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

Brenda Kirk
Country (sports)South Africa South Africa
Born(1951-01-11)11 January 1951
Rhodesia
Died6 September 2015(2015-09-06) (aged 64)
Singles
Career titles0
Grand Slam singles results
French Open1R (1969, 1970, 1971, 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

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Her best singles result at a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the third round at the 1971 Wimbledon Championships.[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

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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

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

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Result W-L Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 Apr 1971 Johannesburg, South Africa Hard   Laura Rossouw   Margaret Smith
  Evonne Goolagong
3–6, 2–6
Win 1–1 Jul 1971 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay   Laura Rossouw   Françoise Dürr
  Lea Pericoli
8–6, 6–3
Loss 1–2 May 1972 Bournemouth, UK Hard   Betty Stöve   Evonne Goolagong
  Helen Gourlay
5–7, 1–6
Loss 1–3 Jun 1972 London (Queens), UK Grass   Pat Walkden   Rosie Casals
  Billie Jean King
7–5, 0–6, 2–6
Win 2–3 Jul 1972 Dublin, Ireland Grass   Pat Walkden   Evonne Goolagong
  Karen Krantzcke
6–3, 8–10, 6–2
Loss 2–4 Jul 1972 Hoylake, UK Grass   Pat Walkden   Evonne Goolagong
  Helen Gourlay
Prize divided (rain)
Loss 2–5 Aug 1972 Cincinnati, US Clay   Pat Walkden   Margaret Court
  Evonne Goolagong
4–6, 1–6
Loss 2–6 Aug 1972 Toronto, Canada Clay   Pat Walkden   Margaret Court
  Evonne Goolagong
6–3, 3–6, 5–7
Loss 2–7 Aug 1972 Haverford (Merion), US Grass   Pat Walkden   Virginia Wade
  Sharon Walsh
6–3, 3–6, 5–7
Loss 2–8 Nov 1972 Torquay, UK Carpet   Sharon Walsh   Margaret Court
  Virginia Wade
4–6, 4–6

References

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  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. ^ a b "Brenda Kirk, one of South Africa's great tennis legends". tennissa.co.za. Tennis South Africa. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
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