Gail Chanfreau
Australian-French tennis player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gail Chanfreau (née Sherriff; born 3 April 1945), also known as Gail Lovera and Gail Benedetti, is a French former amateur and professional tennis player.
| ITF name | Gail Benedetti |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Australia  France |
| Born | 3 April 1945 Bondi, New South Wales |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1967, 1972) |
| French Open | QF (1968, 1971) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1966, 1970) |
| US Open | 3R (1971) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1968, 1972) |
| French Open | W (1967, 1970, 1971, 1976) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1971, 1975) |
| US Open | F (1971) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1965, 1966) |
| French Open | SF (1971) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1969, 1974, 1975) |
| US Open | QF (1970) |
| Team competitions | |
| Fed Cup | 27–26 |
Tennis career
Chanfreau was born in Australia, but moved to France in 1968.[1] Chanfreau made her first appearance in the Federation Cup for Australia in 1966. She played for the France Fed Cup team from 1969 to 1980.
When Gail beat her sister Carol Sherriff, who reached the third round of the Australian Open on five occasions, 8–10, 6–3, 6–3 in the 1966 Wimbledon Championships second round,[2] that was the second match between sisters at Wimbledon, the first being in the 1884 Wimbledon Championships when Maud Watson beat Lillian.[3] The next Wimbledon match between sisters was in 2000 between Serena and Venus Williams.[2]
Chanfreau reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 1967 and 1972 as well as the quarterfinals of the French Open in 1968 and 1971. She won the French Open doubles in 1967, 1970 and 1971 with Françoise Dürr and 1976 with Fiorella Bonicelli.[1]
At the Cincinnati Masters, she reached the singles final in 1969, losing to Lesley Turner Bowrey.
She was international veterans mixed-doubles champion in 1968 and 1975 with Pierre Darmon.
Personal life
She married French tennis player Jean-Baptiste Chanfreau in 1968 and moved to France. Her second marriage was to Jean Lovera, another French tennis player.[4][5]
Grand Slam tournament finals
Doubles: 7 (4 titles, 3 runner-ups)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1967 | French Championships | Clay | Françoise Dürr |  Annette Van Zyl Pat Walkden | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Win | 1970 | French Open | Clay | Françoise Dürr |  Rosemary Casals Billie Jean King | 6–1, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 1971 | French Open | Clay | Françoise Dürr | Helen Gourlay Kerry Harris | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Loss | 1971 | US Open | Grass | Françoise Dürr | Rosemary Casals Judy Tegart | 3–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1974 | French Open | Clay |  Katja Burgemeister | Chris Evert Olga Morozova | 4–6, 6–2, 1–6 |
| Win | 1976 | French Open | Clay |  Fiorella Bonicelli | Kathleen Harter Helga Masthoff | 6–4, 1–6, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1978 | French Open | Clay | Lesley Turner |  Mima Jaušovec Virginia Ruzici | 7–5, 4–6, 6–8 |
