Bill Talbert

William Franklin Talbert (September 4, 1918 – February 28, 1999) was an American tennis player and administrator.

Tennis career He was ranked in the U.S. top 10 from 1941 to 1954, and he was ranked World No. 3 in 1949 by John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Talbert still holds records at the Cincinnati Open in his hometown. His records are for most doubles titles (six), most total finals appearances (14), and most singles finals appearances (seven). He won three singles titles (in 1943, 1945 and 1947), and his six doubles titles came in 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1951 and 1954.

Talbert reached the final of the U.S. Championships in 1944 and 1945 (losing both finals to Frank Parker). He also reached the semifinals of the French championships in 1950, losing to Budge Patty 13–11 in the fifth set).

Talbert also won the singles title at the U.S. Clay Court Championships in 1945 defeating Pancho Segura in a five set final, and was a finalist in 1946 and 1943. He won the Eastern Clay Court Championships in 1949. In 1950 he won the Paris International Championships.

Before starting on the international tour, he played for the University of Cincinnati and won an Ohio State singles title in 1936 while at Cincinnati's Hughes High School.

Talbert was enshrined into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1967 and was in the first class, along with his former protégé Tony Trabert, enshrined into the Cincinnati Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002. After his playing career, he wrote tennis books, including the best seller The Game of Doubles in Tennis with Bruce Old in 1977; served as a tennis commentator for NBC Sports; and was the tournament director of the US Open.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (2 runners-up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 1944 U.S. Championships Grass Frank Parker 4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 3–6Loss 1945 U.S. Championships Grass Frank Parker 12–14, 1–6, 2–6

Doubles (5 titles, 5 runners-up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1942 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy Ted Schroeder Sidney Wood 9–7, 7–5, 6–1Loss 1943 U.S. Championships Grass David Freeman Jack Kramer Frank Parker 2–6, 4–6, 4–6Loss 1944 U.S. Championships Grass Pancho Segura Don McNeill Bob Falkenburg 5–7, 4–6, 6–3, 1–6Win 1945 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy Bob Falkenburg Jack Tuero 12–10, 8–10, 12–10, 6–2Win 1946 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy Don McNeill Frank Guernsey 3–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–3, 20–18Loss 1947 U.S. Championships Grass Bill Sidwell Jack Kramer Ted Schroeder 4–6, 5–7, 3–6Win 1948 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy Frank Parker Ted Schroeder 1–6, 9–7, 6–3, 3–6, 9–7Win 1950 French Championships Clay Tony Trabert Jaroslav Drobný Eric Sturgess 6–2, 1–6, 10–8, 6–2Loss 1950 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy John Bromwich Frank Sedgman 5–7, 6–8, 6–3, 1–6Loss 1953 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy Rex Hartwig Mervyn Rose 4–6, 6–4, 2–6, 4–6

Mixed Doubles (4 titles, 3 runners-up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1943 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Pauline Betz Pancho Segura 10–6, 6–4Win 1944 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Dorothy Bundy Don McNeill 6–2, 6–3Win 1945 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Doris Hart Bob Falkenburg 6–4, 6–4Win 1946 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Louise Brough Robert Kimbrell 6–3, 6–4Loss 1948 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne duPont Louise Brough Tom Brown 4–6, 4–6Loss 1949 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne duPont Louise Brough Eric Sturgess 6–4, 3–6, 5–7Loss 1950 French Championships Clay Patricia Canning Todd Barbara Scofield Enrique Morea w.o.