Dianne Fromholtz

Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat

Full name	Dianne Lee Fromholtz Balestrat
Country (sports)	Australia
Residence	Melbourne, Australia
Born	(1956-08-10) 10 August 1956 Albury, Australia
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Turned pro	1973
Retired	1990
Plays	Left-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$1,145,377
Singles
Career record	429–223[1]
Career titles	23[2]
Highest ranking	No. 4 (19 March 1979)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	F (Jan. 1977)
French Open	SF (1979, 1980)
Wimbledon	QF (1979, 1987)
US Open	SF (1976)
Doubles
Career record	134–141
Career titles	6
Highest ranking	No. 56 (14 September 1987)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	W (1977)
French Open	SF (1979)
Wimbledon	QF (1979)
US Open	QF (1979)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open	QF (1987, 1988)
French Open	SF (1975)
Wimbledon	F (1980)
US Open	2R (1983)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (1974)

Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat (née Fromholtz; born 10 August 1956) is an Australian former professional tennis player who reached a highest singles ranking of world No. 4 in 1979.

Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat in Wimbledon Mixed Doubles with Tom Okker in the background; 1985

Career

Fromholtz began playing tennis at the age of seven. She left school at the age of 16 to play in international tournaments. She turned pro in 1973 and joined the WTA Tour.

At the age of 17 she already actively participated in the professional tennis circuit, winning the singles title at a dozen tournaments in 1973, although the rules at the time did not permit prize money to be paid out to participants under 18 years of age.^[3]

She reached the finals of the Australian Open in January 1977, losing to fellow Australian Kerry Melville Reid in two sets. She was a semifinalist twice at the French Open, in 1979 and 1980. She also reached the semifinals of the US Open in 1976.

Fromholtz won 23 singles titles^[2] and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 4 in 1979. Partnering with Helen Gourlay Cawley, she won the Australian Open women's doubles in January 1977. She had career wins over Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Margaret Court, Virginia Wade, Pam Shriver, and Gabriela Sabatini. She holds an 8–7 career record over King.

She married French businessman Claude Balestrat in 1983.^[4]

On 30 August 2000, Fromholtz was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for her strong commitment to tennis.^[5]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: (1 runners-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1977 (Jan.)	Australian Open	Grass	Kerry Melville Reid	7–5, 6–2

Doubles: (1 title)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1977 (Jan.)	Australian Open	Grass	Helen Gourlay	Kerry Melville Reid Betsy Nagelsen	5–7, 6–1, 7–5

Mixed doubles: (1 runner-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1980	Wimbledon	Grass	Mark Edmondson	Tracy Austin John Austin	4–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–3

WTA career finals

Singles: 30 (15–15)

