View source for Uberto De Morpurgo

{{Short description|Italian tennis player (1896–1961)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
|name                  = Uberto De Morpurgo
|fullname              = Hubert Louis (Uberto Luigi) De Morpurgo
|image =Uberto De Morpurgo.jpg
|caption =Uberto De Morpurgo  playing Tennis
|country               =  {{flagicon|Austria-Hungary}} Austria-Hungary (−1920)<br> {{flagicon|ITA|1861}} Italy (1920–)
|residence             =
|birth_date            = {{birth date|df=y|1896|1|11}}
|birth_place           = [[Trieste]], Austria-Hungary
|death_date            = {{death date and age|df=y|1961|2|26|1896|1|11}}
|death_place           = [[Geneva]], Switzerland
|height                =
|turnedpro             = 1914<small> (amateur tour)</small>
|retired               = 1939
|plays                 = Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
|careerprizemoney      =
|singlesrecord         =
|singlestitles         =
|highestsinglesranking = No. 8 ([[1930 in tennis|1930]]<small>, [[A. Wallis Myers]]</small>)<ref name="tennis&golf">{{cite journal|editor=Béla Kehrling|editor-link=Béla Von Kehrling|url=http://epa.oszk.hu/02100/02127/00035/pdf/EPA02127_tennis_es_golf_1930_2_021.pdf|title=tennis and golf|volume=II|issue=21|journal=Tennisz és Golf|date=November 20, 1930|publisher=Bethlen Gábor irod. és Nyomdai RT|location=Budapest, Hungary|language=hu|access-date=December 3, 2012}}</ref>
|AustralianOpenresult  = 
|FrenchOpenresult      = SF ([[1930 French Championships – Men's singles|1930]])
|Wimbledonresult       = QF ([[1928 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1928]])
|USOpenresult          = 
|Othertournaments      = yes
|WHCCresult            = 3R ([[World Hard Court Championships|1921]], [[World Hard Court Championships|1923]])
|WCCCresult            = SF ([[World Covered Court Championships|1922]])
|Olympicsresult        = 
|doublesrecord         =
|doublestitles         =
|highestdoublesranking =
|AustralianOpenDoublesresult =
|FrenchOpenDoublesresult =
|WimbledonDoublesresult =
|USOpenDoublesresult =
|Mixed                             = <!-- adds mixed information-->
|mixedrecord                       = 
|mixedtitles                       = 
|AustralianOpenMixedresult         = 
|FrenchOpenMixedresult             = 
|WimbledonMixedresult              = F ([[1925 Wimbledon Championships – Mixed doubles|1925]])
|USOpenMixedresult                 = 
| medaltemplates-expand       = yes
| medaltemplates              =
{{MedalCompetition | [[Tennis at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] }}
{{MedalBronze | [[1924 Summer Olympics|1924 Paris]] | [[Tennis at the 1924 Summer Olympics|Singles tennis]] }}
}}

'''Uberto De Morpurgo''' (11 January 1896 – 26 February 1961) was an Italian [[tennis]] player.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/824 |title=Uberto De Morpurgo |work=Olympedia |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>

Uberto De Morpurgo was born in [[Trieste]] when it was part of [[Austria]], but became an  [[Italy|Italian]] citizen when the city changed hands after [[World War I]]. His world rankings were ninth in 1928, tenth in 1929, and eighth in 1930.<ref name="MontrealGazette1930">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YhQuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SYwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6484,4310344&dq=wallis-myers&hl=en "Big Bill Tilden is Second Only to Henri Cochet"], ''The Montreal Gazette'', 27 November 1930.</ref> [[Bill Tilden]] ranked him 10th in the world in 1924,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,719427,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070318005427/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,719427,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 March 2007 |title=Sport: A World and  |magazine=Time|date=1924-11-17 |access-date=2012-12-26}}</ref> and 6th in 1929.<ref name="tennis&golf2">{{cite journal|editor=Béla Kehrling|editor-link=Béla Von Kehrling|url=http://epa.oszk.hu/02100/02127/00013/pdf/EPA02127_tennis_es_golf_1929_1_013.pdf|volume=I|issue=13|page=309|journal=Tennisz és Golf|date=November 10, 1929|title=Tilden világranglistája|trans-title=Tilden's world rankings|publisher=Bethlen Gábor irod. és Nyomdai RT|location=Budapest, Hungary|language=hu|access-date=October 18, 2012}}</ref>

==Tennis career==
De Morpurgo was junior champion in [[Great Britain]] in 1911, and student champion in Paris in 1915. He was ranked as Italy's top tennis player in 1927, and again in 1929 through 1931. ''Tennis'' magazine called him "the Tilden of his country".<ref name="Hall of Fame" /> De Morpurgo reached the semifinals of the 1930 French championships (beating [[Edgar Moon]] before losing to [[Henri Cochet]]).<ref name="gsta">{{cite web|title=French Open 1930|url=http://www.tennis.co.nf/FRENCH%20OPEN%201930.htm|website=www.tennis.co.nf}}</ref>

