{{short description|American tennis player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox tennis biography | name = Bruce Kleege | image = | fullname = Robert Bruce Kleege | country_represented = {{USA}} | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|11|1}} | birth_place = Frankfurt, West Germany | death_date = | death_place = | plays = Right-handed | turnedpro = 1977 | retired = 1984 | careerprizemoney = | singlesrecord = 10–35 | singlestitles = 0 | highestsinglesranking = No. 148 (December 31, 1978) | currentsinglesranking = | AustralianOpenresult = 3R (1982) | FrenchOpenresult = | Wimbledonresult = 1R (1983) | USOpenresult = 1R (1979, 1983) | doublesrecord = 22–40 | doublestitles = 1 | highestdoublesranking = | currentdoublesranking = | AustralianOpenDoublesresult = 1R (1982) | FrenchOpenDoublesresult = | WimbledonDoublesresult = 1R (1980) | USOpenDoublesresult = 2R (1979, 1982) }} '''Robert Bruce Kleege''' (born November 1, 1954), known as Bruce Kleege, is a former professional tennis player from the United States.
==Biography== ===Early years and college=== Kleege grew up in La Jolla, California, but was born in Frankfurt, West Germany.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/33319034/|title=Sport|date=May 17, 1977|work=Daily Herald|page=4|accessdate=16 January 2016}}</ref> He is of Latvian descent through his father Robert, who worked at the time for the United Nations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2011/aug/31/robert-kleege-united-nations-official-and-world-wa/|title=Robert Kleege, United Nations official and World War II veteran|last=McIntosh|first=Linda|date=August 31, 2011|work=San Diego Union Tribune|accessdate=16 January 2016}}</ref> After attending Clairemont High School, Kleege went to Brigham Young University from 1972 to 1977.<ref name="byucougars">{{cite web|url=http://byucougars.com/athlete/m-tennis/bruce-kleege|title=Bruce Kleege Athlete Profile|publisher=The Official Site of BYU Athletics|accessdate=16 January 2016}}</ref> He had a noted varsity tennis career, which culminated in winning the No. 1 singles conference championship in 1977, a year he went undefeated and ranked sixth nationally.<ref name="byucougars"/> For his efforts he was awarded All-American honors, in both singles and doubles.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19770530&id=UjAdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4J4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3299,6332418&hl=en|title=NCAA singles finalists chosen as All-Americans|date=May 30, 1977|work=The Tuscaloosa News|page=10|accessdate=16 January 2016}}</ref> Graduating in 1977 with a business management degree, Kleege made the decision to turn professional and made his first appearance on the Grand Prix circuit at a doubles tournament in Basel in October 1977.<ref name="byucougars"/>
===Professional career=== Most of his singles matches in 1978 came in ATP Challenger events, but he made the main draw of the end of year Australian Open, in which he lost in the first round to Arthur Ashe, who was making his last appearance at the tournament.<ref name="byucougars"/> He started 1979 by winning the doubles title at the Lagos Open, a Grand Prix tournament, with Joel Bailey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/tournaments/men's-tournament/info.aspx?tournamentid=1010002637|title=ITF Tennis - Pro Circuit - Lagos - 26 February - 04 March 1979|publisher=International Tennis Federation|accessdate=16 January 2016}}</ref> A few weeks later he was a singles quarter-finalist in San Jose, Costa Rica.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/tournaments/men's-tournament/info.aspx?tournamentid=1010003195|title=ITF Tennis - Pro Circuit - Costa Rica - 19 March - 25 March 1979|publisher=International Tennis Federation|accessdate=16 January 2016}}</ref> The following year his best performance was when he made the third round of the 1982 Australian Open.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19821211&id=LsMuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=a5oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7075,2603953&hl=en|title=Sammy defies dad but wins|date=December 11, 1982|work=New Straits Times|page=35|accessdate=17 January 2016}}</ref> He suffered the disappointment of losing a five-and-a-half-hour match in the final round of qualifying for the 1983 Wimbledon Championships, to Tian Viljoen, 11–13 in the fifth set.<ref name="Colebatch">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19830620&id=LyBVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=L5QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2611,2148446&hl=en|title=Threat to Wimbledon TV|last=Colebatch|first=Tim|date=June 20, 1983|work=The Age|page=22|accessdate=16 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/draws/archive/players/59dfce6a-38b0-4635-8007-b2fe120c628c/QS.html|title=Players Archive - Bruce Kleege|publisher=wimbledon.com|accessdate=17 January 2016}}</ref> However he got to enter the main draw when sixth seed Gene Mayer had to withdraw.<ref name="Colebatch"/> Later in the year he had an upset win over world number 14 and top seed Steve Denton at the 1983 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/2767|title=Querrey Falls in Newportas "Casino Curse" Continues|last=Walker|first=Randy|date=July 7, 2010|work=World Tennis Magazine|accessdate=17 January 2016}}</ref>
===Later life=== After leaving tennis he has been involved in real estate investment.<ref name="byucougars"/> He is married and in 2007 his wife gave birth to twin boys.<ref name="byucougars"/>
==Grand Prix career finals== ===Doubles: 1 (1–0)=== {|class="sortable wikitable" !Result !class="unsortable"|W/L !Date !style="width:110px"|Tournament !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:125px"|Partner !style="width:125px"|Opponents !style="width:100px" class="unsortable"|Score |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win |1–0 |Mar 1979 |Lagos, Nigeria |Hard |{{flagicon|USA}} Joel Bailey |{{flagicon|EGY}} Ismail El Shafei<br />{{flagicon|AUT}} Peter Feigl |6–4, 6–7, 6–3 |}
==Challenger titles== ===Doubles: (2)=== {|class="sortable wikitable" style=font-size:97% !style="width:20px"|No. !style="width:30px"|Year !style="width:120px"|Tournament !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:120px"|Partner !style="width:120px"|Opponents !style="width:100px" class="unsortable"|Score |- |1. |1979 |Lincoln, U.S. |Hard |{{flagicon|USA}} Joel Bailey |{{flagicon|USA}} Steve Denton<br />{{flagicon|USA}} Peter Rennert |0–6, 6–4, 6–4 |- |2. |1981 |Lagos, Nigeria |Hard |{{flagicon|USA}} Larry Stefanki |{{flagicon|USA}} Ian Harris<br />{{flagicon|USA}} Craig Wittus |6–2, 3–6, 6–3 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{ATP}} * {{ITF}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kleege, Bruce}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:American male tennis players Category:BYU Cougars men's tennis players Category:Tennis players from San Diego Category:Sportspeople from La Jolla, San Diego Category:Tennis players from Frankfurt Category:American expatriates in West Germany Category:American people of Latvian descent Category:20th-century American sportsmen