NEWPORT (Rhode Island), May 30: Sven Davidson, Sweden’s first Grand Slam winner and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died. He was 79.

The hall said he died on Wednesday of pneumonia in Arcadia, California. Davidson had been diagnosed with an initial stage of Alzheimer’s disease one year ago.

Davidson, who was inducted to the hall last summer, was the Swedish singles champion from 1950-60 and became the first Swede to win a Grand Slam title at the 1957 French Championships, the precursor to the French Open.

Davidson was a member of Sweden’s Davis Cup team from 1950-61 with a win-loss record of 62-23 (39-14 in singles, 23-9 in doubles). He holds Sweden’s record for most Davis Cup doubles wins.

Davidson is also credited with initiating the first general meeting of the International Tennis Federation in 1968 in Paris, where the advent of “open” tennis was discussed and where 47 countries agreed in principle to the idea.

Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Mary, daughters Mia Davidson, Mona Davidson, and his son Sven Davidson Jr., his wife JoAnn, and their two children.—AP