article by Nicholas Pucci
If we exclude the victory of Mary Pierce, who chose French nationality for her sporting activity but was born in Montreal to an American father and Canadian mother, the last transalpine to excel on the fields of Roland-Garroscapable of lifting the “Musketeers cup“, and Françoise Dürrwho fate wanted was born on Christmas Day 1942 in Algiers.
Effectively Dürr has a preferential relationship with the French internationals, if it is true that in 1960, after having already been national champion among the juniors the year before, she won the youth title at the Porte d’Auteuilalso finding a place on the board of the “big” where she surrendered in the second round to the blue Lea Pericoli.
Dürr is an excellent doubles specialist, so much so that she will collect 11 Grand Slam titles in her career (7+4 between doubles and mixed doubles, of which five consecutive at Roland-Garros teaming up with Ann Haydon-Jones and Gail Sherriff Chanfreau), but in singles he knows how to command respect and if for at least all the Sixties he is undoubtedly the most competitive player in her country, indeed in Paris it achieves the most prestigious result.
After a few years of relative failure, reaching the round of 16 at most in 1962 (defeated by the South African Sandra Price) and in 1963 (expelled by the Czech Vera Sukova), Dürr, with her atypical one-handed backhand, with her forefinger of the right hand along the racket, equipped with formidable footwork, determined and concentrated, in 1965 he infiltrated the top-10 of the world rankings for the first time, reaching the quarterfinals in Australia on her first participation, where she surrendered only to Margaret Smith, at Roland-Garros, beaten in two sets drawn by Nancy Richey, and at the Us Open, still forced to submit to the law of the Court, to then , the following year, still reaching the top eight in Paris, Wimbledon and New York, defeated respectively by Maria Ester Bueno and Rosie Casals. AND if in 1967 he opens the year with yet another quarterfinal in Australia, knocked out by Lesley Turner, here at Roland-Garros, against all odds, he breaks the bank.
In the absence of Margaret Smiththe undisputed number 1 in the world, who has decided to temporarily retire from tennis to marry Barry Court, the draw assigns Billie Jean King as the favorite as the first seed, followed in seeding by Ann Haydon-Jones, holder of the title, by Bueno and by Lesley Turner, in turn triumphant in 1963 and 1965. Dürr is awarded the sixth seed, also preceded by Rosie Casals, and if in the first round she liquidates South African Glenda Swan, 6-2 6-1, without worries, then loses a set with American Stephanie DeFina, 6-3 5-7 6-1, not giving any chance to Kathy Harter, 6-0 6-4, and Anna Dmitrieva, 7-5 6-1, showing up on time for the appointment with the quarter-finals.
The best ones also do not fail to enter this stage of the competitionwith only Casals eliminated in the round of 16 by the German Helga Schultze, number 12 on the board, and if the victory of the South African Annette Van Zyl, number 9, with the Australian Judy Tegart, number 8, cannot be considered a surprise Kerry Melville, number 7, completes the picture of tennis players who will play for the title.
It’s here things get decidedly interesting for Dürr, who at the end of a real battle eliminates Bueno, the idol of her youth, 5-7 6-1 6-4, deserving an opportunity in the semifinal with Melville, who in turn surprises the defending champion, Haydon-Jones, at the end of another marathon, 0-6 6-4 8-6. And since the opportunity to catch the final is tempting, the French champion really doesn’t let it get away, and with the score of 8-6 6-3 she will be one of the two protagonists of the decisive performance on June 4th. Where he finds Lesley Turner beyond the net, who respects the forecast with Schultze, 7-5 6-2, and Van Zyl (killer in the quarterfinals of King), 6-1 6-4, and presents himself in the final act with the chance to seize a third title of Queen of Franceafter those, precisely, of 1963 and 1965.
The 10,000 spectators occupying the grandstands of the Court Central of Roland-Garros are waiting for 19 years after Nally Landry, a French tennis player to return to lift the trophy intended for whoever wins the tournament. Hungarian Joseph Stolpa, who has been coaching her forever, only gave Dürr one piece of advice before the match: “if you’re in the final, do whatever you can, because you may never be there again!“. E “Frankie“, as the Anglo-Saxons call it, he put his foot on the gas, grabbing the first nine points to quickly take a 3-1 lead. But the Australian, who is perfectly at ease with her at the Porte d’Auteuil, in turn puts in four games in a row, pocketing the first set 6-4. Dürr, faithful to her characteristics as an indomitable player, does not give up. He breaks at 3-2 in the second set, which he wins with a clear 6-3. She breaks her opponent’s serve again at the beginning of the last set, but immediately loses her lead, later finding herself down 4-2, 30-0. But once again the Frenchwoman demonstrates tenacity and determination, Dürr is solid in the exchanges back down on 4-4 before making the decisive extension that gives her the victory, 6-4.
And with the trophy presented to her on stage, Françoise also holds a place of prominence in the history of French tennis…waiting for Mary Pierce.
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