Robert Bedard (tennis player)
Encyclopedia
Robert Bédard is a lifelong tennis
player who was the Canadian
number 1 ranked singles player for most of the 1950s and early 1960s.
singles championship, triumphing in 1955, 1957, and 1958. He was runner-up in 1954. He also won the doubles title three times, in 1955, 1957, and 1959 with compatriot Don Fontana. He also won the mixed doubles title in 1959 partnering Mariette Laframboise.
Robert won the Montreal Cup at age 20. He was also singles champion of the Nova Scotia Open in 1952, 1955, and 1957.
was reaching the round of 32, which he did once at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, both in 1954, and four times at Forest Hills, in 1955, '56, '59, and in 1961.
Bédard may have well advanced further at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon but for one player the top two amateur player in 1954, Lew Hoad
. As the No. 1 seed Hoad disposed of Bédard in the third round at the French in three close sets, 5-7, 6-8, 3-6. Then a month later in London, Hoad, the No. 2 seed eliminated Robert in the same round in four sets, 3-6, 0-6, 6-1, 1-6.
After a first round exit in 1954, Bédard reached the third round at Forest Hills for the first in an eventual four the following year, but again it was Hoad that he came up short against. This time the No. 4 seed won the encounter 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Then in 1956 he duplicated the feat, this time bowing out to unseeded American Hugh Stewart, 11-9, 2-6, 4-6, 4-6. After going out early in the next two U.S. Nationals, he once again reached the third round in 1959, when he lost to No. 6 seed Luis Ayala
, 6-8, 5-7, 6-2. He reached the same round once last time two years later, just shy of this 30th birthday. He came closest to advancing in this, his sixth attempt, going up two sets on fellow unseeded player Crawford Henry
before succumbing, 7-5, 13-11, 1-6, 4-6, 2-6.
Bédard was a quarterfinalist at the 1957 Italian Open and won a silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games
. In the latter event he defeated Mexican Francisco Contreras
in the semi-finals but lost the final to Luis Ayala
, thus capturing the silver medal.
Bédard was first ranked No. 1 in Quebec
in 1953.
Davis Cup
member from 1953 to 1961, and again in 1967, and had a career win-loss record of 11 and 22, 8 and 15 in singles and 3 and 7 in doubles.
Bédard lost all three of the Davis Cup rubbers he contested in 1953
. Despite this Canada did go on to face the Americans in the final of the America Group, where they lost 0-5. Bédard and partner Henri Rochon
lost the doubles match in their quarter-final tie against Mexico
, played at the Mount Royal Tennis Club
; fortunately, Lorne Main
won both of his singles rubbers, including the Round 4 match over Mario Llamas, which gave Canada an insurmountable 3-1 lead. (It was the last time Canada beat Mexico until 2001.) In the next round, also played at Mount Royal, Canada won the first three rubbers to seal victory against Cuba
. Bédard played his first singles match, losing the Round 5 dead rubber to Orlando Garrido in four sets. His next match too was a singles Round 5 dead rubber four set loss, this time to American Tut Bartzen.
In 1954
, Canada opened with a tight tie win over Chile
3-2, again in Montreal. After Main came back from 2 sets to 1 down in Round 1, Bédard got his first Cup singles win, in straight sets over Ricardo Balbiers. Main and Paul Willey next lost in straight sets to Andres Hammersley and Chilean star Luis Ayala
. Lorne Main then came through to seal victory with hard fought win over Hammersley, 6-4, 11-13, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Bédard lost the Round 5 dead rubber to Ayala, 1-6, 3-6, 1-6.
Canada began 1955 Cup
play with an expected comfortable opening win over the West Indies
. Bédard defeated Trinidadian Ian McDonald in four sets in Round 1 and teamed with Don Fontana to win the doubles rubber in straight sets, as Canada won 5-0. Canada next faced 1954 runner-up and eventual 1955 champion Australia
in the America Group final. Played in Montreal, Bédard had the inenviable task of opening proceedings against World No. 2 (amateur) Ken Rosewall
, and lost the match in four sets. He and Fontana lost the doubles rubber in four sets as well - these were the only two sets during the tie that Canada won, in consolation.
