Chris O'Neil (tennis)

Chris O'Neil
Country (sports) Australia
ResidenceAustralia
Born (1956-03-19) 19 March 1956 (age 68)
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Height175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro1973
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Career record19–52
Career titles1
Highest rankingNo. 80 (1978)[1]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (1978)
French Open2R (1981)
Wimbledon3R (1974)
US Open2R (1978, 1979)
Doubles
Career record64–82
Career titles1
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenSF (1976, 1978)
French OpenQF (1978)
WimbledonQF (1976)
US OpenQF (1978)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon2R (1976, 1977)
US Open2R (1978)

Christine O'Neil (born 19 March 1956) is an Australian former professional tennis player.[2]

O'Neil is best known for her singles victory at the 1978 Australian Open, and was the last Australian to win the title until Ashleigh Barty in 2022.[3] She also became the first unseeded woman to win the title in the Open era.[4][5] O'Neil is also one of the few players who have won both the Australian Open junior (1973) and senior (1978) titles.[4]

In 2007, along with her brothers Keith and William, O'Neil took over the Morisset Sports & Tennis Centre located in Newcastle, New South Wales. The centre was subsequently renamed the O'Neil School of Tennis. She then moved on to operate O'Neil's School of Tennis in Cessnock, New South Wales. She has since moved to Port Macquarie and currently coaches.[6][7]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 title)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Win 1978 Australian Open Grass United States Betsy Nagelsen 6–3, 7–6(7–3)

Grand Slam tournament performance 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.

Singles

Tournament 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 SR
Australian Open 1R 1R 2R 1R 1R A W A A Q2 2R Q2 1 / 7
French Open A Q1 A 1R 1R 1R 1R Q2 2R A 1R 0 / 6
Wimbledon A 3R 1R Q3 2R 1R 2R Q2 1R A 1R 0 / 7
US Open A 1R A A A 2R 2R Q3 A A Q2 0 / 3
Strike rate 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 3 1 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 0 0 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 2 1 / 23

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

References

  1. ^ Chris O'Neil player profile at Tennis Australia
  2. ^ "Profiles: Chris O'Neil". Tennis Australia. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  3. ^ Poole, Harry (29 January 2022). "Barty wins Australian Open". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Australian Open Tennis". State Government of Victoria. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  5. ^ "O'Neill, 6-3, 7-6". The Canberra Times. Vol. 53, no. 15, 809. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 4 January 1979. p. 22 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "O'Neil's School of Tennis". O'Neil's School of Tennis. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  7. ^ "Chris O'Neil". Australian Tennis Professional Coaches Association. Archived from the original on 12 September 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2010.