As we near the onset of the High Holy Days and the beginning of the Jewish New Year/Rosh Hashannah, it seems appropriate to highlight the eerily parallel careers of the “Bagel Twins”… Harold Solomon and Fast “Eddie” Dibbs.
Solomon was a bit of a tennis legend in the area where I grew up, attending Springbrook High School in Montgomery County, Maryland, achieving All-American status at Rice University, and gaining much fame in pro tennis as purveyor of the “moonball”, an often deep, highly arched shot with lots of savory topspin that could wreak much havoc on a clay court. He hit his backhand a bit like a player trying to sky one out to centerfield, and it was quite interesting to watch. Harold made it to the finals of the French Open in 1976 (losing to Panatta) and also got to the quarters twice and the semis twice in Paris. He also made the semis at the US Open in 1980, when he achieved his highest ranking of No. 5 in the world. He won 22 singles titles and was runner up 16 times. His other claim to fame being named one of the world’s 10 sexiest men by Playgirl Magazine … apparently, his resemblance to Warren Beatty did not go unnoticed.
His doubles partner was Eddie Dibbs, and Eddie’s career played out much the same way. Eddie also won 22 singles titles, and was runner up 20 times. Unlike Harold, Eddie never made a Grand Slam final, but he made two semis at the French (losing to Vilas in 1975 and, like Solomon, to Panatta in 1976), and like Solomon, was a clay court specialist who dominated the Top 10 rankings in the mid to late 70s, achieved his highest ranking at No. 5, and was Jewish. In fact, Eddie was arguably the greatest of all American clay courters in the Open era, garnering the most victories and 7th most all time. Eddie never made the Playgirl list, but he did seem to have a bit of Dudley Moore in him.
With so much in common and given their shared cultural and religious heritage, what else could they be called than the Bagel Twins.
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