14 February 2012

1966 Ranking Year


At age 22, Billie Jean King finally won her first Grand Slam singles title on her 14th attempt since 1959. This title had extra meaning for King because she triumphed at Wimbledon, her favorite tournament. And her path to the title was not smoothed by absent or injured rivals. She earned this championshop by defeating her two biggest rivals in consecutive matches on the sport's most hallowed ground.

King swept away top-seeded Margaret Smith Court in a straight-sets semifinal. The Australian looked uninspired against the woman she had beaten, often comprehensively, 9 times out of their 10 lifetime matches. Smith Court had been seriously considering retirement. If she thought this match were an indicator of her future standard of play, surely her decision to step away was understandable.

King then defeated second-seeded Maria Bueno in the final.

Aside from her Wimbledon title, King won singles titles at the South African National Championships, the U. S. National Indoor Championships, the Federation Cup, the Wightman Cup, the U. S. National Hard Court Championships, and the Piping Rock Invitational.

Losing to Kerry Melville Reid in the second round of the U. S. National Championships had to be very disappointing. From 1959 through 1966, King reached at least the quarterfinals at Forest Hills only 2 times, with her best result being a loss in the 1965 final.

King did not play the Australian National Championships. After the Federation Cup in Italy, King returned to the U. S. instead of playing the French International Championships in Paris.

At year end, columnist Lance Tingay at the London Daily Telegraph newspaper ranked King first in the world for 1966. The United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) ranked King first among American women singles players for the 1966 ranking year.

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD IN SINGLES (59-6)

3-0  Tory Fretz

2-0  Edda Buding Düchting
2-0  Elena Subirats
2-0  Karen Krantzcke
2-0  Lynn Abbes
2-0  Margaret Smith Court
2-0  Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie
2-0  Patti Hogan Fordyce
2-0  Winnie Shaw Wooldridge

2-1  Valerie Ziegenfuss
2-1  Virginia Wade
1-0  Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy
1-0  Betty Ann Grubb Hansen Stuart Dent Grout
1-0  Betty Stöve
1-0  Carol Hanks Aucamp
1-0  Christina Sandberg
1-0  Diane Matzner
1-0  Dora Goldsman
1-0  Dorothy Bundy Cheney
1-0  Elizabeth Blackford
1-0  Esme Emanuel
1-0  Evelyn Ernest
1-0  Françoise Durr
1-0  Gail Russell
1-0  Helga Schultze Hösl Thaw
1-0  Jean Forbes Drysdale
1-0  Jill Cooper
1-0  Justina Bricka Horwitz
1-0  Kathy Blake Bryan
1-0  Louise Gonnerman Feingold
1-0  Maria Bueno
1-0  Maryna Godwin Proctor
1-0  Mimi Arnold Wheeler
1-0  Mimi Henreid
1-0  Nancy Reed
1-0  Nell Truman Robinson
1-0  Pat Cody
1-0  Patsy Rippy Bond
1-0  Peggy Michel
1-0  Robyn Berrey
1-0  Susan Behlmar
1-0  Vivienne Dennis
1-0  Winifred Rawstorne

2-2  Rosemary Casals
1-1  Ann Haydon Jones
1-1  Kerry Melville Reid

FIRST CAREER SINGLES MATCHES AT ADULT TOURNAMENTS

For the first time ever, the following women played King in a singles match at a 1966 adult tournament or event.

Valerie Ziegenfuss:
Ojai Valley Tournament, second round, Ojai, California, week of April 18. King won 6-2, 6-2.
Betty Ann Grubb Hansen Stuart Dent Grout:
Southern California Sectional Championships, third round, Los Angeles, week of May 2. King won 6-3, 6-4 
Françoise Durr:
Federation Cup, quarterfinal, Turin, Italy, week of May 9. King won 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
Nell Truman Robinson:
Wimbledon, second round, week of June 20. King won 6-4, 6-4.
Betty Stöve:
Wimbledon, third round, week of June 20. King won 6-4, 6-3.
Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy:
Wimbledon, quarterfinal, week of June 27. King won 1-6, 6-2, 6-4.
=================

MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS

Most games played in a singles match, during 1966: 36
      * Tulsa Invitational Tennis Championships, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U. S., (SF): [1]  King d. Elena Subirats 10-12, 6-0, 6-2 

Most games played in a singles match, career (1963 through 1966):  

Most games played in a women's doubles match, during 1966: 65
     * Eastern Grass Court Championships, Orange Lawn Tennis Club, South Orange, New Jersey, U. S., (SF): King / Rosemary Casals d. Kerry Melville Reid / Karen Krantzcke 23-25, 6-2, 6-3

Most games played in a women's doubles match, career (1963 through 1966): 65
     * Eastern Grass Court Championships, Orange Lawn Tennis Club, South Orange, New Jersey, U. S., (SF): King / Rosemary Casals d. Kerry Melville Reid / Karen Krantzcke 23-25, 6-2, 6-3

