Ismail El Shafei (Arabic: إسماعيل الشافعي) (born 15 November 1947) is an Egyptian former professional tennis player and president of the Egyptian Tennis Federation. He is currently a member of the board of directors of the International Tennis Federation and is chairman of the ITF Junior Circuit.[2] He won six career singles titles and reached eleven finals. In doubles, he won nine career titles.
Career
El Shafei played his first tournament in March 1962 at the Egyptian Championships losing in straight sets to Italian player Giuseppe Merlo in the round of 32.[3] He reached his first tournament final in Ostordorf, West Germany in 1963 before losing to Harald Elschenbroich. In 1964, he won the boys' singles tournament at Wimbledon. He won his first senior's tournament in San Jose, Costa Rica in January 1966. He won the Egyptian Open in Cairo three times (1969, 1974–1974). An adaptable player, he competed on all surfaces, (grass, clay, hardcourt, and carpet). El Shafei is the only Egyptian player to make the top 40 in Grand Prix/ATP ranking history. He is one of only four players to beat Björn Borg at Wimbledon,[2] knocking him out in the third round in 1974 (the other three were John McEnroe, Roger Taylor and Arthur Ashe.) He reached his last professional singles final (exhibition) at the Cairo Invitational losing to Bjorn Borg in two sets in December 1979 and played his last singles tournament in June 1982 at the Bristol Open losing to then South African player Johan Kriek,[3] he retired in 1983.
Post playing career
Following his playing career El Shafei remained involved in tennis in an administrative role: he was elected president of the Egyptian Tennis Federation on two occasions (1994–96 and 2005–08).[4] In 1998, he was elected to the board of directors of the International Tennis Federation until 2001. He would serve a second term as director of the ITF (2003–2013).[4] In September 2015, he was elected for a third term as a director and is currently chairman of coaching and chairman of the juniors circuit.[4]
Personal
He was educated at Cairo University[4] and is the son of Adli El Shafei and father of Adli El Shafei II.
Career finals
Singles: 17 (6 titles, 11 runner-ups)
Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 0–1 | Sep 1963 | Ostordorf, West Germany | Clay | ![]() |
0–6, 0–6 |
Win | 1–1 | Jan 1966 | San José, Costa Rica | Clay | ![]() |
6–2, 6–2, 6–4 |
Loss | 1–2 | Jan 1967 | Kalkutta, India | Grass | ![]() |
3–6, 6–8, 4–6 |
Loss | 1–3 | Mar 1967 | Cairo, Egypt | Clay | ![]() |
4–6, 4–6, 2–6 |
Win | 2–3 | Jan 1968 | Bremen, West Germany | Hard (i) | ![]() |
6–2, 6–2, 9–7 |
Loss | 2–4 | Mar 1968 | Cairo, Egypt | Clay | ![]() |
6–4, 3–6, 1–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 2–5 | Mar 1968 | Le Touquet, France | Clay | ![]() |
1–6, 2–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 2–6 | Feb 1969 | Salisbury, U.S. | Hard (i) | ![]() |
3–6, 8–6, 4–6, 4–6 |
Win | 3–6 | Mar 1969 | Cairo, Egypt | Clay | ![]() |
6–2, 6–2, 9–7 |
Loss | 3–7 | Mar 1969 | Alexandria, Egypt | Clay | ![]() |
1–6, 6–3, 3–6, 5–7 |
Loss | 3–8 | Oct 1969 | Perth, UK | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
6–3, 12–14, 1–6 |
Loss | 3–9 | Mar 1971 | Cairo, Egypt | Clay | ![]() |
6–8, 9–7, 4–6 |
Win | 4–9 | Mar 1973 | Cairo, Egypt | Clay | ![]() |
6–4, 6–8, 6–3, 6–3 |
Win | 5–9 | Mar 1974 | Cairo, Egypt | Clay | ![]() |
6–0, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3 |
Win | 6–9 | Nov 1974 | Manila, Philippines [5] | Hard | ![]() |
7–6, 6–1 |
Loss | 6–10 | Aug 1975 | Brummana, Lebanon | Clay | ![]() |
6–7, 6–3, 6–7, 7–6, 4–6 |
Loss | 6–11 | Nov 1977 | Taipei, Taiwan [6] | Hard (i) | ![]() |
7–6, 5–7, 6–7, 4–6 |
Doubles (9 titles, 18 runner-ups)
Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 0–1 | Aug 1970 | Boston, US | Hard | ![]() |
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1–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 0–2 | Sep 1972 | Los Angeles, US | Hard | ![]() |
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3–6, 6–4, 6–7 |
Loss | 0–3 | Oct 1972 | Alamo WCT, US | Hard | ![]() |
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6–7, 4–6 |
Loss | 0–4 | Nov 1972 | Gothenburg, Sweden | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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2–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 0–5 | Mar 1973 | Chicago, US | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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7–6, 4–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 0–6 | Apr 1973 | Cleveland, US | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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2–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 0–7 | Aug 1973 | Tanglewood, U.S. | Clay | ![]() |
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3–6, 4–6 |
Win | 1–7 | Apr 1974 | St. Louis, U.S. | Clay | ![]() |
