Helen Gourlay

Helen Gourlay Cawley (née Gourlay; born 23 December 1946) is a retired tennis player from Australia.

Helen Gourlay
Full nameHelen Gourlay Cawley
Country (sports) Australia
Born (1946-12-23) 23 December 1946
Launceston, Australia
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Retired1978
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Career recordno value
Highest rankingNo. 12 (1971)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenF (1977Dec)
French OpenF (1971)
Wimbledon4R (1968, 1972, 1977)
US OpenQF (1970)
Doubles
Career recordno value
Career titles20
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenW (1972, 1976, 1977, 1977)
French OpenF (1971, 1977)
WimbledonW (1977)
US OpenQF (1971, 1974)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open2R (1967)
French OpenSF (1966)
WimbledonSF (1970, 1974)
US OpenQF (1971)

Personal

Helen Gourlay was born in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. She married Richard Leon Cawley in January 1977, and married William Timothy Cape in October 1986.

Career

Cawley reached the singles final of two Grand Slam tournaments, losing the 1971 French Open and the December 1977 Australian Open to countrywoman Evonne Goolagong.[2]

An operation on her elbow sidelined her for 10 months in 1973.[3]

In women's doubles, Cawley was a four-time winner of the Australian Open (1972, 1976, 1977 (January), 1977 (December)). She won Wimbledon in 1977 partnering JoAnne Russell and was the runner-up there in 1974 with Karen Krantzcke. Gourlay was twice the runner-up at the French Open in 1971 with Kerry Harris and 1977 with Rayni Fox. In 1977, Gourlay played in four of the five Grand Slam Women's Doubles finals (the Australian Open was contested twice), only failing to reach the US Open final, where she lost in the second round with JoAnne Russell.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (2 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1971French OpenClayAustralia Evonne Goolagong3–6, 5–7
Loss1977Australian Open (Dec)GrassAustralia Evonne Goolagong3–6, 0–6

Doubles (5 titles, 3 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1971French OpenClayAustralia Kerry HarrisFrance Françoise Dürr
France Gail Chanfreau		4–6, 1–6
Win1972Australian OpenGrassAustralia Kerry HarrisAustralia Patricia Coleman
Australia Karen Krantzcke		6–0, 6–4
Loss1974WimbledonGrassAustralia Karen KrantzckeAustralia Evonne Goolagong
United States Peggy Michel		6–2, 4–6, 3–6
Win1976Australian OpenGrassAustralia Evonne GoolagongCzechoslovakia Renáta Tomanová
Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey		8–1
Win1977(Jan)Australian OpenGrassAustralia Dianne FromholtzAustralia Kerry Melville Reid
United States Betsy Nagelsen		5–7, 6–1, 7–5
Loss1977French OpenClayUnited States Rayni FoxCzechoslovakia Regina Maršíková
United States Pam Teeguarden		7–5, 4–6, 2–6
Win1977WimbledonGrassUnited States JoAnne RussellUnited States Martina Navratilova
Netherlands Betty Stöve		6–3, 6–3
Win1977(Dec)Australian OpenGrassAustralia Evonne GoolagongUnited States Mona Guerrant
Australia Kerry Melville Reid		Shared

Note: Evonne Goolagong Cawley occasionally is credited incorrectly with winning the 1977 Ladies Doubles event at Wimbledon, due to the confusion regarding the married name of her compatriot Helen Gourlay who in fact took the trophy. Both women were listed in tournaments as Mrs. R. Cawley (Goolagong was Mrs. R.A. Cawley and Gourlay Mrs. R.L. Cawley). Goolagong Cawley did not participate at Wimbledon 1977.

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
Tournament19641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980Career SR
Australia QF 3R 3R 2R 1R QF A QF SF A 2R 2R SF SF F A A 1R 0 / 14
France A A 1R 3R 3R 2R 1R F 4R A A A A 3R A A A 0 / 8
Wimbledon A A 2R 1R 4R 3R 2R 1R 4R 1R 3R 2R A 4R 2R A A 0 / 11
United States A A A A A A QF 2R 1R 1R 2R 2R 3R 2R A A A 0 / 8
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 5 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 41

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

Coaching

Gourlay was coached by Brian Hudson for over 10 years. She lived with Hudson, his wife Beryl and their children for three years while he coached her for free at his Granville (Sydney) tennis courts (1963-1965). Gourlay and Hudson played mixed doubles at White City (1968) and Wimbledon (1972). Gourlay also was coached by Hudson at his Terranora court, leading into many international events, including Grand Slams. Hudson coached Gourlay in the 1977 Australian Open, in which Gourlay defeated Sue Barker in the semifinals.

Gourlay was one of the inaugural coaches of the Australian Institute of Sport tennis program when it was established in Canberra in 1981.[4] Gourlay left the program in 1986.

Recognition

In 1987, she was inducted into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame, and in 2000, she received the Australian Sports Medal.[4]

See also

References
  1. Bostic, Stephanie, ed. (1979). USTA Player Records 1978. United States Tennis Association (USTA). p. 181.
  2. "Evonne Goolagong routs Cawley to win 4th lid". Bangor Daily News. 2 January 1978. p. 16.
  3. Jack Gurney (14 April 1974). "Helen Gourlay's Persistence Typifies Aussie Standards". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 4-D.
  4. "Helen Gourlay (Cawley)". dpac.tas.gov.au. Tasmanian Government.
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