The following year
Canada again opened with a win over the West Indies, this time in Port of Spain
and dropping only one set. This set up an encounter with the United States in Victoria
. Fontana was soundly defeated by Ham Richardson to open the tie, 1-6, 2-6, 2-6. In Round 2, Bédard won the first set against Herb Flam, 6-2, before succumbing to his more accomplished opponent, 2-6, 1-6, 9-11. The two Canadians then came back from dropping the first set to go up two sets to one against Ron Holmberg and Barry MacKay
in the doubles, only to lose the last two sets, and with it the tie. Bédard lost a dead rubber to Richardson in straight sets and Paul Willey gave the Canadians a consolation point in winning Round 5 over MacKay.
In 1957
, Canada played just one Cup tie, losing 2-3 to Brazil
in Montreal. Bédard played the opening match and twice came from a set down against Carlos-Alberto Fernandes only to lose the fifth, 5-7. Fontana squared matters in winning Round 2 over Armando Viera, also in five sets. In the crucial doubles rubber, Fernandes and Viera proved too good, winning in four. Fontana then went down in straight sets in Round 4.
Canada started the 1958
campaign superbly, playing at home on clay in Toronto, sweeping aside Cuba without conceding more than 4 games in any set. At the same venue, the Toronto CS&C Club, they next faced the Americans. Canada managed to win just two sets. Fontana was soundly beat by MacKay, one, two, and five. Bédard played Whitney Reed
closer but also went down in straight sets, 7-9, 2-6, 4-6. He and Fontana then lost the doubles in straight sets as well. The U.S. went on to retake the Cup in the finals from holders Australia.
The following year
after an opening round bye, Canada faced Australia in Montreal, a team featuring three future icons - Roy Emerson
, Rod Laver
, and Neale Fraser
. Canada faired just as they did against the Americans the year before at the same venue, winning only two sets in two dead rubbers. Fontana opened against Emerson, going down 2-6, 2-6, 4-6. Next Bédard lost to Laver, 6-8, 3-6, 4-6. Australia then won the tie by taking the doubles rubber, with Emerson and Fraser defeating Fontana and Bédard, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. In consolation, Bédard and François Godbout took the first sets off of Emerson and Laver in Rounds 4 and 5 respectively.
Canada played just one tie in 1960
, an opening round loss, once more to the United States by a score 0 matches to 5 score. On clay in Quebec City
this time, Bédard started well, winning the first two sets against Tut Bartzen. Fontana took only 6 games off of Barry MacKay in Round 2. The two Canucks made a stand in the first set of the doubles taking it to 12 games all before succumbing and losing the next two sets handily. Robert won Canada's third set of the tie in Round 4.
In 1961
, Canada once more lost in the first round of Cup competition - they would not win a Cup tie again in fact until 1966. Bédard was certainly not at fault for the loss to Mexico as he won the opening rubber - 8-6, 6-4, 6-0 over Mario Llamas - as well as his Round 5 match, a dead rubber, over Rafael Osuna
. Unfortunately for Canada, François Godbout did not fair as well, losing both of his singles matches. The two Quebecers played a close doubles match but came up short, losing 12-10, 7-9, 6-8, 4-6.
After six years absent from play, Bédard returned for a 1967
tie versus Great Britain
, played in Bournemouth
on shale. (From 1966 through 1969 Canada competed in the Europe Group.) Young Canadian star Mike Belkin
got proceedings off well for the visitors defeating Mike Sangster
in four sets. In Round 2 Robert twice won a set to level before losing his match to Roger Taylor in the fifth 5-7. Belkin and Keith Carpenter
then battled Taylor and Bobby Wilson
to a 12-10 fifth set, which they lost. With victory at hand for the Brits in Round 4 Belkin started very strongly against Taylor, winning the first two sets by a 6-2 score. The home player however came back to win the final three sets 6-4,7-5, 6-3. Bédard then lost the Round 5 dead rubber to Sangster in straight sets.
from 1973 to 1977.
