Ian Handford: Torquay tennis ace with a super-fast serve

Mike J Sangster was the youngest of four children in a family that first lived on the famous Daison estate at Westhill Torquay, then moved to Kingskerswell near Newton Abbot.  It was here that Mike was born on September 11th 1940, the year German bombers in the Second World War started dropping bombs on Torbay as they made their way home from bombing the industrial cities of the North and Plymouth.  

The family moved back into Torquay when young Mike was to attend Westhill Primary School, which was not far from their original home at Daison. On May 30th 1943, he proved to be a survivor after his sister decided not to take him to the weekly Sunday service evening, the very evening bombers unloaded a huge number of bombs on Torquay, including a direct hit on the Parish Church of St Marychurch, killing twenty-four children sheltering in the curtilage of the Church. Many other bombs landed all around Torquay. 

Growing up, Mike excelled at all sports including cricket, football and tennis. He probably knew his future career lay in sport as while still in his teens he made a hat-trick in a Narracott Cup cricket match. At the same time, his ability to play football showed early talent which had brought him to the notice of the manager at Torquay United. That led to him being offered a contract to play for the famous West Ham United. 

Late in his teens, he took up playing tennis and by having lessons from Mr Arthur Roberts - paid for by sweeping out the courts and Mr Roberts's office at the Palace Hotel Babbacombe Road Torquay - Mike's skill was soon apparent. Mr Roberts was the famous coach within tennis circles who would note Mike's deadly serve and later confirm it was not only powerful but "unpredictable because, with the same throw-up, Mike could get a variety of placements without giving any clue of what was coming".  He made his first Wimbledon appearance as early as 1998 at age 17.

Although Mike would never attain a "Grand Slam" final, he was one of only three Brits since the famous Fred Perry who reached a semi-final, achieved at the Wimbledon and US National Tennis Championships of 1961, and then at the French Open Championship of 1963. The two more stars who achieved semi-final status were Tim Henman and Andy Murray.  Yet Mike's 1961 win came in the same year another of Mr Roberts's protege Angela Mortimore - won the lady's singles title.

Mike's fastest recorded serve came in 1963 when he beat the world record serving at 154 miles per hour. That record stood until beaten by 1mph by Andy Roddick in a Davis Cup match in 2004 when he served a magnificent serve of 155 mph in Russia. In the year Mike reached the French Open Championship he became in Britain - a cornerstone of our Davis Cup team which lasted for five more years, holding another record when playing 68 rubbers during the Davis Cup between 1960-1968. Mike ultimately won 43 of the 68 rubbers played. 

In 1969, Mike finally retired from tennis having decided to open a sports shop in Torwood Street, Torquay while residing at Briarwood on Ilsham Marine Drive in Wellswood. He married Pauline Goodrich in 1972 and they had two children, David and Amanda. In business, his highly successful shop in Torquay saw him open two branches in Paignton and Plymouth. 

Sadly, after just thirteen years of sport and marriage, Mike suffered a heart attack at just 44 when playing golf at the Petitor Golf Course, St Marychurch. Later, his wife Pauline would set up a Mike Sangster Sports Foundation in his memory and annually, this still today makes grants to up-and-coming youngsters wanting to make a career in sports.