Karen Hantze Susman (born on December 11, 1942 in San Diego, California, U.S.) is a retired female tennis player from the United States. Susman won the 1962 women's singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Věra Pužejová Suková in the final 6–4, 6–4, but did not defend her title in 1963. She also won three Grand Slam women's doubles titles, all with Billie Jean King. She also won the 1960 Wimbledon junior girls' singles title.
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 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 centenary 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 played little in 1963, deciding not to defend her Wimbledon Singles & Doubles titles, but returned to play in 1964; competing at Wimbledon again, losing in a fourth round match. She entered the US Championships the same year, but withdrew before the tournament began. Susman played little in the 1960s and 1970s but her last Grand Slam singles tournament was at the 1980 US Open. She defeated Tanya Harford in the first round 3–6, 6–2, 6–4 and Janet Newberry Wright in the second round 7–5, 6–1 before losing to 14th seeded Ivanna Madruga Osses 6–3, 6–1.
According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Susman was ranked in the world top ten in 1961, 1962, and 1964, reaching a career high of World No. 4 in those rankings in 1962.[1] Susman was included in the year-end top ten rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association from 1959 through 1962 and in 1964. She was the second-ranked U.S. player behind Hard from 1960 through 1962.[2]
Contents |
| 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.
|
|||||
|
|||||