Onny Parun

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Country(sports)New Zealand
ResidenceWellington, New Zealand
Born (1947-04-15) 15 April 1947 (age 78)
Wellington, New Zealand
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Onny Parun
OBE
Parun in the mid 1960s
Country (sports)New Zealand
ResidenceWellington, New Zealand
Born (1947-04-15) 15 April 1947 (age 78)
Wellington, New Zealand
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Turned pro1969 (amateur from 1967)
Retired1982
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record1007–572
Career titles30
Highest rankingNo. 18 (16 September 1975)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenF (1973)
French OpenQF (1975)
WimbledonQF (1971, 1972)
US OpenQF (1973)
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsRR (1974)
Doubles
Career record162–221
Career titles2
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open3R (1974)
French OpenW (1974)
Wimbledon3R (1969, 1970, 1977)
US OpenQF (1971)

Onny Parun OBE (born 15 April 1947) is a former tennis player of Croatian descent from New Zealand, who was among the world's top 20 for five years. Parun made the final of the Australian Open in 1973, losing to John Newcombe in four sets. He was also a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon in 1971 and 1972, the US Open in 1973, and the French Open in 1975. Parun eventually went on to coach the Bhatti brothers.

Parun and Australian Dick Crealy won the French Open doubles title in 1974. He also made the Masters in 1974, qualifying by finishing in the top eight on the grand prix table. Parun played Davis Cup from 1966 to 1982 and won a string of national titles, including the Benson and Hedges Open three times in four years.

Parun became the second player from New Zealand to reach a Grand Slam Singles final, 62 years after Anthony Wilding had reached the 1913 Wimbledon final, and Parun became the second player from New Zealand to win a Grand Slam Doubles title, 61 years after Wilding had won the 1914 Wimbledon doubles title and was also the last player from New Zealand to reach the finals of a Grand Slam Doubles title before Michael Venus was successful in the 2017 French Open.

Parun reached his career-high ATP singles ranking on 5 March 1975, when he became World No. 19. His brother, Tony Parun, also played professional tennis.

In September 1974, he defeated Jimmy Connors in San Francisco to end the No. 1 world ranked player's run of 160 weeks atop the ATP rankings.

In the 1982 Queen's Birthday Honours, Parun was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to tennis.[1] Since retiring from competition, Parun has been a coach, and trades shares on the US share market.[2][3]

In 2023, his younger brother Melvin Joseph Parun (aged 68y) was killed in the Loafers Lodge fire.[4]

Singles (1 runner-up)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1973Australian OpenGrassAustralia John Newcombe3–6, 7–6, 5–7, 1–6

Doubles (1 title)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1974French OpenClayAustralia Dick CrealyUnited States Robert Lutz
United States Stanley Smith
6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 5–7, 6–1

Grand Slam tournament performance timeline

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RRQ# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Singles

Tournament 19661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982SR
Australian Open A A A A A A A F 3R A A A 1R A A 1R 1R A 0 / 5
French Open A A 1R 1R 1R 1R 2R 3R 4R QF A 1R 1R A 1R 1R 1R 0 / 13
Wimbledon Q1 2R 3R 2R 1R QF QF A 1R 3R 4R 3R 1R 2R 4R A A 0 / 13
US Open A A A 1R 2R 3R 3R QF 2R 3R 1R 3R A 1R 1R A A 0 / 11
Strike rate 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 4 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 4 0 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 42

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

Career finals

References

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