Shirley Brasher
Full name | Shirley Juliet Bloomer |
---|---|
Country (sports) | ![]() |
Born | Grimsby, England | 13 June 1934
Singles | |
Highest ranking | No. 3 (1957) (Tingay) [1] |
Grand Slam singles results | |
French Open | W (1957) |
Wimbledon | QF (1956, 1958) |
US Open | SF (1956) |
Doubles | |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
French Open | W (1957) |
Wimbledon | F (1955) |
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
French Open | W (1958) |
Team competitions | |
Wightman Cup | W (1958, 1960) |
Shirley Brasher (née Bloomer; born 13 June 1934) is a former tennis player from England who won three Grand Slam titles during her career and who was the top-ranked singles player in her country in 1957.
Early life
She attended Cleethorpes Girls' Grammar School (became Lindsey School in 1973) in Cleethorpes.
Career
Brasher (then known as Shirley Bloomer) won the singles title at the 1957
Bloomer teamed with Darlene Hard to win the women's doubles title at the 1957 French Championships, defeating Yola Ramírez and Rosie Reyes in the final 7–5, 4–6, 7–5. She teamed with Nicola Pietrangeli to win the mixed doubles title at the 1958 French Championships, defeating Lorraine Coghlan and Robert Howe in the final.[3]
Bloomer partnered
She reached the final of Monte Carlo in 1956, losing to
Bloomer played on the British
Bloomer played a hard baseline game, and her tennis was concerted rather than spectacular. She was a member of the Grimsby Town Tennis Club, which was located in College Street, Grimsby.
Personal life
In April 1959, she married Olympic champion athlete Chris Brasher who helped pace Roger Bannister to running the first sub-four-minute mile in 1954.[6][7] They had three children, including their daughter Kate who played on the women's professional tennis tour in the 1980s.[8]
Grand Slam finals
Singles (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1957 | French Championships | Clay | ![]() |
6–1, 6–3 |
Loss | 1958 | French Championships | Clay | Zsuzsi Körmöczy |
4–6, 6–1, 2–6 |
Doubles (1 title, 2 runner-ups)
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1955 | French Championships | Clay | Pat Ward |
5–7, 8–6, 11–13 | |
Loss | 1955 | Wimbledon | Grass | Pat Ward |
![]() ![]() |
5–7, 1–6 |
Win | 1957 | French Championships | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–5, 4–6, 7–5 |
Mixed Doubles (1 title)
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1958 | French Championships | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
8–6, 6–2 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Tournament | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 |
1972 |
1973 | 1974 | Career SR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Championships
|
A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
French Championships | A | A | 3R | QF | QF | W | F | 4R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1 / 6 |
Wimbledon
|
1R | 3R | A | 4R | QF | 4R | QF | 2R | 3R | 2R | A | 2R | A | A | 4R | A | 4R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 0 / 18 |
U.S. Championships | A | A | A | 3R | SF | QF | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 4 |
SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 28 |
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-937559-38-0.
- ^ a b G.P. Hughes, ed. (1958). Dunlop Lawn Tennis Annual 1958. London: Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd. p. 306.
- ^ a b British Lawn Tennis July 1958
- ^ My Waiting Game Mortimer, Angela Published by Frederick Muller (1962)
- AELTC.
- ^ a b c C.M. Jones, ed. (1960). Dawson's International Lawn Tennis Almanac. London: Dawson's of Pall Mall. p. 368.
- ^ "Sports Stars Go To Altar 1959". British Pathé. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ Nick Mason (1 March 2003). "Chris Brasher". The Guardian.
Sources
- Martin Hedges, 1978. The Concise Dictionary of Tennis. Mayflower Books Inc.
External links
- Shirley Brasher at the International Tennis Federation
- Shirley Brasher at Wimbledon