Vic Seixas, a Wimbledon champion and tennis Hall of Famer, dies at 100
LONDON (AP) — Vic Seixas, a Wimbledon winner and tennis Hall of Famer who was the oldest living Grand Slam champion, has died at the age of 100.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Seixas’ death on Saturday based on confirmation from his daughter, Tori. It said the American died Friday but did not provide a cause of death.
Seixas had been the Hall of Fame’s oldest member and was inducted in 1971 after a career that included the 1953 Wimbledon singles title. He also won the U.S. Championships — now the U.S. Open — in 1954.
Seixas stood out for his longevity in the sport and played in the U.S. Championships a record 28 times between 1940 and 1969, the last time when he was 45. He was also a mainstay in the Davis Cup, where he helped the U.S. reach seven straight finals between 1951-57. The Americans faced Australia in all of those finals and only won one, in 1954, when Seixas won one singles match and the doubles together with Tony Trabert.
He also won five Grand Slam titles in doubles and eight in mixed doubles.
After his playing career, he served as the tournament referee during the 1971 U.S. Open and was a three-time Davis Cup captain.
Born in Philadelphia on Aug. 30, 1923, he had lived north of San Francisco since 1989. ___
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