Career
He was on the victorious United States. teams of 1957 and 1958.In 1958, he teamed up with Barry MacKay to reach the doubles final at the United States. Nationals. The pair fell to Alex Olmedo and Ham Richardson, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4. lieutenant was Michigan’s MacKay who beat Giammalva, of the University of Texas at Austin, in the final of the 1957 National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship, by a score of 6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3.
Giammalva also reached the National Collegiate Athletic Association doubles final in 1955.
Giammalva also reached four finals at the Cincinnati Masters. In 1958, he knocked out Crawford Henry, Gustavo Palafox, and Donald Dell before falling to fellow Texan Bernard Bartzen in the singles final by a score of 7–5, 6–3, 6–2.
He also reached the singles final in 1954 and doubles finals in 1952 & 1958. Giammalva"s best grand slam singles result was reaching the quarter-finals of the 1955 United States. National Championships, where he lost to Number.
4 seed Lew Hoad in four sets.
Sam Giammalva started as tennisprofessional in 1959 on The Jack Kramer Championships, and played the United States Pro Championships also in 1960,1964,1965, 1966 and 1967. Giammalva went on to coach at Rice University for 14 years from 1959 to 1972, leading the Owls to 10 Southwest Conference titles and second-place National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament finishes in 1968 and 1970. Giammalva’s sons, Tony Giammalva and Sammy Giammalva, Junior., were also tennis players.
28 in singles and northern
22 in doubles during his career.