Shirley Fry

{{Short description|American tennis and badminton player (1927–2021)}}

{{Infobox tennis biography

|name = Shirley Fry

|image = Shirley Fry Irvin 1953 (cropped).jpg

|caption = Fry in the Netherlands in 1953

|fullname = Shirley June Fry Irvin

|country = {{USA}}

|residence =

|birth_date = {{birth date|1927|06|30}}

|birth_place = Akron, Ohio, United States

|death_date = {{death date and age|2021|07|13|1927|06|30}}

|death_place = Naples, Florida, United States

|height = {{height|ft=5|in=5}}

|college =

|turnedpro =

|retired = 1957

|plays = Right–handed

|careerprizemoney =

|tennishofyear = 1970

|tennishofid = shirley-fry

|website =

|singlesrecord = 596-146 (80.3%)

|singlestitles = 63

|highestsinglesranking = No. 1 (1956)

|AustralianOpenresult = W (1957)

|FrenchOpenresult = W (1951)

|Wimbledonresult = W (1956)

|USOpenresult = W (1956)

|USOpenjuniorresult =

|USOpenseniorresult =

|Othertournaments =

|MastersCupresult =

|WTAChampionshipsresult =

|Olympicsresult =

|doublesrecord =

|doublestitles =

|highestdoublesranking =

|grandslamsdoublesresults =

|AustralianOpenDoublesresult = W (1957)

|FrenchOpenDoublesresult = W (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953)

|WimbledonDoublesresult = W (1951, 1952, 1953)

|USOpenDoublesresult = W (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954)

|OthertournamentsDoubles =

|MastersCupDoublesresult =

|WTAChampionshipsDoublesresult =

|OlympicsDoublesresult =

|Mixed =

|mixedrecord =

|mixedtitles =

|AustralianOpenMixedresult =

|FrenchOpenMixedresult = F (1952)

|WimbledonMixedresult = W (1956)

|USOpenMixedresult = F (1951, 1955)

|Team = yes

|FedCupresult =

|WightmanCupresult = W (1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956)

}}

Shirley June Fry Irvin (née Fry; June 30, 1927 – July 13, 2021) was an American tennis player. During her career, which lasted from the early 1940s until the mid-1950s, she won the singles title at all four Grand Slam events, as well as 13 doubles titles, and was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1956.

Early life

Fry was born in Akron, Ohio, on June 30, 1927.{{cite news|title=In Memoriam: Shirley Fry Irvin|url=https://www.tennisfame.com/news/2021/in-memoriam-shirley-fry-irvin|first=Joel|last=Drucker|date=July 14, 2021|access-date=July 15, 2021|publisher=International Tennis Hall of Fame}} She started playing tennis competitively at age nine.{{cite web|author1=David Whitley|title=Orlando's Wimbledon Champion|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2000/09/08/orlandos-wimbledon-champion/|website=Orlando Sentinel|date=September 8, 2000}} She was educated at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, graduating in 1949.

Career

Fry was one of 10 women{{efn|name=grandslam|along with Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, Doris Hart, Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Maria Sharapova, and Serena Williams.}} to have won each Grand Slam singles tournament at least once during her career. She was also one of seven women (with Doris Hart, Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams) to have won all four Grand Slam doubles tournaments. At the U.S. National Championship (precursor of the U.S. Open) in 1942, Fry reached the singles quarterfinals at the age of 15. At Wimbledon in 1953, Fry and Hart lost only four games during the entire women's doubles tournament and won three matches without losing a game, including the semifinals and finals, the latter over Connolly and Julia Sampson. Fry won the last three Grand Slam singles tournaments she entered, including wins over Althea Gibson in the Wimbledon quarterfinal and U.S. Championship final in 1956 and the Australian Championships final in 1957.

Fry was ranked in the world top 10 in 1946 and 1948 and from 1950 through 1955 (no rankings issued from 1940 through 1945), and No. 1 in 1956.{{cite book |author=Collins, Bud |title=The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book |publisher=New Chapter Press |location=New York, N.Y |year=2008 |pages=695, 702–3 |isbn=978-0-942257-41-0 }} The United States Lawn Tennis Association ranked her in the U.S. top 10 from 1944 through 1955 and No. 1 in 1956.{{cite book |author=United States Tennis Association |title=1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook |publisher=H.O. Zimman, Inc. |location=Lynn, Massachusetts |year=1988 |page=261}} She briefly retired in early 1956 and worked as a copygirl for the St. Petersburg Times. However, she returned later that spring after receiving an invitation to play in the Wightman Cup.{{cite news|title=Tennis Hall of Famer Shirley Fry Irvin dies at 94|url=https://apnews.com/article/sports-tennis-wimbledon-6c06df18bd7b69d2589b7f48bc68d261|date=July 14, 2021|access-date=July 15, 2021|work=Associated Press}} She retired for the final time in 1957, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1970.

