Françoise Durr

Françoise Durr
Country  France
Born December 25, 1942 (1942-12-25) (age 69)
Algiers, Algeria
Height 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Turned pro 1968 (start of Open Era)
Retired 1984
Plays Right-handed
Int. Tennis HOF 2003 (member page)
Singles
Career record 101–79
Career titles 26
Highest ranking WTA: 9 (November 3, 1975)
Unofficial: 3
Current ranking N/A
Grand Slam results
Australian Open QF (1965, 1967)
French Open W (1967)
Wimbledon SF (1970)
US Open SF (1967)
Doubles
Career record 202–80
Career titles 60
Highest ranking 1
Current ranking N/A
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open SF (1969)
French Open W (1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971)
Wimbledon F (1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975)
US Open W (1969, 1972)
Other Doubles tournaments
Mixed Doubles
Career titles 4
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open N/A
French Open W (1968, 1971, 1973)
Wimbledon W (1976)
US Open F (1969)
Last updated on: September 18, 2011.

Françoise Durr (born 25 December 1942, in Algiers, Algeria) is a retired tennis player from France. She won 26 major singles titles and over 60 doubles titles.

According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Bud Collins, and the Women's Tennis Association, Durr was ranked in the world top ten from 1965 through 1967, from 1970 through 1972, and from 1974 through 1976, reaching a career high of World No. 3 in those rankings in 1967.[1] She finished second to Billie Jean King in prize money earnings in 1971.

Durr reached a total of 27 Grand Slam finals – 1 in singles, 18 in women's doubles, and 8 in mixed doubles. She won 12 of them.

Contents

Career

Durr is best remembered for winning the singles title at the 1967 French Championships. She defeated Maria Bueno in a quarterfinal before defeating Lesley Turner Bowrey in the final. In addition to her singles championship, Durr won seven Grand Slam women's doubles titles and four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She was the runner-up in eleven Grand Slam women's doubles events and four Grand Slam mixed doubles events.

Durr won eight doubles titles at the French Championships. The first of Durr's record-tying five consecutive women's doubles titles was in 1967. This record is shared with Martina Navratilova and Gigi Fernández, who, like Durr, achieved it with separate partners. Durr teamed with Ann Haydon Jones to win the titles in 1968 and 1969 and with Gail Sherriff Chanfreau in 1967, 1970, and 1971. Durr was the runner-up in women's doubles in 1965 with Jeanine Lieffrig, in 1973 with Betty Stöve, and in 1979 with Virginia Wade. Durr teamed with Jean Claude Barclay to win the mixed doubles title in 1968, 1971, and 1973. They were runners-up in 1969, 1970, and 1972. In total, Durr reached 15 finals at the French Open, winning 8 of them.

Durr won two doubles titles at the US Open. She won the women's doubles title in 1969 with Darlene Hard and in 1972 with Stove. Durr was the runner-up in that event in 1971 with Chanfreau and in 1974 with Stöve. Durr was the runner-up in mixed doubles in 1969, teaming with Dennis Ralston.

She won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 1976 with Tony Roche. She was the runner-up in women's doubles at Wimbledon in 1965 with Lieffrig, 1968 with Jones, 1970 with Wade, 1972 with Judy Tegart Dalton, and 1973 and 1975 with Stöve. Additionally, Durr was a singles semifinalist at the Championships in 1970.

Durr was rarely a participant at the Australian Championships and Australian Open, as she appeared there three times, in 1965, 1967, and 1969. She reached the singles quarterfinals in 1965 and 1967 and the doubles semifinals with Jones in 1969.

Durr and Betty Stöve won the 1979 WTA Tour Championships in doubles against Sue Barker and Ann Kiyomura, beating the 7–6, 7–6 in the final. She continued to play the French Open doubles event until 1984, reaching the second round for four straight years before retiring.

Durr played for France on the France Fed Cup team 14 times, finishing her career with a 31–17 record. She played 27 ties, with a 16–8 singles record and a 15–9 doubles record.

Durr was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003 for her extraordinary career in doubles and for winning the French Championships in singles.

