Margaret Court
Margaret Smith Court AO ( Birth name: Margaret Jean Smith) (born 16 July 1942 Albury, New South Wales ) is a former Australian tennis player and one of the best professional players in the story. She is the only player to date ( male and female), who won both the individual as well as the Grand Slam in mixed doubles. In addition, she has throughout her career with 64 Grand Slam titles ( singles, doubles and mixed) more victories gained in the four major tournaments than anyone else
Life
Margaret Smith began at the age of eight years with the tennis games. At 13 she decided to say that he want to play more than just club championships. A little later, Smith won a title at the "State Underage Championships ". The Australian tennis legend Frank Sedgeman encouraged the lanky young Australian with the words, with their equipment, they have the potential to become the first Australian Wimbledon champion. This goal, as Smith later gave their sporting ambitions the decisive impetus.
1960 won the 18 year old her first title at the Australian Championships ( since 1968 Australian Open ) - Kick-off for a total of eleven Australian singles Championships, which they won the first seven in succession.
Smith's strengths were especially their immense athleticism and their incredible range. At a height of nearly six English feet, she was difficult to play out, had a hard impact, a good fly ball and was almost impassable network; a circumstance which soon nicknamed "the poor " brought her.
In 1963, she sparked a prediction of their compatriot Frank Sedgeman. Because of their strong charge and their forehand Smith won the first Australian woman Wimbledon. Opponent was none other than Billie Jean King, had lost to Smith in the previous year in the first round. With her partner Ken Fletcher, they also won the Grand Slam in mixed doubles.
From 1960 to 1966 Smith dominated the tennis world at will and won 13 major victories. She won as a single player seven times at the Australian Championships, twice in Paris (1962/1964), Wimbledon (1963/1965) and at the U.S. National Championships ( 1962/1965 ).
1966 Margaret Smith moved surprisingly back from competitive tennis, married Barry Court and raised a family. Once they have achieved each of their athletic goals, they 've lost the motivation to continue to contest competitions, so Margaret Court in retrospect.
1969 returned to the Australian back to the stage of tennis. In retrospect, Smith - Court justified this step with the desire she had her husband Barry tennis player not want to keep. At the same time they have taken a new target in the eye in their rest, which her motivation brought back: to win the singles Grand Slam. In the same year won Margaret Smith Court three of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Although the Wimbledon title for the Grand Slam was missing, court was soon again the undisputed number one of women's tennis.
In 1970 after Smith 's Court, the desired sport historic feat: they won all four Grand Slam titles of the calendar year. Smith - Court hereby was only the second woman after Maureen Connolly, who managed this feat in 1953. In 1988, Steffi Graf win the Grand Slam as the third and so far last. It was Margaret Smith courts altogether successful year on the tour. With 27 total tournaments played the Australian could not win less than 21. 104 victories were against only 6 losses. At Wimbledon, Smith - Court Billie Jean King defeated in an epochal final with 14:12 and 11:9. Now with a total of 20 victories at Grand Slam tournaments in a single they put out the record set by Helen Wills Moody. In a small tournament in North Carolina for the first time crossed the paths of Margaret Smith Court and its future challenger Chris Evert. The 15 -year-old won 7:6 and 7:6.
By the year 1973 won Margaret Smith Court four more Grand Slam tournaments in singles. It is the last year in which the Australian dominated the scene: she won 18 of 25 tournaments, wins 102 times in just six defeats, including the Australian, the French and the U.S. Open. One of her most notable victories happened at the French Open, where it succeeds the 31- year-old Smith, the 18 -year-old Clay Queen Evert 6:7 7:6 and 6:4 hold down again.
Nevertheless, the future belonged to the young American, who replaced from 1974 to the Australian best player.
Finally entered Margaret Smith Court in 1977 back when she was expecting the third of their four children.
During her distinguished career Margaret Smith Court won 24 Grand Slam singles titles (a record ) and was in seven years as world number one. 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970 and 1973 In addition, she reached in individual, doubles and mixed a record 62 Grand Slam titles. It is next to Doris Hart and Martina Navratilova just one of three players who has won all four Grand Slam tournaments in all categories.
In 1979, Margaret Smith Court was inducted into the Hall of Fame of tennis and in 2007 awarded the title of Officer of the Order of Australia. She currently lives in Perth, Australia.