Most games played in a mixed doubles match, during 1966: 56
     * U. S. National Indoor Championships, Longwood Covered Courts, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U. S., (FN): [2]  King / Paul Sullivan d. [1]  Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie / Chauncy Steele III 11-13, 9-7, 9-7

Most games played in a mixed doubles match, career (1963 through 1966):  

Most games played in a set of a singles match, during 1966: 22
      * Tulsa Invitational Tennis Championships, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U. S., (SF): [1]  King d. Elena Subirats 10-12, 6-0, 6-2 

Most games played in a set of a singles match, career (1963 through 1966):  

Most games played in a set of a women's doubles match, during 1966: 48
     * Eastern Grass Court Championships, Orange Lawn Tennis Club, South Orange, New Jersey, U. S., (SF): King / Rosemary Casals d. Kerry Melville Reid / Karen Krantzcke 23-25, 6-2, 6-3

Most games played in a set of a women's doubles match, career (1963 through 1966): 48
     * Eastern Grass Court Championships, Orange Lawn Tennis Club, South Orange, New Jersey, U. S., (SF): King / Rosemary Casals d. Kerry Melville Reid / Karen Krantzcke 23-25, 6-2, 6-3

Most games played in a set of a mixed doubles match, during 1966: 24
      *U. S. National Indoor Championships, Longwood Covered Courts, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U. S.:
(1) SF  [2]  King / Paul Sullivan d. Justina Bricka Horwitz / Robin Rowbotham 11-13, 7-5, 8-6
(2) FN  [2]  King / Paul Sullivan d. [1]  Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie / Chauncy Steele III 
11-13, 9-7, 9-7

Most games played in a set of a mixed doubles match, career (1963 through 1966): 

Fewest games won by King in a singles match, during 1966: 5
     * Federation Cup, Turin Press Sporting Club, Turin, Italy, (SF): King lost to Ann Haydon Jones 6-1, 6-4

Fewest games won by King in a singles match, career (1963 through 1966):

Fewest games won by opponent in a singles match, during 1966: 0
     * U. S. National Indoor Championships, Longwood Covered Courts, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U. S., (2R): [1]  King d. Louise Gonnerman Feingold 6-0, 6-0
     * Southern California Sectional Championships, Los Angeles Tennis Club, Los Angeles, California, U. S., (2R):  [1]  King d. Dora Goldsman 6-0, 6-0
     * Eastern Grass Court Championships, Orange Lawn Tennis Club, South Orange, New Jersey, U. S. (1R): [1]  King d. Elizabeth Blackford 6-0, 6-0

Fewest games won by opponent in a singles match, career (1963 through 1966): 0

Total number of 6-0 sets won-lost by King in singles matches, during 1966: 17-0

Total number of 6-0 sets won-lost by King in singles matches, career (1963 through 1966):

Total number of deuce sets (having at least 12 games) won-lost by King in singles matches, during 1966: 12-7

Total number of deuce sets (having at least 12 games) won-lost by King in singles matches, career (1963 through 1966):

Total number of singles matches lost by King after winning the first set, during 1966: 2

Total number of singles matches lost by King after winning the first set, career (1963 through 1966):

Total number of singles matches won by King after losing the first set, during 1966: 4

Total number of singles matches won by King after losing the first set, career (1963 through 1966): 

Longest winning streak in singles matches, wholly within 1966: 24
     * Federation Cup (1) ... U. S. Hardcourt National Championships (4) ... Tulsa Invitational Tennis Championships (3) ... Northern Tennis Championships (5) ... Wightman Cup (2) ... Wimbledon (7) ... Welsh Tennis Championships (2)

Longest winning streak in singles matches, begun in 1965 and ending in 1966: None
     * King lost the last singles match she played during 1965.

Longest winning streak in singles matches, career (1963 through 1966):

Won-lost record in singles finals, during 1966: 10-0

Won-lost record in singles finals, career (1963 through 1966): 

Won-lost record in singles semifinals, during 1966: 10-0

Won-lost record in singles semifinals, career (1963 through 1966): 

Won-lost record in women's doubles finals, during 1966: 11-4

Won-lost record in women's doubles finals, career (1963 through 1966): 

Won-lost record in women's doubles semifinals, during 1966: 10-0

Won-lost record in women's doubles semifinals, career (1963 through 1966): 

Number of King's mid-match retiremenets in singles matches, during 1966: 0

Number of King's mid-match retiremenets in singles matches, career (1963 through 1966):

Number of King's pre-match defaults in singles matches, during 1966: 2

Number of King's pre-match defaults in singles matches, career (1963 through 1966):



================

According to the USLTA Yearbook, King played 16 singles tournaments and had a 58-6 win-loss record.

Listed below are 16 singles tournaments (10 of which she won) plus Wightman Cup and Federation Cup. Her win-loss record as listed below is 59-6, 90.8% (26-3 on grass, 22-1 on hard courts, 6-1 on clay, and 5-1 indoors).

King also won 11 women's doubles titles.

