Uberto De Morpurgo
{{short description|Italian tennis player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
|name = Uberto De Morpurgo
|fullname = Hubert Louis (Uberto Luigi) De Morpurgo
|image =Uberto De Morpurgo.jpg
|caption =Uberto De Morpurgo playing Tennis
|country = {{flagicon|Austria-Hungary}} Austria-Hungary (−1920)
{{flagicon|ITA|1861}} Italy (1920–)
|residence =
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1896|1|11}}
|birth_place = Trieste, Austria-Hungary
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1961|2|26|1896|1|11}}
|death_place = Geneva, Switzerland
|height =
|turnedpro = 1914 (amateur tour)
|retired = 1939
|plays = Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
|careerprizemoney =
|singlesrecord =
|singlestitles =
|highestsinglesranking = No. 8 (1930, A. Wallis Myers){{cite journal|editor=Béla Kehrling|editor-link=Béla Von Kehrling|url=http://epa.oszk.hu/02100/02127/00035/pdf/EPA02127_tennis_es_golf_1930_2_021.pdf|title=tennis and golf|volume=II|issue=21|journal=Tennisz és Golf|date=November 20, 1930|publisher=Bethlen Gábor irod. és Nyomdai RT|location=Budapest, Hungary|language=hu|access-date=December 3, 2012}}
|AustralianOpenresult =
|FrenchOpenresult = SF (1930)
|Wimbledonresult = QF (1928)
|USOpenresult =
|Othertournaments = yes
|WCCCresult = SF (1922)
|Olympicsresult =
|doublesrecord =
|doublestitles =
|highestdoublesranking =
|AustralianOpenDoublesresult =
|FrenchOpenDoublesresult =
|WimbledonDoublesresult =
|USOpenDoublesresult =
|Mixed =
|mixedrecord =
|mixedtitles =
|AustralianOpenMixedresult =
|FrenchOpenMixedresult =
|WimbledonMixedresult = F (1925)
|USOpenMixedresult =
| medaltemplates-expand = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }}
{{MedalBronze | 1924 Paris | Singles tennis }}
}}
Uberto De Morpurgo (11 January 1896 – 26 February 1961) was an Italian tennis player.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/824 |title=Uberto De Morpurgo |work=Olympedia |access-date=21 November 2021}}
Uberto De Morpurgo was born in Trieste when it was part of Austria, but became an Italian citizen when the city changed hands after World War I. His world rankings were ninth in 1928, tenth in 1929, and eighth in 1930.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YhQuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SYwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6484,4310344&dq=wallis-myers&hl=en "Big Bill Tilden is Second Only to Henri Cochet"], The Montreal Gazette, 27 November 1930. Bill Tilden ranked him 10th in the world in 1924,{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,719427,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070318005427/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,719427,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 March 2007 |title=Sport: A World and |magazine=Time|date=1924-11-17 |access-date=2012-12-26}} and 6th in 1929.{{cite journal|editor=Béla Kehrling|editor-link=Béla Von Kehrling|url=http://epa.oszk.hu/02100/02127/00013/pdf/EPA02127_tennis_es_golf_1929_1_013.pdf|volume=I|issue=13|page=309|journal=Tennisz és Golf|date=November 10, 1929|title=Tilden világranglistája|trans-title=Tilden's world rankings|publisher=Bethlen Gábor irod. és Nyomdai RT|location=Budapest, Hungary|language=hu|access-date=October 18, 2012}}
Tennis career
De Morpurgo was junior champion in Great Britain in 1911, and student champion in Paris in 1915. He was ranked as Italy's top tennis player in 1927, and again in 1929 through 1931. Tennis magazine called him "the Tilden of his country". De Morpurgo reached the semifinals of the 1930 French championships (beating Edgar Moon before losing to Henri Cochet).{{cite web|title=French Open 1930|url=http://www.tennis.co.nf/FRENCH%20OPEN%201930.htm|website=www.tennis.co.nf}}
He was named Italian Commissioner of Tennis by Benito Mussolini in 1929.{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/UmbertoLouisdeMorpurgo.htm|title=Umberto Louis de Morpurgo|year=2004|publisher=International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=January 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060111141615/http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/UmbertoLouisdeMorpurgo.htm|archive-date=January 11, 2006}}
=Olympics=
De Morpurgo participated in the singles event at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. He won his first four matches to reach the semifinal which he lost to eventual gold medal winner Vincent Richards in four sets. De Morpurgo won the bronze medal after a five-set victory in the play-off against Jean Borotra of France.
