Lesley Rosemary Turner Bowrey, AM (née Turner; born 16 August 1942) is a retired professional tennis player from Australia. Her career spanned two decades from the late 1950s until the late 1970s. Turner Bowrey won the singles title at the French Championships, one of the four Grand Slam events, in 1963 and 1965. In addition she won 11 Grand Slam events in doubles and mixed doubles. Turner Bowrey achieved her highest singles ranking of No. 2 in 1964.

Career

Bowrey won 13 Grand Slam titles during her career: two in singles, seven in women's doubles, and four in mixed doubles. She lost in the finals of 14 other Grand Slam events.

Bowrey twice won the singles title at the French Championships. In 1963, she defeated Ann Haydon-Jones in the final, and in 1965, she defeated Margaret Smith in the final.

Bowrey was the runner-up at four Grand Slam singles tournaments. She lost in the final of the French Championships to Court in 1962 and to Françoise Dürr in 1967. She lost in the final of the Australian Championships to Court in 1964 and to Nancy Richey in 1967.

She was runner-up at the Italian Championships in 1961, 1963 and 1964, and she won the title in 1967 against Maria Bueno and in 1968 against Margaret Court.

Bowrey captained the Australian Fed Cup team from 1994 to 2000.

Honours and awards

Bowrey was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. She was inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions in 1994. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and received the Sarah Palfrey Danzig Award in 1997. The award is given to the female player who by character, sportsmanship, manners, and spirit of cooperation has contributed to the growth of the game of tennis. In 1998 she was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.

In the Queen's Birthday Honours 2009 Bowrey was appointed as Member of the Order of Australia "for service to tennis as a player, coach and mentor to junior players, and to the community".

She married fellow Australian tennis star Bill Bowrey on 23 February 1968. They are the parents of tennis player Michelle Bowrey.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 6 (2 titles, 4 runners-up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScore Loss 1962 French Championships Clay Margaret Smith 3–6, 6–3, 5–7Win 1963 French Championships Clay Ann Haydon-Jones 2–6, 6–3, 7–5Loss 1964 Australian Championships Grass Margaret Smith 3–6, 2–6Win 1965 French Championships (2) Clay Margaret Smith 6–3, 6–4Loss 1967 Australian Championships (2) Grass Nancy Richey Gunter 1–6, 4–6Loss 1967 French Championships (3) Clay Françoise Dürr 6–4, 3–6, 4–6

Doubles: 12 (7 titles, 5 runners-up) ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1961 U.S. Championships Grass Darlene Hard Edda Buding Yola Ramírez 6–4, 5–7, 6–0Win 1964 Australian Championships Grass Judy Tegart Robyn Ebbern Margaret Smith 6–4, 6–4Win 1964 French Championships Clay Margaret Smith Norma Baylon Helga Schultze 6–3, 6–1Win 1964 Wimbledon Grass Margaret Smith Billie Jean Moffitt Karen Hantze Susman 7–5, 6–2Loss 1964 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Smith Billie Jean Moffitt Karen Hantze Susman 3–6, 6–2, 6–4Win 1965 Australian Championships (4) Grass Margaret Smith Robyn Ebbern Billie Jean Moffitt 1–6, 6–2, 6–3Win 1965 French Championships (2) Clay Margaret Smith Françoise Dürr Janine Lieffrig 6–3, 6–1Loss 1966 Australian Championships (3) Grass Margaret Smith Carole Caldwell Graebner Nancy Richey 6–4, 7–5Win 1967 Australian Championships (2) Grass Judy Tegart Lorraine Robinson Évelyne Terras 6–0, 6–2Loss 1968 Australian Championships Grass Judy Tegart Karen Krantzcke Kerry Melville 4–6, 6–3, 2–6Loss 1976 Australian Open Grass Renáta Tomanová Evonne Goolagong Helen Gourlay 1–8Loss 1978 French Open Grass Gail Sherriff Mima Jaušovec Virginia Ruzici 5–7, 6–4, 8–6

Mixed doubles: 9 (4 titles, 5 runners-up) ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1961 Wimbledon Grass Fred Stolle Edda Buding Bob Howe 11–9, 6–2Win 1962 Australian Championships Grass Fred Stolle Darlene Hard Roger Taylor 6–3, 9–4Loss 1962 French Championships Clay Fred Stolle Renée Schuurman Bob Howe 6–3, 4–6, 4–6Loss 1962 U.S. Championships Grass Frank Froehling Margaret Smith Fred Stolle 5–7, 2–6Loss 1963 Australian Championships Grass Fred Stolle Margaret Smith Ken Fletcher 5–7, 7–5, 4–6Loss 1963 French Championships Clay Fred Stolle Margaret Smith Ken Fletcher 1–6, 2–6Loss 1964 French Championships Clay Fred Stolle Margaret Smith Ken Fletcher 3–6, 6–4, 6–8Win 1964 Wimbledon Grass Fred Stolle Margaret Smith Ken Fletcher 6–4, 6–4Win 1967 Australian Championships Grass Owen Davidson Judy Tegart Tony Roche 9–7, 6–4

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Tournament 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 Career SR AustraliaQF2R3RQFSFF3R3RFSF2RA2RA3RA1RQF1R AA 0 / 16 FranceAA4RF WSF WAFASFAQFAAAAAA3R 2 / 9 WimbledonAA2RQF4RSFQFAQFQFQFA4RAAAAAA2R 0 / 10 United StatesAAQF4RA2RAASFA2RAAA2RAAAAA 0 / 6 SR0 / 10 / 10 / 40 / 41 / 30 / 41 / 30 / 10 / 40 / 20 / 40 / 00 / 30 / 00 / 20 / 00 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 2 2 / 41

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December. Bowrey participated only in the January edition.

See also Performance timelines for all female tennis players since 1978 who reached at least one Grand Slam final

References

External links