Jan Lehane

Jan Lehane
Full name	Jan Lehane O'Neill
ITF name	Jan O'Neill
Country (sports)	Australia
Born	9 July 1941; Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia
Plays	Right-handed (double-handed backhand)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 7 (1963)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	F (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963)
French Open	QF (1960, 1962, 1963, 1964)
Wimbledon	QF (1962)
US Open	QF (1960, 1961)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	F (1961, 1963)
French Open	SF (1960, 1961, 1962)
Wimbledon	F (1961)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open	W (1960, 1961)
French Open	SF (1961)
Wimbledon	4R (1960, 1962)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	F (1963)

Jan Lehane O'Neill (née Lehane; born 9 July 1941) is a former Australian female tennis player. She was the first leading female player with a double-handed backhand.^[1]

She won the singles title at the New South Wales Championships in 1959 after a three-sets victory in the final against Mary Carter Reitano. In 1960 she successfully defended her title by winning the semifinal against world No. 1 ranked Maria Bueno and the final in straight sets against Margaret Smith.^[2]

At the Australian Championships, Lehane reached the singles final four consecutive years (1960–1963) but lost to Margaret Court each time. She had a similar experience in women's doubles, reaching the final twice (in 1961 with Mary Bevis Hawton and 1963 with Lesley Turner Bowrey) but losing each time to a team that included Court (with Mary Carter Reitano in 1961 and Robyn Ebbern in 1963).^[3] Lehane had more success in the mixed doubles, twice winning the title (in 1960 with Trevor Fancutt and 1961 with Bob Hewitt). However, Mike Sangster and Lehane lost the 1964 mixed doubles final to Court and Ken Fletcher.

She had an operation on her right knee in January 1965 and did not play any of the Grand Slam events that year.^[4]^[5]

She was part of the Australian Fed Cup team that reached the final in 1963 and won all three of her singles rubbers.

According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, O'Neill was ranked in the world top ten in 1960, 1963, and 1964, reaching a career high of World No. 7 in those rankings in 1963.^[6]

Lehane married James John O'Neill on 19 February 1966.

In 2018 she was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.^[7]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (4 runners-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1960	Australian Championships	Grass	Margaret Smith	5–7, 2–6
Runner-up	1961	Australian Championships	Grass	Margaret Smith	1–6, 4–6
Runner-up	1962	Australian Championships	Grass	Margaret Smith	0–6, 2–6
Runner-up	1963	Australian Championships	Grass	Margaret Smith	2–6, 2–6

Doubles: (3 runners-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1961	Australian Championships	Grass	Mary Hawton	Mary Carter Reitano Margaret Smith	4–6, 6–3, 5–7
Runner-up	1961	Wimbledon	Grass	Margaret Smith	Karen Hantze Susman Billie Jean King	3–6, 4–6
Runner-up	1963	Australian Championships	Grass	Lesley Turner Bowrey	Robyn Ebbern Margaret Smith	1–6, 3–6

Mixed doubles (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponent	Score
Winner	1960	Australian Championships	Grass	Trevor Fancutt	Christine Truman Martin Mulligan	6–2, 7–5
Winner	1961	Australian Championships	Grass	Bob Hewitt	Mary Carter Reitano John Pearce	9–7, 6–2
Runner-up	1964	Australian Championships	Grass	Mike Sangster	Margaret Smith Ken Fletcher	2–6, 3–6

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Tournament	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	Career SR
Australia	1R	SF	F	F	F	F	SF	A	2R	3R	A	A	3R	QF	A	A	2R	A	A	2R / A	0 / 13
France	A	A	QF	4R	QF	QF	QF	A	A	3R	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 6
Wimbledon	A	A	4R	3R	QF	3R	A	A	A	4R	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 5
United States	A	A	QF	QF	3R	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 3
SR	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 2	0 / 0	0 / 1	0 / 3	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 1	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 1	0 / 27

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

References

↑ Bud Collins (17 January 2005). "Legends of the court". The Age.
↑ C.M. Jones, ed. (1961). Dawson's International Lawn Tennis Almanac. London: Dawson's of Pall Mall. p. 196.
↑ Peter Bodo (5 January 2014). "Twenty-four majors good?". Tennis.com.
↑ "Jan Lehane to have operation". The Canberra Times. 9 January 1965. p. 26 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Who's Who in A.C.T. Open". The Canberra Times. 2 October 1965. p. 25 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ 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.
↑ "Greats of the game at the Happy Slam". www.wtatennis.com. Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

External links

Jan Lehane at the Women's Tennis Association
Jan Lehane at the International Tennis Federation
Jan Lehane at the Fed Cup

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[1] Bud Collins (17 January 2005). "Legends of the court". The Age.

[dawsons1961-2] C.M. Jones, ed. (1961). Dawson's International Lawn Tennis Almanac. London: Dawson's of Pall Mall. p. 196.

[3] Peter Bodo (5 January 2014). "Twenty-four majors good?". Tennis.com.

[4] "Jan Lehane to have operation". The Canberra Times. 9 January 1965. p. 26 – via National Library of Australia.

[5] "Who's Who in A.C.T. Open". The Canberra Times. 2 October 1965. p. 25 – via National Library of Australia.

[6] 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.

[7] "Greats of the game at the Happy Slam". www.wtatennis.com. Women's Tennis Association (WTA).