# Béla von Kehrling

Béla von Kehrling (Hungarian: Kehrling Béla; 25 January 1891 – 26 April 1937) was a Hungarian tennis, table tennis, and football player but eventually a winter sportsman familiar with ice-hockey and occasionally competing in bobsleigh. He competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics and the 1924 Summer Olympics.

## Career

Kehrling like Fred Perry, he played both tennis and table tennis professionally. In 1926 he played in the first table tennis World Championships final in London with Zoltán Mechlovits in doubles but lost to Roland Jacobi (who won the singles title) and Dániel Pécsi. He was also featured in the Hungarian team that won gold in team competition. Originally he wasn't part of the national team. While the Hungarians unanimously swept all of the medals after Roland Jacobi's singles and doubles success he suddenly been reported of the death of his father thus he decided to travel home. The substitute player was Béla von Kehrling who had to beat Munio Pillinger of Austria to have the team medal as well. He did so and completed the flawless victory for Hungary. In the end he took two medals in the table tennis world championships, one gold and one silver.
In 1924, he won the German Tennis Championships. The following year he was back in the finals but then lost against Otto Froitzheim. The same year he won Hungarian Tennis Championships (which he did 13 times altogether counting only the singles). In July 1933, Von Kehrling won the doubles and mixed doubles title at the Dutch Championships.
Züricher Sport newspaper ranked Kehrling as No. 10 in the European Top 10 rankings in 1931.
In conjunction with his sports activity he was the vice-president of the Hungarian Tennis Association and the editor-in-chief of its official magazine the bimonthly Tennisz és Golf (Tennis and Golf).

## Personal life

Béla Kehrling married Magda Schlauch. She occasionally played tennis as well and wrote articles to the newspaper published by her husband. They had one son named Béla Kehrling Jr, born in 1917 in Budapest who served as an Ensign in the cavalry brigade of the Hungarian Army in 1944. They had another son named Tamás who was born in 1924 and died in 1999.

## Tennis career statistics
### Singles titles

* Legend (singles)
* Grand Slam (0)
* Consolation tournaments (2)
* International Championships (13)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| 1. | 1920 | Kassa | N/A | Kamill Fittler | N/A |
| 1. | 1923 | Gotheborg Games | Outdoors | Oscar Kreuzer | 4–6, 6–4, 6–7, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2. | 1923 | Merano | N/A | Otto Froitzheim | 11–9, 8–6, 6–0 |
| 3. | 1924 | German International Championships | N/A | Louis Maria Heyden | 8–6, 6–1, 9–7 |
| 4. | 1925 | All England Plate | Grass | Roger George | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 5. | 1925 | Lake Geneva Championships | Clay | Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten | 6–1, 6–1, 6–2 |
| 6. | 1925 | Swiss International Covered Courts | Wood (i) | Hans Moldenhauer | 6–1, 6–1, 6–2 |
| 7. | 1926 | Monte Carlo Championships | Clay | Charles Kingsley | 6–4, 6–1, 6–3 |
| 8. | 1926 | Nice | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 9. | 1926 | Beaulieu | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 10. | 1926 | Cannes | N/A | Charles Kingsley | 7–5, 3–6, 6–1, 6–3 |
| 11. | 1927 | Monaco | Clay | Erik Worm | walkover |
| 12. | 1931 | Budapest | N/A | Hyotaro Sato | 6–3, 6–2, 5–7, 6–2 |
| 13. | 1931 | French Riviera Championships | Clay | George Lyttleton-Rogers | 7–5, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 14. | 1932 | Budapest | N/A | | |
| 15. | 1932 | Italian Riviera Championships | Clay | George Lyttleton-Rogers | 6–3, 6–3, 6–3 |

