Karen Hantze Susman

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Karen Hantze Susman (born on December 11, 1942 in San Diego, California, USA) was a female tennis player from the United States.

Susman is best remembered for winning the 1962 women's singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Vera Sukova in the final 6-4, 6-4.

But Susman also won three Grand Slam women's doubles titles, all with Billie Jean King.

Susman and King, as an unseeded team, won the 1961 women's doubles title at Wimbledon, defeating the third seeded team of Jan Lehane O'Neill and Margaret Smith Court in the final 6-3, 6-4. Susman and King successfully defended their title in 1962, defeating the South African team of Renee Schuurman Haygarth and Sandra Reynolds Price in the final 5-7, 6-3, 7-5. Susman and King reached the 1964 women's doubles final at Wimbledon, losing to the top seeded team of Court and Lesley Turner Bowrey 7-5, 6-2. For Wimbledon's centenery celebration in 1977, Susman and King teamed for the last time. As the eighth seeded team, they were upset in a second round match on Centre Court by the team of Mary Carillo and Patricia Bostrom 7-9, 6-4, 6-3.

Susman and King won the 1964 women's doubles title at the U.S. Championships, defeating Court and Bowrey in the final 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Susman and King reached the 1962 women's doubles final at the U.S. Championships, losing to the team of Maria Bueno and Darlene Hard 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. They also reached the 1965 women's doubles final at the U.S. Championships, losing to the team of Nancy Richey Gunter and Carole Caldwell Graebner 6-4, 6-4.

Susman's last Grand Slam singles tournament was at the 1980 U.S. Open. She defeated Tanya Harford in the first round 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 and Janet Newberry in the second round 7-5, 6-1 before losing to 14th seeded Ivana Madruga 6-3, 6-1.

[edit] Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Tournament 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 - 1968 1969 1970 - 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 Career SR
Australia A A A A A A A A A A A A / A A A A 0 / 0
France A A A A A A QF A A A A A A A A 0 / 1
Wimbledon A A QF QF W A 3R A A A A 2R A A A 1 / 5
United States 3R QF 3R 3R 3R A QF A 1R A 1R A A 2R 3R 0 / 10
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 2 1 / 2 0 / 0 0 / 3 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 1 1 / 16

A = did not participate in the tournament.

SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

[edit] See also

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