Imre Zichy


Count Imre Zichy de Zich et Vásonkeő was a Hungarian left-handed amateur tennis player, count and inventor. He was related to the Hungarian Asian explorer Jenő Zichy.
During the Second World War, he emigrated to Spain where he died at the age of 90. He was a member of the Hungary Davis Cup team between 1933–34 and was mainly a doubles and mixed doubles player winning several titles during his career. He was also a three-times national doubles champion.

Biography

Count Zichy was born in the family property at Sárszentmihály, being the fifth son of Count Raphael Zichy and wife,, and lived in Hungary until 1943, when he moved to Madrid and stay there for the rest of his life. On 29 August 1947, he married in Enschede Dutch divorcée Edith Marie Ledeboer, formerly Mrs. Oswald, and had a single child:
In 1957, he invented the reversing light for cars and its operating system. Imre Zichy died on 28 September 1999 in Madrid. His funeral was held at the San Agustín del Guadalix Church on 26 October 1999.

Tennis career

Count Zichy started his tennis career by competing in the Hungarian Junior Championships where he was a runner-up for the doubles and third in singles in 1929. Later he won the Hungarian National Tennis Championships in doubles and in mixed doubles. He also won the Hungarian International Tennis Championships in doubles in 1931 and 1932. He kept playing tennis in Spain.

Doubles

Runner-up

No.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
1.1931Budapest International ChampionshipsN/A

Mixed doubles

Titles

No.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
1.1931Hungarian International ChampionshipsN/A

Runner-up

No.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
1.1931Budapest International ChampionshipsN/A

Friendly/Exhibition matches

OutcomeDateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
loss1931Cluj-NapocaN/A