Hugh West
Sweeney
Male
United States of America
1928-10-23
, -
2008-09-14
Houston, Harris County, Texas, United States of America
Hugh Sweeney (1928-2008) was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He began playing tennis as a teenager. He attended Byrd High School in Shreveport. Sweeney went on to college at the University of Houston. His coaches included Bob Nesmith and John Hoff.
“Sween” played the international circuit for many years, qualifying for Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, before settling in Houston. He was the tallest man on the world “amateur” circuit in the 1950s and the last to play in long pants.
Sweeney's volunteer recruiting helped build the tennis program at Lamar University in Beaumont into a major regional power. One of his first recruits was Texas Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee Tim Heckler who he approached in 1959 while at Wimbledon.
Sweeney helped build the Virginia Slims Tour in Houston after Gladys Heldman organized the first-ever women’s professional tournament at the Houston Racquet Club in 1970. He built Net Set Racquet Club which hosted its first Virginia Slims in 1973 and, as Westside Tennis Club, its last in 1995. The club later became home to the ATP tour from 2001 through 2007.
Teaming up with Lamar Hunt, Sweeney brought the WCT end of year championships to Houston, which led up to the WCT finals in Dallas. He was the owner of the “Houston Angels” World Championship women’s basketball team of the WBL. The WBL preceded the WNBA. Hugh also brought top-flight “high goal polo” to Houston and promoted it successfully for many years.
0 - 1970
6
146
51
1964 - Houston Open (Open)
1959 - Framlingham (Amateur)
1959 - Cirencester Autumn Meeting (Amateur)
1958 - Houston Open (Open)
1958 - Houston T.A.A.F (Open)
1955 - Hastings and St. Leonard's-on- Sea (Amateur)
Round 1
Emilio Montano 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-2
Round 1
Pekka Saila 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-2
Round 3
Dick Landesberger 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-1
Preliminary Round
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Bob Shepherd
5-7
7-5
6-0
Round 2
Roger Taylor 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Mike Estep 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-1
Round 1
William (Bill) Tym 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
1-6
6-1
6-4
6-2
Round 1
Frank Conner 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
3-6
6-4
6-3
Round 1
Cliff Montgomery 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
9-7
1-6
6-2
Round 2
Dave Brown 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
4-6
6-3
6-2
Round 1
Alberto Olmedo 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
7-5
7-5
Round 2
Christopher Bovett 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-1
Round 2
Danny O'Bryant 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-0
6-4
Round 1
Andre Cote 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
5-7
6-4
Round 1
Tony Roche 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-4
Round 2
Martin Mulligan 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-1
Round 3
Gabino Palafox 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-0
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Pedro Rosello
?
Quarterfinals
Butch Seewagen 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
?
Round 2
Jim Watson 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
9-7
8-6
Quarterfinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Glenn Land
12-14
8-6
6-0
Semifinals
Alan Crute 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
2-6
6-2
Round 1
Chauncey Depew (Chum) Steele III 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-1
6-3
Round 1
Butch Seewagen 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
4-6
6-4
6-2
Round 2
Vicente Zarazua 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
3-6
6-3
6-4
Round 2
Mark M. Cox 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-3
6-2
Quarterfinals
Donald (Don) Walraven 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-3
6-0
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Dan Clayton
8-6
1-6
6-4
Quarterfinals
Dennis Ralston 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-0
Quarterfinals
John R. (Jack) Kamrath 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-4
Round 3
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
John Edmond
7-5
6-4
Quarterfinals
Butch Newman 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
7-5
Round 2
John A. Pickens 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
31-15
31-18
Round 3
Thomaz Koch 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-0
Round 1
Ken Fletcher 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Sergei Likhachev 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Timothy Dewe (Tim) Phillips
6-4
6-3
Round 2
Ralph E. Howe 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
7-9
7-5
6-3
Quarterfinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Lamar Roemer
10-8
6-3
Semifinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
C. Clyde Buck
7-5
2-6
6-4
Final
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Bill Bonham
7-5
6-3
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Frank Barnard Whaley
6-4
6-3
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Jack Jackson
6-3
8-6
Round 1
Frank Froehling III 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-3
6-2
Round 2
Allen E. Fox 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Manuel Valasco
6-0
6-2
6-4
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Dean Peckham
6-2
6-1
6-8
3-6
6-1
Semifinals
C. Clyde Buck 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-3
6-2
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Robert Carrington (Bob) Balink
6-2
6-2
Quarterfinals
Michael (Mike) Neely 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-3
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
R. Vance McSpadden jr
6-4
6-1
Round 2
Bob Joyner 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
4-6
8-6
6-2
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Claude Gelinas
10-8
6-1
Round 2
Val Harit 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
7-5
5-7
6-1
Preliminary Round
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Carter Lenoir
6-2
6-5
Round 1
Bobby Wilson 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-3
Round 1
Billy Higgins 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
7-5
Round 2
Howard Francis Walton 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-1
Unknown
Straight Clark 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
7-5
6-3
Round 1
Fred Stolle 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-3
6-1
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
w.o.
