Karen Krantzcke
Encyclopedia
Karen Krantzcke was an Australian tennis
player who achieved a World Top Ten singles ranking in 1970. In her short career, she made the quarterfinals or better at each of the four Grand Slam
championships. She also assisted Australia to victory in the Federation Cup
.
At the age of only 31, Krantzcke died from a heart attack while jogging
.
, Australia.
A right-handed player, she achieved much junior success including winning the Australian
junior singles title in 1966.
and the French Open and then reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon
. At these tournaments, she had upset such highly ranked players as Virginia Wade
, Françoise Durr
, and Judy Tegart Dalton.
During this time, she also combined with Dalton to win the Federation Cup
for Australia, remaining undefeated in singles and doubles on the German clay.
After Wimbledon in 1970, 'Kran' took eighteen months off the tour after discovering she was hypoglycemic
.
On returning to the tour, she was never able to get back to her best form. She continued to do well in her home Australian title and reached the semifinals for the second time in 1977.
instituted the Karen Krantczke Sportsmanship Award which is still awarded annually to a female professional tennis player.
A street in the Canberra
suburb of Nicholls, Australian Capital Territory
, Krantczke Crescent, is named after the tennis star.
for Australia; in 1966 and 1970. She also represented Australia in the Bonne Bell Cup in 1974.
A = did not participate in the tournament.
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
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 who achieved a World Top Ten singles ranking in 1970. In her short career, she made the quarterfinals or better at each of the four Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
championships. She also assisted Australia to victory in the Federation Cup
Fed Cup
Fed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
.
At the age of only 31, Krantzcke died from a heart attack while jogging
Jogging
Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running.-Definition:...
.
Early career
Karen Krantzcke was born on 1 February 1946, in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia.
A right-handed player, she achieved much junior success including winning the Australian
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...
junior singles title in 1966.
Professional career
Krantczke's most successful season came in 1969/70. After reaching the US Open quarterfinals, she reached the semifinals at the Australian OpenAustralian 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...
and the French Open and then reached the quarterfinals at 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...
. At these tournaments, she had upset such highly ranked players as Virginia Wade
Virginia Wade
Sarah Virginia Wade, OBE is a former English tennis player. She won three Grand Slam singles championships and four Grand Slam doubles championships. She won the women's singles championship at Wimbledon on 1 July 1977, in that tournament's centenary year, the last time any Briton has won a...
, Françoise Durr
Françoise Durr
Françoise Durr is a retired tennis player from France. She won 26 major singles titles and over 60 doubles titles....
, and Judy Tegart Dalton.
During this time, she also combined with Dalton to win the Federation Cup
Fed Cup
Fed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
for Australia, remaining undefeated in singles and doubles on the German clay.
After Wimbledon in 1970, 'Kran' took eighteen months off the tour after discovering she was hypoglycemic
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia or hypoglycæmia is the medical term for a state produced by a lower than normal level of blood glucose. The term literally means "under-sweet blood"...
.
On returning to the tour, she was never able to get back to her best form. She continued to do well in her home Australian title and reached the semifinals for the second time in 1977.
Death
While playing on the Challenger circuit in the USA in 1977, Krantczke suffered a heart attack while jogging. In response to her untimely death, the WTAWomen's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...
instituted the Karen Krantczke Sportsmanship Award which is still awarded annually to a female professional tennis player.
A street in the Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
suburb of Nicholls, Australian Capital Territory
Nicholls, Australian Capital Territory
Nicholls is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Gungahlin is named after Sir Douglas Nicholls , a former Governor of South Australia. It was gazetted on 18 October 1991. Streets are named after sportsmen and sportswomen....
, Krantczke Crescent, is named after the tennis star.
Team results
Krantczke played twice in Federation CupFed Cup
Fed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
for Australia; in 1966 and 1970. She also represented Australia in the Bonne Bell Cup in 1974.
Win
| Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents in Final | Score in Final |
| 1968 | Australian Championships 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... |
 Kerry Melville Reid |
Judy Tegart Dalton Lesley Turner Bowrey Lesley Turner Bowrey Lesley Rosemary Turner Bowrey AM is an Australian female tennis player.Bowrey won 13 Grand Slam titles during her career: two in singles, seven in women's doubles, and four in mixed doubles. She lost in the final of 14 other Grand Slam events.Bowrey twice won the singles title at the French... |
6–4, 3–6, 6–2 |
Runner-ups (3)
| Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents in Final | Score in Final |
| 1970 | Australian Open 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... |
Kerry Melville Reid |
Margaret Court Judy Tegart Dalton |
6–3, 6–1 |
| 1972 | Australian Open | Patricia Coleman Gregg |
Helen Gourlay Cawley Kerry Harris Kerry Harris Kerri Harris is an Australian former professional tennis player, active from 1967 to 1975, who reached the semi-final of the 1972 Australian Open, and reached four Grand Slam doubles finals, of which she won one, in the 1972 Australian Open.-Career:Harris first reached a Grand Slam final in the... |
6–0, 6–4 |
| 1974 | 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... |
Helen Gourlay Cawley |
Evonne Goolagong Cawley Peggy Michel |
2–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| Tournament | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2R | 2R | 3R | 3R | QF | QF | SF | A | 3R | QF | QF | A | A | SF | A |
| France French Open (tennis) The French Open |Roland Garros]]) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are... |
A | A | A | A | 3R | 2R | SF | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | |
| 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... |
A | A | 4R | 3R | 2R | 4R | QF | A | 2R | 2R | 4R | A | A | A | |
| United States U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... |
A | A | A | A | 3R | QF | A | A | 3R | 3R | 3R | A | A | A | |
A = did not participate in the tournament.
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.