Helen Gourlay

Helen Gourlay

The December 1977 Australian Open final read Mrs Cawley versus Mrs Cawley. Helen Gourlay had married Richard Cawley that January, Evonne Goolagong's husband was Roger, and the umpire gave up and called them Helen and Evonne. Goolagong won 6-3, 6-0, the second time she had denied the Tasmanian a major singles title after taking their 1971 Roland Garros final 6-3, 7-5. Born in Launceston in 1946, Gourlay peaked at No. 12 that same year and reached five open-era major semifinals despite an elbow operation that cost her ten months in 1973.

The silverware came in doubles: five major titles, four of them Australian Opens between 1972 and December 1977, the last shared with Goolagong when rain washed out their final against Mona Guerrant and Kerry Reid. Six months earlier she had won Wimbledon with JoAnne Russell, beating Martina Navratilova and Betty Stove 6-3, 6-3. Her 10 career titles came without a singles major. She retired in 1978 and later coached at the Australian Institute of Sport.