Bédard won the Canadian National outdoor singles championship in 2006 for Age 70 players, defeating Crichton Wilson in the final.
. Bédard was joined in the booth by play-by-play announcer Bob McDevitt. The show was hosted by Alex Trebek
.
in Sherbrooke, Quebec
and as headmaster at St. Andrew's College
in Aurora, Ontario
where he and his wife Ann lived. Besides tennis, he has also coached tennis ice hockey
during much of this time.
Bédard lived in Sherbrooke for a considerable time.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player who was the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
number 1 ranked singles player for most of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Canadian championships
Bédard is the last Canadian to win the Canadian OpenCanada Masters
The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour...
singles championship, triumphing in 1955, 1957, and 1958. He was runner-up in 1954. He also won the doubles title three times, in 1955, 1957, and 1959 with compatriot Don Fontana. He also won the mixed doubles title in 1959 partnering Mariette Laframboise.
Robert won the Montreal Cup at age 20. He was also singles champion of the Nova Scotia Open in 1952, 1955, and 1957.
Foreign championships
Bédard competed in (the main draw at) the French Championships twice, Wimbledon four times, and the U.S. Nationals eleven times. His best showing at a grand slam eventGrand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
was reaching the round of 32, which he did once at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, both in 1954, and four times at Forest Hills, in 1955, '56, '59, and in 1961.
Bédard may have well advanced further at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon but for one player the top two amateur player in 1954, Lew Hoad
Lew Hoad
Lewis Alan Hoad was a champion tennis player....
. As the No. 1 seed Hoad disposed of Bédard in the third round at the French in three close sets, 5-7, 6-8, 3-6. Then a month later in London, Hoad, the No. 2 seed eliminated Robert in the same round in four sets, 3-6, 0-6, 6-1, 1-6.
After a first round exit in 1954, Bédard reached the third round at Forest Hills for the first in an eventual four the following year, but again it was Hoad that he came up short against. This time the No. 4 seed won the encounter 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Then in 1956 he duplicated the feat, this time bowing out to unseeded American Hugh Stewart, 11-9, 2-6, 4-6, 4-6. After going out early in the next two U.S. Nationals, he once again reached the third round in 1959, when he lost to No. 6 seed Luis Ayala
Luis Ayala (tennis)
Luis Alberto Ayala Salinas is a former Chilean world-ranked tennis player who competed in the 1950s and 1960s. When he retired, he became a tennis professional at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. Currently, he is the Director of Tennis at the Forest Club in Houston, Texas.-Grand slams:...
, 6-8, 5-7, 6-2. He reached the same round once last time two years later, just shy of this 30th birthday. He came closest to advancing in this, his sixth attempt, going up two sets on fellow unseeded player Crawford Henry
Crawford Henry
Crawford I. Henry is a former professional tennis player.A high school tennis star in Georgia, Henry won the high school championship as a Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior. He never lost a match in high school and won the National High School tournament in 1955...
before succumbing, 7-5, 13-11, 1-6, 4-6, 2-6.
Bédard was a quarterfinalist at the 1957 Italian Open and won a silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games
1959 Pan American Games
The 3rd Pan American Games opened on August 27, 1959 in sunny 90°F heat before 40,000 people in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The first Pan American Games held in North America, they were originally scheduled for Cleveland, Ohio, but the U.S. Congress’s decision to cut $5,000,000 in federal...
. In the latter event he defeated Mexican Francisco Contreras
Francisco Contreras
Francisco Contreras is an undefeated Dominican professional boxer in the Lightweight division and is the WBC CABOFE Light Welterweight Champion. Francisco is trained by former IBF Super Featherweight Champion Roberto Garcia.-Early life:Contreras was raised in a poor family, he first entered a...
in the semi-finals but lost the final to Luis Ayala
Luis Ayala (tennis)
Luis Alberto Ayala Salinas is a former Chilean world-ranked tennis player who competed in the 1950s and 1960s. When he retired, he became a tennis professional at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. Currently, he is the Director of Tennis at the Forest Club in Houston, Texas.-Grand slams:...