### Runner-up

| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| 1. | 1924 | Switzerland | | Hendrik Timmer | 3 sets to 2 |
| 2. | 1925 | Hamburg | | Otto Froitzheim | 6–4, 6–1, 4–6, 6–1 |
| 3. | 1928 | Monaco | clay | Henri Cochet | 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 4. | 1929 | Bordighera | clay | Giorgio De Stefani | 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 |
| 5. | 1930 | Zagreb | clay | Emmanuel du Plaix | 6–1, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 6. | 1930 | Budapest | clay | Roderich Menzel | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 7. | 1931 | Bordighera | clay | George Lyttleton-Rogers | 1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 0–6, 6–4 |
| 8. | 1932 | Cannes | | Enrique Maier | 6–4, 7–9, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 9. | 1933 | Cannes | | Gottfried von Cramm | 8–6, 6–3, 3–6, 8–6 |
* $^a$ The All England Plate was a tournament played by the losers of the first two rounds of the Wimbledon Men's Singles tournament.
* $^b$ The Göteborg Games were A "mini-Olympics" held for the defeated nations of World War I who were defected from the 1924 Summer Olympics.

### Davis Cup

Europe Zone :
| Round | Date | Opponents | Final match score | Location | Surface | Match | Opponent | Rubber score |
| 2R | 16–18 May 1924 | Denmark | 2–3 | Copenhagen | N/A | Singles 2 | Einer Ulrich | 10–8, 6–0, 6–4 (W) |
| 2R | 16–18 May 1924 | Denmark | 2–3 | Copenhagen | N/A | Doubles (with Jenő Péteri) | Björn Thalbitzer / Einer Ulrich | 5–7, 5–7, 6–1, 7–5, 5–7(L) |
| 2R | 16–18 May 1924 | Denmark | 2–3 | Copenhagen | N/A | Singles 4 | Axel Petersen | 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 (W) |
| 1R | 8–10 May 1925 | France | 0–5 | Budapest | clay | Singles 2 | René Lacoste | 3–6, 3–6, 3–6 (L) |
| 1R | 8–10 May 1925 | France | 0–5 | Budapest | clay | Doubles (with Aurél Kelemen) | Jean Borotra / René Lacoste | 4–6, 2–6, 10–8, 3–6(L) |
| 1R | 8–10 May 1925 | France | 0–5 | Budapest | clay | Singles 4 | Jean Borotra | 6–8, 6–1, 6–4, 6–2 (W) |
| 2R | 16–18 May 1926 | Argentina | 2–3 | Barcelona | clay | Singles 1 | Guillermo Robson | 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 (W) |
| 2R | 16–18 May 1926 | Argentina | 2–3 | Barcelona | clay | Doubles (with Kálmán Kirchmayer) | Enrique Obarrio / Guillermo Robson | 2–6, 4–6, 3–6(L) |
| 2R | 16–18 May 1926 | Argentina | 2–3 | Barcelona | clay | Singles 5 | Enrique Obarrio | 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 (W) |
| 2R | 13–15 May 1927 | Italy | 2–3 | Budapest | N/A | Singles 1 | Umberto De Morpurgo | 7–5, 4–6, 4–6, 7–5, 1–6 (L) |
| 2R | 13–15 May 1927 | Italy | 2–3 | Budapest | N/A | Doubles (with Jenő Péteri) | Umberto De Morpurgo / Giorgio De Stefani | 3–6, 5–7, 6–8 (L) |
| 2R | 13–15 May 1927 | Italy | 2–3 | Budapest | N/A | Singles 5 | Clemente Serventi | 6–2, 6–1, 6–4 (W) |
| 1R | 4–6 May 1928 | Norway | 5–0 | Christiana | N/A | Singles 1 | Rolf Christoffersen | 6–1, 6–3, 6–1 (W) |
| 1R | 4–6 May 1928 | Norway | 5–0 | Christiana | N/A | Doubles (with Jenő Péteri) | Rolf Christoffersen / Torleif Torkildsen | 6–2 6–2 4–6 6–0 (W) |
| 1R | 4–6 May 1928 | Norway | 5–0 | Christiana | N/A | Singles 4 | Torleif Torkildsen | 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–1 (W) |
| 2R | 18–20 May 1928 | Netherlands | 2–3 | Noordwijk | clay | Singles 2 | Arthur Diemer Kool | 7–5, 4–6, 2–6, 6–1, 1–1 Ret. (W) |
| 2R | 18–20 May 1928 | Netherlands | 2–3 | Noordwijk | clay | Doubles (with Jenő Péteri) | Hendrik Timmer / Ody Koopman | 6–1, 4–6, 2–6, 5–7 (L) |
| 2R | 18–20 May 1928 | Netherlands | 2–3 | Noordwijk | clay | Singles 4 | Hendrik Timmer | 3–6, 4–6, 3–6 (L) |
