Keith Richardson
Rockhill, SC
Inducted 2001

BORN IN ROCK HILL, SC, KEITH WAS INTRODUCED TO TENNIS AT A VERY EARLY AGE BY JOE RODDY. HE WOULD USE THE EXTRA RACKETS AND BALLS WHILE JOE RODDY SHOWED HIM HOW TO HIT IT AGAINST A BRICK WALL. WITH THIS EARLY TRAINING, KEITH PLAYED THE PALMETTO OPEN IN 1967 AT THE AGE OF 13. HE WON THE EVENT AND FOLLOWED IT BY WINS AT THE SC OPEN IN GREENVILLE AND THE STATE CLOSED IN COLUMBIA. HE ENDED UP RANKED # 1 IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

THE HIGHLIGHT IN KEITH’S HIGH SCHOOL WAS WHEN HE CAPTURES THE STATE 4A HIGH SCHOOL SINGELS TITLE AT THE #1 POSITION FOR ROCK HILL HIGH, AS WELL AS HELPING THE BEARCATS WIN THE OVERALL TEAM TITLE. THIS HAS NEVER BEEN DONE SINCE.

KEITH WENT TO ASU IN 1971 AND WAS A THREE TIME SOUTHERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION IN SINGLES AT THE #1 POSITION AND A TWO TIME DOUBLES CHAMPION. WITH A WIN-LOSS RECOR OF 110-21, THIS IS STILL A SCHOOL RECORD. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ASU HALL OF FAME IN 1987.

IN 1977, HE WON THE WATCH MASTERS TOURNAMENT IN DAYTONA BEACH AND THE BIRMONGHAM CLASSIC IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. HE THEN WON THE CLASSIC BY DEFEATING MANSOUR BAHARAMI, KEVIN CURREN, JOHN AUSTIN, ZAN GUERRY, AND JOHN JAMES, WITHOUT LOSING A SET. HE WAS ACCEPTED IN THE U.S. OPEN THAT YEAR.

IN 1979 HE REACHED THE THIRD ROUND OF THE U.S. OPEN IN NEW YORK BEFORE LOSING TO DICK STOCKTON. BUT, KEITH WON THE TANGLEWOOD CLASSIC IN WINSTON-SALEM THAT YEAR.

HE SINCE HAS BEEN AT BIENVENUE COUNTRY CLUB AS HEAD PRO, PRESIDENT OF NC ASSOCIATION OF TENNIS PROFESSIONALS, AND WAS SELECTED THEIR TENNIS PRO OF THE YEAR IN 1982.