Pam Whytcross
Country (sports) | Australia |
---|---|
Born | 25 November 1953 |
Turned pro | 1970 |
Retired | 1986 |
Prize money | US$ 126,973 |
Singles | |
Career record | 6–31 |
Career titles | 0 |
Highest ranking | No. 75 (1978) |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | 2R (1977 Jan) |
French Open | 3R (1977) |
Wimbledon | 2R (1978) |
US Open | 2R (1977) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 23–40 |
Career titles | 3 |
Highest ranking | Top 30 (1983) |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
Australian Open | F (1978) |
French Open | QF (1977, 1978, 1980) |
Wimbledon | 3R(1977, 1980) |
US Open | 3R (1976, 1977, 1978) |
Pam Whytcross (born 25 November 1953) is a former professional tennis player and current tennis official from Australia. Playing internationally from 1973 to 1996, Whytcross won 3 WTA doubles titles and was runner-up with Naoko Satō at the 1978 Australian Open. In singles, she achieved her best Grand Slam result at Roland Garros in 1977, where she reached the third round. Whytcross reached a career-high singles ranking of 75 and ranked among the Top 30 in doubles.
Career
[edit]Whytcross began competing in tournaments in 1970 and was also one of the original members of the WTA, which was formed in 1973. She reached her first WTA doubles final in Sydney in January 1974 but had to wait four years before reaching her second at Mahwah, New Jersey in 1978 with partner Barbara Potter.. Also in 1978, she acheived her best Grand Slam result, advancing to the final of the Australian Open in 1978 with partner Naoko Satō, where they lost to Betsy Nagelsen and Renáta Tomanová.
Whytcross subsequently won three WTA doubles titles in 1983, taking titles at the Head Cup in Kitzbühel, Austria in July 1983(with Chris Newton), and in successive weeks in October at two tournaments in Tokyo: the Japan Open and the Borden Classic, (both with Chris O'Neil) and qualified for the year-ending WTA Doubles championships in that year.
Whytcross reached at least the second round at all four Grand Slam singles tournaments with her best result being achieved at 1977, where she advanced to the third round (last 16) before losing to eventual champion Mima Jausovec.
In 1982, Whytcross reached the mixed doubles semifinals (with Chris Johnstone) at 1982 Wimbledon.
At the lower level satellite circuit, Whytcross won a number of singles titles including the Irish Open in 1979 & 1980 and the New Zealand Open in 1979 and 1981
She retired in 1986 at the age of 33.
Post-tennis career
[edit]After retiring from playing, Whytcross began a career in officiating with the Women's Tennis Association Women's Tennis Association (WTA), a position she has held for over 35 years. She also was involved with mentoring Australian player Jelena Dokić as part of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) mentoring scheme.[1] She was appointed Technical Operations Manager for Tennis at the 2000 Summer Olympics and Competition Manager for the 2000 Summer Paralympics
In December 2024 in recognition of her outstanding tennis career, Whytcross was awarded the Spirit of Tennis Award by Tennis Australia. The award recognises an individual who personifies leadership, sportsmanship and goodwill while making a major contribution to the stature of tennis.
Grand Slam finals
[edit]Doubles: 1 (0–1)
[edit]Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1978 | Australian Open | Hard | Naoko Satō | Betsy Nagelsen Renáta Tomanová |
5–7, 2–6 |
WTA finals
[edit]Doubles (3 wins, 3 losses)
[edit]Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Location | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 0–1 | Jan 1974 | New South Wales Open | Sydney, Australia | Hard | Janet Fallis | Ann Kiyomura Kazuko Sawamatsu |
3–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 0–2 | Aug 1978 | Bergen County Classic | Mahwah, U.S. | Hard | Barbara Potter | Ilana Kloss Marise Kruger |
1–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 0–3 | Dec 1978 | Australian Open | Melbourne, Australia | Hard | Naoko Satō | Betsy Nagelsen Renáta Tomanová |
5–7, 2–6 |
Win | 1–3 | Jul 1983 | Head Cup | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Chris Newton | Nathalie Herreman Pascale Paradis |
2–6, 6–4, 7–6 |
Win | 2–3 | Oct 1983 | Borden Classic | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Chris O'Neil | Brenda Remilton Naoko Satō |
5–7, 7–6, 6–3 |
Win | 3–3 | Oct 1983 | Japan Open | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Chris O'Neil | Helena Manset Micki Schillig |
6–3, 7–5 |
References
[edit]- ^ McDonald, Margie (27 January 2009). "Jelena Dokić is happy and relieved according to former tour player Pam Whytcross". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 3 December 2010.