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General First nameDonald H.
LastnameFontana
GenderMale
CountryCanada
Date of birth1931-01-01
Place of birthToronto, Canada
Date of death2015-07-15
Place of deathScarborough, Ontario, Canada


About

Don Fontana was one of the great players in Canadian tennis during the late 1950s and early 60s. He was ranked among the Top 10 singles players in Canadian tennis 11 times, including holding the No. 2 spot six times from 1957-1960 and 1962-1963. Fontana won the Ontario singles tennis championship twice in 1956 and 1957.

He competed on the Pan American Games team in 1959 against Chicago and 1963 against Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was a semifinalist at the Canadian Open in Montreal in 1955 and made it to the second round of the singles main draw in 1969 before falling to Australian John Newcombe in three sets. He also competed in doubles play at the Canadian Open that year with American Lester Sack, but the duo fell to Canadians Mike Belkin and Vic Rollins in the second round.

Fontana played several international events including three of the four Grand Slams. He appeared twice at Wimbledon and the French Open in 1955 and 1966. He competed in the US Open more than eight times. Fontana captured three Canadian Open Doubles Championships with partner Robert Bedard in 1955, 1957 and 1959. He was a finalist at the Canadian Open (Rogers Cup) in 1956 as he fell to American Noel Brown in four sets.

After his playing years, Fontana kept very much involved in the sport of tennis. He became the tournament director of the Canadian Open in Toronto in 1959 and again from 1971-1978. He was a TV analyst for the Rothmans Canadian Open in Toronto for CBC from 1974-1978. He then became a TV analyst for CTV at the Player?s International/Du Maurier Open from 1981-1996 in both Toronto and Montreal, as well as at the Molson Light Challenge in the 1980s at the Maple Leaf Gardens.

Media


Archive statistics Career1951 - 1976
Tournament wins6
Matches183
Match wins81


Tournament wins 1960 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1958 - Hamilton Ontario Open (Amateur)
1958 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1957 - Toronto District Championships (Amateur)
1957 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1955 - Toronto District Championships (Amateur)


Tournaments Antigua Open - 1976 Canadian International Championships - 1969 Canadian National Championships - 1969 Canadian International Championships - 1968 Canadian International Championships - 1967 Ontario Centennial - 1967 Canadian International Championships - 1966 Ontario Championships - 1966 Oakville Invitation - 1966 US Open - 1965 Canadian International Championships - 1965 Ontario Championships - 1965 Detroit Invitation - 1965 US Open - 1963 Ontario Championships - 1963 US Open - 1962 Ontario Championships - 1962 Oakville Invitation - 1962 US Open - 1961 Canadian International Championships - 1961 US Open - 1960 Canadian International Championships - 1960 Eastern Clay Court Championships - 1960 Ontario Championships - 1960 Kulm Carlton - 1960 US Open - 1959 Canadian International Championships - 1959 Ontario Championships - 1959 Pan American Games - 1959 US Open - 1958 Canadian International Championships - 1958 Sugar Bowl - 1958 Ontario Championships - 1958 Hamilton Ontario Open - 1958 O'Keefe International Invitation - 1958 St. Moritz Suvretta - 1958 Oakville Invitation - 1958 US Open - 1957 Canadian International Championships - 1957 Nassau Bowl - 1957 Ontario Championships - 1957 Toronto District Championships - 1957 Province of Quebec Championships - 1957 O'Keefe International Invitation - 1957 Wimbledon - 1956 US Open - 1956 Philippines Championships - 1956 Canadian International Championships - 1956 St. Moritz - 1956 Swiss International Championships - 1956 Queens Club Tournament - 1956 Ontario Championships - 1956 Kent Championships - 1956 Surrey Championships - 1956 Province of Quebec Championships - 1956 Northern Lawn Tennis Association Tournament - 1956 Priory Club - 1956 O'Keefe International Invitation - 1956 Wimbledon - 1955 Monte Carlo - 1955 Roland Garros - 1955 US Open - 1955 Canadian International Championships - 1955 Lyon Covered Court Championships - 1955 Nice - 1955 Queens Club Tournament - 1955 French Covered Court Championships - 1955 Italian International Championships - 1955 Ontario Championships - 1955 Cannes Carlton 2nd Meeting - 1955 Toronto District Championships - 1955 Kent Championships - 1955 All India Championships - 1955 Cannes Gallia - 1955 San Remo - 1955 Beaulieu Second Meeting - 1955 Conde de Godo - 1955 Menton - 1955 Wiesbaden Championships - 1955 Province of Quebec Championships - 1955 Northern Lawn Tennis Association Tournament - 1955 Florence International - 1955 US Open - 1954 Nassau Bowl - 1954 Newport Casino - 1954 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1954 Southern California Championship - 1954 Cincinnati - 1954 US Clay Courts - 1954 Western States Championships - 1954 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1954 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1954 Southwest Open - 1954 US Open - 1953 Newport Casino - 1953 Cincinnati - 1953 US Clay Courts - 1953 Western States Championships - 1953 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1953 Middle Atlantic Grass Courts - 1953 Canadian International Championships - 1952 Ontario Championships - 1952 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1952 Cincinnati - 1951 US Clay Courts - 1951 Ontario Championships - 1951 Quebec Open - 1951