Christine Truman
Encyclopedia
Christine Truman Janes, MBE
, (born 16 January 1941 in Woodford Green
, United Kingdom
), is a female former tennis
player from the United Kingdom.
The British junior champion in 1956 and 1957, Truman made her Wimbledon
debut in 1957 at age 16 and reached the semifinals, where she lost to Althea Gibson
.
In 1958, she caused a sensation by defeating Gibson, the Wimbledon champion, in the Wightman Cup
and helped bring the cup back to Great Britain
after 21 consecutive defeats by the United States
. A few weeks later at Wimbledon, however, as the second seed she was defeated in the fourth round by the American Mimi Arnold. That loss helped start her reputation as an unpredictable player.
In 1959, she became the youngest women's singles champion at the French Championships at the age of 18. (That record has since been broken by Steffi Graf
in 1987, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
in 1989, and Monica Seles
in 1990.) That year, by far her best, also saw her as the winner of the Italian Championships and runner-up at the U.S. Championships. She failed, however, to justify her top seeding at Wimbledon where she lost in the fourth round to the Mexican Yola Ramírez Ochoa. In doubles at Wimbledon, Truman partnered Beverly Baker Fleitz
to reach the women's doubles final and with her brother Humphrey to reach the mixed doubles quarterfinals.
In 1960, she was the third seed at Wimbledon, where she lost in a semifinal to Maria Bueno
in three sets. She teamed with Bueno to win the women's doubles title at the Australian Championships that year.
In 1961, she was the sixth seed at Wimbledon and defeated the second seed, Margaret Court, 3–6, 6–3, 9–7 in a quarterfinal after trailing 4–1 in the final set and saving two match points. She then beat Renee Schuurman Haygarth of South Africa
in a semifinal 6–4, 6–4 before losing to fellow Britain Angela Mortimer
in the final.
In 1972, Janes teamed with Winnie Shaw
to reach the women's doubles final at the French Championships, where they lost to Billie Jean King
and Betty Stöve
6–1, 6–2.
According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail
, Janes was ranked in the world top ten from 1957 through 1961 and in 1965, reaching a career high of World No. 2 in those rankings in 1959. She played Wightman Cup from 1957 through 1971 (winning the cup in 1958, 1960, and 1968). She also played Federation Cup in 1963, 1965, and 1968, posting a 6–3 singles record and a 2–2 doubles record.
She retired from tennis in 1975 and became a commentator for BBC Radio
the same year. In 1967 she married former Wasps
player Gerry Janes. In the 2001 Queen's Birthday's Honours list, she was awarded an MBE
for her "services to sport".
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.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (born 16 January 1941 in Woodford Green
Woodford Green
Woodford Green, formerly in the county of Essex, is part of the North East London suburb of Woodford, on the edge of Epping Forest, mostly within the London Borough of Redbridge with a small part on the western side of the green within the London Borough of Waltham Forest .-History:Woodford Green...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
), is a female former tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player from the United Kingdom.
The British junior champion in 1956 and 1957, Truman made her Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
debut in 1957 at age 16 and reached the semifinals, where she lost to Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson was a World No. 1 American sportswoman who became the first African-American woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour and the first to win a Grand Slam title in 1956. She is sometimes referred to as "the Jackie Robinson of tennis" for breaking the color barrier...
.
In 1958, she caused a sensation by defeating Gibson, the Wimbledon champion, in the Wightman Cup
Wightman Cup
The Wightman Cup was a team tennis competition for women contested from 1923 through 1989 between teams from the United States and Great Britain. U.S. player Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman wanted to generate international interest in women's tennis the way Davis Cup did for men's...
and helped bring the cup back to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
after 21 consecutive defeats by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A few weeks later at Wimbledon, however, as the second seed she was defeated in the fourth round by the American Mimi Arnold. That loss helped start her reputation as an unpredictable player.