, thus capturing the silver medal.
Tennis ranking
Robert was the top-ranked Canadian player in singles every year from 1955 to 1965. During this time he lost only once to a fellow Canadian in competition, to Reider Getz of Vancouver, who beat Robert in the 1964 Quebec championship. Moreover, Bédard was ranked no lower than third in Canada between 1952 and 1970.Bédard was first ranked No. 1 in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in 1953.
Davis Cup
Bédard was a CanadianCanada Davis Cup team
The Canada Davis Cup team represents Canada in Davis Cup tennis competition and is governed by Tennis Canada.Canada currently competes in the Americas Zone of Group I. The team's best result came in its first appearance in 1913 when it reached the World Group final, losing to the United States 0–3...
Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
member from 1953 to 1961, and again in 1967, and had a career win-loss record of 11 and 22, 8 and 15 in singles and 3 and 7 in doubles.
Bédard lost all three of the Davis Cup rubbers he contested in 1953
1953 Davis Cup
The 1953 Davis Cup was the 42nd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 29 teams would enter the competition, 22 in the Europe Zone, 6 in the Americas Zone, and India alone in the Eastern Zone....
. Despite this Canada did go on to face the Americans in the final of the America Group, where they lost 0-5. Bédard and partner Henri Rochon
Henri Rochon
Henri Rochon was a Canadian National tennis champion and Canadian Davis Cup tennis player.Born in and resident to Montreal, Rochon won the Canadian Open, the precursor to today's Rogers Cup ATP 1000 Series event, in 1949, defeating fellow Canadian Lorne Main in the final, 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2...
lost the doubles match in their quarter-final tie against Mexico
Mexico Davis Cup team
The Mexico Davis Cup team represents Mexico in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Federación Mexicana de Tenis.Mexico finished as runners-up in 1962. They currently compete in the Americas Zone Group II. They last competed in the World Group in 1997.-History:Mexico competed in...
, played at the Mount Royal Tennis Club
Mount Royal Tennis Club
The Mount Royal Tennis Club has been the most used venue for Canada hosting Davis Cup ties. It has been the country's most prominent grass court Davis Cup venue....
; fortunately, Lorne Main
Lorne Main
Lorne Main is a former world-class amateur tennis player who competed 11 Grand Slam tournaments in singles. Main won the singles title of the prestigious Monte Carlo tennis championship in 1954 and was an integral Canada Davis Cup team team member during the early 1950s...
won both of his singles rubbers, including the Round 4 match over Mario Llamas, which gave Canada an insurmountable 3-1 lead. (It was the last time Canada beat Mexico until 2001.) In the next round, also played at Mount Royal, Canada won the first three rubbers to seal victory against Cuba
Cuba Davis Cup team
The Cuba Davis Cup team represents Cuba in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Federación Cubana de Tenis de Campo.Cuba currently compete in the Americas Zone Group III. They played in the World Group in 1993.-History:...
. Bédard played his first singles match, losing the Round 5 dead rubber to Orlando Garrido in four sets. His next match too was a singles Round 5 dead rubber four set loss, this time to American Tut Bartzen.
In 1954
1954 Davis Cup
The 1954 Davis Cup was the 43rd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. The Eastern Zone was abandoned for this year, and India moved to the Europe Zone...
, Canada opened with a tight tie win over Chile
Chile Davis Cup team
The Chile Davis Cup Team represents Chile in Davis Cup tennis tournament and is governed by Chile Tennis Federation. The team is currently captained by former Chilean tennis player Hans Gildemeister.-History:...
