Ann Jones (tennis)

Ann Jones
Jones as the UK Press Association Female Sports Personality of the Year 1969
ITF name Ann Jones
Country (sports) United Kingdom Great Britain
Born (1938-10-07) 7 October 1938
Kings Heath, Birmingham, England
Plays Left-handed
Int. Tennis HoF 1985 (member page)
Singles
Career titles 113
Highest ranking No. 2 (1967, Lance Tingay)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open SF (1969)
French Open W (1961, 1966)
Wimbledon W (1969)
US Open F (1961, 1967)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open SF (1969)
French Open W (1963, 1968, 1969)
Wimbledon F (1968)
US Open F (1960)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open W (1969)
French Open F (1960, 1966, 1967)
Wimbledon W (1969)

Ann Shirley Jones CBE (née Adrianne Haydon on 7 October 1938,[2] also known as Ann Haydon-Jones) is an English former table tennis and lawn tennis champion. She won a total of 8 Grand Slam championships during her career: three in singles, three in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles.[2] As of 2017, she serves as a vice president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.[3]

Career

Table tennis

Jones was born in Kings Heath, Birmingham, England.[4] Her parents were prominent table tennis players, her father, Adrian Haydon, having been English number 1 and a competitor at world championships between 1928 and 1953. Ann, as a young girl, also took up the game, participating in five world championships in the 1950s, the best result being losing finalist in singles, doubles and mixed doubles all in Stockholm 1957.[5] Soon after this she wrote the book Tackle Table Tennis This Way.[6]

Jones also won two English Open titles in women's doubles, as Haydon.

Tennis

Jones after winning the 1969 Wimbledon title

She was also a powerful lawn tennis player, winning the 1954 and 1955 British junior championships. In 1956, she won the Wimbledon girls' singles championship.

Jones played lawn tennis in a highly competitive era that included some of the greatest female tennis players of all time, including Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, and Maria Bueno. Despite the fierce competition, she won the 1961 French Championships,[7] beating Margaret Smith Court, former champion Zsuzsa Körmöczy and Yola Ramirez Ochoa and reached the final of the 1961 U.S. Championships, beating Wimbledon champion Angela Mortimer, losing to the defending champion, Darlene Hard. In 1962, she married Philip F. Jones and played as Ann Haydon-Jones. A debilitating back and neck injury hampered her career in 1964/1965, yet she recovered sufficiently to reach the quarter finals of the French championships in 1965, yet was controversially unseeded for that year's Wimbledon singles. This led to a fourth round clash with the top seeded defending champion Maria Bueno, which many thought was an imbalanced draw.[8] Jones won the French title for a second time in 1966, beating Maria Bueno and Nancy Richey.[7] She also won the Italian championships that year, beating Françoise Dürr and Annette Van Zyl.

At both the Wimbledon Championships and the U.S. Championships in 1967, Jones lost in the final to King.[7][9] Two years later, however, the two again met in the Wimbledon final. This time, Jones took the most coveted title in the sport,[9] making her the first left-handed female player to do so. She rounded off that year's Wimbledon by winning the mixed doubles championship with Australia's Fred Stolle. Her performances resulted in her being voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.[7] Jones made Wimbledon 1969 her last Grand Slam singles event. She was seeded number one for the 1969 US Open but withdrew before the tournament began. She radically reduced her playing schedule for 1970, playing in South Africa where she won the Orange Free State Championships and the Western Province Championships. She then largely played only events in the United Kingdom for the remainder of the year. She returned to the international scene to play the Federation Cup event in Australia, where she partnered Virginia Wade on the British team.[2] In 1971, Jones played on the Virginia Slims circuit, winning the U.S.$10,000 first prize for the event staged in Las Vegas, beating King in the final. Jones more or less retired after this event as she was expecting her first child. However, Jones continued to play the occasional UK event and was part of the 1975 Wightman Cup team for Great Britain. In 1977, Jones teamed with Winnie Wooldridge to play doubles at Wimbledon.[2]

According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail and Bud Collins, Jones was ranked in the world top ten from 1957 through 1963 and from 1965 through 1970, reaching a career high of World No. 2 in those rankings in 1967 and 1969.[1]

According to Mark Lewisohn in The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, on 4 July 1969, The Beatles paused the dubbing session for their song "Golden Slumbers" to listen to Jones beat King for the Wimbledon title, live on radio.