Week of February 14, 1966
New England Invitational Indoor Championships
North Shore Tennis & Squash Club
Salem, Massachusetts, U. S.
Indoor

General Notes:

(1) This was a 3-day tournament, starting on Sunday, February 13, and ending Tuesday, February 15.

(2) This year was the first holding of this tournament. The club was new.

(3) This was King's first tournament since her wedding on September 17, 1965.

(4) After being defeated in singles and women's doubles, King said, "Guess this is the house of upsets."

Draws:

The singles draw included brackets for 16 women (4 rounds maximum).

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Diane Matzner 6-1, 6-4
QF  lost to Rosemary Casals 2-6, 6-4, 7-5

Unfortunately for Diane Matzner, she drew King in the first round of this tournament and Rosemary Casals in the first round of the U. S. National Indoor Championships just a few days later.

Casals, a 17-year old high school student and ranked eleventh in the U. S., flew overnight from San Francisco to Boston. King was her doubles partner, the top ranked American player, and her opponent in the singles quarterfinals. A few hours later, her surprising upset of King was complete. Casals did not have long to enjoy this win. Later that day, she lost her semifinal match with Tory Fretz in straight sets.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

FN  lost to Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie / Kathleen Harter Marcus Shubin 6-4, 12-14, 6-0 (42 games)

Week of February 14, 1966
U. S. National Indoor Championships
Longwood Covered Courts
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U. S.
Indoor

General Notes:

(1) This was a 5-day tournament starting on Tuesday, February 15, and ending Saturday, February 19.

(2) King played all 3 semifinals on the same day, back-to-back-to-back: women's doubles (almost 2 hours), singles, then mixed doubles. The total time on court was more than 5 hours, and she played a total of 98 games. The first match started at 2:00 pm, and the last match ended at 11:50 pm.

(3) The next day, King played all 3 finals back-to-back-to-back: singles (44 minutes), then mixed doubles (more than 3 hours), then women's doubles. The total time on court was more than 5 hours, and she played a total of 97 games.

(4) King's singles title here was the first U. S. national championship she had ever won. She played a number of national tournaments while a junior player and reached several finals. But bad luck and very talented juniors like Karen Hantze (later Susman), Nancy Richey, Carole Caldwell (later Graebner), Justina Bricka (later Horwitz), Kathy Chabot (later Willette), Carol Hanks (later Aucamp), Carole Ann Loop (later Herrick), Barbara Browning, and Victoria Palmer (later Heinecke) prevented King from winning a title.

(5) Within 6 hours after the singles final had ended, King had won 2 more U. S. indoor national championships in mixed and women's doubles.

Draws:

The singles draw included approximately 25 women (4 rounds for those who received first round byes, otherwise 5 rounds), with 4 domestic and 3 foreign seeds.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  bye
2R  d. Louise Gonnerman Feingold 6-0, 6-0
QF  d. [NS]  Justina Bricka Horwitz 7-5, 5-7, 6-1
SF  d. [NS]  Tory Fretz 6-2, 6-2
FN  d. [2]  Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie 6-0, 6-2

King dominated the much anticipated semifinal with Tory Fretz, who was unseeded despite winning the New England Women's Invitational Indoor tournament the previous week. King pressured Fretz when she was serving, contributing to Fretz's 12 double faults in only 8 service games. King broke Fretz in the first game of the match and again in the seventh game for a 5-2 lead, helped by Fretz's 2 double faults. King's first break of the second set was made easier by 2 more double faults.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

QF  d. Louise Gonnerman Feingold / Emily Burrer 6-3, 6-3
SF  d. Betty Stõve / Patricia Stewart Edrich 11-9, 7-5
FN  d. [1]  Justina Bricka Horwitz / Carol Hanks Aucamp 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

King in mixed doubles with Paul Sullivan, [2] seed:

SF  d. Justina Bricka Horwitz / Robin Rowbotham 11-13, 7-5, 8-6 (50 games)
FN  d. [1]  Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie / Chauncy Steele III 11-13, 9-7, 9-7 (56 games)

King and Sullivan saved 3 match points in the third set of the final. Their top-seeded opponents were the defending champions from 1965.

King and Sullivan overcame a 0-3 deficit in the third set of their semifinal match. Their opponents had numerous opportunities to win.

In two mixed doubles matches played over two consecutive days, King and Sullivan played a total of 106 games.

Week of March 21, 1966
Thunderbird Invitational
Phoeniz, Arizona, U. S.
Hard

Draws:

The singles draw included 14 women (maximum of 4 rounds).

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  bye
QF  d. Mimi Arnold Wheeler 6-2, 6-0
SF  d. Rosemary Casals 6-3, 6-2
FN  d. [2]  Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie 6-3, 6-2

King won the title because she broke Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie's service once in the first set and twice in the second set while giving up no breaks herself. Also, King's semifinal lasted a mere 17 games compared to the 44 games Eisel needed to defeat Kathleen Harter Marcus Shubin 7-9, 6-4, 10-8.

