Long Beach State University Athletics
Former 49er Tennis Great Passes Away
3/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
March 4, 2008
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Former 49er men's tennis great Curt Condon passed away on Monday, March 3 from a brain tumor. Condon, a two-year letterwinner for Long Beach State, is considered one of the top men's players in 49er history.
Condon lettered two years at Long Beach State (1974-75) and won 87 percent of his matches in Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) play. His senior season he had the best dual match record in 49er history, playing at No. 1 singles. In 1975 Condon advanced to the NCAA Championships in both singles and doubles (with partner Steve Simon). He won three singles matches before being eliminated in the Round of 16. In doubles, he and Simon advanced to the quarterfinals.
During the 1975 season Condon defeated three of the top five players in the country. He captured the 1975 PCAA singles championship by defeating San Jose State's Hank Pfister. Pfister would later go on to be the No. 1 seed in the 1975 NCAA singles bracket. Condon also defeated the No. 1 players from UCLA and USC. He downed USC's Butch Walsh in a dual match during the season and he beat UCLA's Brian Teacher in the finals of the San Diego Intercollegiates. All three players, Walsh, Teacher and Pfister, were members of the U.S. Junior Davis Cup Team.
After graduation, Condon headed over to Europe to play professionally. He won 10 tournaments in his three months in Europe in 1975, including winning the singles title at the 1975 Nyborg, Denmark Tournament and the 1975 Kensington (England) Open, a pre-cursor to Wimbledon.
In the U.S. professionally, Condon qualified for the United States Open Championships twice in doubles as he qualified by winning the Southern California Kodel Championship.
Upon returning from Europe, Condon was the tennis pro at Singing Hills Country Club in San Diego. He stayed there for several years before moving to the Vista Tennis Club. In 1992 he was selected as the Pro of the Year in San Diego and in 2004 the Condon family was honored by being named the tennis "Family of the Year" in San Diego.
Condon was honored in 2007 as the Southern California Tennis Association established a spirit award in his name. The "Curt Condon Spirit Award" is presented annually by the SCTA. Condon also won the Southern California Special Services Award in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2002 and he was also a past vice president of the United States Professional Tennis Association in the San Diego Division.
El Camino Country Club has honored Condon as well as Court 1 at the Club has been named and dedicated to Condon. The Club also has donated a yearly scholarship in his name.
