Brenda Kirk

Brenda Kirk (11 January 1951 – 6 September 2015) was a South African female tennis player.[1]

Brenda Kirk
Country (sports) South Africa
Born(1951-01-11)11 January 1951
Rhodesia
Died6 September 2015(2015-09-06) (aged 64)
Singles
Grand Slam Singles results
French Open3R (1972)
Wimbledon3R (1971)
US Open1R (1969, 1972)
Doubles
Career titles2
Grand Slam Doubles results
French Open3R (1969, 1971)
Wimbledon3R (1971, 1973)
US OpenQF (1972)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
French Open1R (1970)
Wimbledon4R (1970)
US Open3R (1969)
Team competitions
Fed CupW (1972)

Career

Her best singles result at a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the third round at the 1971 Wimbledon Championships and 1972 French Open.[2]

In January 1971 she won the singles title of the Natal Sugar Championships.[3] She won two doubles titles during her career; in July 1971 she won the Swiss Open partnering Laura Rossouw and in July 1972 she won the Irish Open with Pat Walkden.

She played for the South African Fed Cup team in 15 ties between 1969 and 1973 comprising a record of 17 wins and 10 losses. She was part of the South African team that won the Federation Cup in 1972 after a victory in the final over Great Britain at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, South Africa.[4]

Personal life

Kirk married Jimmy Dimitriou in 1975 and the couple had two children.[5] They divorced and she later married Iain Bryson with whom she had one child. Kirk died in her sleep on 6 September 2015.[5]

Career finals

Doubles: 10 (2 titles, 8 runner-ups)

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1. 5 April 1971 Johannesburg, South Africa Hard Laura Rossouw Margaret Smith
Evonne Goolagong
3–6, 2–6
Winner 1. 5 July 1971 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Laura Rossouw Françoise Dürr
Lea Pericoli
8–6, 6–3
Runner-up 2. 8 May 1972 Bournemouth, UK Hard Betty Stöve Evonne Goolagong
Helen Gourlay
5–7, 1–6
Runner-up 3. 19 June 1972 London (Queens), UK Grass Pat Walkden Rosie Casals
Billie Jean King
7–5, 0–6, 2–6
Winner 2. 15 July 1972 Dublin, Ireland Grass Pat Walkden Evonne Goolagong
Karen Krantzcke
6–3, 8–10, 6–2
Runner-up 4. 22 July 1972 Hoylake, UK Grass Pat Walkden Evonne Goolagong
Helen Gourlay
Prize divided (rain)
Runner-up 5. 6 August 1972 Cincinnati, US Clay Pat Walkden Margaret Court
Evonne Goolagong
4–6, 1–6
Runner-up 6. 20 August 1972 Toronto, Canada Clay Pat Walkden Margaret Court
Evonne Goolagong
6–3, 3–6, 5–7
Runner-up 7. 27 August 1972 Haverford (Merion), US Grass Pat Walkden Virginia Wade
Sharon Walsh
6–3, 3–6, 5–7
Runner-up 8. 6 November 1972 Torquay, UK Carpet Sharon Walsh Margaret Court
Virginia Wade
4–6, 4–6

References

  1. "WTA – Player profile". WTA.
  2. "Wimbledon players archive – Brenda Kirk". AELTC.
  3. Russell Eldridge, ed. (1977). Tennis : The South African Story. Owen Williams. p. 111. OCLC 86066820.
  4. "S. Africa Takes Federations Cup". The New York Times. 26 March 1972.
  5. "Brenda Kirk, one of South Africa's great tennis legends". www.tennissa.co.za. Tennis South Africa. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
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