Tennis South Africa is deeply saddened by the passing of one of our South African legends, Ian Vermaak, who represented South Africa in six Davis Cup ties between 1953 and 1960.
In 1954, Ian was selected to represent South Africa in a test match against Australia to commemorate the Queen’s visit to Australasia. Alongside teammates Abe Segal and Owen Williams, Ian, in his first-ever singles match played on grass, achieved a remarkable victory by defeating Ken Rosewall in five sets.
Ian’s illustrious career included winning the men’s singles title at the South African Championships in 1956, where he defeated Torsten Johansson in a thrilling five-set final. At Wimbledon, his best singles performance came in 1960 when he reached the fourth round, narrowly losing to Ramanathan Krishnan in five sets. He also achieved a quarterfinal finish in the men’s doubles.
One of Ian’s most notable achievements was reaching the final of the Amateur French Championships at Roland Garros in 1959, where he faced Nicola Pietrangeli. That same year, he was ranked World No. 10 by Lance Tingay of the Daily Telegraph.
Tennis South Africa extends its deepest condolences to the Vermaak family during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as we mourn the loss of a tennis icon whose legacy will endure for generations.