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Nicola Pietrangeli Hail Signor Davis Cup! A 5-foot-11-inch Tunisian, with exceptional anticipation and instincts for the game, who reach four French and Italian Championship finals, but made his name in Italian Davis Cup folklore for his amazing appetite for the competition. Nicola Pietrangeli's Cup career spanned three decades from 1954 to 1972 for Italy registering the most wins by any player before or since with 120, playing in 164 altogether in his 66 ties, with an impressive 78-32 record in singles and 42-12 in doubles. (See Cup Records). With 6-foot-7-inch Orlando Sirola, Nicky carried Italy all the way to two Cup Challenge Rounds in 1960 and 1961, but buckled under the pressure of the Australian powerhouses of the time, playing on the alien grass, losing 5-0. To get there though they pulled off one of their countries greatest victory by coming back from two rubbers down, to win 3-2 against the United States, in the semi-final in Perth.
The following year, the right-handed Pietrangeli was too much for the Amiercan challenge, as he beat both Whitney Reed and Jack Douglas on the clay in Rome. He teamed up with Sirola in the doubles (career record together 34-8) again in the 4-1 victory. But when it came to the 1961 final, Nicky could only salvage one rubber beating Neale Fraser in the singles as the Australians won 4-1. As his own operator, he had smooth touch, beating Beppe Merlo in 1957 and Rod Laver in 1961, in the finals of the French Championships. He lost to Spain's Manolo Santana in 1961 and 1964. At the time the Italian championships was a big tournament. He won there in 1957 and 1961, twice reaching the final in 1958 and 1966. Pietrangeli's best showing away from clay was his Wimbledon 1960 semi-final appearance against eventual champion Laver, which he lost 6-4 in the fifth. He was popular with fans and players and his career shaped the amateur era, during which time he won 53 singles titles and was in the world's Top Ten between 1957 and 1964, reaching a career high number three in 1959-60. When he retired from the game, he captained Italy to the final twice, defeating Chile in 1976, but losing the following year to the Australians. Grand Slam Record French Singles winner 1959-60; Singles finalist 1961, 1964; Doubles winner 1959; Doubles finalist 1955; Mixed winner 1958 Wimbledon Doubles finalist 1956 Tournament Record (inc. Davis Cup and Olympics) Italian Championships Singles winner 1957, 1961; Singles finalist 19958, 1966; Doubles winner 1960; Doubles finalist 1955-57, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1966 Italian Davis Cup team member 1954-69,
1971-72; losing side 1960-61; Captain 1973-78;
winning captain 1976; losing captain 1977
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