King in women's doubles with Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie:

1R  bye
SF  d. Carole Ann Loop / Lynne Abbes 6-3, 6-1
FN  d. Kathleen Harter Marcus Shubin / Victoria Palmer Heinecke 6-1, 6-4

This event was on the program for the first time.

Week of March 28, 1966
South African National Championships
Ellis Park
Johannesburg, South Africa
Hard

General Note:

On the last day of the tournament, King played a total of  91 games (17 in the singles final, 20 in the women's doubles final, 32 in a mixed doubles semifinal, and 22 in the mixed doubles final).

Draws:

(1) The women's singles draw included 43 women (maximim of 6 rounds), and apparently had only 4 seeds.

(2) The women's doubles draw included 19 teams (maximum of 5 rounds).

King in singles, [3] seed:

1R  d. Winifred Rawstorne 6-0, 6-2
2R  d. Gail Russell 6-3, 6-1
3R  d. Jean Forbes Drysdale 6-4, 6-0
QF  d. Edda Buding Düchting 6-4, 6-4
SF  d. Helga Schultze Hösl Thaw 6-2, 6-2
FN  d. [1]  Margaret Smith Court 6-3, 6-2

In the final that lasted 55 minutes, King broke her 9-match losing streak in singles to Margaret Smith Court. King was "immaculate in every department and combined power and finesse to prevent Margaret from ever asserting herself." King smiled and talked to herself as she had throughout the event, a trait which earned her many fans. Smith Court’s wrist was heavily taped, and King broke service 5 times out of Smith Court's 9 service games. She immediately returned home to rest her wrist for a month, missing the Federation Cup before returning for the French International Championships.

South African Winifred Rawstorne, who lost to King in the first round, was a junior champion.

King in women's doubles with Carole Caldwell Graebner, [1] seed:

1R  bye
2R  d. M____ Hodgman / C____ Louw 6-0, 6-2
QF  d. Esme Emmanuel / Laura Rossouw 6-1, 6-2
SF  d. [5]  Gertrude Groenman Wahlof Hoolboom / Ellie Krocke 6-4, 6-4
FN  lost to [2]  Margaret Smith Court / Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy 6-4, 6-4

Margaret Smith Court and Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy needed five match points to win the women's doubles final. King lost her service 3 times out of her 5 service games and, according to UPI, her "poor play at net" cost her team any chance at victory.

King in mixed doubles with Frew McMillan:

1R  d. Sally Holdsworth / Roger Dowdeswell 7-5, 6-0
2R  d. Gertrude Groenman Wahlof Hoolboom / Lew Gerrard 6-2, 1-6, 6-0
QF  d. Edda Buding Düchting / Bobby Wilson 6-3, 11-9
SF  d. Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy / Robert Hewitt 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
FN  lost to Margaret Smith Court / Fred Stolle 6-4, 7-5

The semifinal was played just after the women's singles final ended. Later the same day, the final was played. King pulled a muscle at the end of the semifinal and was still limping when the final began.

Week of April 18, 1966
Ojai Valley Tournament
Ojai, California, U. S.
Hard

King in singles:

1R  bye
QF  d. Valerie Ziegenfuss 6-2, 6-2
SF  d. Lynn Abbes 6-3, 6-0
FN  d. Rosemary Casals 6-2, 6-4


King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

SF  d. Valerie Ziegenfuss / Paulette Verzin 10-8, 6-3
FN  d. Carole Ann Loop / Lynn Abbes 6-3, 6-1


Week of May 2, 1966
Southern California Sectional Championships
80th Annual Edition
Los Angeles Tennis Club
Los Angeles, California, U. S.
Hard

General Notes:

The tournament began on Saturday, April 30, 1966.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  bye
2R  d. Dora Goldsman 6-0, 6-0
3R  d. Betty Ann Grubb Hansen Stuart Dent Grout 6-3, 6-3
QF  d. [8]  Valerie Ziegenfuss 6-2, 10-8
SF  d. [NS]  Dorothy Bundy Cheney 6-0, 6-3 (Center Court)
FN  d. [2]  Tory Fretz 6-3, 10-8 (Center Court)

In the semifinals, King defeated Dorothy Bundy Cheney for the first time in five career singles matches.

Women's doubles:

King did not enter.

King in mixed doubles with Jerry Cromwell, [1] seed:

QF  d. Mary Arnold Prentiss / _____ Ward 6-1, 6-2
SF  d. _____ Hoyer / _____ Glacchino 6-1, 6-0
FN  d. Madeline Mandell Einstein / Vladimir Petrovic 8-6, 6-2

Press-Telegram, Long Beach, California, May 3, 1966: "Billie Jean Moffitt King and Jerry Cromwell, Long Beach's most famous tennis products, are playing as mixed doubles partners in this week's Southern California Championships at the Los Angeles Tennis Club. As youngsters not so many years ago, Billie Jean and Jerry practiced together regularly for about fivek years. Their many hours of play on Long Beach's public courts paid off, for both have risen high in the tennis world. They are seeded first in the mixed doubles event, with Tory Fretz and Jim Buck second. Beverly [Baker] and John Fleitz, ex-Long Beach residents and now of Rolling Hills, are also entered."

