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Biographies of Female Tennis Players

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#1 · (Edited)
This thread will feature biographies of women who played tennis at a world class level. Note that the women will be added as we find information, so they will not appear in alphabetical order.

To find women listed in alphabetical order please go to the Blast Encyclopedia of Female Tennis Players at http://www.tennisforum.com/showthread.php?t=497938

The Blast Encyclopedia of Female Tennis Players lists women by both their maiden and married names. Under the main listing for a player a link will be provided back to this thread to a biography.
 
#3,062 · (Edited by Moderator)
ZELLMER, "PATSY" (Patricia L Zellmer)
United States
Born 30th September 1933 California
Died 23rd November 1967 Los Angeles
Married Leon F Palasik 02 May 1954 San Diego (San Mateo times gives married surname as Palaski but this seems incorrect)
[Active circa 1950-1954]

Played singles 1950 and 1951 US Championships.

Patsy was a good friend of Maureen Connolly. The pair won the US National Girl's doubles in 1950.

Sources:

search.ancestry.co.uk
www.findagrave.com
http://www.sdpolicemuseum.com/Frank-Zelmer.html


[Info provided by Rosamund]
 
#3,065 · (Edited by Moderator)
PIKEN, JOAN
United States
Born 19th October 1929
Married Paul Silbersher in June 1956 in New Jersey.

Played singles 1953 US Championships.
She graduated from the State Teacher's College at Trenton, New Jersey. After graduation she was a teacher.

Sources:
search.ancestry.co.uk
http://archive.wmlnj.org/TheWestfieldLeader/1955/1955-08-11/pg_0013.pdf


[Info provided by ROSAMUND]
 
#3,069 · (Edited by Moderator)
BRISACK, JANE
Born February 1938
Died 1 September 2010
Married Ben J. Andre in 1960
[Active in the 1950s]

[From her obituary]

Obituary: Jane Brisack Andre

Jane Andre
Loving wife and mother Jane Brisack Andre of Prescott, Ariz., passed away on Sept. 1, 2010, at the age of 72.

She was born to Col. and Mrs. Floyd Brisack of Tacoma, Wash., in February 1938. She graduated from Stadium High School in Tacoma, Wash., where she was an accomplished tennis player. Jane was well-known on the Northwest tennis circuit, winning numerous tournaments and a high ranking. Upon graduating from Stadium, she was offered a full-ride tennis scholarship to the University of Arizona. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.A. in education in 1959. While attending the UofA, Jane competed on the UofA women's tennis team for four years and was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. After graduating from the UofA, Jane joined the ranks of tennis professionals. In 1960, Jane married her college sweetheart, Ben J. Andre.

Over the years, Jane and Ben lived in Phoenix and Prescott, Ariz., Logan, Utah and Yuma, Ariz., and, in 1981, moved back to Prescott to pursue a dream of owning their own business, Prescott True Value Hardware. Jane taught tennis in all of the cities in which she and Ben resided, all while raising two children. She was instrumental in creating the Yavapai tennis association in Prescott in 1970 and Cache Valley tennis association in Logan, Utah, in 1972.

In 1981, Jane retired from teaching tennis to focus on a new career in retailing as she helped her husband create a unique hardware and houseware store in Prescott. Although her background was education and tennis, Jane dove head first into the retail arena, putting her mark on the kitchen shop department of Prescott True Value Hardware - a mark that endures today.

After more than 20 years in retail, Jane and Ben retired from PTV in 2003, turning PTV over to their son, Andy Andre, their daughter Suzanne Andre-Springer, and longtime employee Tom Toth.

Retirement did not slow Jane down! She traveled extensively, always eager to see new places and meet new people. When not traveling or here in Prescott, she beachcombed and watched beautiful sunsets at her favorite house on the beach in Rocky Point.

Jane Brisack Andre is survived by her husband, Ben Andre; her daughter and son-in-law, Suzanne and Kent Springer; her son and daughter-in-law, Andy and Robin Andre; her grandson, Corey Andre; her granddaughter, Michelle Andre; her brother and sister-in-law, Phil and Nancy Brisack; her sister-in-law and her husband, LaRae and Milt Whitehead; and her brother-in-law and his wife, Bill and Lynne Andre.

