Alejandro Olmedo, called "Chief" at the University of Southern California because regal bearing at 6-foot-1 and his Incan features, was an aggressive volleyer who cont sought the net. He fared best on the quickest terrain: concrete (U.S. Intercollegiate titles in singles and doubles for USC in 1956 and 1958); boards (U.S. Indoor titlist in 1959 over Dick Savitt, 7-9, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 12-10) and grass Wimbledon and Australian chieftain in 1959). His was a quick but huge splash that covered two years.

Born March 24, 1936, in Arequipa, Peru, he picked up the game in his homeland as an extremely agile athlete. But it was refined when he came to USC where he was thrust into the light--and controversy--by one of his patrons, tennis czar Perry Jones. Jones, the U.S. Davis Cup captain in 1958 and 1959, saw in Olmedo the chance for victory after three lean years.

Lobbying successfully for Olmedo's inclusion on the basis that the Peruvian was a U.S. resident whose own country had no team, Jones installed him for the semifinal victory over Italy on grass in Perth. Alex won his debut over Nicola Pietrangeli 5-7, 10-8, 6-0, 6-1. This launched a storm of press criticism over the U.S. using a non-citizen for the only time. Another hassle developed at the Cup round when the No. 1 American Ham Richardson, was benched in singles in favor of Olmedo. But Jones' policy worked. Olmedo anchored the 3-2 victory over the Aussies at Brisbane with two singles victories his U.S. championship partner, Richardson, in an epic 82-game doubles win over Mal Anderson and Neale Fraser, 10-12, 3-6, 16-14, 6-3, 7-5. Alex led off by beating Anderson, 8-6, 2-6, 9-7, 8-6, and clinched over Wimbledon champ Ashley Cooper, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 8-6.

A half-year later Wimbledon belonged to Olmedo, 6-4, 3-6, 9-7, 7-5, over Rod Laver. Although he beat Laver again in the Cup round the following month, the U.S. lost the Cup to Australia, 3-2, at Forest Hills. Fraser, his conqueror in that series, also beat him for the U.S. title, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. In 1960 Olmedo turned pro and joined the nomads on their odyssey of one-night stands. His brief mention in the rankings were in 1958, No. 2 in the U.S. 1959, No. 1 in the U.S., No. 2 in the world. His daughter, Amy Olmedo, won the U.S. Public Parks Championship for 12s in 1975. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1987.