| 1R | 10–12 May 1929 | Norway | 4–1 | Oslo | N/A | Singles 2 | Jack Nielsen | 11–9, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2 (W) |
| 1R | 10–12 May 1929 | Norway | 4–1 | Oslo | N/A | Doubles (with Pál Aschner) | Torleif Torkildsen / Jack Nielsen | 6–4, 6–4, 6–1 (W) |
| 1R | 10–12 May 1929 | Norway | 4–1 | Oslo | N/A | Singles 5 | Torleif Torkildsen | 6–1, 6–2, 6–1 (W) |
| 2R | 14–16 May 1929 | Monaco | 3–2 | Budapest | N/A | Singles 2 | Vladimir Landau | 6–4, 6–4, 6–2 (W) |
| 2R | 14–16 May 1929 | Monaco | 3–2 | Budapest | N/A | Doubles (with Jenő Péteri) | René Gallepe/Vladimir Landau | 4–6, 6–3, 2–6, 8–10 (L) |
| 2R | 14–16 May 1929 | Monaco | 3–2 | Budapest | N/A | Singles 4 | René Gallepe | 6–0, 6–3, 6–1 (W) |
| QF | 7–9 June 1929 | Netherlands | 3–2 | Budapest | clay | Singles 1 | Arthur Diemer Kool | 6–2, 6–1, 6–2 (W) |
| QF | 7–9 June 1929 | Netherlands | 3–2 | Budapest | clay | Doubles (with Imre Takáts) | Hendrik Timmer / Arthur Diemer Kool | 6–1, 2–6, 6–4, 3–6, 2–6 (L) |
| QF | 7–9 June 1929 | Netherlands | 3–2 | Budapest | clay | Singles 5 | Hendrik Timmer | 8–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 (W) |
| SF | 14–16 June 1929 | Great Britain | 2–3 | Budapest | clay | Singles 1 | Colin Gregory | 5–7, 7–5, 5–7, 6–2, 6–3 (W) |
| SF | 14–16 June 1929 | Great Britain | 2–3 | Budapest | clay | Doubles (with Pál Aschner) | Colin Gregory / Ian Collins | 2–6, 6–4, 2–6, 3–6 (L) |
| SF | 14–16 June 1929 | Great Britain | 2–3 | Budapest | clay | Singles 4 | Bunny Austin | 3–6, 6–4, 6–2, 6–2 (W) |
| 1R | 2–4 May 1930 | Japan | 0–4 | Budapest | clay | Singles 1 | Takeichi Harada | 6–2, 3–6, 6–8, 2–6 (L) |
| 1R | 2–4 May 1930 | Japan | 0–4 | Budapest | clay | Doubles (with Pál Aschner) | Tamio Abe / Takeichi Harada | 2–6, 2–6, 6–3, 4–6 (L) |
| 1R | 2–4 May 1930 | Japan | 0–4 | Budapest | clay | Singles 5 | Yoshiro Ota | 4–6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–6 suspended (U) |
| 1R | 1–3 May 1931 | Italy | 1–4 | Budapest | clay | Singles 2 | Umberto De Morpurgo | 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 (W) |
| 1R | 1–3 May 1931 | Italy | 1–4 | Budapest | clay | Doubles (with Emil Gábori) | Alberto del Bono / Umberto De Morpurgo | 6–8, 6–3, 5–7, 5–7 (L) |
| 1R | 1–3 May 1931 | Italy | 1–4 | Budapest | clay | Singles 5 | Giorgio de Stefani | 2–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–4, 2–6 (L) |
| 1R | 3–5 May 1932 | Finland | 5–0 | Budapest | clay | Singles 1 | Ali Biaudet | 6–1, 6–2, 6–2 (W) |
| 1R | 3–5 May 1932 | Finland | 5–0 | Budapest | clay | Doubles (with Emil Gábori) | Bo Grotenfeld / Ali Biaudet | 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 (W) |
| 1R | 3–5 May 1932 | Finland | 5–0 | Budapest | clay | Singles 5 | Bo Grotenfeld | 6–0, 6–3, 6–4 (W) |
| 2R | 19–21 May 1932 | Ireland | 1-4 | Dublin | grass | Singles 2 | Edward McGuire | 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 (W) |
| 2R | 19–21 May 1932 | Ireland | 1-4 | Dublin | grass | Doubles (with Emil Gábori) | George Lyttleton-Rogers / Edward McGuire | 6–4, 5–7, 4–6, 3–6 (L) |
| 2R | 19–21 May 1932 | Ireland | 1-4 | Dublin | grass | Singles 5 | George Lyttleton-Rogers | 0–6, 3–6, 3–6 (L) |
| 1R | 5–7 May 1933 | Japan | 0–5 | Budapest | clay | Singles 2 | Ryosuki Nunoi | 6–4, 6–8, 3–6, 1–6 (L) |
| 1R | 5–7 May 1933 | Japan | 0–5 | Budapest | clay | Singles 4 | Jiro Sato | 6–4, 6–8, 3–6, 1–6 (L) |
| 1R | 28–30 July 1933 | Belgium | 2–3 | Brussels | | Singles 1 | André Lacroix | 1–6, 5–7, 2–6 (L) |
| 1R | 28–30 July 1933 | Belgium | 2–3 | Brussels | | Doubles (with Emil Gábori) | André Lacroix / Léopold de Borman | 6–2, 1–6, 5–7, 6–3, 4–6 (L) |
| 1R | 28–30 July 1933 | Belgium | 2–3 | Brussels | | Singles 5 | Léopold de Borman | 7–5, 6–3, 6–4 (W) |