Wife-husband doubles (entire draw):

1R  Wife / Clifford Robbins advanced by walkover. Wife / John Tidball defaulted.

1R  Evelyn Houseman / Ellwood Houseman advanced by walkover. Wife / ____ Yates defaulted.


QF  Beverly Baker Fleitz / John Fleitz d. Wife / _____ Harper 6-1, 6-1

QF  Billie Jean Moffitt King / Larry King d. Wife / Lee Wakefield 7-5, 6-1

QF  Wife / Robbins d. Houseman / Houseman 6-3, 6-4

QF  Mae Mayer / Gilbert Mayer d. Wife / Charles Pate 6-3, 6-4


SF  Baker Fleitz / Fleitz d. Wife / Robbins 6-1, 6-2

SF  Moffitt King / King d. Mayer / Mayer 9-7, 9-11, 6-4 (46 games)


FN  Baker Fleitz / Fleitz d. Moffitt King / King 5-7, 8-6, 6-3 (35 games)


Week of May 9, 1966
Federation Cup
Turin Press Sporting Club
Turin, Italy
Clay

General Note:

This was King's first competition of any kind on European red clay.

United States team results:

1R  bye
2R 
d. Sweden 3-0
QF  d. France 2-1
SF  d. the United Kingdom 2-1
FN  d. West Germany 3-0

King in singles:

1R   bye
2R  d. Christina Sandberg 6-2, 6-3
QF  d. Françoise Durr 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
SF  lost to Ann Haydon Jones 6-1, 6-4
FN  d. Edda Buding Düchting 6-3, 3-6, 6-1

In the final, King clinched the Federation Cup for the U. S. after Julie Heldman won her singles match earlier in the day. King jumped on top of Edda Buding Düchting 6-3, 3-2 before a sudden turn of the tide. The German won 18 of the next 20 points to take the second set. King won the third set by repeatedly storming the net.

King lost tamely to Ann Haydon Jones in the semifinals, ending her 23-match winning streak.

In the quarterfinals, King overpowered Françoise Durr after losing the first set. King ran out to a 5-1 third set lead by alternating forehand drives into the corners with soft lobs on Durr's backhand shots.

King in women's doubles with Carole Caldwell Graebner:

1R  bye
2R  d. Ingrid Lofdahl Bentzer / Eva Lundquist Wennerström 6-3, 6-1 (dead rubber)
QF  lost to Françoise Durr / Janine Lieffrig 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 (dead rubber)
SF  d. Ann Haydon Jones / Elizabeth Starkie Wagstaff 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 (live rubber)
FN  d. Helga Schultze Hösl Thaw / Edda Buding Düchting 6-4, 6-2 (dead rubber)

The semifinal doubles match decided the winner of the tie between the U. S. and the U. K. With the first set tied 1-1, King lost her serve. Elizabeth Starkie Wagstaff then held serve to put the U. K. ahead 3-1. The U. S. rebounded to force a 3-3 tie by holding serve and then breaking Ann Haydon Jones. But in the next game, King lost her serve for the second time, and Starkie Wagstaff held her own service to extend the U. K.'s lead to 5-3. Carole Caldwell Graebner prolonged the set by holding for the third time, but Haydon Jones did not falter when serving for the set.

The other three doubles matches were dead rubbers because the U. S. had already won both singles matches.

Week of May 16, 1966
U. S. National Hard Court Championships
La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club
La Jolla, California, U. S.
Hard

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Robyn Berrey 6-1, 6-2
QF  d. Mimi Henreid 6-2, 6-0
SF  d. Lynn Abbes 6-3, 6-3
FN  d. Patti Hogan Fordyce 7-5, 6-0

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  d. Catherine Apple / _____ McCabe 6-2, 6-3
SF  d. Valerie Ziegenfuss / Lynn Abbes 6-3, 5-7, 8-6 (35 games)
FN  d. Dorothy Bundy Cheney / Nancy Richey 6-2, 6-4

Week of May 23, 1966
Tulsa Tennis Club Invitational
Tulsa Tennis Club
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U. S.
Clay (Har-Tru)

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  bye
QF  d. Patsy Rippy Bond 6-2, 6-4
SF  d. Elena Subirats 10-12, 6-0, 6-2 (36 games)
FN  d. [2]  Carol Hanks Aucamp 6-0, 6-1

This was King's first career singles title on clay after falling short in 5 previous tournaments on this surface.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  bye
SF  d. Jane "Peaches" Bartkowicz / Paulette Verzin 6-1, 15-13 (35 games)
FN  d. Justina Bricka Horwitz / Carol Hanks Aucamp 4-6, 6-3, 8-6

Week of May 30, 1966
Northern Tennis Championships
Northern Tennis Club
Manchester, United Kingdom
Grass

King in singles:

1R  bye
2R  d. Maryna Godwin Proctor 6-4, 6-2
3R  d. Vivienne Dennis 6-1, 6-2
QF  d. Nancy Reed 6-1, 6-3
SF  d. Tory Fretz 6-4, 7-5
FN  d. Winnie Shaw Wooldridge 6-2, 6-1

"Experience was Mrs. King's principal weapon in ... [the] final. The match was played in a swirling wind, which seemed to destroy the Scot girl's confidence and accuracy. Mrs. King ... kept the ball in play. Miss Shaw, shooting for the lines, made numerous errors and double-faulted frequently." King won the first 5 games of the second set.

