Carpenter fell again in the first round, and again to a German player,Peter Scholl.
Carpenter had his best year in majors, making it past the first round of all three he participated in, theFrench Championships, Wimbledon, and Forest Hills. At Roland Garros, he beat BritonBilly Knight, possibly by default, in the first round, while in the second, Carpenter lost in four sets toJean-Claude Barclay. AtWimbledon, Carpenter, for the second time in a row, reached the second round as well. He defeated lucky loser BritonGeoff Bluett in straight sets before falling to eventual quarter-finalistChristian Kuhnke. Then at theU.S. Championships, Carpenter reached the third round of a major tournament for the first time. He swept asideDavid Sandlerlin in the first round and then beat DutchmanEvert Schneider in five sets. Carpenter then was defeated, however, by AmericanRaymond Senkowski.
Carpenter earned his best result in a major in reaching the fourth round of the1965 U.S. National Championships. Not competing in the main draw of the French, Carpenter first however reached the second round atWimbledon for the third straight year. Carpenter eliminated qualifierPat Cramer in the first round in four sets before succumbing toInge Buding. AtForest Hills, Carpenter began his run by beatingEugene Cantin in three sets. He got through his second round match too without dropping a set, a win overLeif Beck. Carpenter was pushed to the limit, however, byJohn Powless, prevailing in a five-set match. In the fourth round, he went down in straight sets, however, toCharlie Pasarell.
Carpenter competed in The Canadian Men's Doubles Championships in 1966 (Vancouver Lawn Tennis Club) alongside his brother, Michael Carpenter. As a final result, Michael and Keith Carpenter won the doubles title that summer.[5] As two years earlier, Carpenter competed in the main draws at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and Forrest Hills, but with less success in terms of results. At theFrench Championships, he lost in the first round, toGeorges Goven. At Wimbledon, Carpenter defeated veteran FloridianGardnar Mulloy, before falling to South AfricanKeith Diepraam in four sets. At theU.S. Nationals, he came from 2 sets down to defeatBailey Brown in round one. He lost in the second round in straight sets, however, to FrenchmanDaniel Contet.
Carpenter in the first round of the main draw at each the French, Wimbledon, and U.S. Championships in Canada's centennial year. In the Roland Garros main draw for the last time as it turned out, Carpenter lost to PoleWieslaw Gasiorek in four sets. At Wimbledon, he went down to No. 2 seedRoy Emerson in straight sets, while at the U.S. Championships, Carpenter lost toMarty Riessen.
Carpenter has stayed active as a player in masters or senior circuit tennis. HisITF Senior Circuit high ranking is No. 167, achieved on November 10, 2006.[1] Carpenter won the men's 65 and over Canadian national championship in singles in 2006.[6] In 2007 and 2008, however, he was not listed in the Canadian rankings.[7][8]
Carpenter attendedConcordia University, where he obtained aBachelor of Science degree.[9] Born inBirmingham, England, he resides or has resided inKing City, Ontario.[1]
Carpenter and fellow former Canadian Davis CupperHarry Fauquier have since 1974 operated a tennis court accessory company, Tennex Systems, Inc.[9]