Ladislav Hecht

Ladislav Hecht (Czech pronunciation: [ˈlaɟɪslav ˈɦɛxt]; Hungarian: Hecht László [ˈhɛkt ˈlaːsloː];[5] August 31, 1909 – May 27, 2004) was a Czechoslovak professional tennis player of Jewish descent, well known for representing Czechoslovakia in the Davis Cup during the 1930s, where he compiled an 18 victories-19 losses record. Despite being of Jewish origin he was also invited to the Germany Davis Cup team, but chose not to accept it.[2] In the 1930s he was ranked world # 6 in singles.

Ladislav Hecht
Born(1909-08-31)August 31, 1909
Zsolna, Austria-Hungary (now Žilina, Slovakia)
DiedMay 27, 2004(2004-05-27) (aged 94)
Kew Gardens, Queens, New York City
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Grand Slam Singles results
French Open4R (1934, 1935, 1938)
WimbledonQF (1938)
US Open3R (1939, 1941, 1942, 1951)
Doubles
Highest rankingNo. 6 (1934)[1][2]
Grand Slam Doubles results
French OpenSF (1934)[3]
WimbledonSF (1937)
US OpenQF (1939)[4]
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Wimbledon3R (1938)
Team competitions
Davis CupFEu (1931, 1934, 1937)
Ladislav Hecht

Early life

Hecht was born in Zsolna, Kingdom of Hungary (today Žilina, Slovakia), and was Jewish.[6]

Tennis career; interrupted by World War II

Hecht developed a successful tennis career, many considering him to be the best tennis player in Europe immediately before the Second World War.[2][7]

In the 1930s he was ranked world # 6 in singles.[6][7] He won the gold medal in singles at the 1932 Maccabiah Games.[6][8] In 1934 Hecht won the Butler Trophy of Monte Carlo alongside Roderich Menzel, defeating Jacques Brugnon and Jean Lesueur in the final.[9] In singles he was victorious at the Hungarian International Tennis Championships, upsetting Henner Henkel in the semifinal and Ignacy Tłoczyński in the final.[10][11] He reached the doubles finals as well, partnering Josef Caska.[12]

In late 1935 and early 1936 Hecht and Roderich Menzel toured the Far East, which included a visit to Japan to participate in the Japanese National Championships, where Menzel lost in the final, and despite their united effort they lost in the doubles final as well, both times to title defender Jiro Yamagishi.[13] From there they sailed to India where they were the finalists at the East of India Championships.[14] Arriving home he was defeated in the Czechoslovakian International Championship match by eventual world number one Fred Perry.[15] He was a second straight time finalist in Budapest.[16]

From 1930 to 1939 he played for the Czech Republic Davis Cup team, achieving a record of 18-19, and was its Captain.[6][7] In 1936 Hecht moved to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, and then subsequently sought livelihood in Australia.[17][18] Hecht was invited to play for the German Davis Cup Team after Germany acquired part of Czechoslovakia, by an aide that was unaware that he was Jewish, but declined.[6][2]

He fled to the United States three days before the Nazi Germany invaded the Czech Lands in 1939.[19] He worked in a munitions factory during World War II.[20][17][18][6][19]

After the war Hecht continued his tennis career, becoming a no. 1 ranked player in the eastern United States.[6] In May 1941 he was the runner-up at the Brooklyn Tennis Tournament, when in the final his approach shots came short in the latter stages of the five-set match, enabling Pancho Segura's passing shots.[21][22] At the end of 1942 he was ranked # 10 of all men players in the United States.[23]

In 1947, he finally clinched the Brooklyn Tennis Tournament by beating Peruvian Enrique Buse in the final in straight sets.[24][25] Hecht added the Eastern Clay Court Championships to his accolades the same year by defeating Dick Savitt in the final in Jackson Heights, Queens.[26][25]

Honors

Hecht was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.[27]

Later life

Hecht continued on starting toy and paintbrush businesses, and later in life was honored by the city of Bratislava, having a new multisport stadium named after him in 1966.[20]

He had two children, Timothy and Andrew, both of whom settled in Aspen, Colorado.[2]

See also

References
  1. Skolnik 2007, p. 147.
  2. Litsky 2004.
  3. Cairns Post 1934, World tennis.
  4. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser 1939, American Tennis Championships.
  5. Tennisz és Golf 1931, Balance sheet of the first international tournament of the Czechoslovakian Hungarian Tennis Association.
  7. Peter Bodo (November 14, 2012). "The Little Nation that Could". Tennis.com.
  8. The Jews of Czechoslovakia; Historical Studies and Surveys, Volume 2, Jewish Publication Society of America, 1968.
  9. Keesing's Record of World Events 1934, Sport.
  10. Nowiny Codzienne 1934, More success for Tłoczyński at the tennis competition in Budapest.
  11. Kraśnicki 2011.
  12. Huszadik Század 1934, Schréderné – Paksyné won the ladies' doubles.
  13. Sydney Morning Herald 1936, Japanese Championships.
  14. Straits Times 1936, Lawn Tennis. Czechs do well in India.
  15. Argus 1936, Perry wins.
  16. Huszadik Század 1935, Gábori took revenge on Szigeti in the semifinals.
  17. Mariborer Zeitung 1936, Sport.
  18. The Canberra Times 1938, Czech tennis star seeks job.
  19. Christopher Hilton (2011).How Hitler Hijacked World Sport; The World Cup, the Olympics, the Heavyweight Championship and the Grand Prix
  20. International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame website.
  21. Seebohm 2009, p. 31.
  22. Caroline Seebohm (2009). Little Pancho; The Life of Tennis Legend Pancho Segura
  23. "U.S. Top 10s - Men". usta.com.
  24. Wechsler 2008, p. 166.
  26. Wechsler 2008, p. 208.
  27. "International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame". jewishsports.net.

Works cited

Online media

Books

Periodicals

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