Colin Dibley (born 19 September 1944) is a former tennis player from Australia.

Colin Dibley
Colin Dibley (1977)
Country (sports) Australia
ResidenceWest Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Born (1944-09-19) 19 September 1944 (age 80)
Sydney, Australia
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Turned pro1970
Retired1981
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record291–287
Career titles4
Highest rankingNo. 26 (4 June 1973)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenSF (1979)
French Open3R (1971, 1973, 1975, 1978)
WimbledonQF (1971, 1972)
US Open3R (1971)
Doubles
Career record339–247
Career titles17
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenSF (1977Dec)
French OpenQF (1977)
WimbledonQF (1975)
US Open3R (1971, 1977)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
WimbledonQF (1972)

Dibley once held the title for the fastest serve in the world at 148 m.p.h. During his professional career, he also won four singles and seventeen doubles titles. The right-hander reached his career-high singles ranking of world No. 26 in June 1973. After retiring in 1981, he took up real estate, still keeping himself in the game through coaching others.

Known for his enormous serve, Dibley has been noted as having one of the most "live arms" of his generation by ESPN commentator Pam Shriver.

Career finals

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Singles 7 (4 titles, 3 runner-ups)

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Result W-L Year Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 1972 Kitzbühel, Austria Clay   Dick Crealy 6–1, 6–3, 6–4
Loss 1–1 1972 Sacramento, US Hard   Stan Smith 4–6, 7–5, 4–6, 4–6
Win 2–1 1973 La Costa WCT, US Hard   Stan Smith 6–3, 7–6
Win 3–1 1973 South Orange, US Grass   Vijay Amritraj 6–4, 6–7, 6–4
Loss 3–2 1976 Little Rock, US Carpet   Haroon Rahim 4–6, 5–7
Loss 3–3 1977 Laguna Niguel, US Hard   Andrew Pattison 6–2, 6–7, 4–6
Win 4–3 1980 Perth, Australia Grass   Chris Delaney 6–2, 6–4

Doubles 32 (17 titles, 15 runner-ups)

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Result No. Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. 1972 Stockholm Hard (i)   Roy Emerson   Tom Okker
  Marty Riessen
5–7, 6–7
Loss 2. 1973 WCT Miami Open Hard   Terry Addison   Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
4–6, 4–6
Loss 3. 1973 Richmond WCT Carpet   Terry Addison   Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
6–3, 3–6, 4–6
Loss 4. 1973 St. Louis WCT Carpet   Terry Addison   Ove Nils Bengtson
  Jim McManus
2–6, 5–7
Loss 5. 1973 Columbus Open Hard   Charles Pasarell   Gerald Battrick
  Graham Stilwell
4–6, 6–7
Win 1. 1973 Haverford, U.S. Grass   Allan Stone   John Austin
  Fred McNair
7–6, 6–3
Loss 6. 1973 Tokyo Outdoor   Allan Stone   Mal Anderson
  Ken Rosewall
5–7, 5–7
Win 2. 1973 ATP Hong Kong Hard   Rod Laver   Paul Gerken
  Brian Gottfried
6–3, 5–7, 17–15
Win 3. 1974 River Oaks, U.S. Clay   Rod Laver   Arthur Ashe
  Roscoe Tanner
4–6, 7–6, 6–4
Loss 7. 1975 Orlando WCT Hard   Ray Ruffels   Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
4–6, 4–6
Win 4. 1975 St. Louis WCT Clay   Ray Ruffels   Ross Case
  Geoff Masters
6–4, 6–4
Win 5. 1975 Turkey Open Outdoor   Thomaz Koch   Colin Dowdeswell
  John Feaver
6–2, 6–2, 6–2
Win 6. 1976 Indian Wells Masters Hard   Sandy Mayer   Raymond Moore
  Erik van Dillen
6–4, 6–7, 7–6
Win 7. 1976 Palma, Spain Clay   John Andrews   Mark Edmondson
  John Marks
2–6, 6–3, 6–2
Loss 8. 1976 Madrid, Spain Clay   John Andrews   Carlos Kirmayr
  Eduardo Mandarino
6–7, 6–4, 6–8
Win 8. 1976 ATP Florence Clay   Carlos Kirmayr   Péter Szőke
  Balázs Taróczy
5–7, 7–5, 7–5
Win 9. 1977 North Little Rock, U.S. Carpet   Haroon Rahim   Bob Hewitt
  Frew McMillan
6–7, 6–3, 6–3
Win 10. 1977 ATP Denver Carpet   Geoff Masters   Syd Ball
  Kim Warwick
6–2, 6–3
Win 11. 1977 South Orange Open Hard   Wojtek Fibak   Ion Țiriac
  Guillermo Vilas
6–1, 7–5
Loss 9. 1977 Tokyo Outdoor Clay   Chris Kachel   Geoff Masters
  Kim Warwick
2–6, 6–7
Win 12. 1978 North Little Rock, U.S. Carpet   Geoff Masters   Tim Gullikson
  Tom Gullikson
7–6, 6–3
Loss 10. 1978 Johannesburg, South Africa Hard   Geoff Masters   Bob Hewitt
  Frew McMillan
5–7, 6–7
Loss 11. 1978 Newport, U.S. Grass   Bob Giltinan   Tim Gullikson
  Tom Gullikson
4–6, 4–6
Win 13. 1978 Columbus Open Clay   Bob Giltinan   Marcello Lara
  Eliot Teltscher
6–2, 6–3
Loss 12. 1979 Friendship Cup Hard   Anand Amritraj   Ion Țiriac
  Guillermo Vilas
4–6, 6–2, 4–6
Loss 13. 1979 ATP Tulsa Hard (i)   Tom Gullikson   Francisco González
  Eliot Teltscher
7–6, 5–7, 3–6
Loss 14. 1979 ATP Stowe Hard   Anand Amritraj   Mike Cahill
  Steve Krulevitz
6–3, 3–6, 4–6
Loss 15. 1979 ATP Tel Aviv Hard   Mike Cahill   Ilie Năstase
  Tom Okker
5–7, 4–6
Win 14. 1979 Tokyo Outdoor Clay   Pat DuPré   Rod Frawley
  Francisco González
3–6, 6–1, 6–1
Win 15. 1979 ATP Adelaide Grass   Chris Kachel   John Alexander
  Phil Dent
6–7, 7–6, 6–4
Win 16. 1980 Lorraine Open Carpet   Gene Mayer   Chris Delaney
  Kim Warwick
7–6, 7–5
Win 17. 1981 ATP Adelaide Grass   John James   Craig Edwards
  Eddie Edwards
6–3, 6–4
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