{{Short description|American tennis player (1928–2020)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}} {{Infobox tennis biography |name = Gilbert Shea |fullname = Gilbert James Shea |image = Gilbert Shea 1952.jpg |caption = Shea, circa 1952 |country = {{flagu|USA}} |birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1928|10|5}} <ref name="familysearch">{{cite web|title=Person Details for Jr. Gilbert J. Shea|url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KTMF-R8W|website=www.familysearch.com}}</ref> |birth_place = Portland, Oregon, United States |death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|12|23|1928|10|05}} |death_place = Pacific Palisades, California, United States |turnedpro = 1946 (amateur tour) |retired = 1959 |tennishofyear = |tennishofid = |highestsinglesranking = |AustralianOpenresult = QF (1956) |FrenchOpenresult = 3R (1954) |Wimbledonresult = 4R (1954, 1955) |USOpenresult = 4R (1956) |Othertournaments = |Olympicsresult = |doublesrecord = |doublestitles = |highestdoublesranking = |currentdoublesranking = |AustralianOpenDoublesresult = QF (1956) |FrenchOpenDoublesresult = |WimbledonDoublesresult = |USOpenDoublesresult = |OthertournamentsDoubles = |Promajors = |USProresult = |WembleyProresult = |FrenchProresult = |OlympicsDoublesresult = |Mixed = yes |mixedrecord = |mixedtitles = |AustralianOpenMixedresult = 2R (1956) |FrenchOpenMixedresult = |WimbledonMixedresult = |USOpenMixedresult = |OthertournamentsMixedDoubles = |OlympicMixedDoublesresult = }}
'''Gilbert James Shea''' (5 October 1928 - 23 December 2020) was an American tennis player.
Although born in Oregon, Shea and his family moved to California when he was three years old. He started playing tennis when he was around eight years old.<ref name="palipost">{{cite web|title=Gilbert Shea is inducted in to So Cal Tennis Hall of Fame - Palisadian Post |url=https://www.palipost.com/gilbert-shea-inducted-cal-tennis-hall-fame/|website=www.palipost.com}}</ref> Big serving Shea was ranked as high as number 4 in the U. S. in 1957.
Making his Grand Slam debut at the U. S. championships in 1948, Shea lost in round three to Jaroslav Drobny.<ref name="talbert">{{cite book|last=Talbert|first=Bill|authorlink=Bill Talbert|title=Tennis Observed|year=1967|publisher=Barre Publishers|location=Boston|pages=124–131|oclc=172306}}</ref> In 1949 he lost in round two to Edward Moylan and in 1950 lost in round one to Hugh Stewart. At the 1952 U. S. Championships, Shea lost in round three to Mervyn Rose.<ref name="talbert"/> In 1953 he lost in round three to Arthur Larsen.<ref name="talbert"/> At Roland Garros in 1954 Shea lost in round three to Jaroslav Drobny.<ref name="gsta4">{{cite web|title=French Open 1954|url=http://www.tennis.co.nf/FRENCH%20OPEN%201954.htm|website=www.tennis.co.nf|access-date=September 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928060001/http://www.tennis.co.nf/FRENCH%20OPEN%201954.htm|archive-date=September 28, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> At Wimbledon, he lost in the last 16 to Rex Hartwig.<ref name="aeltc">{{cite web |title=Wimbledon player profile – Gil Shea |url=https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/draws_archive/player_profile/9f52e8ae-35ce-425f-bacb-5bf02be61e06.html |publisher=AELTC}}</ref> At the U. S. Championships, he beat Luis Ayala before losing in round three to Moylan.<ref name="talbert"/> At Wimbledon 1955, Shea beat Vic Seixas and Adrian Quist before losing in the last 16 to Nicola Pietrangeli.<ref name="aeltc"/> He lost in round one of the U. S. championships. At the 1956 Australian championships, Shea beat a young Roy Emerson (who won 6 titles in the 1960s) before losing in the quarter finals to Neale Fraser.<ref name="gsta8">{{cite web|title=Australian Open 1956|url=http://www.tennis.co.nf/AUSTRALIAN%20OPEN%201956.htm|website=www.tennis.co.nf}}</ref> Shea lost in round two of Wimbledon. He reached the last 16 at U. S. championships, losing to Fraser.<ref name="talbert"/> In 1957 Shea lost in round two of Roland Garros, round one of Wimbledon and round three at U. S. championships.
Shea won the U.S. Hardcourt Championships in 1954 at La Jolla, California.<ref>LaJolla Beach and Tennis Club. https://www.ljbtc.com/tennis/tournaments</ref> He won the Ojai Tennis Tournament in 1955, 1956, and 1957. Shea won the Shadow Mountain tournament at Palm Desert, California in 1955, defeating Art Larsen and Herb Flam in the final two rounds.
Shea then lost in round one of Wimbledon 1958 and round two at U.S. championships in 1959 and then retired. In later life he played a lot of golf recreationally.
He died aged 92 on 23 December 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gilbert James Shea |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=gilbert-james-shea&pid=197428988 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shea, Gilbert}} Category:1928 births Category:American male tennis players Category:Tennis players from Oregon Category:Sportspeople from Portland, Oregon Category:Tennis players from California Category:2020 deaths Category:20th-century American sportsmen
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