Helen Gourlay

Helen Gourlay Cawley (née Gourlay; born 23 December 1946) is a retired female tennis player from Australia.

Helen Gourlay
Full nameHelen Gourlay Cawley
Country (sports) Australia
Born (1946-12-23) 23 December 1946
Launceston, Australia
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in) [1]
Retired1978
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Career recordno value
Highest rankingNo. 12 (1971)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenF (1977Dec)
French OpenF (1971)
Wimbledon4R (1968, 1972, 1977)
US OpenQF (1970)
Doubles
Career recordno value
Career titles20
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian OpenW (1972, 1976, 1977, 1977)
French OpenF (1971, 1977)
WimbledonW (1977)
US OpenQF (1971, 1974)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open2R (1967)
French OpenSF (1966)
WimbledonSF (1970, 1974)
US OpenQF (1971)

Personal

She was born in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. She married Richard Leon Cawley in January 1977, and married William Timothy Cape in October 1986.

Career

Cawley reached the singles final of two Grand Slam tournaments, losing the 1971 French Open and the December 1977 Australian Open to countrywoman Evonne Goolagong Cawley. Despite both players marrying men with the same surname, they are not related to each other.[2]

An operation on her elbow sidelined her for 10 months in 1973.[3]

Cawley's greatest success was in women's doubles. She was a four-time winner of the Australian Open (1972, 1976, 1977 (January), 1977 (December)). She won Wimbledon in 1977 partnering JoAnne Russell and was the runner-up there in 1974. And she was twice the runner-up at the French Open (1971 and 1977).

Grand Slam finals

Singles (2 runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1971French OpenClay Evonne Goolagong3–6, 5–7
Loss1977Australian Open (Dec)Grass Evonne Goolagong Cawley3–6, 0–6

Doubles (5 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1971French OpenClay Kerry Harris Françoise Dürr
Gail Chanfreau
4–6, 1–6
Win1972Australian OpenGrass Kerry Harris Patricia Coleman
Karen Krantzcke
6–0, 6–4
Loss1974WimbledonGrass Karen Krantzcke Evonne Goolagong
Peggy Michel
6–2, 4–6, 3–6
Win1976Australian OpenGrass Evonne Goolagong Renáta Tomanová
Lesley Turner Bowrey
8–1
Win1977(Jan)Australian OpenGrass Dianne Fromholtz Kerry Melville Reid
Betsy Nagelsen
5–7, 6–1, 7–5
Loss1977French OpenClay Rayni Fox Regina Maršíková
Pam Teeguarden
7–5, 4–6, 2–6
Win1977WimbledonGrass JoAnne Russell Martina Navratilova
Betty Stöve
6–3, 6–3
Win1977(Dec)Australian OpenGrass Evonne Goolagong Mona Guerrant
Kerry Melville Reid
Shared

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. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)
Tournament19641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980Career SR
Australia QF 3R 3R 2R 1R QF A QF SF A 2R 2R SF SF F A A 1R 0 / 14
France A A 1R 3R 3R 2R 1R F 4R A A A A 3R A A A 0 / 8
Wimbledon A A 2R 1R 4R 3R 2R 1R 4R 1R 3R 2R A 4R 2R A A 0 / 11
United States A A A A A A QF 2R 1R 1R 2R 2R 3R 2R A A A 0 / 8
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 5 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 41

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

Coaching

Gourlay was coached by Brian Hudson for over 10 years. She lived with Brian, his wife Beryl and their children for three years while he coached her for free at his Granville (Sydney) tennis courts (1963-1965). Gourlay and Brian played mixed doubles at White City (1968) and Wimbledon (1972). Gourlay was also coached by Brian at his Terranora court leading into many international events, including Gram Slams. Brian coached Gourlay in the 1977 Australian Open, in which fifth-seeded Gourlay defeated second-seeded Sue Barker in the semi-final.

Gourlay was one of the inaugural coaches of the Australian Institute of Sport tennis program when it was established in Canberra in 1981.[4] Gourlay left the program in 1986.


Recognition

In 1987 she was inducted into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame and in 2000 received the Australian Sports Medal.[4]

See also

References

  1. Bostic, Stephanie, ed. (1979). USTA Player Records 1978. United States Tennis Association (USTA). p. 181.
  2. "Evonne Goolagong routs Cawley to win 4th lid". Bangor Daily News. 2 January 1978. p. 16.
  3. Jack Gurney (14 April 1974). "Helen Gourlay's Persistence Typifies Aussie Standards". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 4-D.
  4. "Helen Gourlay (Cawley)". www.dpac.tas.gov.au. Tasmanian Government.
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