Grand Slam Statistics

Singles finals (1 win)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent in Final Score in Final
Winner 1967 French Championships Clay Lesley Turner Bowrey 4–6, 6–3, 6–4

Women's doubles finals, 18 (7 wins, 11 losses)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Runner-Up 1965 French Championships Clay Jeanine Lieffrig Margaret Court
Leslie Turner Bowrey		 6–3, 6–1
Runner-Up 1965 Wimbledon Championships Grass Jeanine Lieffrig Maria Bueno
Billie Jean King		 6–2, 7–5
Winner 1967 French Championships Clay Gail Sheriff Chanfreau Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy
Pat Walkden		 6–2, 6–2
Runner-Up 1967 Wimbledon Championships (2) Grass Ann Haydon Jones Rosemary Casals
Billie Jean King		 9–11, 6–4, 6–2
Winner 1968 French Open (2) Clay Ann Haydon Jones Rosemary Casals
Billie Jean King		 7–5, 4–6, 6–4
Winner 1969 French Open (3) Clay Ann Haydon Jones Nancy Richey
Margaret Court		 6–0, 4–6, 7–5
Winner 1969 US Open Grass Darlene Hard Margaret Court
Virginia Wade		 0–6, 6–3, 6–4
Winner 1970 French Open (4) Clay Gail Sheriff Chanfreau Rosemary Casals
Billy Jean King		 6–1, 3–6, 6–3
Runner-Up 1970 Wimbledon Championships (3) Grass Virginia Wade Rosemary Casals
Billie Jean King		 6–2, 6–3
Winner 1971 French Open (5) Clay Gail Sheriff Chanfreau Helen Gourlay Cawley
Kerry Harris		 6–4, 6–1
Runner-Up 1971 US Open Grass Gail Sheriff Chanfreau Rosemary Casals
Judy Tegart Dalton		 6–3, 6–3
Runner-Up 1972 Wimbledon Championships (4) Grass Judy Tegart Dalton Billy Jean King
Betty Stöve		 6–2, 4–6, 6–3
Winner 1972 US Open (2) Grass Betty Stöve Margaret Court
Virginia Wade		 6–3, 1–6, 6–4
Runner-Up 1973 French Open (2) Clay Betty Stöve Margaret Court
Virginia Wade		 6–2, 6–3
Runner-Up 1973 Wimbledon Championships (5) Grass Betty Stöve Rosemary Casals
Billy Jean King		 6–1, 4–6, 7–5
Runner-Up 1974 US Open (2) Grass Betty Stöve Rosemary Casals
Billie Jean King		 7–6, 6–7, 6–4
Runner-Up 1975 Wimbledon Championships (6) Grass Betty Stöve Ann Kiyomura
Kazuko Sawamatsu		 7–5, 1–6, 7–5
Runner-Up 1979 French Open (3) Clay Virginia Wade Betty Stöve
Wendy Turnbull		 3–6, 7–5, 6–4

Mixed Doubles finals, 8 (4 wins, 4 losses)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Winner 1968 French Open Clay Jean-Claude Barclay Billie Jean King
Owen Davidson		 6–1, 6–4
Runner-Up 1969 French Open Clay Jean-Claude Barclay Margaret Court
Marty Riessen		 6–3, 6–2
Runner-Up 1969 US Open Grass Dennis Ralston Margaret Court
Marty Riessen		 6–4, 7–5
Runner-Up 1970 French Open (2) Clay Jean-Claude Barclay Billie Jean King
Bob Hewitt		 3–6, 6–4, 6–2
Winner 1971 French Open (2) Clay Jean-Claude Barclay Winnie Shaw
Thomas Lejus		 6–2, 6–4
Runner-Up 1972 French Open (3) Clay Jean-Claude Barclay Evonne Goolagong Cawley
  Kim Warwick		 6–2, 6–4
Winner 1973 French Open (3) Clay Jean-Claude Barclay Betty Stöve
Patrice Dominguez		 6–1, 6–4
Winner 1976 Wimbledon Championships Grass Tony Roche Rosemary Casals
Dick Stockton		 6–3, 2–6, 7–5

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Career SR
Australia A A A A A QF A QF A 2R A A A A A A A A / A A A 0 / 3
France 3R 3R 4R 4R 2R QF QF W 4R 3R 3R QF SF SF A A A A A 1R 1 / 15
Wimbledon A A A 2R 2R 4R QF 3R QF 2R SF QF QF 4R 3R 2R 4R 3R 3R 2R 0 / 17
United States A A 3R A 3R QF QF SF 3R 3R QF 3R 3R 1R 2R 2R 4R 1R A 1R 0 / 16
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 3 1 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 3 1 / 51

A = did not participate in the tournament.

