▁S . O . I ." ▁by ▁K J - 5 2 ▁ ▁Cross ▁Mov ement , ▁The ▁ ▁Category : H ip ▁hop ▁disc ograph ies ▁Cross ▁Mov ement , ▁The <0x0A> </s> ▁Giuseppe ▁" Be ppe " ▁Mer lo ▁( 1 1 ▁October ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁– ▁ 1 7 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 9 ) ▁was ▁an ▁Italian ▁tennis ▁player , ▁who ▁is ▁considered ▁the ▁invent or ▁of ▁the ▁two - hand ed ▁back hand , ▁many ▁years ▁before ▁this ▁style ▁of ▁stroke ▁was ▁made ▁intern ation ally ▁popular ▁by ▁B j orn ▁Borg ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁back hand ▁technique ▁preferred ▁ ▁by ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁recre ational ▁and ▁professional ▁players . ▁ ▁Mer lo ▁reached ▁the ▁semif inals ▁of ▁French ▁Championships ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁( los ing ▁to ▁S ven ▁David son ) ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁( los ing ▁to ▁Lew ▁Ho ad ). ▁In ▁the ▁final ▁of ▁Rome ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁Mer lo ▁led ▁ 2 ▁sets ▁to ▁ 1 ▁and ▁had ▁ 2 ▁match ▁points ▁against ▁Fa usto ▁Gard ini , ▁but ▁minutes ▁later ▁had ▁to ▁ret ire ▁with ▁cr amps . ▁Mer lo ▁lost ▁in ▁the ▁Italian ▁Open ▁final ▁again ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁( to ▁Nicola ▁Piet r ang eli ). ▁ ▁He ▁retired ▁from ▁compet itive ▁tennis ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ 4 1 ▁years ▁old . ▁He ▁was ▁ 9 1 ▁at ▁the