From 1951 through 1956, Fry participated in the Wightman Cup, the women's team competition between Great Britain and the United States, and contributed to the U.S. victory during each of these editions with the exception of 1954, when her final doubles rubber was not played. She compiled a 10–2 win–loss record.

Later life

Fry married Karl Irvin in Australia in February 1957, after which she retired from top-level tennis.{{cite news|title=Shirley Fry engaged; to wed in February|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19561204&id=ZiNVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bIADAAAAIBAJ&pg=7042,1873525|work=St. Petersburg Times|date=December 4, 1956|page=22|via=Google News Archive}}{{cite web|title=Women's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame|url=http://itahalloffame.org/inductees/shirley-fry-irvin|website=Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)}} They remained married until his death from a heart attack in 1976. Together, they had four children: Mark, Scott, Lori and Karen.

Fry resided in Naples, Florida, during her later years. She died there on the night of July 13, 2021, at the age of 94.{{cite news|title=Hall of Famer Shirley Fry Irvin dies at 94|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/hall-famer-shirley-fry-irvin-dies-94-2021-07-14/|date=July 14, 2021|access-date=July 15, 2021|work=Reuters}} Prior to her death, she was the longest surviving female Grand Slam tournament and Wimbledon singles champion.{{cite web |author1=Enceladus |title=The oldest living female grandslam singles champions |url=https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/the-oldest-living-female-grandslam-singles-champions.689957/ |website=Talk Tennis |access-date=July 15, 2021 |date=February 5, 2021}}

Career statistics

=Grand Slam tournament timelines=

Sources:

==Singles==

class="wikitable"

! Tournament !! 1941 !! 1942 !! 1943 !! 1944 !! 1945 !! 1946¹ !! 1947¹ !! 1948 !! 1949 !! 1950 !! 1951 !! 1952 !! 1953 !! 1954 !! 1955 !! 1956 !! 1957 !! Career SR

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Australian Championships

| align="center" | NH

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;" | W

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 1 / 1

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | French Championships

| align="center" | R

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | F

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;" | W

| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | F

| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | SF

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 1 / 5

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Wimbledon

| align="center" | NH

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R

| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | F

| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | SF

| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;" | W

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 1 / 8

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | U.S. Championships

| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | F

| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | SF

| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;" | W

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 1 / 16

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | SR

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 3

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 3

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |1 / 3

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 3

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |2 / 2

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |1 / 1

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 4 / 30

==Doubles==

class="wikitable"

! Tournament !! 1941 !! 1942 !! 1943 !! 1944 !! 1945 !! 1946¹ !! 1947¹ !! 1948 !! 1949 !! 1950 !! 1951 !! 1952 !! 1953 !! 1954 !! 1955 !! 1956 !! 1957 !! Career SR

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Australian Championships

| align="center" |A

| align="center" |NH

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;" | W

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 1 / 1

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | French Championships

| align="center" |R

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | F

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;" | W

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 4 / 5

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Wimbledon

| align="center" | NH

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

| align="center" style="background:yellow;" |SF

| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" |F

| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;" | W

| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" |F

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:yellow;" |SF

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 3 / 8

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | U.S. Championships

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | SF

| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | F

| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;" | W

| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | F

| align="center" |A

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 4 / 15

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | SR

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 3

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |1 / 3

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |3 / 3

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |1 / 2

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |1 / 1

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 12 / 29

R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation.

¹In 1946 and 1947, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon.

=Grand Slam tournament finals=

Source:{{cite web|url=https://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/shirley-fry|title=Shirley Fry|publisher=International Tennis Hall of Fame|access-date=July 15, 2021}}

==Singles: 8 (4 titles, 4 runners-up)==

class='sortable wikitable' !style="width:40px"\|Result !style="width:30px"\|Year !style="width:170px"\|Championship !style="width:50px"\|Surface !style="width:200px"\|Opponent !style="width:110px" class="unsortable"\|Score
style="background:#ebc2af;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1948	French Championships	Clay	{{flagicon\|FRA}} Nelly Adamson Landry	2–6, 6–0, 0–6
style="background:#ebc2af;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1951	French Championships	Clay	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	6–3, 3–6, 6–3
style="background:#cfc;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1951	Wimbledon	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	1–6, 0–6
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1951	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Maureen Connolly	3–6, 6–1, 4–6
style="background:#ebc2af;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1952	French Championships	Clay	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	4–6, 4–6
style="background:#cfc;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1956	Wimbledon	Grass	{{flagicon\|GBR}} Angela Buxton	6–3, 6–1
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1956	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Althea Gibson	6–3, 6–4
style="background:#ffc;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1957	Australian Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Althea Gibson	6–3, 6–4

