TURNBULL, WENDY
Australia (Queensland)
Born 26 November 1952 - Brisbane, Queensland
Never married.
Height: 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Nickname: "The Rabbitt"-bestowed by Ion Tiriac in 1975 when she was playing World Team Tennis.
Started tennis at about age 7.
[Active 1968-1990. Turned pro in 1975]
Nicknamed "Rabbit" as she was blessed with good speed on court and retrieved many balls. Very heady and clever, her all court game brought her numerous doubles titles,including 4 majors in doubles and 5 in mixed doubles. Not having a major weapon probably prevented her from scaling the ladder and winning a major in singles. All 3 times she reached a slam final in the Aussie failed to grab a set.
Quote:
"I know nuns with better social lives than me."-Turnbull in 1979, on the demands of tour life.
Coached by her father Don Turnbull and Daphne Seeney Fancutt, Wendy made her first trip to Europe in 1972. In between tennis stints she worked as a bank teller to save money to tour. Gradually getting better, she was a solid if unspectacular journey woman until 1977. Her magical run at the US Open that year was remarkable. Turnbull dispensed of Rosie Casals, Virginia Wade (who had won Wimbledon earlier that summer) and then Martina Navratilova in a thrilling 3 set semifinal. Chris Evert was a bridge too far on clay, but the 7-6 6-2 was respectable.
From that point forward Turnbull lodged herself solidly in the world top ten for the rest of the 1970s through 1984. She was also in the top 20 for ten consecutive years (1977-1986).
Another highlight was reaching all 3 finals at the 1979 French Open. The Rabbitt won both doubles, but once again fell to Evert in final. Foolishly staying back and trying to rally, she was crushed 6-2 6-0.
The last chance for a singles slam came in the final at the 1980 Australian. Turnbull upset the #1 seed Navratilova in semis. Nerves and the fine play of Hana Mandlikova overcame her in the final to the tune of 6-0 7-5. Just two weeks earlier Turnbull saved 8 match points in taking the New South Wales title at Sydney.
A final golden moment came in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Playing doubles with Liz Smylie, they won the bronze medal. "When we realized we had at least won the bronze we were jumping up and down".
Her nickname brought her some financial gain, as Turnbull endorsed the Volkswagon Rabbit.
GRAND SLAM RECORD
Australian Open
Singles Finalist 1980, Semifinalist in 1981 and 1984. Quarterfinals in 1982 and 1983.
Doubles Finalist 1983, 1988
French Open
Singles Finalist 1979, Quarterfinalist 1980.
Doubles Winner 1979, Finalist 1982
Mixed Doubles Winner 1979, 1982
Wimbledon (competed every year from 1972 to 1990-19 consecutive years)
Singles: Quarterfinalist 3 consecutive years (1979, 1980, and 1981)
Doubles: Winner 1978 Doubles Finalist 1979, 1980,1983,1986
Mixed Doubles Winner 1983, 1984
US Open
Singles Finalist 1977, Semifinalist in 1978 and 1984; Quarterfinals 1986.
Doubles Winner 1979, 1982 Doubles Finalist 1978, 1981, 1984, 1986
Mixed Doubles Winner 1980
Career Record
Singles:
Match record: 478 won-250 lost .658 %(from the WTA-the true number is surely higher.)
Career high at #3 (07 January 1985)
21 titles:
1971: Northern Rivers Championships (Lismore NSW), City of Brisbane Championships
1972: Wynnum QLd Championships, Norwich GBR, South Coast Championships (Southport QLD), Queensland HC (Recliffe)
1973: Surbiton GBR, Merseyside GBR, South Queensland Championships (Ipswich)
1976: QBE AWTA Championships (Rockdale Sydney), Austrian Open (Kitzbuhel), Japan Open, West Australian Open
1979: Detroit VS, Philadelphia VS
1980: Hong Kong Seiko Classic, NSW Open
1981: Hong Kong Seiko Classic
1982: Queensland National Panasonic (Brisbane), Richmond VA
1983: Boston VS
Doubles:
Match record: 653–225 (from the WTA-surely higher)
55 titles
5 mixed titles
Record by Year (Statistics given from 1977-when they are reliable to 1987, her last full year in singles)
1977-world rank #9----29-17 .650% (RU US Open)
1978-world rank #7----48-23 .676% (SF US Open)
1979-world rank #7----61-25 .709% (RU French. Won Detroit and Philadelphia on Avon circuit. Won 14 doubles titles.)
1980-world rank #8----72-24 .750% (RU Australian. Won NSW and Hong Kong)
1981-world rank #8----46-23 .667% (SF Australian)
1982-world rank #5----46-19 .709% (Won Queensland and Richmond)
1983-world rank #8----46-18 .719% (Won Boston)
1984-world rank #5----37-17 .685% (SF at US open and Australian Open)
1985-world rank #14---40-18 .690% (Career high #3 in January, but slips out of world top 10 at age 32 by year's end)
1986-world rank #18---17-17 .500% (upsets doubles partner and defending champ Mandlikova at US Open.)
1987-world rank #23---20-16 .556%
1988-world rank #136--5-14 .263% (singles career winds down, Olympics bronze in doubles and RU Aussie doubles with Evert)
1989-world rank-#264--2-4 .333 %
1990-doubles only. Retires.
----------------------------------------------
At Wimbledon in 1979
Sources:
"Rabbitt: The Wendy Turnbull thread"
http://www.tennisforum.com/showthread.php?t=372883
Her website:
http://www.wendyturnbull.net/
Concise Dictionary of Tennis, by Martin Hedges, p 235.
"Weby Turnbull: The Great Survivor". by Craig Gabriel. Tennis Australia, July, 1986, pages 12-15.