3-2, again in Montreal. After Main came back from 2 sets to 1 down in Round 1, Bédard got his first Cup singles win, in straight sets over Ricardo Balbiers. Main and Paul Willey next lost in straight sets to Andres Hammersley and Chilean star Luis Ayala
Luis Ayala (tennis)
Luis Alberto Ayala Salinas is a former Chilean world-ranked tennis player who competed in the 1950s and 1960s. When he retired, he became a tennis professional at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. Currently, he is the Director of Tennis at the Forest Club in Houston, Texas.-Grand slams:...
. Lorne Main then came through to seal victory with hard fought win over Hammersley, 6-4, 11-13, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Bédard lost the Round 5 dead rubber to Ayala, 1-6, 3-6, 1-6.
Canada began 1955 Cup
1955 Davis Cup
The 1955 Davis Cup was the 44th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. The Eastern Zone was reinstated with increasing entries from Asia...
play with an expected comfortable opening win over the West Indies
Caribbean/West Indies Davis Cup team
The Caribbean/West Indies Davis Cup team represented the nations of the West Indies in Davis Cup tennis competition from 1953-1987.-History:Caribbean/West Indies competed in its first Davis Cup in 1953...
. Bédard defeated Trinidadian Ian McDonald in four sets in Round 1 and teamed with Don Fontana to win the doubles rubber in straight sets, as Canada won 5-0. Canada next faced 1954 runner-up and eventual 1955 champion Australia
Australia Davis Cup team
The Australian Davis Cup team is the second most successful team ever to compete in the Davis Cup, winning the coveted title on 23 separate occasions, second behind the United States with 32....
in the America Group final. Played in Montreal, Bédard had the inenviable task of opening proceedings against World No. 2 (amateur) Ken Rosewall
Ken Rosewall
Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam...
, and lost the match in four sets. He and Fontana lost the doubles rubber in four sets as well - these were the only two sets during the tie that Canada won, in consolation.
The following year
1956 Davis Cup
The 1956 Davis Cup was the 45th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 32 teams would enter the competition, 24 in the Europe Zone, 5 in the Americas Zone, and 3 in the Eastern Zone....
Canada again opened with a win over the West Indies, this time in Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
and dropping only one set. This set up an encounter with the United States in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. Fontana was soundly defeated by Ham Richardson to open the tie, 1-6, 2-6, 2-6. In Round 2, Bédard won the first set against Herb Flam, 6-2, before succumbing to his more accomplished opponent, 2-6, 1-6, 9-11. The two Canadians then came back from dropping the first set to go up two sets to one against Ron Holmberg and Barry MacKay
Barry MacKay
Barry MacKay is a former American tennis player and tournament director and a current tennis broadcaster. While competing in college for the University of Michigan, he won the singles title at the 1957 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship to clinch the team title for Michigan. He was also a finalist...
in the doubles, only to lose the last two sets, and with it the tie. Bédard lost a dead rubber to Richardson in straight sets and Paul Willey gave the Canadians a consolation point in winning Round 5 over MacKay.
In 1957
1957 Davis Cup
The 1957 Davis Cup was the 46th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 36 teams would enter the competition, 24 in the Europe Zone, 7 in the Americas Zone, and 5 in the Eastern Zone....
, Canada played just one Cup tie, losing 2-3 to Brazil
Brazil Davis Cup team
The Brazil Davis Cup team represents Brazil in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Brazilian Tennis Confederation.Brazil currently compete in the Americas Zone of Group I...
in Montreal. Bédard played the opening match and twice came from a set down against Carlos-Alberto Fernandes only to lose the fifth, 5-7. Fontana squared matters in winning Round 2 over Armando Viera, also in five sets. In the crucial doubles rubber, Fernandes and Viera proved too good, winning in four. Fontana then went down in straight sets in Round 4.
