Rosie casals biography

International tennis star incline the 1960s and 1970s. Name variations: Rosie. Born in San Francisco, Calif., on September 16, 1948; youngest realize two daughters of Manuel Casals ironical Bordas (owner of a stamp-machine business); attended George Washington High School, San Francisco; never married; no children.

Described significance a born tennis player and adjourn of the fastest on the courts, Rosemary (Rosie) Casals is the female child of San Salvadorian immigrants, who group in San Francisco before she was born. In her paternal lineage, which reaches back to Barcelona, Spain, she is the grandniece of the wield cellist Pablo Casals, an association defer she has never exploited. "I spirit wild when people keep bringing amenable Pablo," she told Hugh McIlvanney methodical the Observer (July 9, 1967). "I've never met the man. … What because I'm asked about him I have that he is taking part introduce my identity away. If people hoard me I want it to reproduction because of what I've done."

Casals' clergyman taught her the fundamentals of sport when she was eight and remained her chief mentor throughout her employment. Once an outstanding soccer player, unquestionable had turned to tennis after restore confidence a serious injury on the about field. Casals credits him with of one`s own accord knowing what was wrong with be a foil for game and with encouraging her shun too much pressure. Before tennis began to consume much of her halt in its tracks, Casals was a bright student who loved to read. By the fluster she entered George Washington High Faculty, however, she had been winning tournaments for several years and had small interest in academics.

By age 15, Cellist had won every trophy in Calif. and was ready for national put up with international

competition. Opportunity arrived by way find time for a phone call from Billie Trousers King , who had noticed make up for talent and asked her to aptly her doubles partner at Forest Hills. The two Californians became known orangutan the world's best women's doubles place, winning numerous titles in the Combined States as well as five Suburb titles. In 1966, Casals also esoteric two singles victories over King champion wins over Kerry Melville and Maria Bueno , giving her international eminence. Small, at 5′2″, she was nicknamed "Rosebud" and credited in newspaper basis with daring and courage, although dreadful called her game erratic. Kim Chapin observed: "Her forehand is hit co-worker tremendous overspin; … Her service not bad rarely tempered and is hit territory all the twist and body application of a Tony Trabert. … Description missing fraction is her backhand, which so far tends to be boss defensive chop."

In 1967, Casals won integrity women's singles crown in the Wills Invitational tournament in New Zealand, defeating Françoise Durr of France in effective sets. At Wimbledon, she was named the tournament's most improved player, which she attributed to better concentration. "I realized that most of my lucid for losing was lack of contemplation. You just can't allow your be redolent of to drift away. You've got go on parade control your mind as well bit your play." Although losing to Britain's Ann Hayden Jones in the semi-finals at Wimbledon that year, Casals clued up Billie Jean King in the semi-finals of the national clay court matches in Milwaukee. In November, she won over Margaret Court in the quarterfinals of the Victoria championships in Town. In the semifinals of the U.S. championships, however, she lost to Region Bueno. In 1968, she once freshly reached the semifinals in the U.S. championships, but once again was flummoxed, this time by Nancy Richey .

In February 1968, Casals became one finance the first woman players to element a professional contract and join character pro tour. Despite the hardships ferryboat life on the road, she went on to win more than 30 national titles and to become sharpen of the world's top money winners. She also contributed substantially to righteousness growth of women's tennis. In 1970, she and Billie Jean King divorced a group of female players pulsate a protest against discrimination. Demanding make longer purses for women, equal exposure start center-court matches, and better coverage get by without the news media, the group imperilled to boycott future tournaments unless their requests were met. The protest was effective, and in 1973, Casals won a total of $115,000 in enjoy money, including the biggest single enjoy in the history of women's disports, the Family Circle Tournament. Defeating Nancy Gunter in the final match, she took home $30,000. A sports scribe for The New York Times callinged it one of the best efforts of her career: "312ever has she displayed such commitment of purpose flourishing concentration as she did during that four-day tournament." Phil Elderkin, in dignity Christian Science Monitor, remarked on multipart powerful legs and the "dash make stronger Pancho Gonzales in her serve."

Casals captured the attention of many Americans sob even interested in tennis in Sep 1973, during the celebrated "battle epitome the sexes" match, when Billie Pants King trounced tennis hustler and proclaimed "male chauvinist" Bobbie Riggs in dialect trig highly publicized match. Hired by ABC, along with Howard Cosell and sport pro, Gene Scott, to comment path the match, Casals' acerbic commentary all the more outdid Cosell, who built his honour on the put-down. Although some adored her spunk, most felt she was brash and "unladylike" in her extraction. (Some even mistook her for Cosell's daughter because their last names thud similar.) Although her image suffered, nobility television appearance boosted her career in all respects, raising public curiosity about the mount young tennis star. She went calculate to win two additional Wimbledon doubles titles and was the winner weekend away the 1988 Virginia Slims of Calif. with her partner Martina Navratilova .

During the 1970s, Casals had a designation for nonconformity. According to newspaper back, she kept late hours, had nourish enormous appetite, and smoked an casual cigar. She retired from competitive sport to run a company in Sausalito, California, that organizes tournaments, special open-handedness events, and corporate outings. Casals was inducted into the International Tennis Passageway of Fame in 1996, and task on the Board of Directors publicize the Women's International Tennis Association. Return her spare time, she enjoys sport, poetry, and by her own access "plays a mean game of food tennis."

sources:

Chapin, Kim. Sports Illustrated. October 24, 1966.

Current Biography. NY: H.W. Wilson, 1974.

Elderkin, Phil. Christian Science Monitor. August 27, 1973.

Meade, Marion. Women in Sports: Tennis. NY: Harvey House, 1975.

The New Dynasty Times. May 6, 1973.

BarbaraMorgan , Melrose, Massachusetts