In 1959, she became the youngest women's singles champion at the French Championships at the age of 18. (That record has since been broken by Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf is a former World No. 1 German tennis player.In total, Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...
in 1987, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Aránzazu 'Arantxa' Isabel Maria Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player...
in 1989, and Monica Seles
Monica Seles
Monica Seles is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was born in Novi Sad, Serbia, former Yugoslavia to Hungarian parents. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1994 and also received Hungarian citizenship in June 2007...
in 1990.) That year, by far her best, also saw her as the winner of the Italian Championships and runner-up at the U.S. Championships. She failed, however, to justify her top seeding at Wimbledon where she lost in the fourth round to the Mexican Yola Ramírez Ochoa. In doubles at Wimbledon, Truman partnered Beverly Baker Fleitz
Beverly Baker Fleitz
Beverly Baker Fleitz from Bakersfield, California, was a women's tennis player from the United States. According to John Olliff and Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Fleitz was ranked in the world top ten in 1951, 1954, 1955, 1958, and 1959, reaching a career high of World No...
to reach the women's doubles final and with her brother Humphrey to reach the mixed doubles quarterfinals.
In 1960, she was the third seed at Wimbledon, where she lost in a semifinal to Maria Bueno
Maria Bueno
Maria Esther Andion Bueno is a former professional tennis player from Brazil. During her 11-year career , she won 19 Major titles ....
in three sets. She teamed with Bueno to win the women's doubles title at the Australian Championships that year.
In 1961, she was the sixth seed at Wimbledon and defeated the second seed, Margaret Court, 3–6, 6–3, 9–7 in a quarterfinal after trailing 4–1 in the final set and saving two match points. She then beat Renee Schuurman Haygarth of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in a semifinal 6–4, 6–4 before losing to fellow Britain Angela Mortimer
Angela Mortimer
Florence Angela Margaret Mortimer Barrett is a former World No. 1 British female tennis player. She was born in Plymouth, Devon, England...
in the final.
In 1972, Janes teamed with Winnie Shaw
Winnie Shaw
Winifred Mason Shaw was a Scottish tennis player. In 2002 she was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. She was born in Glasgow....
to reach the women's doubles final at the French Championships, where they lost to Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...
and Betty Stöve
Betty Stöve
Betty Stöve is a former Dutch professional tennis player. She is best remembered for reaching the ladies' singles final at Wimbledon in 1977. She also won ten Grand Slam titles in women's doubles and mixed doubles.-Career:...
6–1, 6–2.
According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, Janes was ranked in the world top ten from 1957 through 1961 and in 1965, reaching a career high of World No. 2 in those rankings in 1959. She played Wightman Cup from 1957 through 1971 (winning the cup in 1958, 1960, and 1968). She also played Federation Cup in 1963, 1965, and 1968, posting a 6–3 singles record and a 2–2 doubles record.
She retired from tennis in 1975 and became a commentator for BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
the same year. In 1967 she married former Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
player Gerry Janes. In the 2001 Queen's Birthday's Honours list, she was awarded an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for her "services to sport".
Win
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1959 | French Championships |  Zsuzsi Kormoczy |
6–4, 7–5 |
Runner-ups (2)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1959 | U.S. Championships |  Maria BuenoMaria Bueno Maria Esther Andion Bueno is a former professional tennis player from Brazil. During her 11-year career , she won 19 Major titles .... |
6–1, 6–4 |
| 1961 | Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
 Angela Mortimer Barrett |
4–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| Tournament | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
A | A | A | SF | A | A | 2R | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 3 |
| France | 1R | QF | W | A | QF | 4R | SF | QF | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1 / 8 |
| Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
SF | 4R | 4R | SF | F | 3R | 4R | 2R | SF | A | 1R | 2R | 4R | A | 4R | A | 1R | 3R | 0 / 15 |
| United States | 3R | QF | F | SF | QF | A | QF | A | A | A | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 7 |
| SR | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 33 |
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.
See also
- Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam finalTennis performance timeline comparison (women)This article presents in a tabular form the career tennis Grand Slam, World Hard Court Championships and Olympic singles results of every woman who has reached the singles final of at least one Grand Slam, World Hard Court Championships or Olympic tournament during her career...