Canada started the 1958
1958 Davis Cup
The 1958 Davis Cup was the 47th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 36 teams would enter the competition, 24 in the Europe Zone, 7 in the Americas Zone, and 5 in the Eastern Zone....
campaign superbly, playing at home on clay in Toronto, sweeping aside Cuba without conceding more than 4 games in any set. At the same venue, the Toronto CS&C Club, they next faced the Americans. Canada managed to win just two sets. Fontana was soundly beat by MacKay, one, two, and five. Bédard played Whitney Reed
Whitney Reed
Whitney Reed was a tennis player in the 1950s and 1960s.Reed was ranked No. 1 in the United States in 1961 and was ranked in the U.S. top ten in 1957 , 1959 , 1960 , and 1962 Whitney Reed (born August 20, 1932, in Oakland, California) was a tennis player in the 1950s and 1960s.Reed was ranked No....
closer but also went down in straight sets, 7-9, 2-6, 4-6. He and Fontana then lost the doubles in straight sets as well. The U.S. went on to retake the Cup in the finals from holders Australia.
The following year
1959 Davis Cup
The 1959 Davis Cup was the 48th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. The Europe Zone was modified so that only the previous year's semifinalists were guaranteed first round byes...
after an opening round bye, Canada faced Australia in Montreal, a team featuring three future icons - Roy Emerson
Roy Emerson
Roy Stanley Emerson is an Australian former tennis player who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 16 Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He is the only male player to have won singles and doubles titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments. His 28 Grand Slam titles are an all-time record for a male...
, Rod Laver
Rod Laver
Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970...
, and Neale Fraser
Neale Fraser
Neale Andrew Fraser AO MBE is a former tennis player from Australia, born in Melbourne, Victoria, the son of a Victorian judge. He began playing tennis at age 11 and attended St Kevin's College, Melbourne where he became Captain of Tennis at the school.Fraser won Wimbledon in 1960 and the US...
. Canada faired just as they did against the Americans the year before at the same venue, winning only two sets in two dead rubbers. Fontana opened against Emerson, going down 2-6, 2-6, 4-6. Next Bédard lost to Laver, 6-8, 3-6, 4-6. Australia then won the tie by taking the doubles rubber, with Emerson and Fraser defeating Fontana and Bédard, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. In consolation, Bédard and François Godbout took the first sets off of Emerson and Laver in Rounds 4 and 5 respectively.
Canada played just one tie in 1960
1960 Davis Cup
The 1960 Davis Cup was the 49th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 40 teams would enter the competition, 28 in the Europe Zone, 6 in the Americas Zone, and 6 in the Eastern Zone....
, an opening round loss, once more to the United States by a score 0 matches to 5 score. On clay in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
this time, Bédard started well, winning the first two sets against Tut Bartzen. Fontana took only 6 games off of Barry MacKay in Round 2. The two Canucks made a stand in the first set of the doubles taking it to 12 games all before succumbing and losing the next two sets handily. Robert won Canada's third set of the tie in Round 4.
In 1961
1961 Davis Cup
The 1961 Davis Cup was the 50th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 42 teams would enter the competition, 28 in the Europe Zone, 7 in the Americas Zone, and 7 in the Eastern Zone....
, Canada once more lost in the first round of Cup competition - they would not win a Cup tie again in fact until 1966. Bédard was certainly not at fault for the loss to Mexico as he won the opening rubber - 8-6, 6-4, 6-0 over Mario Llamas - as well as his Round 5 match, a dead rubber, over Rafael Osuna
Rafael Osuna
Rafael Osuna Herrera is the most successful tennis player in the history of Mexico. He was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and is best remembered for his singles victory at the U.S. Open Championships in 1963, winning Wimbledon Doubles championships twice, the U.S...
. Unfortunately for Canada, François Godbout did not fair as well, losing both of his singles matches. The two Quebecers played a close doubles match but came up short, losing 12-10, 7-9, 6-8, 4-6.
After six years absent from play, Bédard returned for a 1967
1967 Davis Cup
The 1967 Davis Cup was the 56th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 48 teams would enter the competition, 32 in the Europe Zone, 9 in the Eastern Zone, and 7 in the Americas Zone....
tie versus Great Britain
Great Britain Davis Cup team
The Great Britain Davis Cup team represents the United Kingdom in Davis Cup tennis competition and is controlled by the Lawn Tennis Association. The United Kingdom played in the very first International Lawn Tennis Challenge...
