Vitas Kevin Gerulaitis , born the July 26th 1954 with Brooklyn, dead the September 18th 1994 with Long Island, is a player of American Tennis . Single person, a fore-mentioned sister Ruta. Droitier, measuring 1 meter 83.

This American player belongs to a rich generation of great personalities which marked this period of the beginning of the year 1980 where tennis became a very media sport. So that the very hung duels often which opposed it to legends - Björn Borg, Guillermo Vilas, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe - from now on are registered in the history of this sport. Vitas Gerulaitis began its international career with the US Open 1971 which was held then on the grass of Forest Hills where it lost with the first tower vis-a-vis the Japanese Toshiro Sakai.

Among its principal titles (27 into simple and 8 in double), let us quote Final WCT of 1978 gained vis-a-vis Eddie Dibbs with Dallas, the Internationaux of Italy in 1977 and 1979 with Rome and its victory at the time of the 2nd edition 1977 of the Open of Australia to Melbourne in December.

But from a sporting point of view its greater exploits are to have reached the finales of the Internationaux of France of Roland-Garros to Paris in 1980, of the US Open in 1979 like those of the Masters of New York, one into 1980 vis-a-vis Björn Borg, the other into 1982 vis-a-vis Ivan Lendl (at the time Masters was the 4th more important event of the year whereas the Open one of Australia was a secondary tournament been sulky by the majority of best) .

It twice reaches the stage of the semi-finals to the Tournoi of Wimbledon in 1977 and 1978. It also counts with its prize list two semi-finals with the US Open (1978 and 1981).

With the the United States, Vitas Gerulaitis gained the final of the Coupe Davis 1979 by gaining its two in particular matches the simple one vis-a-vis the Italians Corrado Barazzutti and Adriano Panatta.

It occupied the third place of world classification ATP on February 27th, 1978. It also disputed 28 finales into simple (listed by the ATP) . It gained the finale of the double of the Wimbledon in 1975 at the sides of its compatriot Sandy Mayer.

Vitas Gerulaitis put a term at its professional path after two successive defeats in March 1986 with the first turns of the tournaments of Milan and Brussels, respectively vis-a-vis the American Bob Green and with Slovak the Marian Vajda.

Recognizable with its mane blonde, Gerulaitis gained 2,7 million dollars on the professional circuit. He had admitted having consumed cocaine in the years 1970. Its exarcébé direction of the festival deprived it of its best form which would have enabled him to have more raised performances.

Björn Borg was its partner of preferred drive but also his pet peeve. At the conclusion of a victory over the Swede after 16 consecutive defeats, the American declared: " Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times of suite".

Gerulaitis died accidentally the September 18th 1994 in its sleep whereas it spent the night in the house of a friend to Southampton (Long Island). The system of defective air conditioning let escape from the carbon monoxide which was at the origin of the death of the American. It is buried with the cemetery of Saint-Charles with Farmingdale (Long Island) in the State of New York.

Principal victories into simple

Lost finales into simple

Semi-finals

Quarterfinal

  • International of France: Quarterfinal in 1982

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