Fausto Gardini

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Fausto Gardini (8 March 1930 – 17 September 2008) was an Italian tennis player from Milan. He began competing in 1949 and retired in 1965. Gardini played for Italy in the Davis Cup and later served as its captain.

He was known for his long reach, for keeping rallies alive, and for his stubborn determination. Teammates and opponents described him as a fighter with a lively, entertaining personality.

In Grand Slam events, his best results were the French Open quarterfinal in 1953, Wimbledon reaching the fourth round in 1951, and the Australian Open second round in 1953. Highlights include beating a rising Ken Rosewall at Roland Garros in 1952 and defeating Tony Mottram before losing to Jaroslav Drobny in the last 16, and beating Gardnar Mulloy at Wimbledon before losing to Frank Sedgman in the round of 16. The peak of his career came in 1955 when he won the Rome tournament, defeating Herbert Flam, Enrique Morea, and Giuseppe Merlo in the final. In that match, Merlo led two sets to one and had two championship points in the fourth set, but cramps forced him to retire at 6–6 in the fourth.

After 1955, Gardini played less and focused on running his family's bakery. By the early 1960s he competed mainly in Italian tournaments and continued to represent Italy in the Davis Cup.