With the dawn of the open era in 1968, Jones joined with King and others to organize the first professional female touring group. In 1970, she was hired by the BBC as a guest commentator[7] and worked with them for over three decades, while occasionally commentating for US TV stations' tennis coverage. Jones was chairwoman of the Women's International Tennis Council and for many years the British team captain for events such as the Federation and Wightman Cups.[2]

Over her career, she reached 6 Wimbledon semifinals in addition to her two appearances in the final: in 1958, beating Maria Bueno and losing to defending champion Althea Gibson, 1960, beating Renee Schuurman Haygarth and losing, after nearly winning, to Sandra Reynolds, 1962, beating Billie Jean Moffitt and losing to eventual champion Karen Hantze Susman, 1963, losing to beaten finalist Billie Jean Moffitt, 1966, beating Nancy Richey and losing a titanic struggle to Maria Bueno 3–6, 11–9, 5–7, and 1968, beating Richey and losing, after leading by a set and a break, to holder Billie Jean King.[10] In the US nationals, as well as her final appearances in 1961 and 1967, Ann Jones also reached 3 semifinals, in 1959, beating 2nd seed Sandra Reynolds (Price) and losing to Christine Truman,[11] in 1963, beating 2nd seed Darlene Hard and losing 9–7 in the third to eventual winner Maria Bueno [12] and in 1968, beating Peaches Bartkowicz and losing to eventual winner Virginia Wade.

As well as winning the French championships twice, Jones reached 3 other French finals, beating Annette Van Zyl and losing to Nancy Richey in 1968, and beating Rosemary Casals and Lesley Turner and losing in 3 sets to Margaret Smith Court in 1969. Of her three losing finals in the French championships, there was one which nearly added to her total of wins: 1963 when having remarkably beaten Jan Lehane and Věra Suková for the loss of one game in four sets, she led Lesley Turner Bowrey 5–2 in the final set.[13] She also reached the semifinals in 1957 aged 18 beating 3rd seed Christiane Mercelis and losing a tough semifinal to Dorothy Head Knode, and in 1962 beating Jan Lehane and losing to Lesley Turner Bowrey.[14]

In the British Hard Courts championships, after losing in the finals in 1958 to Shirley Bloomer Brasher and 1960 to Christine Truman Janes, she was undefeated from 1963 to 1966, winning finals against Norma Baylon, Jan Lehane, Annette Van Zyl and Virginia Wade. She was a stalwart in the Wightman Cup from 1957 (aged 18, beating Darlene Hard, then Wimbledon finalist) to 1967, 1970 and 1975, winning the deciding match in 1958 against Mimi Arnold when Britain won for the first time since 1930, taking both her singles against Billie Jean Moffitt King and Nancy Richey in 1965, and overall winning 9 singles and 6 doubles. Despite playing at a time when there were 4 other British winners of the French, Australian, US and Wimbledon titles around, (Mortimer, Brasher, Truman and Wade), she was ranked no. 1 in her country on 7 occasions before turning professional. Naturally a baseliner and effective as such on clay (one Paris opponent, Tiiu Kivi, said it was like playing a brick wall that moved),[15] she schooled herself to become a most effective net player, perhaps seen at her best when attacking Margaret Smith Court to defeat in the Wimbledon semifinal of 1969. Apart from Althea Gibson, early in her career, there was not a leading player of her era that she did not beat on several occasions.

Personal life

In 1971 she published her tennis autobiography, A Game to Love.[16]

Jones caused something of a stir on 30 August 1962 when she married businessman Philip "Pip" Jones (1907–1993) who was thirty-one years her senior and five years older than her father.[4][17] The couple later became the butt of many jokes on Monty Python's Flying Circus during its series run. As a running gag, the Pythons would frequently insert "Ann Haydon-Jones and her husband Pip" into any sketch where a list of names was being read off.

In 1969 West Bromwich Albion commended Ann Jones on her sporting success and stated that she and her husband were supporters of the club.[18]

Awards

In 1985, Jones was voted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.[2] For many years, Jones was chairwoman of the International Women's Tennis Council and has long been a member of Wimbledon's Committee of Management. She became the first ever 'civilian woman' (i.e. not a member of the British Royal Family) to present the trophies at Wimbledon, when she awarded the winners of the Mixed Doubles championship their cup in 2007, a ceremony she now regularly performs. She has since also presented the junior girls trophy.

