Australian tennis has lost another great with the passing of Grand Slam champion Mal Anderson on 11 May at the age of 91.
Anderson’s greatest moment came in 1957 when he won the US National Championships at Forest Hills in New York. Then 21 years old, he became the first unseeded player to win the US singles title and incredibly defeated the top three seeds along the way.
He first upset No. 2 seed American Dick Savitt 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 in the round of 16. His toughest match came in the semi finals when he recovered from two sets to one down to beat 3rd seeded Sven Davidson of Sweden, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Anderson would then face no less than top seed and Davis Cup teammate Ashley Cooper in the final, winning 10-8, 7-5, 6-4 to secure his first Grand Slam singles title.
This triumph came just a few months after Anderson had injured his toe during a disappointing Wimbledon campaign. At the time, his Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman had reportedly advised Anderson to finish his season early and return to Australia. Fortuitously, a determined Anderson chose to play on.
Cooper would turn the tables on Anderson in 1958, defeating him twice in Grand Slam finals. Cooper won in the final of the 1958 Australian Championship 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 and the two met again in the title match at the US Nationals. On this occasion, Cooper would prevail after an tremendous duel, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 10-8, 8-6.
Anderson made his Davis Cup debut in 1957, teaming with Cooper and Merv Rose under Hopman to defeat USA 3-2 in the Challenge Round at the famous Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne. Anderson played a critical role defeating Barry Mackay on day one, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 7-9, 6-3. After Cooper had won over Seixas in five sets to put Australia up 2-0, Anderson teamed with Rose the next day to win the doubles 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 over Mackay and Seixas.
A year later, USA with an inspired Alex Olmedo in their team, wrested back the Davis Cup by a 3-2 margin in Brisbane. Anderson went down to Olmedo on the opening day in four sets and then suffered a five set loss alongside Neale Fraser in the doubles to Olmedo and Ham Richardson. Olmedo clinched the tie against Fraser in the fourth rubber on day three.
Anderson was a non-playing member of the Australian team captained by Fraser that won the 1973 Davis Cup, defeating reigning champions USA 5-0 in the Challenge Round. He and Rosewall were the reserves in Cleveland, Ohio, as Rod Laver and John Newcombe combined to reclaim the Davis Cup trophy after a six year drought.
He turned professional after the 1958 Challenge Round and carved out an impressive career in the professional circuit winning several titles in his peak years between 1959 and 1963.
At 36 and semi-retired, he made a surprising run to the final of the 1972 Australian Open, upsetting top seed and three time Wimbledon champion Newcombe in the quarters, 9-7 in the fifth set. The 4th seeded Soviet Alex Metreveli was then swept aside by Anderson 6-2, 7-6, 7-6 in the semis, before Rosewall ended the unexpected run of the Queenslander in the final, 7-6, 6-3, 7-5. Rosewall, at 37 years, two months and one day, became the oldest male winner of a Grand Slam singles title, a record that incredibly still stands today.
Anderson’s Grand Slam trophy cabinet also includes two Men’s Doubles titles. He won the 1957 Roland Garros title with Cooper and the 1973 Australian Open with Newcombe. Additionally, he won the 1957 Australian Mixed Doubles championship with Fay Muller.
He played a mentoring role as well for Australian players navigating the tennis tour. Dual US Open winner Pat Rafter and former world No. 14 Wally Masur were two players who relied on Anderson for advice during their careers.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame inducted Anderson in 2000. Born on 3 March, 1936 in Queensland, he was raised on a Queensland cattle farm and initially learnt the game on the family dirt court. A baptism of sorts that led all the way to triumph at Forest Hills two decades later.
Title photo of the tribute to Mal Anderson at Pat Rafter Arena during the 2016 Brisbane International by Tennis Australia