==Doubles: 19 (12 titles, 7 runners-up)==

class="sortable wikitable" !style="width:40px"\|Result !style="width:30px"\|Year !style="width:170px"\|Championship !style="width:50px"\|Surface !style="width:200px"\|Partner !style="width:200px"\|Opponents !style="width:110px" class="unsortable"\|Score
style="background:#ebc2af;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1948	French Championships	Clay	{{flagicon\|USA}} Mary Arnold	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart {{flagicon\|USA}} Patricia Canning Todd	4–6, 2–6
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1949	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Margaret Osborne duPont	4–6, 8–10
style="background:#ebc2af;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1950	French Championships	Clay	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Margaret Osborne duPont	1–6, 7–5, 6–2
style="background:#cfc;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1950	Wimbledon	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Margaret Osborne duPont	4–6, 7–5, 1–6
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1950	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Margaret Osborne duPont	2–6, 3–6
style="background:#ebc2af;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1951	French Championships	Clay	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|RSA\|1928}} Beryl Bartlett {{flagicon\|USA}} Barbara Scofield	10–8, 6–3
style="background:#cfc;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1951	Wimbledon	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Margaret Osborne duPont	6–2, 13–11
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1951	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Nancy Chaffee {{flagicon\|USA}} Patricia Canning Todd	6–4, 6–2
style="background:#ebc2af;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1952	French Championships	Clay	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|RSA\|1928}} Hazel Redick-Smith {{flagicon\|RSA\|1928}} Julia Wipplinger	7–5, 6–1
style="background:#cfc;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1952	Wimbledon	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Maureen Connolly	8–6, 6–3
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1952	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Maureen Connolly	10–8, 6–4
style="background:#ebc2af;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1953	French Championships	Clay	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Maureen Connolly {{flagicon\|USA}} Julia Sampson	6–4, 6–3
style="background:#cfc;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1953	Wimbledon	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Maureen Connolly {{flagicon\|USA}} Julia Sampson	6–0, 6–0
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1953	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Margaret Osborne duPont	6–2, 7–9, 9–7
style="background:#cfc;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1954	Wimbledon	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Margaret Osborne duPont	6–4, 7–9, 1–6
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1954	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Margaret Osborne duPont	6–4, 6–4
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1955	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Margaret Osborne duPont	3–6, 6–1, 3–6
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1956	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Betty Rosenquest	{{flagicon\|USA}} Louise Brough {{flagicon\|USA}} Margaret Osborne duPont	3–6, 0–6
style="background:#ffc;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1957	Australian Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Althea Gibson	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Mary Bevis Hawton {{flagicon\|AUS}} Fay Muller	6–2, 6–1

==Mixed doubles: 5 (1 title, 4 runners-up)==

class="sortable wikitable" !style="width:40px"\|Result !style="width:30px"\|Year !style="width:170px"\|Championship !style="width:50px"\|Surface !style="width:200px"\|Partner !style="width:200px"\|Opponents !style="width:110px" class="unsortable"\|Score
style="background:#ccccff" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1951	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Mervyn Rose	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart {{flagicon\|AUS}} Frank Sedgman	3–6, 2–6
style="background:#ebc2af;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1952	French Championships	Clay	{{flagicon\|RSA\|1928}} Eric Sturgess	{{flagicon\|USA\|1912}} Doris Hart {{flagicon\|AUS}} Frank Sedgman	8–6, 3–6, 3–6
style="background:#cfc;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1953	Wimbledon	Grass	{{flagicon\|ARG}} Enrique Morea	{{flagicon\|USA\|1912}} Doris Hart {{flagicon\|USA\|1912}} Vic Seixas	7–9, 5–7
style="background:#ccf;" \| style="background:#ffa07a;"\|Loss	1955	U.S. Championships	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA\|1912}} Gardnar Mulloy	{{flagicon\|USA}} Doris Hart {{flagicon\|USA}} Vic Seixas	5–7, 7–5, 2–6
style="background:#cfc;" \| style="background:#98fb98;"\|Win	1956	Wimbledon	Grass	{{flagicon\|USA}} Vic Seixas	{{flagicon\|USA}} Gardnar Mulloy {{flagicon\|USA}} Althea Gibson	2–6, 6–2, 7–5