## Table tennis career statistics

* World Table Tennis Championships
** 1926 London
*** 2nd place doubles (with Zoltán Mechlovits)
*** 1st place with the Hungarian team (Dániel Pécsi, Zoltán Mechlovits, Roland Jacobi)
* International Masters Cup
** 1927 Berlin – 1st place doubles (with Zoltán Mechlovits)

## Football career statistics

| Number | Opponent | Venue | Attendance | Type | Date | Result | Goals scored |
| 1. | Austria | Budapest | 12.000–16.000 | Friendly match | 4 October 1914 | 2–2 | 0 |
| 2. | Austria | Vienna | N/A | Friendly match | 8 November 1914 | 2–1 | 1 |
| 3. | Austria | Vienna | 1.200 | Friendly match | 3 October 1915 | 4–2 | N/A |
| 4. | Austria | Hütteldorf | 8000 | Friendly match | 7 May 1916 | 1–3 | 0 |

## Ice hockey career statistics

| Number | Club affiliation | Opponent | Venue | Type | Date | Result | Goals scored |
| 1. | BKE | Wiener Eislaufverein | Vienna | International match | March 1915 | 14–2 | several |
| 2. | BKE | Wiener Eislaufverein | Vienna | International match | December 1915 | 7–3 | 2 |
| 3. | BKE | Wiener Eislaufverein | Budapest | Csáky Challenge Cup | February 1917 | 2–7 | 2 |
| 4. | BKE | Leipziger SC | Budapest | Csáky Challenge Cup | January 1925 | 3–3 | 1 |
| 5. | BKE | LTC Prague | Tátrafüred | Grand Hotel Challenge Cup | January 1928 | 5–2 | 0 |