On his way to winning the 1930 U.S. National Men’s Singles Championship, lefthander John Doeg upset top-seeded Bill Tilden in a colossal semifinal match, 10-8, 6-3, 3-6, 12-10. The victory, spearheaded by Doeg’s 28 aces, accomplished two things: It squashed Tilden’s bid for a record eighth championship and provided Doeg with his only major singles title. Doeg, who was a hard-charging serve and volley player, had a topsy-turvy and wildly unpredictable championship match in defeating fellow American Frank Shields, 10–8, 1–6, 6–4, 16–14. The victory catapulted Doeg to the U.S. No.1 ranking and No. 4 position in the world. But Doeg wasn’t finished collecting championships in a memorable 1930 campaign.
Riding on the crest of his singles title, he then teamed with familiar partner George Lott to capture the U.S. National Men’s Doubles Championship over Americans John Van Ryn and Wilmer Allison, 8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 13–15, 6–4. It marked back-to-back U.S. doubles titles for Doeg and Lott, who defeated Berkeley Bell and Lewis White, 10–8, 16–14, 6–1, to win the 1929 event. In what was his finest year, Doeg also advanced to the 1930 Wimbledon singles semifinals and he and Lott played for the Wimbledon doubles title that same year, but fell in a turnabout-is-fair-play scenario to Ryn and Allison, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. Doeg played on the 1930 U.S. Davis Cup Team, and earned a 2-0 record in singles.
Doeg, who was born in Guayamas Sonora, Mexico, was raised in Southern California. He had the makings of a top player early, winning the U.S. Junior Singles Championship in 1926 as an 18-year-old. His aunt was May Sutton Bundy and his cousin was Dodo Cheney.
