title: Abe Segal
text: # Abe Segal
  
  Alan Abraham Segal (23 October 1930 – 4 April 2016) was a South African tennis player.
  
  ## Early life and career
  
  He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was Jewish.
  
  During the 1950s and 1960s, he was the doubles partner of Gordon Forbes. Together, they were considered one of the better doubles teams in the world.
  
  He was critical of South Africa's policy of apartheid. Alex Metreveli and István Gulyás both refused to compete in the 1964 Wimbledon against Segal, a white South African, because of apartheid. In response, black tennis player Arthur Ashe said he would play Segal any time because he did not think politics had a place in sports. Weeks later, Segal played Ashe in Illinois, beating him. This prompted the International Lawn Tennis Federation to pass a resolution prohibiting racial discrimination and withdrawing from a tournament except for "health or bereavement" reasons.
  
  In 1951, he won the singles title at the Irish Open, defeating Guy Jackson in the final in straight sets.
  
  He played for the South African Davis Cup team in 19 ties in the years 1955, 1957, 1959, and 1961 to 1965, and he compiled a record of 24 wins and 14 losses.
  
  After retiring from tennis, Segal took up painting. In 2008 he published a memoir titled Hey Big Boy!.
  
  Segal died of cancer on 4 April 2016 at the age of 85.
  
  ## Grand Slam finals
  
  ### Doubles (2 runner-ups)
  
  | Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Loss | 1958 | French Championships | Clay | Robert Howe | Ashley Cooper Neale Fraser | 6–3, 6–8, 3–6, 5–7 |
  | Loss | 1963 | French Championships | Clay | Gordon Forbes | Roy Emerson Manuel Santana | 2–6, 4–6, 4–6 |
  