Already a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Jones was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to tennis.[19]

Grand Slam finals

Including:[7][9][7][9]

Singles: 9 (3–6)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Winner1961French ChampionshipsClayMexico Yola Ramírez6–2, 6–1
Runner-up1961US ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Darlene Hard3–6, 4–6
Runner-up1963French ChampionshipsClayAustralia Lesley Turner Bowrey6–2, 3–6, 5–7
Winner1966French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Nancy Richey6–3, 6–1
Runner-up1967WimbledonGrassUnited States Billie Jean King3–6, 4–6
Runner-up1967US ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Billie Jean King9–11, 4–6
Runner-up1968French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Nancy Richey7–5, 4–6, 1–6
Runner-up1969French OpenClayAustralia Margaret Court1–6, 6–4, 3–6
Winner1969WimbledonGrassUnited States Billie Jean King3–6, 6–3, 6–2

Doubles: 6 (3–3)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up1960French ChampionshipsClayUnited Kingdom Patricia Ward HalesBrazil Maria Bueno
United States Darlene Hard		2–6, 5–7
Runner-up1960US ChampionshipsGrassUnited Kingdom Deidre CattBrazil Maria Bueno
United States Darlene Hard		1–6, 1–6
Winner1963French ChampionshipsClaySouth Africa Renee SchuurmanAustralia Margaret Court
Australia Robyn Ebbern		7–5, 6–4
Winner1968French OpenClayFrance Françoise DürrUnited States Rosie Casals
United States Billie Jean King		7–5, 4–6, 6–4
Runner-up1968WimbledonGrassFrance Françoise DürrUnited States Rosie Casals
United States Billie Jean King		11–9, 4–6, 2–6
Winner1969French OpenClayFrance Françoise DürrAustralia Margaret Court
United States Nancy Richey		6–0, 4–6, 7–5

Mixed doubles: 5 (1–4)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up1960French ChampionshipsClayAustralia Roy EmersonBrazil Maria Bueno
Australia Bob Howe		6–1, 1–6, 2–6
Runner-up1962WimbledonGrassUnited States Dennis RalstonUnited States Margaret Osborne duPont
Australia Neale Fraser		6–2, 3–6, 11–13
Runner-up1966French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Clark GraebnerSouth Africa Annette Van Zyl
South Africa Frew McMillan		6–1, 3–6, 2–6
Runner-up1967French ChampionshipsClayRomania Ion ŢiriacUnited States Billie Jean King
Australia Owen Davidson		3–6, 1–6
Winner1969WimbledonGrassAustralia Fred StolleAustralia Judy Tegart
Australia Tony Roche		6–2, 6–3
Winner1969Australian OpenGrassAustralia Fred StolleAustralia Margaret Court
United States Marty Riessen		*Shared title, final not played
  • Although both teams shared the 1969 Australian Open mixed doubles title, it is not counted in the official Grand Slam title count.

Grand Slam performance timelines

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH

(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)

Singles

Tournament19561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969W–L
Australia A A A A A A A A A 2R A A A SF 3–2
France A SF QF A 4R W SF F A QF W QF F F 44–8
Wimbledon 2R 3R SF QF SF 4R SF SF QF 4R SF F SF W 57–13
United States A QF 3R SF QF F A SF QF QF A F SF A 36–10

Doubles

Tournament195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970–1974197519761977W–L
Australia A A A A A A A A A QF A A A SF A A A A 4–2
France A 2R SF A F QF SF W A QF SF QF W W A A A A 32–7
Wimbledon 1R 3R 2R QF 3R 3R 2R SF SF 2R SF SF F 3R A A A 3R 33–15
United States A QF SF SF F QF A SF A A A A SF A A 1R A A 17–8

Singles titles (113)