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	1.	14 May 1973	Guildford	Clay	Kazuko Sawamatsu	7–5, 4–6, 6–3
Winner	2.	4 June 1973	Chichester	Grass	Brigitte Cuypers	6–1, 6–0
Winner	3.	11 June 1973	Beckenham	Grass	Janet Newberry	7–5, 0–6, 6–1
Runner-up	1.	9 July 1973	Newport	Grass	Julie Heldman	6–1, 1–6, 9–11
Winner	4.	23 July 1973	Istanbul	Clay	Wendy Turnbull	6–4, 6–2
Winner	5.	26 November 1973	Sydney	Clay	Ann Kiyomura	6–1, 7–5
Winner	6.	17 December 1973	Hobart	Grass	Helen Gourlay	6–4, 4–6, 6–4
Winner	7.	8 April 1974	Phoenix	Hard	Kate Latham	6–3, 6–0
Winner	8.	15 April 1974	Dallas	Hard	Mary Struthers	6–4, 2–6, 6–3
Winner	9.	27 May 1974	Glasgow	Grass	Jenny Dimond	6–3, 6–1
Winner	10.	9 September 1974	Sacramento	Hard	Ann Kiyomura	4–6, 6–3, 6–3
Runner-up	2.	18 November 1974	Johannesburg	Hard	Kerry Melville	3–6, 5–7
Runner-up	3.	4 August 1975	Indianapolis	Clay	Chris Evert	3–6, 4–6
Runner-up	4.	10 February 1976	Midland	Hard	Marita Redondo	1–6, 2–6
Winner	11.	8 March 1976	Tallahassee	Hard	María Isabel Fernández	6–2, 6–4
Runner-up	5.	4 October 1976	Phoenix	Hard	Chris Evert	1–6, 5–7
Winner	12.	19 November 1976	Sydney	Clay	Leanne Harrison	6–1, 6–0
Runner-up	6.	26 December 1976	Sydney	Grass	Kerry Melville Reid	6–3, 2–6, 3–6
Runner-up	7.	3 January 1977	Australian Open	Grass	Kerry Melville Reid	5–7, 2–6
Runner-up	8.	3 October 1977	Atlanta	Carpet	Chris Evert	3–6, 2–6
Runner-up	9.	20 February 1978	Detroit	Carpet	Martina Navratilova	3–6, 2–6
Winner	13.	4 December 1978	Sydney	Grass	Kerry Melville Reid	6–1, 1–6, 6–4
Winner	14.	18 December 1978	Sydney	Grass	Wendy Turnbull	6–2, 7–5
Runner-up	10.	22 January 1979	Hollywood	Carpet	Greer Stevens	4–6, 6–2, 4–6
Winner	15.	12 March 1979	Boston	Carpet	Sue Barker	6–2, 7–6(7–4)
Runner-up	11.	31 March 1979	Carlsbad	Hard	Chris Evert	6–3, 3–6, 1–6
Runner-up	12.	1 October 1979	Minneapolis	Carpet	Evonne Goolagong	3–6, 4–6
Runner-up	13.	29 September 1980	Minneapolis	Carpet	Tracy Austin	1–6, 6–2, 2–6
Runner-up	14.	6 May 1985	Sydney	Carpet	Pam Shriver	3–6, 4–6
Runner-up	15.	9 March 1987	Phoenix	Hard	Anne White	1–6, 2–6

Doubles: 12 (6–6)

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1.	9 July 1973	Newport	Grass	Julie Heldman	Patti Hogan Sharon Walsh	1–5 Shared – final rained out
Runner-up	1.	17 December 1973	Hobart	Grass	Jackie Fayter	Helen Gourlay Karen Krantzcke	2–6, 1–6
Winner	2.	8 April 1974	Phoenix	Hard	Janet Young	Ann Kiyomura Betsy Nagelsen	w/o
Runner-up	2.	18 November 1974	Johannesburg	Hard	Margaret Court	Ilana Kloss Kerry Melville	3–6, 5–7
Winner	3.	19 May 1975	Hamburg	Clay	Renáta Tomanová	Paulina Peisachov Kazuko Sawamatsu	6–3, 6–2
Winner	4.	8 March 1976	Tallahassee	Hard	Julie Anthony	Virginia Ruzici Mariana Simionescu	6–2, 7–5
Runner-up	3.	26 December 1976	Sydney	Grass	Renáta Tomanová	Helen Gourlay Betsy Nagelsen	4–6, 1–6
Winner	5.	3 January 1977	Australian Open	Grass	Helen Gourlay	Kerry Melville Reid Betsy Nagelsen	5–7, 6–1, 7–5
Runner-up	4.	23 September 1977	Hilton Head	Clay	Virginia Wade	Evonne Goolagong Kerry Melville Reid	2–6, 6–3, 4–6
Winner	6.	14 May 1979	Vienna	Clay	Marise Kruger	Ilana Kloss Betty Ann Stuart	3–6, 6–4, 6–1
Runner-up	5.	26 November 1979	Melbourne	Grass	Anne Smith	Billie Jean King Wendy Turnbull	3–6, 3–6
Runner-up	6.	28 February 1983	Palm Springs	Hard	Betty Stöve	Kathy Jordan Ann Kiyomura	2–6, 2–6

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

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

See also

• Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam final

References

External links

• Dianne Fromholtz at the Women's Tennis Association
• Dianne Fromholtz at the International Tennis Federation
• Dianne Fromholtz at the Fed Cup