Women's doubles:

No results found.

Week of June 6, 1966
Wightman Cup
All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club
London, United Kingdom
Grass

General Notes:

(1) Margaret Varner Bloss was the captain of the U. S. team.

(2) At the end of the first day, Varner Bloss pointedly made no comment on her own team but praised Ann Haydon Jones, saying, "What a wonderful opportunist she is. Give her any kind of chance and she gets you."

Final Result:

United States 4, United Kingdom 3

King in singles on day 1:

d. Virginia Wade 6-2, 6-3
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=44207

King played Virginia Wade in the second singles of the tie.

The match was all volley, serve, and smash. Wade was not match tough, and King very quickly read the stereotyped patterns Wade followed because of her technical limitations. This made King appear faster than she was and Wade slower. King was often moving in the right direction before Wade had hit the ball. The first set was over quickly, and although Wade settled down in the second set to keep level at 3-3, the inevitable breakthrough came and King ran out the victory.

King in women's doubles on day 1 with Jane Albert Freedman:

lost to Ann Haydon Jones / Virginia Wade 7-5, 6-2

The British team won the doubles by concentrating on Jane Albert Freedman's weak serve. She had a successful 1965 by reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals and losing narrowly to Francoise Durr at the U. S. National Championships. Although she ended the year with a #4 U. S. ranking, she had not played Wightman Cup before and had limited experience. Ann Haydon Jones fashioned the pattern of the match, not just with her tennis but in coaxing Wade through a series of shaky passages to a comfortable win. In contrast, there was widespread criticism of King's constant lecturings and natterings at her nervous partner, who was at times out of her depth. King was clearly heard to say, "Gee, we were (40-0) in that game" after her partner had dropped serve in the second set. That seemed to break her spirit. After leaving the court, Albert Freedman hurried to the changing room alone, trying to hold back the tears.

King in singles on day 2:

d. Ann Haydon Jones 5-7, 6-2, 6-3

On day 2 in the deciding rubber, King defeated Haydon Jones. After splitting sets, King asked captain Varner Bloss for salt tablets at 2-1. Points later, King went over in pain, coming up with a limp. "Mrs. King hobbled back to the baseline and served, unable to follow it in. Against a player of Mrs. Jones's calibre, the result should have been a formality. Strangley, it was the Brit who cracked." Some in the crowd yell "she faked the cramp! She faked the cramp!" King's response was, "Unfair. I had to tough it out."

Week of June 13, 1966
London Grass Court Championships
Queen's Club 
London, United Kingdom 
Grass

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

SF  d. Maria Bueno / Nancy Richey 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
FN  lost to Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy / Norma Baylon Puiggros 3-6, 6-2, 11-9 (37 games)

Down match point at 7-8 in the final, Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy put away a crucial volley and rolled on to the title with Norma Baylon Puiggros. The match ended with some controversy, as Baylon Puiggros's volley at 10-9 (30-30) is called "Out!" by an older line judge, then "In!"

Weeks of June 20 & 27, 1966
Wimbledon
All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club
London, United Kingdom
Grass

General Notes:

(1) Beginning with the 1959 U. S. National Championships and continuing through the 1965 U. S. National Championships, King played in 13 Grand Slam singles tournaments without winning a title. She was the runner-up twice, a losing semifinalist 3 times, and a losimg quarterfinalist twice. Her other attempts ended in early round losses. At Wimbledon, however, King finally won the first of her six Wimbledon singles titles and the first of her twelve Grand Slam singles titles.

(2) Short video of the final. A second short video of the final.

(3) Newspaper story about the final.

King in singles, [4] seed:

1R  d. Winnie Shaw Wooldridge 6-2, 8-6
2R  d. Nell Truman Robinson 6-4, 6-4
3R  d. Betty Stöve 6-4, 6-3
4R  d. Karen Krantzcke 9-7, 6-2
QF  Court 1: d. [6]  Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
SF  d. [1]  Margaret Smith Court 6-3, 6-3
FN  Centre Court: d. [2]  Maria Bueno 6-3, 3-6, 6-1

Against Maria Bueno in the final, King's 7 double faults in 13 service games were mostly balanced, in both number and time, by service aces. King also severely punished Bueno's slow-spinning second serve. When Bueno took an offensive net position, King's lobs troubled her. King broke serve to take a 3-1 lead in the first set. She then held serve 3 consecutive times to win the set. Bueno took a 3-0 lead in the second set after breaking King in the second game, which King made possible by double faulting and making a volley error. There were six consecutive holds in the remainder of the set as Bueno won it 6-3. In the third set, King held serve twice after the score reached deuce with Bueno threatening to break. At 1-2 with Bueno serving, King hit 2 magnificent backhand service returns with the Brazilian standing helplessly at midcourt. King broke serve for a 3-1 lead, and with Bueno losing hope, King won the last 5 games of the match.