  • 1956 – Cheltenham, Sunderland Championships, Welsh Championships, Worthing Hard Courts, North of England Championships
  • 1957 – Tally Ho! Tournament, Northumberland County Championships, Malvern, Sunderland Championships, South of England Championships
  • 1958 – Tally Ho!, Durham
  • 1959 – Mexico City, Pan American Championships
  • 1960 – Finnish Championships, Scandinavian Indoors, German Indoors, Good Neighbor Championships Miami, St. Petersburg Masters, Caribe Hilton International, Mexico City, St. Andrew's Invitations Kingston, Caribbean Championships, Tally Ho! Tournament, Sutton Hard Courts, Malvern Championships, Cologne Championships, Essex County Championships, Pacific Southwest Championships, Championships of Morocco, Torquay Palace Indoors.
  • 1961 – Good Neighbor Championships Miami, French Championships,[7][9] Wolverhamption Open, Lowther Championships, Irish Championships, Welsh Championships, Canadian Nationals, Chilean Nationals, São Paulo Championships
  • 1962 – West Province Championships, Hewlett's Hard Courts Durban, French Indoors, Scandinavian Indoors, British Covered Court Championships, Cumberland Hard Courts, Sutton Hard Courts, London Hard Courts, Cheltenham, Midland Championships (shared), Welsh Championships, St. Moritz, Palace Torquay
  • 1963 – Coupe Pierre Gillou, German Indoors, Scandinavian Indoor Championships, French Indoors, Carlton International, Sutton Championships, British Hard Courts, London Hard Courts, Wolverhampton, Cheltenham, Hoylake Open, Carlyon Bay Championships
  • 1964 – British Hard Courts, Sutton Coldfield, Surrey Championships, Bavarian Championships, British Covered Court Championships, Carlyon Bay Covered Courts
  • 1965 – German Indoors, French Indoors, Dutch Indoor, Cumberland Championships, Sutton Hard Courts, British Hard Courts, British Covered Court Championships, Carlyon Bay Covered Courts, Palace Torquay
  • 1966 – German Indoors, French Indoors, Cumberland Championships, British Hard Courts, Connaught, Italian Championships, French Championships,[7][9] Moscow International
  • 1967 – German Indoors, Scandinavian Indoors, Dixie International, Barranquilla Championships, Caracas Championships, Curaçao Invitational, Mexico City, Caribe Hilton International, Masters Invitational, Kent Championships, Essex Championships
  • 1968 – Caracas, Queen's Club (shared), Argentine & South American Open
  • 1969 – New Zealand Open, Monte Carlo Open, Belgian Open, Queen's Club Grass Championships, Wimbledon,[7] Aix-En-Provence Championships, British Covered Court Championships
  • 1970 – Orange Free State Championships, Western Province Championships, Benson & Hedges Open, Bio-Strath London Hard Court Championships, Surrey Grass Courts, Chichester, Eastbourne International, Turkish International, Dewar Cup Torquay
  • 1971 – Caribe Hilton International, Caesar's Palace World Pro
  • 1975 – Torquay Palace Indoors

See also

References

  1. 1 2 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 0-942257-41-3.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "International Tennis Hall of Fame". 2006 International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved 13 August 2012. .
  3. ↑ "About the AELTC". www.wimbledon.com. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 Dodd, Ros. "Interview – Ann Jones: Ann settles out of court," Birmingham (UK) Post, Saturday, June 24, 2000.
  5. ↑ World Championship Stockholm SWEDEN 1957. ittf.com
  6. ↑ Haydon, Ann (1958) Tackle Table Tennis This Way. S. Paul
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "BBC Sport: Ann Jones". BBC Sport. 20 July 2002. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  8. ↑ Barrett, John. Wimbledon, The Official History of the Championships. Willow; First Edition edition (4 Jun. 2001). ISBN 978-0007117079
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Today in Sport Archives". 2004–2009 Today In Sport.Com. 12 April 2004. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  10. ↑ Wimbledon Players Archive Ann Jones
  11. ↑ Dawson's Lawn Tennis Almanac 1960
  12. ↑ British Lawn Tennis, October 1963
  13. ↑ British Lawn Tennis, July 1963
  14. ↑ British Lawn Tennis, edition July 1959 and 1962
  15. ↑ British Lawn Tennis, July 1969
  16. ↑ Jones, Ann (1971) A Game to Love. S. Paul
  17. ↑ Caffery, Bethia (9 April 1971). "She Has A Ball With Tennis". Evening Independent (St. Petersburg, FL).
  18. ↑ West Bromwich Albion v Coventry City football programme, 20 August 1969, p. 9
  19. ↑ "No. 60728". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2013. p. 8.
Awards
Preceded by
David Hemery		 BBC Sports Personality of the Year
1969		 Succeeded by
Henry Cooper
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