Clarence Griffin - Career

Career

Griffin ranked in singles in the U.S. Top Ten three times: he was No. 7 in 1915, No. 6 in 1916, and No. 6 in 1920. In addition to his singles success, Griffin also made a mark in doubles with fellow Californian Bill Johnston.

Griffin and Johnston won the U.S. doubles title three times (1915, 1916, and 1920), and Griffin also reached the 1913 doubles final with John Strachan. He and Strachan won the U.S. 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).

In 1913 he won the singles title at the Niagara International Tennis Tournament defeating Edward H. Whitney in four sets. He successfully defended his title in the challenge round in the following year, 1914, against George Church, also 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. In 1915 he was victorious in the Tri-State Championship, disposing W.S. McElroy in the challenge round in three straight sets.

He was a 5-foot-7 right-handed player and entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1970. His nephew was entertainer Merv Griffin.

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