Pierre Pellizza


Pierre Pellizza was a French tennis player in the years before and after World War 2. In 1948 he settled in America. His younger brother was tennis and badminton player Henri Pellizza. Allison Danzig of The New York Times said of Pierre Pellizza "Pellizza was a bulldog for tenacity. He showed a forehand that rivalled Petra's...and a backhand that excelled his countryman's". The best results of Pierre Pellizza's career came at Monte Carlo, where he won the title in 1939 and 1946. Pellizza played Davis Cup from 1938 to 1947. At the French Championships, Pellizza reached the quarter finals in 1946 and 1947. At Wimbledon his best performance was in 1946, when he reached the quarter finals. At the U. S. Championships, Pellizza's best results were the last 16 in 1936 and 1946. He turned professional in 1948. Like Paul Féret and Henri Cochet, Pellizza was reinstated as an amateur. He played the French Championships for the last time in 1957, when he lost in the first round to Andres Gimeno.