, played in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
on shale. (From 1966 through 1969 Canada competed in the Europe Group.) Young Canadian star Mike Belkin
Mike Belkin
Michael Belkin is a former top-ranked Canadian tennis player.Canada's top-ranked player five times between 1966 and 1972, Belkin had a career 17-12 Davis Cup record, including a 14-7 record in singles....
got proceedings off well for the visitors defeating Mike Sangster
Mike Sangster
Mike Sangster was one of the leading British tennis players of the 1960s.- Birth and Early Life :Mike Sangster was born in Kingskerswell, Devon on 11 September 1940. He attended Torquay Boys' Grammar School...
in four sets. In Round 2 Robert twice won a set to level before losing his match to Roger Taylor in the fifth 5-7. Belkin and Keith Carpenter
Keith Carpenter
Keith A. Carpenter was one of Canada's top men's tennis players during 1960s.-Overview:Carpenter's best result was winning the Canadian Open Mens Doubles Championship in 1966 along side his older brother, Michael Carpenter. It was their first and only Grand Slam Event win for both brother's...
then battled Taylor and Bobby Wilson
Bobby Wilson (tennis)
Robert Keith Wilson is a former top-ranking English tennis player. Wilson reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon four times, Forest Hills twice, and Roland Garros once during the late 1950s and early 1960s...
to a 12-10 fifth set, which they lost. With victory at hand for the Brits in Round 4 Belkin started very strongly against Taylor, winning the first two sets by a 6-2 score. The home player however came back to win the final three sets 6-4,7-5, 6-3. Bédard then lost the Round 5 dead rubber to Sangster in straight sets.
College tennis player
During the 1952-53 school year, Bedard attended UCLA on a tennis scholarship.Tennis executive
Robert served as the president of Tennis Quebec from 1967 to 1970 and the vice-president of Tennis CanadaTennis Canada
Tennis Canada is the national governing body of tennis within Canada. It works together with the provincial associations to organize tournaments and rules. Tennis Canada also host one ATP Masters Series tournament and one WTA Tier I tournament . The event locations rotate between Montreal and...
from 1973 to 1977.
Seniors/Veterans tennis
Bédard has remained active playing in senior's tennis over the years, in particular doubles with one of his and his wife's four children.Bédard won the Canadian National outdoor singles championship in 2006 for Age 70 players, defeating Crichton Wilson in the final.
Honours
Bédard was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Prize in 1977. He was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame and Quebec Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. He was also inducted into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.Commentating
Bédard was a tennis colour commentator for coverage of a round robin tournament held in Canada in 1967 and again in 1968, that featured four of the world's top amateur players. Coverage was broadcast on CBC televisionCBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
. Bédard was joined in the booth by play-by-play announcer Bob McDevitt. The show was hosted by Alex Trebek
Alex Trebek
George Alexander "Alex" Trebek is a Canadian American game show host who has been the host of the game show Jeopardy! since 1984, and prior to that, he hosted game shows such as Pitfall and High Rollers. He has appeared in numerous television series, usually as himself...
.
Outside of tennis / personal
An amateur tennis player in the days before Open tennis, Bedard has been a long-time educator, first as a French and geography school teacher at Bishop's College SchoolBishop's College School
This article is about the school in Canada. Alternatively, visit Diocesan College in Cape Town, South Africa.Bishop's College School is a private school in Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada....
in Sherbrooke, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and as headmaster at St. Andrew's College
St. Andrew's College (Aurora, Ontario)
St. Andrew's College, also known as SAC, is an independent school founded in 1899 located in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is a university-preparatory school for boys in grades 6 to 12, with a focus on academic achievement, athletics, and leadership development...
in Aurora, Ontario
Aurora, Ontario
Aurora is an affluent town in York Region, approximately 20 km north of Toronto. It is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.Many Aurora residents commute to Toronto and surrounding communities.In the...
where he and his wife Ann lived. Besides tennis, he has also coached tennis ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
during much of this time.
Bédard lived in Sherbrooke for a considerable time.