According to the Associated Press:
The standard of tennis ... never matched the perfect weather, and not until the last few games of the third set did Mrs. King manage to impose complete control over her opponent. ... [B]efore that, it was a procession of service errors, poorly timed drives, netted volleys[,] and missed opportunities by both girls in 65 minutes of nervous tennis. ... Both played ... as if it ... [were] ... their first sight ever of the famed center court. ... [King] won because her game throughout was more compact and because - playing to a pre-arranged plan - she was able to mix her volleys with accurate lobs to keep Miss Bueno away from the net. ... Miss Bueno, always the victim of her own temperament, started to fold after ... [King broke serve for a 3-1 lead in the final set].
King credited her semifinal victory over Margaret Smith Court to a new shot in her repertoire: down-the-line forehands to the Australian's backhand. She also said that the strategy for playing her is, "Simple. Just chip the ball back at her feet."

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [NS]:

1R  bye
2R  d. Lidy Jansen Venneboer / Elsie Spruyt 6-4, 6-4
3R  d. Lucia Bassi / Maria Teresa Riedl 6-1, 6-3
QF  lost to [1]  Margaret Smith Court / Judy Tegart Dalton 6-3, 6-4

King in mixed doubles with Dennis Ralston, [3] seed:

1R  bye
2R  d. Ingrid Lofdahl Bentzer / Jose Luis Arilla 6-4, 8-6
3R  d. Tory Fretz / John McDonald 6-1, 6-2
4R  d. Margaret Harris / John Decker 6-0, 6-0
QF  d. Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie / Robert Howe 7-5, 6-3
SF  d. Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy / Frew McMillan 6-4, 6-4
FN  lost to [1]  Margaret Smith Court / Ken Fletcher 4-6, 6-3, 6-3

King in action during the quarterfinals

Week of July 4, 1966
Welsh Tennis Championships
Newport Athletic Club at Rodney Parade
Newport, United Kingdom
Grass

King in singles:

1R  d. Jill Cooper 6-1, 6-1
2R  d. Evelyn Ernest 6-1, 6-3
QF  lost to Virginia Wade 9-7, 4-6, 6-2

Virginia Wade, "forcing all the way," upset the Wimbledon champion. This was King's third match of the day. Her winning streak ended at 24.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

FN  d. Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy / Norma Baylon Puiggros 6-0, 9-7

Week of July 25, 1966
Eastern Grass Court Championships
Orange Lawn Tennis Club
South Orange, New Jersey, U. S.
Grass

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Elizabeth Blackford 6-0, 6-0
2R  d. Patti Hogan Fordyce 7-5, 6-4
3R  lost to [NS]  Rosemary Casals 6-3, 6-8, 6-3

In the third round, Rosemary Casals, just 17 years old, defeated King for the second time in 4 career matches. She dominated the match with a variety of down-the-line placements and hard-to-return lobs. Casals broke King in the first game of the third set and in the last game of the match.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

SF  d. Kerry Melville Reid / Karen Krantzcke 23-25, 6-2, 6-3 (65 games)
FN  d. Virginia Wade / Winnie Shaw Wooldridge 15-13, 7-9, 7-5 (56 games)

King and Rosemary Casals needed a total of 121 games to win the women's doubles semifinal and final on successive days.

Week of August 1, 1966
Middle Atlantic Grass Courts Championships
44th Annual Edition
Baltimore Country Club
Baltimore, Maryland, U. S.
Grass

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  bye
2R  King defaulted. Emilie Burrer advanced by walkover.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed:

1R  bye
QF  d. Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie / Jane "Peaches" Bartkowicz 6-4, 6-1
SF  d. Maryna Godwin Proctor / Esme Emanuel 4-6, 8-6, 6-4
FN  d. [2]  Virginia Wade / Winnie Shaw Wooldridge 6-3, 6-3

Week of August 8, 1966
Piping Rock Invitational
Piping Rock Club
Locust Valley, New York, U. S.
Grass

King in singles, [1 domestic] seed:

1R  bye
2R  d. Pat Cody 6-3, 6-4
3R  d. Esme Emanuel 7-5, 6-4
QF  d. Kerry Melville Reid 6-2, 6-1
SF  d. [2 foreign]  Virginia Wade 6-4, 6-3
FN  d. [1 foreign]  Karen Krantzcke 6-2, 6-0

In the semifinals, King broke Virginia Wade's service in the third game of the first set and in the first and last game of the second set.

