Gail Chanfreau

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
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

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

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

Doubles: 7 (4 titles, 3 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1967French ChampionshipsClayFrance Françoise DürrSouth Africa Annette Van Zyl
South Africa Pat Walkden		6–2, 6–2
Win1970French OpenClayFrance Françoise DürrUnited States Rosemary Casals
United States Billie Jean King		6–1, 3–6, 6–3
Win1971French OpenClayFrance Françoise DürrAustralia Helen Gourlay
Australia Kerry Harris		6–4, 6–1
Loss1971US OpenGrassFrance Françoise DürrUnited States Rosemary Casals
Australia Judy Tegart		3–6, 3–6
Loss1974French OpenClayWest Germany Katja BurgemeisterUnited States Chris Evert
Soviet Union Olga Morozova		4–6, 6–2, 1–6
Win1976French OpenClayUruguay Fiorella BonicelliUnited States Kathleen Harter
West Germany Helga Masthoff		6–4, 1–6, 6–3
Loss1978French OpenClayAustralia Lesley TurnerSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mima Jaušovec
Romania Virginia Ruzici		7–5, 4–6, 6–8

References
  1. "Françoise DURR et Gail LOVERA (1) LA PASSION ENCORE ET TOUJOURS". L'Express. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  2. Roberts, John (5 July 2000). "Venus eclipses Hingis to set up historic meeting". The Independent. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  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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