Australia (Queensland)
Born 26 November 1952 - Brisbane, Queensland
Never married.
Height: 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Nickname: "The Rabbitt"-bestowed by Ion Tiriac in 1975 when she was playing World Team Tennis.
Started tennis at about age 7.
[Active 1968-1990. Turned pro in 1975]
Nicknamed "Rabbit" as she was blessed with good speed on court and retrieved many balls. Very heady and clever, her all court game brought her numerous doubles titles,including 4 majors in doubles and 5 in mixed doubles. Not having a major weapon probably prevented her from scaling the ladder and winning a major in singles. All 3 times she reached a slam final in the Aussie failed to grab a set.
Quote:
"I know nuns with better social lives than me."-Turnbull in 1979, on the demands of tour life.
Coached by her father Don Turnbull and Daphne Seeney Fancutt, Wendy made her first trip to Europe in 1972. In between tennis stints she worked as a bank teller to save money to tour. Gradually getting better, she was a solid if unspectacular journey woman until 1977. Her magical run at the US Open that year was remarkable. Turnbull dispensed of Rosie Casals, Virginia Wade (who had won Wimbledon earlier that summer) and then Martina Navratilova in a thrilling 3 set semifinal. Chris Evert was a bridge too far on clay, but the 7-6 6-2 was respectable.
From that point forward Turnbull lodged herself solidly in the world top ten for the rest of the 1970s through 1984. She was also in the top 20 for ten consecutive years (1977-1986).
Another highlight was reaching all 3 finals at the 1979 French Open. The Rabbitt won both doubles, but once again fell to Evert in final. Foolishly staying back and trying to rally, she was crushed 6-2 6-0.
The last chance for a singles slam came in the final at the 1980 Australian. Turnbull upset the #1 seed Navratilova in semis. Nerves and the fine play of Hana Mandlikova overcame her in the final to the tune of 6-0 7-5. Just two weeks earlier Turnbull saved 8 match points in taking the New South Wales title at Sydney.
A final golden moment came in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Playing doubles with Liz Smylie, they won the bronze medal. "When we realized we had at least won the bronze we were jumping up and down".
Her nickname brought her some financial gain, as Turnbull endorsed the Volkswagon Rabbit.
GRAND SLAM RECORD
Australian Open
Singles Finalist 1980, Semifinalist in 1981 and 1984. Quarterfinals in 1982 and 1983.
Doubles Finalist 1983, 1988
French Open
Singles Finalist 1979, Quarterfinalist 1980.
Doubles Winner 1979, Finalist 1982
Mixed Doubles Winner 1979, 1982
Wimbledon (competed every year from 1972 to 1990-19 consecutive years)
Singles: Quarterfinalist 3 consecutive years (1979, 1980, and 1981)
Doubles: Winner 1978 Doubles Finalist 1979, 1980,1983,1986
Mixed Doubles Winner 1983, 1984
US Open
Singles Finalist 1977, Semifinalist in 1978 and 1984; Quarterfinals 1986.
Doubles Winner 1979, 1982 Doubles Finalist 1978, 1981, 1984, 1986
Mixed Doubles Winner 1980
Career Record
Singles:
Match record: 478 won-250 lost .658 %(from the WTA-the true number is surely higher.)
Career high at #3 (07 January 1985)
21 titles:
1971: Northern Rivers Championships (Lismore NSW), City of Brisbane Championships
1972: Wynnum QLd Championships, Norwich GBR, South Coast Championships (Southport QLD), Queensland HC (Recliffe)
1973: Surbiton GBR, Merseyside GBR, South Queensland Championships (Ipswich)
1976: QBE AWTA Championships (Rockdale Sydney), Austrian Open (Kitzbuhel), Japan Open, West Australian Open
1979: Detroit VS, Philadelphia VS
1980: Hong Kong Seiko Classic, NSW Open
1981: Hong Kong Seiko Classic
1982: Queensland National Panasonic (Brisbane), Richmond VA
1983: Boston VS
Doubles:
Match record: 653–225 (from the WTA-surely higher)
55 titles
5 mixed titles
Record by Year (Statistics given from 1977-when they are reliable to 1987, her last full year in singles)
1977-world rank #9----29-17 .650% (RU US Open)
1978-world rank #7----48-23 .676% (SF US Open)
1979-world rank #7----61-25 .709% (RU French. Won Detroit and Philadelphia on Avon circuit. Won 14 doubles titles.)
1980-world rank #8----72-24 .750% (RU Australian. Won NSW and Hong Kong)
1981-world rank #8----46-23 .667% (SF Australian)
1982-world rank #5----46-19 .709% (Won Queensland and Richmond)
1983-world rank #8----46-18 .719% (Won Boston)
1984-world rank #5----37-17 .685% (SF at US open and Australian Open)
1985-world rank #14---40-18 .690% (Career high #3 in January, but slips out of world top 10 at age 32 by year's end)
1986-world rank #18---17-17 .500% (upsets doubles partner and defending champ Mandlikova at US Open.)
1987-world rank #23---20-16 .556%
1988-world rank #136--5-14 .263% (singles career winds down, Olympics bronze in doubles and RU Aussie doubles with Evert)
1989-world rank-#264--2-4 .333 %
1990-doubles only. Retires.
----------------------------------------------
At Wimbledon in 1979
Sources:
"Rabbitt: The Wendy Turnbull thread"
http://www.tennisforum.com/showthread.php?t=372883
Her website:
http://www.wendyturnbull.net/
Concise Dictionary of Tennis, by Martin Hedges, p 235.
"Weby Turnbull: The Great Survivor". by Craig Gabriel. Tennis Australia, July, 1986, pages 12-15.