Robbie Venter

Robert Eben "Robbie" Venter (born 7 May 1960) is a South African businessman and former professional tennis player.

Robbie Venter
Full nameRobert Eben Venter
Country (sports)South Africa
Born (1960-05-07) 7 May 1960
Boksburg, Transvaal
PlaysLeft-handed
Singles
Career record7–19
Highest rankingNo. 148 (2 January 1984)
Grand Slam Singles results
Wimbledon1R (1983)
Doubles
Career record15–27
Highest rankingNo. 82 (3 January 1983)
Grand Slam Doubles results
French Open2R (1983)
Wimbledon1R (1983)

Biography

A left handed player from Boksburg, Venter is the son of South African businessman Bill Venter.[1]

Venter was a semi-finalist at the Wimbledon Juniors in 1978 and moved to the United States that year to take up a tennis scholarship at UCLA.[1][2] He was a three-time All-American and captained the UCLA side which won the team title in the 1982 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships.[3][4] After that triumph he became a tour professional and with former UCLA teammate Blaine Willenborg he was runner-up in the doubles at the 1982 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, a tournament on the Grand Prix circuit held in Indianapolis.[5] His only singles appearance in the main draw of a grand slam tournament came at the 1983 Wimbledon Championships, where he lost in the first round to Rodney Harmon, in four sets.[6] During his tennis career he won six Challenger titles, three in singles and three in doubles.

Venter retired from tennis in 1985 and completed an MBA at UCLA before working at Bear Stearns for three years.[1] He returned to South Africa in 1990.[1]

In 2011 he replaced his father Bill as CEO of Altron.[1]

Grand Prix career finals

Doubles: 1 (0–1)
Result No. Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. 1982 Indianapolis, US Clay Blaine Willenborg Sherwood Stewart
Ferdi Taygan		 4–6, 5–7

Challenger titles

Singles: (3)
No. Year Tournament Surface Opponent Score
1. 1980 Turin, Italy Clay Miguel Mir 6–2, 6–1
2. 1983 Solihull, Great Britain Clay Broderick Dyke 6–4, 3–6, 6–3
3. 1983 Lee-on-the-Solent, Great Britain Clay Jeremy Bates 6–3, 6–1

Doubles: (3)
No. Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
1. 1980 Royan, France Clay Dave Siegler Jan Gunnarsson
Stefan Svensson		 6–4, 6–4
2. 1980 Le Touquet, France Clay Dave Siegler Hans Simonsson
Tenny Svensson		 7–6, 4–6, 6–3
3. 1981 Reus, Spain Clay Egan Adams Junie Chatman
Bruce Derlin		 6–7, 6–4, 6–4

References
  1. Stones, Lesley (28 August 2012). "Acing the business world". ITWeb. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  2. "ITF Tennis – Juniors – Player Profile – Venter, Robbie (RSA)". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  3. "Bruin History" (PDF). UCLA Bruins. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  4. "UCLA wins tennis title". The Deseret News. 19 May 1982. p. 2D. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  5. "Sport". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 9 August 1982. p. 15.
  6. "Sports Results, Detail". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 22 June 1983. p. 42. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
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