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

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

Other tournaments and team competitions

1959-1970

1971-1979

Durr won over 60 major doubles titles in her career with various partners and featured in many more finals and semi-finals. Durr featured in many major singles finals and semi-finals in a career spanning over 20 years . She was French Number 1 for almost all that time. Durr was an integral member of France's Fed Cup team in 1963-1967, 1970, 1972, and 1977-1979. Her career win-loss record was 16-8 in singles and 15-9 in doubles.

Durr was the first woman to play 100 events on the Virginia Slims Tour (1978). Durr, Ann Jones, Billie Jean King and Rosemary Casals were the first women to sign professional contracts and organise their own tours at the start of the open era in 1968. Durr played consistently on the World Team Tennis circuit 1974-1978.

Habits and incidents

On her travels round the tennis circuit she was accompanied by her Airdale Terrier dog, named Topspin. Topspin habitually carried her racquet onto court.

She was the first woman to wear halter neck backless dresses on the circuit, notably at Wimbledon. Her socks worn on U.S. tours were also unconventional, knee high tube pattern coloured socks with shorts. Durr wore coloured matching accessories with her chic stylish dresses which pushed the white rule at Wimbledon as far as it could go until in 1978 before her match with Betty Stöve she was asked to change, as her outfit featured too much colour and was deemed unacceptable. On returning to court she soon hit three winners in a row but lost the match.

Once in a match, becoming tired of seeing a relative on the sidelines gesticulating to her opponent, Durr called the opponent to the net and told her that her mother wanted her to play to her (Durr's) backhand (bad advice). Another time when there was a disputed point at the end of a game and her opponent was still on court protesting Durr went promptly and sat down totally ignoring it all and claiming the game. On occasions when things did not go as planned she would sometimes use risqué words with which to chastise herself, often in the language of the country in which she was playing.

Durr played with unorthodox grips and strokes. Her strokes would sometimes require her to virtually sit for a low backhand or kneel on one knee for a passing shot. The French Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) issued a postage stamp of her playing the kneeling pass down the line. Many of her moves and her serve were unique. The service was slow but spun and looped deep into the box: it was effective enough in keeping the opponent back, and its awkward bounce caused further difficulty.

The strongest points of Françoise Durr's game at her peak were her speed, anticipation, and placement of the ball. An excellent tactician, she possessed skilful groundstrokes and a lob considered by many experts as perhaps second only to Chris Evert in quality. She used her backhand and lob to great effect particularly on slower courts, which gave her more time to set up her shots. The lob unusually was often used early in a rally as an offensive shot to win the point, not as a defensive move to get out of trouble. She additionally had a tough mental attitude and tenacity, trained to great physical condition, developing strong legs, which with her unique grips and strokes made her play very unpredictable for opponents. Further skills of advantage were the return of serve, always strong and often dipping to the incoming server's feet, and her coverage of the court making it hard to get a ball past her.

Career and awards after retiring from the tour

In 1980 Françoise Durr served as Captain for the German Federation Cup Team. In 1993, Durr was appointed the first Technical Director of Women's Tennis for the French Tennis Federation (FFT). She was the captain of the French Fed Cup team from 1993 through 1996 and the co-captain of the team with Yannick Noah in 1997 when they won the competition. She retired from the FFT in February 2002.

She received the WTA Tour's Honorary Membership Award in 1988 for her contributions to the founding, development, and direction of women's professional tennis. In 2003, Durr was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She received the Fed Cup Award of Excellence in 2005, presented jointly by the International Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In April 2010 a French national honour was presented to Françoise Durr in recognition of her contribution to sport and the advancement of women in sport. She received the Medal and title of Officer of the National Order of Merit (Officier de l'Ordre national du Mérite, France).[2]

Personal life

Françoise Durr played her last official match in 1984 at Roland Garros. She had married Boyd Browning, an American tennis player in 1975 and later moved to the United States where she stayed for ten years. A daughter Jessica was born in 1985. In 1992 she returned to live near Paris.[3] She was sometimes referred to by English writers as Frankie Durr.

See also

References

  1. ^ Collins, Bud (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: an authoritative encyclopedia and record book. New York, N.Y: New Chapter Press. pp. 695, 703–04. ISBN 0-942257-41-3. 
  2. ^
  3. ^ Culley, Jon (24 May 1994). "Where are they now?: Françoise Durr". London: Independent, The. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/where-are-they-now-francoise-durr-1438189.html. Retrieved 21 February 2010. 

External links