Tom Gullikson’s Greatest Comeback & Choke

This will be a new semi-frequent series where I ask a famous tennis player what was his greatest comeback in a tennis match – and what was his worst blown lead. Here is former ATP player, coach Tom Gullikson sharing his memories…

Greatest comeback: “Pancho Walthall in the Asheville Southern Circuit. Pancho played at Trinity with Dick Stockton, Brian Gottfried, and Bobby McKinley. I was down 6-1 5-0 and I won the match. That was the match Pancho decided the Tour wasn’t for him. So he got off the Tour and he became the director of tennis at Southern Hills in Tulsa. He was at the U.S. Open a few years ago. He came up to me and said, ‘Gully, I gotta thank you for beating me in that match in Asheville. Because I lost that match after being up 6-1 5-0, I came off the Tour, I’m retired, I got this great job, I’ve been there ever since. So thank you for making that comeback.'”

Worst blown lead: “The biggest disappointment was at the U.S. Open in 1986. I was playing Matt Anger in the third round. And it was like 1 o’clock at night on the grandstand court. And I was serving at 4-5 in the fifth at 1 o’clock in the morning, love-40, saved two match points. And at 30-40 I hit a great backhand winner crosscourt and the umpire overruled it. And ended my career. One in the morning, I lost the match 6-4 in the fifth. I would say that was the most disappointing.”

"Thank you for beating me." · Pancho said

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