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.

Gail Chanfreau
ITF nameGail Benedetti
Country (sports) Australia
 France
Born (1945-04-03) 3 April 1945 (age 79)
Bondi, New South Wales
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQF (1967, 1972)
French OpenQF (1968, 1971)
Wimbledon3R (1966, 1970)
US Open3R (1971)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenSF (1968, 1972)
French OpenW (1967, 1970, 1971, 1976)
WimbledonSF (1971, 1975)
US OpenF (1971)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian OpenQF (1965, 1966)
French OpenSF (1971)
Wimbledon3R (1969, 1974, 1975)
US OpenQF (1970)
Team competitions
Fed Cup27–26

Tennis career

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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 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, and 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, only to fall to future International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Lesley Turner Bowrey, 1–6, 7–5, 10–10 ret.

She was international veterans mixed-doubles champion in 1968 and 1975 with Pierre Darmon.

Personal life

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She married French tennis player Jean-Baptiste Chanfreau in 1968 and moved to France. Her second marriage was to another French tennis player, Jean Lovera.[4][5]

Grand Slam tournament finals

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Doubles: 7 (4 titles, 3 runner-ups)

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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

References

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  1. ^ a b "Françoise DURR et Gail LOVERA (1) LA PASSION ENCORE ET TOUJOURS". L'Express. Retrieved 13 January 2009.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b Roberts, John (5 July 2000). "Venus eclipses Hingis to set up historic meeting". The Independent. Retrieved 13 January 2009.[dead link]
  3. ^ Finn, Robin (29 June 1998). "Tennis; Serena Williams Plays Catch-Up, With Sister in Path". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  4. ^ "Sherriffs call shots in 20th century SW19 history". International Tennis Federation (ITF). 29 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Tribute to Ross Sheriff". Tennis Australia. 2007.
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