Source:
http://dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=167&SubSectionID=468&ArticleID=84902&TM=962.096
 
#3,070 · (Edited by Moderator)
VILBIG, "PEGGY" (Doris Margaret "Peggy" Vilbig)
United States
Born 15 December 1927 in Dallas Texas
Died 27 August 2006 in Dallas Texas
Married Landtroop
[Active in the 1950s]

[From Find a Grave]

LANDTROOP, , PEGGY VILBIG Was born in Dallas TX on December 15, 1927, passed away there Sunday, August 27th. Peggy is survived by two sons, Joe and Steve and three grandchildren. Graduated Highland Park High School 1945, University of Texas 1949. Received an M.A. in Education in 1965. Her love of the sport of tennis provided decades of both professional playing and teaching. She made many friends while winning 19 silver, 29 gold balls and numerous other titles.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=15544021
 
#3,071 · (Edited by Moderator)
SHERAR, MARY
United States
Born circa 1941 or 1942 (on 10 August 1959 she was 17).
Married (1) George Sypert by August 1968. Filed for divorce and actual divorce 28th December 1970, Yakima Washington.
Married (2) Mr. Newberry.
Married (3) Wendell L. Johns 2nd March 2006 Benton, Washington.
[Active 1950s-70s]

Played singles at the 1961 and 1962 US Championships.

Mary was from the Pacific Northwest. She was coached by her father Glen Sherar.

[From the Yakima Valley Community College website]

"In 1961, tennis standout Mary Sherar won the National Women's Collegiate Doubles Championship and the Pacific Northwest Women's collegiate Championships. That same year she led the YJC men's team to the state title by capturing the singles championship.

After two years as the Indians' No. 1 player on the men's team (1960 and 1961), Sherar transferred to the University of Washington. In 1962,she represented the Huskies at the National Collegiate Tournament after winning teh Pacific Northwest Collegiate Championship.

Upon graduation from Washington, Mary continued to play in numerous adult tournaments, including the Eastern grass court circuit and the Virginia Slims for two years."



Sources:

www.ancestry.com

Medicine Hat News,
10th August 1959 (source for her age)

World Tennis, October 1968, page 87 (source of 1st marriage)

The Official Site Of Yakima Valley Community College - Hall of Fame

[Thanks to Rollo and Rosamnd for this information]
 
#3,073 · (Edited by Moderator)
VAIDYANATHAN, NIRUPAMA
India
Born 8 December 1976 in Coimbatore, India
Married Sanjeev Balakrishnan, 23 May 2002
Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m)
Nickname: "Niru"
Plays: RH with 2 handed backhand
[Active 1992-2003 and 2009-2010]

Nirupama was the #1 Indian female player until the advent of Sania Mirza. Starting tennis at age 5, she was encouraged by her father, a former cricket star. Not finding support in her home country, she moved to Luxembourg at age 16 and later based herself in the United States.

When Nirupma reached the 2R at the 1998 Australian Open she became the first native Indian born female to win a singles match in a major. After a 6 year stint off the tour she attempted a brief comeback in 2009-10 without success.

She now lives in San Francisco in the United States and is involved with a local tennis camp. She published her autobiography, The Moonballer, in 2014.

Singles


Career record: 180 won–155 lost
Career titles: 2 ITF titles (Bad Gogging in 1996 and New Delhi in 2000).
Highest ranking No. 134 (07 July 1997)

[Promotional material for her book The Moonballer]

From a modest background with no sponsors and a self-trained father as her tennis coach, she became India’s no. 1 at 14 years of age. She was the first Indian woman ever to win a round at a Grand Slam (Australian Open 1998) and became the first mother to play for India at the 2010 Commonwealth and Asian Games.

The Moonballer is the first ever book written by an Indian female tennis player.This memoir is refreshingly unique as it keeps tennis as the crux, but weaves in many intricate threads that pertain to women, society, travel, safety and money. Nirupama was the no. 1 woman player for India for over a decade.

At a time when professional tennis for women was unheard of in India, she embarked on a journey with sheer will, determination and talent. She was one of the very few people who played all the top events including Wimbledon as a junior, qualifier, main draw player and a commentator for ESPN/Star.

