Karen Susman

Karen Susman (née Hantze; born December 11, 1942) is a retired female tennis player from the United States. She won the 1962 women's singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Věra Pužejová Suková in the final 6–4, 6–4, but did not defend her title in 1963. She won three Grand Slam women's doubles titles, all with Billie Jean King. She also won the 1960 Wimbledon junior girls' singles title.

Karen Hantze Susman
ITF nameKaren Susman
Country (sports) United States
Born (1942-12-11) December 11, 1942
San Diego, California, U.S.
PlaysRight–handed
Singles
Career record0–0
Highest rankingNo.4 (1962)
Grand Slam singles results
French OpenQF (1964)
WimbledonW (1962)
US OpenQF (1959, 1964)
Doubles
Career record0–0
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open3R (1964)
WimbledonW (1961, 1962)
US OpenW (1964)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open3R (1964)
WimbledonQF (1960, 1964)

Tennis career

Susman and Billie Jean Moffitt, as an unseeded team, won the 1961 women's doubles title at Wimbledon, defeating the third-seeded team of Jan Lehane and Margaret Smith in the final 6–3, 6–4. Susman and Moffitt successfully defended their title in 1962, defeating the South African team of Renée Schuurman and Sandra Reynolds in the final 5–7, 6–3, 7–5. Susman and Moffitt reached the 1964 women's doubles final at Wimbledon, losing to the top-seeded team of Smith and Lesley Turner 7–5, 6–2. For Wimbledon's centenary celebration in 1977, Susman and (Moffitt) King teamed for the last time. As the eighth-seeded team, they were upset in the second round by the team of Mary Carillo and Trish Bostrom 7–9, 6–4, 6–3.

Susman and Moffitt won the 1964 women's doubles title at the U.S. Championships, defeating Smith and Turner in the final 3–6, 6–2, 6–4. Susman and Moffitt reached the 1962 women's doubles final at the U.S. Championships, losing to the team of Maria Bueno and Darlene Hard 4–6, 6–3, 6–2. They also reached the 1965 women's doubles final at the U.S. Championships, losing to the team of Nancy Richey and Carole Caldwell Graebner 6–4, 6–4. Susman gave birth to her only child in October 1963[1] and played very little in 1963, deciding not to defend her Wimbledon singles and doubles titles. She returned to play in 1964, and at Wimbledon, she lost in a third-round match to Margaret Smith. She entered the U.S. Championships the same year, but withdrew before the tournament. Susman played little in the 1960s and 1970s, but joined the start of Team Tennis in the U.S. in 1974 and made occasional tournament appearances,[2] returning to Wimbledon once and the US Open, where her last Grand Slam singles tournament was at the 1980 US Open. She defeated Tanya Harford in the first round 3–6, 6–2, 6–4 and Janet Newberry in the second round 7–5, 6–1, then lost to 14th-seeded Ivanna Madruga 6–3, 6–1.

According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Susman was ranked in the world top 10 in 1961, 1962, and 1964, reaching a career high of world no. 4 in 1962.[3] Susman was included in the year-end top 10 rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association from 1959 through 1962 and in 1964. She was the second-ranked U.S. player behind Hard from 1960 through 1962.[4]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 1 (1 title)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Win1962Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrassCzechoslovakia Věra Suková6–4, 6–4

Doubles: 6 (3 titles, 3 runners-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1961WimbledonGrassUnited States Billie Jean MoffittAustralia Jan Lehane
Australia Margaret Smith		6–3, 6–4
Win1962WimbledonGrassUnited States Billie Jean MoffittSouth Africa Sandra Reynolds Price
South Africa Renée Schuurman		5–7, 6–3, 7–5
Loss1962U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Billie Jean MoffittBrazil Maria Bueno
United States Darlene Hard		4–6, 6–3, 6–2
Loss1964WimbledonGrassUnited States Billie Jean MoffittAustralia Margaret Smith
Australia Lesley Turner		7–5, 6–2
Win1964U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Billie Jean MoffittAustralia Margaret Smith
Australia Lesley Turner		3–6, 6–2, 6–4
Loss1965U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Billie Jean MoffittUnited States Carole Caldwell Graebner
United States Nancy Richey		6–4, 6–4

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.
Tournament19581959196019611962196319641965 – 196819691970 – 197519761977197819791980Career SR
Australia A A A A A A A A A A A A / A A A A 0 / 0
France A A A A A A QF A A A A A A A A 0 / 1
Wimbledon A A QF QF W A 3R A A A A 2R A A A 1 / 5
United States 3R QF 3R 3R 3R A QF A 1R A 1R A A 2R 3R 0 / 10
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 2 1 / 2 0 / 0 0 / 3 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 1 1 / 16

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

See also

References
  1. Seminara, Dave (6 July 2012). "When Skills in the Kitchen Outranked Skills on the Court". The New York Times.
  2. Seminara, Dave (6 July 2012). "When Skills in the Kitchen Outranked Skills on the Court". The New York Times.
  3. Collins, Bud (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York, N.Y: New Chapter Press. pp. 695, 703. ISBN 978-0-942257-41-0.
  4. United States Tennis Association (1988). 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook. Lynn, Massachusetts: H.O. Zimman, Inc. p. 261.
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