30 September 2010 | Tennis Tasmania
Tony represented Tasmania on the Tennis Australia (TA) Council from 1977 to 2005 and served on the TA Board from 1994 until his retirement in 2005. Tony was a fixture on many TA Committees, was a long-term Australian men’s selector and represented TA internationally.
In 2005 Tony was awarded Life Membership in recognition of his long and meritorious service to tennis and to Tennis Australia, and was also recognised by the International Tennis Federation.
Tony was also a keen and talented player. He was a member of the Victorian Linton Cup team in 1950 and 1951, the Australian Junior Hard Court Champion in 1952 and represented Victoria as a member of their senior team from 1954 to 1961.
Tony was the Victorian Hard Court Singles Champion in 1957, 1958 and 1959 and was among the top 10 players in his state for eight consecutive years.
Tony was an integral part of teams in the Victorian A Grade pennant for more than 25 years. He also won the Tasmanian Junior Open Boys Singles Championships in 1952.
As a tennis administrator Tony became involved in 1964 as a Councillor for Tennis Victoria and undertook a number of other roles with the organisation for the next 15 years including five years as Vice President and eight years as Chairman of Tennis and various coaching committees for Tennis Victoria.
Tony was a member of the Kooyong Tennis Club and also a member of the Melbourne Cricket Club.
His successful business career started in 1952 when he joined Dunlop Australia, going on to Executive appointments with Pacific Dunlop in 1966. He remained with the company until 1992 and since then provided consultant services to South Pacific Tyres and Exide Technologies.
Tony’s involvement with Tennis Australia included representation at Davis Cup level on no less than seven occasions, ITF events, Wimbledon, French Open and the US Open. He also managed junior teams for Tennis Australia in Milan and Forest Hills.
Tony is very much respected by tennis nationally and internationally and has held many administrative roles, among them being an Australian Selector for 23 years, Chairman of the Events Committee for eight years, and member of the MJTA Board for seven years, Chairperson of the men’s and women’s selection panel for four years, Davis Cup selector for 5 years and a Director of Tennis Australia for 11 years.
He served as a member of the National Tennis Centre Trust and is was a member of the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust.
Tennis Australia’s President, Geoff Pollard, said today, “Firstly as a player, and secondly as an honorary administrator, Tony Ryan gave a lifetime of service to the game of tennis and will be sorely missed by all his friends, mates and colleagues.
“He always retained his love of the sport and continually sought for ways to contribute towards the growth and development of tennis. He will be greatly missed by all his friends and colleagues in tennis and in the wider sports and business world.”
-Tennis Australia