By Randy Walker
Most people in the tennis world don’t really know how good a tennis player Barry MacKay was.
“I didn’t know that he was a tennis player,” confessed my father Saturday morning as we discussed the life and career of MacKay, who passed away Friday at the age of 76 in San Francisco.
Whenever I saw MacKay in person – usually on the grounds of the US Open or at the International Tennis Hall of Fame – I would always acknowledge him as “the only American-born player to ever beat Rod Laver in Davis Cup.” It was true. It was a fun stat that I figured out about the man known affectionately as “Bear.” MacKay was born August 31, 1935 in Cincinnati and dominated “the Rocket” 7-5, 6-4, 6-1 in the 1959 Davis Cup Challenge Round (final) at Forest Hills. MacKay’s teammate Alex Olmedo, who was born in Peru, also beat Laver in that series, but Stan Smith, Tom Gorman and Erik van Dillen were not able to beat Laver in Cup play in the only other match Laver played against a U.S. team in the 1973 Cup final in Cleveland. It was a quirky distinction, but it was true and anyone who could claim to beat the great Laver under such important circumstances needed to be shown respect.
Mining information from MacKay’s bio as seen in THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS, the “Ohio Bear,” as Collins coined him, was a mainstay in the top echelon of amateur tennis until turning pro in 1961. His career in its entirety lasted for 17 years, winning 24 amateur titles and two pro titles. Towering a 6 foot, 4 inches, MacKay was known for his huge serve and his adept volleys and after his playing days ended, he founded and promoted tournaments, most notably the former San Francisco and San Jose events on the ATP Tour, and also served as a television commentator for HBO, USA Network, NBC, Versus and Tennis Channel.
One of his biggest titles came in 1960 when he won the Italian Championships, defeating Chile’s Luis Ayala by the curious scoreline of 7-5, 7-5, 0-6, 0-6, 6-1 in the final. That year he also won the U.S. Indoor title at the Armory on Park Avenue and 66th Street in New York City played on the slick wood courts (yes, wood!), beating Dick Savitt 6-2, 2-6, 10-12, 6-1, 6-4. One could argue that he won titles on the slowest court (Rome’s clay) and the fastest court (the Armory’s wood) in tennis in the same year! He finished that year ranked No. 1 in the United States and won an impressive 11 singles titles. As a U.S. Davis Cupper, he was a team member for four years, posting a 17-7 singles record and a 5-2 card in doubles. He played in three Davis Cup Challenge Rounds (finals) from 1957-1959, helping the U.S. win the Cup in 1958. In 1959, he, as mentioned, beat Laver in straight-sets in the Davis Cup final at Forest Hills, but lost the fifth and decisive match to Neale Fraser 8-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
In major tournament play, he was a semifinalist at Australian and at Wimbledon in 1959; a quarterfinalist Wimbledon in 1958 and 1960; a quarterfinalist at the U.S. Championships in 1959. He was actually the No. 1 seed at the French Championships in 1960, but lost in the quarterfinals to Orlando Sirola of Italy.
A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he was a graduate of the Univ. of Michigan in 1957, winning the NCAA singles title as a senior over Sam Giammalva of Texas 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. He was ranked in the world’s top 10 for three years: No. 9, 1958; No. 4, 1959-60 and in the U.S. Top 10 for five years: No. 5, 1957; No. 3, 1958-59; No. 1, 1960; No. 9, 1970.
MacKay is on my email distribution list for various tennis public relations projects as well tennis book projects for New Chapter Press. Most of my emails were returned with great enthusiasm.
“Appreciate the update on the Champions Tour for 2011,” he wrote to me when I sent out a press release promoting Jim Courier’s “Champions Series” tennis circuit format being switched from four-day tournaments to one-night stand events back. “Interesting, when I read about the one night stands, it brought back memories of the “Kramer Tour” I played on in 1961-63, when we played 84 matches in four and a half months (one night stands) in America during the winter. Everywhere from Texarkana to Des Moines. I have a feeling Jim will find some great venues, a bit better than those!! Happy New Year again, and keep me on your ‘Hit List’”
“Hi Randy, I am really interested to read the Sidney Wood Book,” he responded to my email press release announcing Wood’s book THE WIMBLEDON FINAL THAT NEVER WAS..“I bought my first Supreme Court from Sidney, years ago when I was promoting the tournament at the “Cow Palace.” What a great character he was.”
“Thanks for the “heads up” on Cliff’s new book,” he wrote back to me in response to my email announcing Cliff Richey’s book “ACING DEPRESSION: A TENNIS CHAMPION’S TOUGHEST MATCH. “I will definitely give it a read as Cliff and I are old friends for many years. In fact that match at the Berkeley Tennis Club when he became #1 was the very first tennis event I promoted, and was my start into the Tournament Director’s world in 1970!”
Richey and I exchanged texts Saturday remembering MacKay. Cliff immediately pointed out his losing two 6-0 sets and still winning the best-of-five-set final against Ayala in the 1960 Italian Open, while also acknowledging his great achievements as a player, tournament director and TV commentator. “Good friend. Super Guy.” Cliff texted at the end of his tribute to MacKay.
Indeed he was a super guy. Everyone who knew him would cheerfully agree.