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7–6, 6–7, 7–6 |
Win | 2–7 | Oct 1974 | Christchurch, New Zealand | N/A | ![]() |
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w/o |
Win | 3–7 | Nov 1974 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Hard | ![]() |
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7–5, 6–3 |
Loss | 3–8 | Jan 1975 | Baltimore, U.S. | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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4–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 3–9 | Apr 1975 | Charlotte, US | Clay | ![]() |
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3–6, 7–5, 4–6 |
Loss | 3–10 | Mar 1976 | Mexico City, Mexico | Clay | ![]() |
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4–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 3–11 | Oct 1976 | Brisbane, Australia | Grass | ![]() |
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4–6, 4–6 |
Win | 4–11 | Oct 1976 | Sydney, Australia | Hard (i) | ![]() |
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7–5, 6–7, 7–6 |
Loss | 4–12 | Oct 1976 | Perth, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
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7–6, 1–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 4–13 | Nov 1976 | Tokyo, Japan | Clay | ![]() |
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4–6, 4–6 |
Win | 5–13 | Jul 1977 | Newport, U.S. | Grass | ![]() |
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6–7, 6–3, 7–6 |
Win | 6–13 | Mar 1978 | Cairo, Egypt | Clay | ![]() |
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6–3, 7–5, 6–2 |
Loss | 6–14 | Jul 1978 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Clay | ![]() |
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3–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 6–15 | Aug 1978 | New Orleans, U.S. | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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6–7, 3–6 |
Loss | 6–16 | Mar 1979 | Lagos, Nigeria | Hard | ![]() |
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4–6, 7–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 6–17 | Sep 1979 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
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5–7, 6–7 |
Win | 7–17 | Mar 1980 | Cairo, Egypt | Clay | ![]() |
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6–3, 3–6, 6–3 |
Win | 8–17 | Jul 1980 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | ![]() |
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6–4, 6–4 |
Win | 9–17 | Mar 1981 | Cairo, Egypt | Clay | ![]() |
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6–7, 6–3, 6–1 |
Loss | 9–18 | Dec 1981 | Sofia, Bulgaria | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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6–7, 6–2, 4–6 |
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
Won Wimbledon Championship for Boys 1964 & was runner-up in 1963
W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Tournament | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | Career SR | Career W–L | Career win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | A | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | 0 / 2 | 2–2 | 33.33 |
French Open | A | 3R | A | A | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | A | 0 / 7 | 4–7 | 36.36 |
Wimbledon | 2R | 1R | 3R | 1R | A | A | QF | 2R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 0 / 11 | 10–11 | 47.61 |
US Open | A | 3R | 1R | 1R | A | 3R | 4R | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 6 | 8–6 | 53.33 |
Win–loss | 1–1 | 4–3 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 8–3 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0 / 26 | 24–26 | 48.00 |
Davis Cup
El Shafei participated in 17 ties for Egypt, where he played 42 matches, winning 23, losing 19 he also served as team captain in the 1980s.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Ismail El Shafei: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennis Base. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ a b Harwitt, Sandra (30 September 2016). "ITF Junior Chairman El Shafei on the scene in Budapest". itftennis.com. International Tennis Federation. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Ismail El Shafei: Player Activity". thetennisbase.com. Tennis Base. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Meet the Board". itftennis.com. International Tennis Federation, 25 September 2015. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ "Manila Results Grand Prix Tour 1974". ATP World Tour. ATP. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ "Taipei Results Grand Prix Tour 1977". ATP World Tour. ATP. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ ""Meet the Board" ITF Board of Directors for 2015–2019". ktf.kz. Tennis Federation of Kazakhstan. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2017.