He was named Italian Commissioner of Tennis by [[Benito Mussolini]] in 1929.<ref name="Hall of Fame">{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/UmbertoLouisdeMorpurgo.htm|title=Umberto Louis de Morpurgo|year=2004|publisher=International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=January 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060111141615/http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/UmbertoLouisdeMorpurgo.htm|archive-date=January 11, 2006}}</ref>

===Olympics===
De Morpurgo participated in the [[Tennis at the 1924 Summer Olympics – Men's singles|singles event]] at the [[1924 Summer Olympics]] in Paris. He won his first four matches to reach the semifinal which he lost to eventual gold medal winner [[Vincent Richards]] in four sets. De Morpurgo won the [[bronze medal]] after a five-set victory in the play-off against [[Jean Borotra]] of France.<ref name="Hall of Fame" />

===Davis Cup===
De Morpurgo played on Italy's [[Davis Cup]] team each year from its inaugural year in 1922 through 1933.<ref name="Hall of Fame" />  He won 39 singles matches and lost 14, while in doubles he was 16–10.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.daviscup.com/en/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=10003349 |title=Player profile - Umberto DE MORPURGO (ITA) |publisher=Davis Cup |access-date=2012-12-26}}</ref>

===Playing style===
De Morpurgo used a very fast serve on his first ball, and an exaggerated American Twist serve on the second serve which was of extreme contortion. His baseline game consisted of flat drives. He had an excellent net attack, owing to his great reach. His overhead, like his service, was hard but erratic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/tech/sports/TheArtofLawnTennis/chap19.html |title=The Art of Lawn Tennis - Chapter XV |publisher=Worldwideschool.org |access-date=2012-12-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070922172434/http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/tech/sports/TheArtofLawnTennis/chap19.html |archive-date=2007-09-22 }}</ref>

===Recognition===
De Morpurgo, who was [[Jewish]], was inducted as a member of the [[International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oZxnNt28DhcC&q=Umberto+De+Morpurgo+jewish+hall+of+fame&pg=PA167 |title=Jewish Sports Legends: The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame - Joseph Siegman - Google Books |isbn=9781574882841 |access-date=2012-12-26|last1=Siegman |first1=Joseph |year=2000 |publisher=Brassey's }}</ref>

==Grand Slam finals==
=== Mixed doubles (1 runners-up) ===
{| class="sortable wikitable"  
!style="width:40px"|Result
!style="width:40px"|Year
!style="width:140px"|Championship
!style="width:50px"|Surface
!style="width:150px"|Partner
!style="width:150px"|Opponents
!style="width:110px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-style="background:#cfc;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || [[1925 Wimbledon Championships|1925]] || [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] || Grass || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Elizabeth Ryan]] || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Suzanne Lenglen]] <br> {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jean Borotra]] || 3–6, 3–6
|}

== Career finals ==

===Singles (1 win 2 runner-ups)===

{|class="sortable wikitable" 
!style="width:40px"|Result
!style="width:20px"|No.
!style="width:50px"|Date
!style="width:240px"|Tournament
!style="width:50px"|Surface
!style="width:160px"|Opponent
!style="width:130px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-
| style="background:#98FB98;" |Win 
|1.
|1928
|[[Genoa International]], [[Genoa]]
|Clay
|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Emanuele Sertorio]] 
|6–2, 8–6, 6–1
|-

|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss
|2.
|1929
|[[Monte Carlo Championships]], Monaco
|Clay
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Henri Cochet]] 
|6–8, 4–6, 4–6
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss
|3.
|1930
|[[Rome Masters|Italian Championships]], Rome, Italy
|Clay
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Bill Tilden]]
|1–6, 1–6, 1–6
|}

==See also==
* [[List of Jews in sports#Tennis|List of select Jewish tennis players]]
* [[Morpurgo]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{ATP|name=Uberto De Morpurgo}}
* {{ITF|name=Umberto De Morpurgo}}
* {{Davis Cup player|name=Umberto De Morpurgo}}
* {{Olympedia|name=Uberto De Morpurgo}}
* {{databaseOlympics|DEMORUMB01|Umberto de Morpurgo|archive=20070310013205}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20250110124724/http://jewishsports.net/BioPages/UmbertoLouisdeMorpurgo.htm Umberto Louis de Morpurgo] at the [[International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame]] (archived)
* {{Olympics.com|umberto-de-morpurgo|Umberto De Morpurgo}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:De Morpurgo, Uberto}}
[[Category:1896 births]]
[[Category:1961 deaths]]
[[Category:Italian male tennis players]]
[[Category:Jewish tennis players]]
[[Category:Olympic tennis players for Italy]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Italy]]
[[Category:Tennis players at the 1924 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:20th-century Italian Jews]]
[[Category:Jews from Austria-Hungary]]
[[Category:Italian Austro-Hungarians]]
[[Category:Italian nobility]]
[[Category:Austrian nobility]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Trieste]]
[[Category:People from Austrian Littoral]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists for Italy in tennis]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1924 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:20th-century Italian sportsmen]]