Clarence Griffin

Background

He was born on January 19, 1888 in San Francisco, California.

Career

His best major performance in singles was reaching the semi-finals of the 1916 United States. National Championships. He also reached the quarter-finals in 1914, 1915, 1917 and 1920. Griffin ranked in singles in the United States. Top Ten three times: he was Number.

7 in 1915 and Number.

6 in both 1916 and 1920. In addition to his singles success, Griffin also made a mark in doubles with fellow Californian Bill Johnston. In 1915 he was victorious in the Tri-State Championship, disposing West.S. McElroy in the challenge round in three straight sets.

He died on March 28, 1973.

He was a 5-foot-7 right-handed player and entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1970. Doubles (3 titles, 1 runner-up).

Achievements

• In 1913 he won the singles title at the Niagara International Tennis Tournament defeating Edward H. Whitney in four sets. He won the singles and doubles titles at the Cincinnati tournament in 1915 and was a doubles champion and singles finalist in Cincinnati in 1916. Griffin, and doubles partner Johnston, won the United States. doubles title three times (1915, 1916, and 1920), and Griffin also reached the 1913 doubles final with John Strachan. He and Strachan won the United States. Clay Court title that year, and in 1914 Griffin reached his singles final in a comeback beating of Elia Fottrell, 3–6, 6–8, 8–6, 6–0, 6–2, for the Clay Court singles crown (held that year in Cincinnati).

Views

He successfully defended his title in the challenge round in the following year, 1914, against George Church, also in four sets.