Tony Bardsley

Anthony "Tony" Bardsley (born February 9, 1945, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) is a former top-ranking Canadian tennis player from Vancouver. He competed on the nascent professional tennis tours (Grand Prix tour and World Championship Tennis) as well as in Davis Cup for Canada.

Early tennis Bardsley went to California to pursue tennis, attending Diablo Valley College in 1963 and 1964. He returned to Vancouver to attend the University of British Columbia in 1965 and by 1967 he was British Columbia's top-ranked player. In 1969 he became the No. 2 ranked player in Canada as he finished runner-up at the Canadian National Championship (closed). He did not fare well, winning only 2 singles matches and 6 in doubles. In 1969, he lost in the first round in Cincinnati in singles to Jun Kuki 1–6, 3-6 and in doubles playing with fellow Davis Cup player Don McCormick. The following month at the Canadian Open, he was eliminated by compatriot Harry Fauquier in straight sets while in doubles he and McCormick reached the second round.

Bardsley next competed in a tour main draw at the 1971 Canadian Open, where in singles, after a first round bye, he lost to tennis legend John Newcombe, 3–6, 4–6. For the 1974 WCT circuit, Bardsley appeared in more singles main draws than doubles, six and five. In 1972, in the North and Central America Group semi-finals, he lost both of his singles rubbers in straight sets, to Raúl Ramírez in Round 2 and Joaquín Loyo-Mayo in Round 4, as Canada lost the tie to Mexico 2–3.

The following year in the group quarter-finals, Canada fell to Colombia in Bogotá, 1–4. Canada No. 1 Mike Belkin was forced to retire in the opening rubber. Bardsley then was defeated in Round 2 to Jairo Velasco, despite taking the opening set. Colombia won the encounter with Velasco and Iván Molina easily taking the doubles tie over Bardsley and his oft partner Don McCormick, 3–6, 4–6, 3–6. Bardsley did take Canada's only rubber for the tie, defeating Javier Restrepo, 8–6, 7–5, 6–1. The loss meant Canada had to play the Caribbean/West Indies Davis Cup team, a contest that they won. Bardsley won the opening rubber handily, 6–1, 6–4, 7–5 over Leo Rolle, and the doubles match partnering McCormick, also in straight sets.

The following month, Canada faced Mexico again in the group semi-final, this time in Mexico City. Once again they lost, this time 1 won rubber to 4. Raúl Ramírez easily beat Bardsley 1–6, 3–6, 2–6 in Round 2 and he and McCormick came back from two sets down to level their tie before losing the fifth, 5–7. A year later in October, 1974, Canada and Mexico once again faced each other in the North and Central America group semi-final, and again the Mexicans prevailed 4–1. McCormick lost the first match and Bardsley the second, 2–6, 2–6, 2–6 to Loyo-Mayo. Pierre Lamarche and Réjean Genois contested the doubles rubber this time, and were soundly beaten, 1–6, 0–6, 2–6 to Ramírez and Vicente Zarazua.

Bardsley's last Davis Cup action came the following year, 1975. Canada opened America Group play defeating Colombia 5–0 at Rockland Tennis Club in Montreal. Bardsley opened the tie defeating Orlando Agudelo 6–0, 6–3, 6–2. In doubles, Bardsley and Génois beat Agudelo and Álvaro Betancur also in straight sets. Then in a dead rubber Bardsley beat Javier Restrepo, 6–2, 6–4, 6–2. Once again Canada faced Mexico, this time in the group quarter-finals. Bardsley played just the doubles rubber – he and Génois won the first and fourth sets before losing the fifth 4–6. Canada yet again fell to Mexico, for the ninth straight time since 1952, this time by the score of 2 matches to 3.

Post-tour tennis In the last five years of his competitive career, Bardsley focused on tournaments in the Pacific Northwest, earning the #1 ranking in the region in 1977. His last year of competitive tennis was 1981, when he won the BC Nike Grand Prix tennis circuit and earned the #1 ranking in British Columbia.

Bardsley later served as head tennis professional at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club from 1978 until 1990 and volunteer director of tournament operations for the ITF Federation Cup held in West Vancouver in 1987. He also volunteered many hours on Tennis BC's board of directors in charge of coaching certification, all the time working for the improvement of tennis in his native province.

Personal Bardsley was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.