Round 2
Andres Donnadieu 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-3
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Ronald B. (Ron) Woods
6-3
7-9
12-10
Round 2
Jim Parker 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
8-6
Round 1
David W. (Dave) Snyder 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-2
6-3
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Bob Joyner
6-3
7-5
Round 2
Al Driscole 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-0
6-3
Round 1
Michael Preston (Mike) Hann 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
7-5
6-1
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Keith E. Wooldridge
6-3
6-2
Round 2
Geoff C. Bluett 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
10-8
6-4
Round 1
S. Akhtar Ali 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-3
6-4
Round 1
Butch Newman 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-1
Quarterfinals
Armando Ferla 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
8-6
Quarterfinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Bill Bonham
6-1
6-4
Semifinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Eugenio Saller
8-10
6-2
8-6
Final
Arthur Louis (Art) Foust 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
8-6
2-6
7-5
Round 3
Chuck McKinley 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-1
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Dennis L. Oliver
?-?
6-3
Round 2
Warren F. Jacques 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-3
6-2
Round 2
Daniel Achondo 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
7-9
6-0
Quarterfinals
Geoff Paish 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
7-5
6-1
Quarterfinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Arthur Louis (Art) Foust
5-7
6-3
6-4
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-4
Final
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
L.P. (Julian) Coni
4-6
8-6
7-5
Final
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Lawrence Franklin Strong
9-7
6-1
Round 1
Sidney (Sid) Schwartz 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-0
6-1
6-2
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Sam Moss
6-2
6-0
Round 3
Don Candy 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
8-10
7-5
Semifinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Jack Lanham
6-1
6-4
Final
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Armando Ferla
3-6
6-4
10-8
7-9
6-3
Quarterfinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Rafael Reyes
6-2
1-6
6-?
Semifinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Roy Grimse
9-11
7-5
6-4
Final
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Ronald W. (Ronnie) Fisher
6-3
6-4
7-9
6-2
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Armando Ferla
7-9
7-5
7-5
Round 3
William W. (Bill) Quillian 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-3
Semifinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Browne Baker
8-6
6-3
Final
Richard Schuette 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
8-6
6-1
Quarterfinals
Ronald W. (Ronnie) Fisher 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
7-5
4-6
6-3
Round 1
Ulf Schmidt 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-0
6-3
6-3
Round 1
John Griffin Fleitz 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
4-6
6-4
7-5
Round 1
Graham A. Regan 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-3
3-6
6-2
Final
Tony Pickard 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
7-5
6-1
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
N.F. Pertwee
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Brian C. Palmer
Quarterfinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Pierre Auger
6-4
6-4
Semifinals
Ian Vermaak 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-1
Round 1
Derek Robert Collins 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
4-6
3-6
6-4
6-4
6-1
Round 4
Gerald Davies (Gerry) Oakley 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Alan Mills 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-1
Round 1
William (Russell) Seymour 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
8-6
6-1
7-5
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Gordon Forbes
6-3
6-3
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Bill Gilmour
0-6
6-3
6-4
Quarterfinals
Herbert (Herb) Flam 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Arcot J. UdayKumar 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
2-6
6-3
6-1
Round 3
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Mal Anderson
6-3
6-3
Quarterfinals
George Worthington 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-0
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Dennis Hales
w.o.
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Cedric Mason
6-3
6-8
6-3
Quarterfinals
William (Russell) Seymour 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-2
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
D.M. Das
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
P.W. Gomersall
6-4
6-2
Round 3
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
C.R. Sexton
6-3
6-0
Quarterfinals
Michael Preston (Mike) Hann 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
5-7
9-7
Round 1
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Geoff W. Stubbs
6-4
6-2
Round 2
J. Malcolm Gracie 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
6-3
Semifinals
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Andrew John Yates-Bell
6-1
6-3
Final
Billy Knight 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
4-6
6-3
Round 2
R.H. (Bob) Dabbs 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
7-6
6-5
Final
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Norman Dale
6-1
6-1
Final
Louis Surville 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
8-6
6-4
Round 1
Richard C. (Dick) Sorlein 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
5-7
6-3
6-3
Round 1
Chauncey Depew Steele Jr. 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-3
6-2
Round 1
Robert L. Forbes 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Gardnar Mulloy 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
7-5
6-4
Round 1
Fred Hagist 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-3
Round 1
George Worthington 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-0
6-2
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Thomas (Tommy) Springer
8-6
3-6
7-5
Round 3
Billy Talbert 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-4
2-6
6-1
Round 1
Ted Rogers 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
9-7
6-0
Round 2
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Bill Zedlitz
6-3
6-0
Round 3
Hugh West Sweeney 1 *
Glen Hewitt
6-4
7-5
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-4
Round 3
Glenn Noble Bassett 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-0
Round 2
Ted Schroeder 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
3-6
6-0
Round 2
Whitney Reed 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
7-5
6-2
6-1
Final
Jack Arkinstall 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-2