Sources:

The Moonballer, by Nirupama Vaidyanathan, New Delhi : Konark Publishers, 2013. (252 pages).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirupama_Sanjeev

http://www.themoonballer.com/

http://www.nirustennis.com/

[Info provided by Jimbo109]
 
#3,074 · (Edited by Moderator)
BRYANT, DOROTHY (Dorothy Walrond Bryant)
India
Born 05 January 1905 in Lucknow, India.
Died 03 October 1964
Married Sir Walter Harold Strachan Michelmore (d. 1988), 18 February in Calcutta, India.

Lady Dorothy Michelmore at the time of her death.

Her husband was a tennis player, too:
http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scor...67afa2-bbe6-4dfa-9bde-2a10df2f6e48/index.html

http://www.mitchelmore.info/families/trees/tree17.htm#1812
http://lyons.familytreeguide.com/ge...T1&PHPSESSID=7f46d0fc2ac4b28dc640f00353e7458e

[Info provided by Jimbo109]
 
#3,075 · (Edited by Moderator)
FISON, MADELEINE (Madeleine Lucy Fison)
United Kingdom
Born in 1891 in Stutton, Suffolk
Died in 1988
Married Francis L. Guays in 1920 in Saint George's Church, Hanover Square, London
[Active circa 1912-14]

Madeleine was a contestant at Wimbledon in 1914-being listed as Miss M.L. Fison. She lost in the 1R. She entered the mixed that year with her brother
Francis (Frank) Guy Lavering Fison. The Fisons had made a fortune in fertilizers in Suffolk.

Aged 97 at the time of her death. Sister of fellow players Florence and Sylvia Fison.

Source:

http://www.oxforddnb.com/templates/article.jsp?articleid=50033&back=

[Info provided by newmark401]
 
#3,076 · (Edited by Moderator)
FISON, "VERE" (Florence Elizabeth Vere Fison)
United Kingdom
Born in 1894 in Stutton, Suffolk
Died 1 March 1927 in West Ham, London
Married Ian Frederick Lettsom Elliot in 1916 in Samford, Suffolk
[Active 1912-1924]

Sister of fellow players Madeleine and Sylvia Fison. In 1922 she made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon as Mrs IFL Elliot. losing to Geraldine Beamish 8-6 6-1. That same year her mixed partner was her husband.

Her daughter Diana was born on August 13th 1917 and twin sons on March 11th 1919. One twin died at birth, the other was her son David.

Her tombstone indicates she went by Vere, one of her middle names.

Wimbledon record (1921-1924, Singles in 1921 and 1922)

Singles: 3-2 (1922 quarterfinalist)
Doubles: 1-2
Mixed: 2-4

Sources:

http://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/gravedetails.php?grave=123802&personid=264734&scrwidth=1200
http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scor...74e830-a514-4112-bde6-c7fb969b05a8/index.html

Partners in protest: life with Canon Collins, By Dame Diana Collins (1992) [her daughters book. Does she write of her mother?]


[Info provided by newmark401]
 
#3,077 · (Edited by Moderator)
FISON, SYLVIA (Sylvia Mary Fison)
United Kingdom
Born in 1895 in Stutton, Suffolk
Died in June 1987 in Sudbury, Suffolk
Married Hugh Thompson Wells in July 1927 in Saint Peter’s Church, Stutton, Suffolk
[Active 1920s]

Sister of fellow players Florence and Madeleine Fison. She entered Wimbledon in 1923, being listed as Miss S.M. Fison.


[Info provided by newmark401]
 
#3,078 · (Edited by Moderator)
DEANE, UNA
United Kingdom/India
Born circa 1883
Still alive in 1932-could she=Una Gracey who died in South Africa 08 February 1959?
Married Stephen William Gracey (1874-1918) on 18 February 1909 in Lahore, Bengal, India
[Active as early as 1907 to at least 1921]

Winner: Punjab Championships 1909 '12 '14
RU: Bengal Championships 1919

Entered Wimbledon in 1911 and 1921-making the quarterfinals in the doubles that year. She was listed as Mrs S. W. Gracey. Her husband Stephen William died in August 1918 and was buried in Simla, Bengal, India.

A ship manifest from 1932 provides her estimated date of birth. At that time she was sailing for India.

Wimbledon record (entered in 1911 and 1921)

Singles: 2-2 (3R in 1911 and 1921)
Doubles : 2-1 (QF in 1921)
Mixed: 2-1

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scor...b606f6-ee5e-4cfb-a18a-792dc07a65b0/index.html

[Thanks to Jimbo for this information]
 
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