=Davis Cup=
De Morpurgo played on Italy's Davis Cup team each year from its inaugural year in 1922 through 1933. He won 39 singles matches and lost 14, while in doubles he was 16–10.{{cite web|url=http://www.daviscup.com/en/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=10003349 |title=Player profile - Umberto DE MORPURGO (ITA) |publisher=Davis Cup |access-date=2012-12-26}}
=Playing style=
De Morpurgo used a very fast serve on his first ball, and an exaggerated American Twist serve on the second serve which was of extreme contortion. His baseline game consisted of flat drives. He had an excellent net attack, owing to his great reach. His overhead, like his service, was hard but erratic.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/tech/sports/TheArtofLawnTennis/chap19.html |title=The Art of Lawn Tennis - Chapter XV |publisher=Worldwideschool.org |access-date=2012-12-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070922172434/http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/tech/sports/TheArtofLawnTennis/chap19.html |archive-date=2007-09-22 }}
=Recognition=
De Morpurgo, who was Jewish, was inducted as a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oZxnNt28DhcC&q=Umberto+De+Morpurgo+jewish+hall+of+fame&pg=PA167 |title=Jewish Sports Legends: The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame - Joseph Siegman - Google Books |isbn=9781574882841 |access-date=2012-12-26|last1=Siegman |first1=Joseph |year=2000 |publisher=Brassey's }}
Grand Slam finals
= Mixed doubles (1 runners-up) =
class="sortable wikitable"
!style="width:40px"|Result !style="width:40px"|Year !style="width:140px"|Championship !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:150px"|Partner !style="width:150px"|Opponents !style="width:110px" class="unsortable"|Score | ||||||
style="background:#cfc;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | 1925 | Wimbledon | Grass | {{flagicon|USA}} Elizabeth Ryan | {{flagicon|FRA}} Suzanne Lenglen {{flagicon|FRA}} Jean Borotra | 3–6, 3–6 |
Career finals
=Singles (1 win 2 runner-ups)=
class="sortable wikitable"
!style="width:40px"|Result !style="width:20px"|No. !style="width:50px"|Date !style="width:240px"|Tournament !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:160px"|Opponent !style="width:130px" class="unsortable"|Score |
style="background:#98FB98;" |Win
|1. |1928 |Clay |{{flagicon|ITA}} Emanuele Sertorio |6–2, 8–6, 6–1 |
style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss
|2. |1929 |Monte Carlo Championships, Monaco |Clay |{{flagicon|FRA}} Henri Cochet |6–8, 4–6, 4–6 |
style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss
|3. |1930 |Italian Championships, Rome, Italy |Clay |{{flagicon|USA}} Bill Tilden |1–6, 1–6, 1–6 |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{ATP}}
- {{ITF}}
- {{Davis Cup player}}
- {{Sports-Reference|de/umberto-de-morpurgo-1|Umberto De Morpurgo}}
- {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310013205/http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=DEMORUMB01 |title=Umberto de Morpurgo at DatabaseOlympics.com}}
- [http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/UmbertoLouisdeMorpurgo.htm Umberto Louis de Morpurgo] at JewishSports.net
- {{Olympics.com profile|%20umberto-de-morpurgo%20| Umberto De Morpurgo }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Morpurgo, Uberto}}
Category:Italian male tennis players
Category:Jewish tennis players
Category:Olympic tennis players for Italy
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Italy
Category:Tennis players at the 1924 Summer Olympics
Category:20th-century Italian Jews
Category:Jews from Austria-Hungary
Category:Italian Austro-Hungarians
Category:Sportspeople from Trieste
Category:People from Austrian Littoral
Category:Olympic medalists for Italy in tennis