King in women's doubles with Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie:

SF  d. Kathy Blake Bryan / Frances MacLennan 9-7, 6-4
FN  d. Virginia Wade / Winnie Shaw Wooldridge 14-16, 6-2, 6-4 (48 games)

Week of August 15, 1966
Essex County Club Invitational
Essex County Club
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, U. S.
Grass

General Note:

A physician recommended that King default in both singles and women's doubles because of a virus.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  bye
2R  d. Elena Subirats 7-5, 6-2
3R  d. Kathy Blake Bryan 6-3, 6-3
QF  King defaulted. Betty Rosenquest Pratt advanced by walkover.

King in women's doubles with Maria Bueno:

2R  d. Carole Ann Loop / Peggy Moore 6-1, 6-1
QF  King and Maria Bueno defaulted. Tory Fretz and Betty Rosenquest Pratt advanced by walkover.

Week of August 22, 1966
U. S. National Doubles Championships
Longwood Cricket Club
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U. S.
Grass

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  bye
2R  Advanced by walkover. Virginia Connolly / Mrs. Edith McGoldrick defaulted.
3R  d. Patti Hogan Fordyce / Peggy Michel 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
QF  d. Valerie Ziegenfuss / Lynne Abbes 7-9, 6-2, 8-6 (38 games)
SF  d. Françoise Durr / Gail Sherriff Chanfreau Lovera 7-9, 6-2, 8-6 (38 games)
FN  lost to Maria Bueno / Nancy Richey 6-3, 6-4


Week of August 29, 1966
U. S. National Championships
West Side Tennis Club
Forest Hills, Borough of Queens, New York City
Grass

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  Stadium Court: d. Susan Behlmar 6-2, 6-2
2R  Stadium Court: lost to Kerry Melville Reid 6-4, 6-4


In November 1965, the USLTA ranking committee recommended that King be honored as the top American for the year, just ahead of bitter rival (and Texan) Nancy Richey. But six weeks later at the USLTA national convention, delegate Al Bumann from Texas led an unprecedented revolt against the ranking committee. He persuaded a majority of convention delegates to ignore the committee and co-rank King and Richey as the top American players for 1965. This enraged King, who claimed that the co-ranking had little to do with on-court results.

Fast-forwarding 6 months to just before the start of King's second round match with 19 year old Kerry Melville Reid, King told the tournament referee that she did not want Al Bumann (yes, that guy) to umpire the match. But the referee refused to make the change, later claiming that King did not actually "ask" for a different umpire.

After losing this match, King denied that the umpiring controversey negatively affected her play. She instead blamed a lingering viral illness. She did not enter the mixed doubles event at these championships, perhaps in recognition of being unfit to play both events. And she had been playing mostly below par ever since winning Wimbledon two months previously. Here are her results during the 5 weeks before this tournament started:

(1) Shockingly lost a third round match to 17 year old Rosemary Casals. 
(2) Defaulted her second round singles match.
(3) Definitively won a singles title without losing a set.
(4) Defaulted a quarterfinal singles match and withdrew from women's doubles, blaming a viral illness.
(5) During the just-concluded national women's doubles tournament, top-seeded King and Casals slogged through 105 games to win just 3 matches before Maria Bueno and Nancy Richey mercifully routed them in the final.

Regardless of why King lost to Melville Reid, the latter earned this win with excellent play. She hit her sidespin forehands with uncharacteristic speed and depth, and she often passed King at the net. In fact, the Australian hit a beautiful backhand passing shot winner to take the first set 6-4.

King had two game points while serving at (40-15) in the first game of the second set, which she wasted with errant volleys. Melville Reid promptly took advantage to break serve. After the Australian held serve for a 2-0 lead, King found herself in deep trouble while facing break point at 0-2 (30-40). But some clutch serving and mistakes by Melville Reid allowed King to hold. The Australian's mistakes continued during the next game as King broke serve to level the set at 2-2. While serving during the next game, King had 2 game points at (40-15). But a series of spectacular shots earned Melville Reid another break of serve and a 3-2 lead. Not long afterwards, King served to stay in the match at 3-5. King hit aces to save 2 match points and eventually held her serve. While serving for the match at 5-4, the pre-match underdog hit "three tremendous forehand drives" to win the game at love and, of course, the match.

Mixed doubles:

King did not enter.

Week of September 21, 1966
Pacific Southwest Championships
Los Angeles Tennis Club
Los Angeles, California, U. S.
Hard

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Peggy Michel 6-2, 6-3
2R  lost to Valerie Ziegenfuss 3-6, 7-5, 6-3

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  bye
2R  d. _____ Bienvenu / Susan Gilliland 6-1, 6-0
QF  d. Mary Arnold Prentiss / Gertrude Hauswald Dockstader Irish 6-0, 6-3
SF  d. Kerry Melville Reid / Valerie Ziegenfuss 7-5, 6-4
FN  d. Virginia Wade / Winnie Shaw Wooldridge 6-2, 9-7


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