Onny Parun

Who is Onny Parun?

Onny Parun OBE is a former tennis player of Croatian descent from New Zealand, who was among the world's top 20 for five years and in 1971 and 1972 he reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. He made the final of the Australian Open in 1973, losing to John Newcombe in four sets, and was a US Open quarterfinalist in 1973 and also a quarterfinalist at the French Open in 1975.

Parun and Australian Dick Crealy won the French Open doubles title in 1974. He also made the Masters in 1974, qualifying by finishing in the top eight on the grand prix table. Parun played Davis Cup from 1966 to 1982 and won a string of national titles, including the Benson and Hedges Open three times in four years.

Parun reached his career-high ATP singles ranking on 5 March 1975, when he became World No. 19. His brother Tony Parun also played professional tennis.

He defeated No. 1 world ranked Jimmy Connors in San Francisco in September 1974, who spent 160 weeks at No.1 until Parun defeated Connors.

In the 1982 Queen's Birthday Honours, Parun was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to tennis.