Darlene Hard

Darlene Hard
Full name Darlene Ruth Hard
Country (sports)  United States
Born (1936-01-06) January 6, 1936
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Plays Right-handed
Int. Tennis HoF 1973 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking No. 2 (1957)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open QF (1962)
French Open W (1960)
Wimbledon F (1957, 1959)
US Open W (1960, 1961)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open F (1962)
French Open W (1955, 1957, 1960)
Wimbledon W (1957, 1959, 1960, 1963)
US Open W (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1969)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open F (1962)
French Open W (1955, 1961)
Wimbledon W ( 1957, 1959, 1960)
US Open F (1956, 1957, 1961)
Team competitions
Wightman Cup W (1957, 1959, 1962, 1963)

Darlene Hard (born January 6, 1936) is an American former professional tennis player. Known for her volleying ability and strong serves, she captured singles titles at the French Championships in 1960 and the U.S. Championships in 1960 and 1961.

With eight different partners, she won a total of 13 women's doubles titles in Grand Slam tournaments. Her last doubles title, at the age of 33 at the 1969 US Open, came six years after she had retired from serious competition to become a tennis instructor. She also played the US Open singles tournament in 1969, losing in the second round to Françoise Dürr 6–3, 6–3.

According to Lance Tingay of the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Hard was ranked among the top ten in the world from 1957 through 1963, reaching a career high of number 2 in those rankings in 1957, 1960, and 1961.[1] Hard was included in the year-end top ten rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association from 1954 through 1963. She was the top-ranked U.S. player from 1960 through 1963.[2]

In 1964 Hard won the singles title at the South African Championships, defeating Ann Haydon-Jones in the final, and soon afterwards turned professional when she became a teaching pro. She later owned two tennis stores.[3]

Hard was enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1973.

She has worked for the University of Southern California since 1981.[3][4]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1957 Wimbledon Grass United States Althea Gibson 3–6, 2–6
Runner-up 1958 U.S. Championships Grass United States Althea Gibson 6–3, 1–6, 2–6
Runner-up 1959 Wimbledon Grass Brazil Maria Bueno 4–6, 3–6
Winner 1960 French Championships Clay Mexico Yola Ramírez Ochoa 6–3, 6–4
Winner 1960 U.S. Championships Grass Brazil Maria Bueno 6–4, 10–12, 6–4
Winner 1961 U.S. Championships Grass United Kingdom Ann Haydon 6–3, 6–4
Runner-up 1962 U.S. Championships Grass Australia Margaret Smith 7–9, 4–6

Doubles: 18 (13 titles, 5 runners-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1955 French Championships Clay United States Beverly Baker United Kingdom Shirley Bloomer
United Kingdom Pat Ward
7–5, 6–8, 13–11
Runner-up 1956 French Championships Clay United States Dorothy Head United Kingdom Angela Buxton
United States Althea Gibson
8–6, 6–8, 1–6
Winner 1957 French Championships Clay United Kingdom Shirley Bloomer Mexico Yola Ramírez
Mexico Rosie Reyes
7–5, 4–6, 7–5
Winner 1957 Wimbledon Grass United States Althea Gibson Australia Mary Bevis Hawton
Australia Thelma Coyne Long
6–1, 6–2
Runner-up 1957 U.S. Championships Grass United States Althea Gibson United States Louise Brough
United States Margaret Osborne
2–6, 5–7
Winner 1958 U.S. Championships Grass United States Jeanne Arth Brazil Maria Bueno
United States Althea Gibson
2–6, 6–3, 6–4
Winner 1959 Wimbledon Grass United States Jeanne Arth United States Beverly Baker
United Kingdom Christine Truman
2–6, 6–2, 6–3
Winner 1959 U.S. Championships Grass United States Jeanne Arth United States Althea Gibson
United States Sally Moore
6–2, 6–3
Winner 1960 French Championships Clay Brazil Maria Bueno United Kingdom Pat Ward
United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones
6–2, 7–5
Winner 1960 Wimbledon Grass Brazil Maria Bueno South Africa Sandra Reynolds
South Africa Renee Schuurman
6–4, 6–0
Winner 1960 U.S. Championships Grass Brazil Maria Bueno United States Althea Gibson
United Kingdom Deidre Catt
6–1, 6–1
Runner-up 1961 French Championships Clay Brazil Maria Bueno South Africa Sandra Reynolds
South Africa Renee Schuurman
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Winner 1961 U.S. Championships Grass Australia Lesley Turner West Germany Edda Buding
Mexico Yola Ramírez
6–4, 5–7, 6–0
Runner-up 1962 Australian Championships Grass Australia Mary Carter Reitano Australia Robyn Ebbern
Australia Margaret Smith
4–6, 4–6
Winner 1962 U.S. Championships Grass Brazil Maria Bueno United States Karen Hantze
United States Billie Jean King
4–6, 6–3, 6–2
Winner 1963 Wimbledon Grass Brazil Maria Bueno Australia Robyn Ebbern
Australia Margaret Smith
8–6, 9–7
Runner-up 1963 U.S. Championships Grass Brazil Maria Bueno Australia Robyn Ebbern
Australia Margaret Smith
6–4, 8–10, 3–6
Winner 1969 US Open Grass France Françoise Dürr Australia Margaret Smith
United Kingdom Virginia Wade
0–6, 6–3, 6–4

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held.
Tournament 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 – 1968 1969 1970 Career SR
Australian Championships A A A A A A A A A QF A A A A 0 / 1
French Championships A A 2R 3R QF A A W 4R A 2R A A A 1 / 6
Wimbledon A A SF 3R F A F QF A QF SF A A A 0 / 7
United States 2R SF 3R QF SF F SF W W F QF A 2R 2R 2 / 13
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 1 0 / 2 2 / 3 1 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 1 3 / 27

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

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. ISBN 0-942257-41-3.
  2. United States Tennis Association (1988). 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook. Lynn, Massachusetts: H.O. Zimman, Inc. p. 261.
  3. 1 2 "Hard is fine far from Centre Court". Los Angeles Times. July 3, 2007.
  4. "Inductees – Darlene R. Hard". Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).


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