Zina Garrison

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Zina Garrison
Country Flag of the United States United States
Residence Houston, Texas, USA
Date of birth November 16, 1963 (1963-11-16) (age 44)
Place of birth Houston, Texas, USA
Height 1.64 m (5 ft 4+12 in)
Weight 61.2 kg (135 lb/9.64 st)
Turned pro 1982
Retired 1997
Plays Right-handed
Career prize money $4,590,816
Singles
Career record: 587–270
Career titles: 14
Highest ranking: 4
Grand Slam results
Australian Open SF (1983)
French Open QF (1982)
Wimbledon F (1990)
US Open SF (1988, 1989)
Doubles
Career record: 436–231
Career titles: 20
Highest ranking: n/a
Olympic medal record
Women's tennis
Gold 1988 Seoul Doubles
Bronze 1988 Seoul Singles

Zina Lynna Garrison (born November 16, 1963 in Houston, Texas) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During her career, she was a women's singles runner-up at Wimbledon in 1990, a three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, and a women's doubles Gold Medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games.

Contents

[edit] Career

An African-American and the youngest of seven children, Garrison started playing tennis at the age of 10 and entered her first tournament at the age of 12. Her success as a junior player quickly made the tennis world take notice. At the age of 14 she won the national girls' 18s title. And then in 1981, she won both the Wimbledon and US Open junior titles and was ranked the World No. 1 junior player. Garrison graduated from Sterling High School in Houston in 1982. [1]

Garrison began suffering from the eating disorder bulimia when she was 19, following the death of her mother. [2]

"I had never been comfortable with my looks and felt I had lost the only person who loved me unconditionally," Garrison told the British Observer Sport Monthly in 2006. "The pressure of being labeled 'the next Althea Gibson' only made things worse. I felt I was never going to be allowed to grow into just becoming me."

Garrison turned professional in 1982, and skipped her graduation at Ross Sterling High School to compete in the French Open, her first tournament as a professional, where she reached the quarter-finals before being knocked-out by Martina Navrátilová.

Despite battling bulimia during her first few years on the tour, Garrison enjoyed notable success on-court. She reached the Australian Open semi-finals in her first full year on the tour - 1983 - and finished the year ranked the World No. 10. She won her first top-level singles titles in 1984 at the European Indoor Championships in Zurich. She was a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 1985, and in 1986 she won her first tour doubles at the Canadian Open (partnering Gabriela Sabatini).

At the Australian Open in 1987, Garrison won the mixed doubles (partnering Sherwood Stewart) and finished runner-up in the women's doubles (partnering Lori McNeil). A year later, Garrison and Stewart captured the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon.

At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Garrison teamed with Pam Shriver to win the women's doubles Gold Medal for the United States, defeating Jana Novotná and Helena Suková of Czechoslovakia in the final 4–6, 6–2, 10–8. And Garrison defeated Shriver in the quarter-finals of the singles event, where she won a Bronze Medal.

In 1989, Garrison defeated Chris Evert 7–6, 6–2 in the quarter-finals of the US Open in what proved to be the final WTA singles match of Evert's career. Garrison subsequently lost to Navrátilová in the semi-finals. She finished 1989 ranked a career-high World No. 4 in singles.

The highlight of Garrison's career came in 1990 at Wimbledon. She defeated the French Open champion Monica Seles in the quarter-finals 3–6, 6–3, 9–7 and the defending Wimbledon champion and World No. 1 Steffi Graf in the semi-finals 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 to reach her first (and only) Grand Slam singles final. There she faced Martina Navrátilová who was gunning for a record ninth women's singles title at Wimbledon, and lost 4–6, 1–6. However Garrison claimed her third Grand Slam mixed doubles title at Wimbledon that year (partnering Rick Leach).

In 1992 Garrison finished runner-up in the Australian Open women's doubles (partnering Mary Joe Fernandez).

Garrison retired from the professional tour in 1996. During her career, she won 14 top-level singles titles and 20 doubles titles.

[edit] Personal life and post-tennis career

Garrison married Willard Jackson in September 1989, however the marriage ended in divorce in 1997. Garrison relapsed into bulimia after her divorce, and spent three days in hospital and one-and-a-half weeks in a treatment center following an attempted suicide in 1999.

Since retiring from the tour, Garrison has worked as a television commentator and maintained active roles in the community and in tennis. She founded the Zina Garrison Foundation for the Homeless in 1988, and the Zina Garrison All-Court Tennis Program, which supports inner-city tennis in Houston, in 1992. She has also served as a member of the United States President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Garrison has maintained a presence on the professional tennis scene, and is currently the captain for the U.S. Federation Cup team. This role involves coaching the team and giving on-court advice. She will also lead the U.S. women's team at the 2008 Beijing Games tennis event.[3]

[edit] Grand Slam finals

[edit] Singles

Runner-ups (1)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
1990 Wimbledon Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová 6–4, 6–1

[edit] Women's doubles

Runner-ups (2)

Year Championship Partnering Opponents in Final Score in Final
1987 Australian Open Flag of the United States Lori McNeil Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová
Flag of the United States Pam Shriver
6–1, 6–0
1992 Australian Open Flag of the United States Mary Joe Fernández Flag of Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Flag of Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
6–4, 7–6(3)

[edit] Mixed doubles

Wins (3)

Year Championship Partnering Opponents in Final Score in Final
1987 Australian Open Flag of the United States Sherwood Stewart Flag of the United Kingdom Andrew Castle
Flag of the United Kingdom Anne Hobbs
3–6, 7–6(5), 6–3
1988 Wimbledon Flag of the United States Sherwood Stewart Flag of the United States Kelly Jones
Flag of the United States Gretchen Magers
6–1, 7–6(3)
1990 Wimbledon Flag of the United States Rick Leach Flag of Australia John Fitzgerald
Flag of Australia Elizabeth Smylie
7–5, 6–2

Runner-ups (3)

Year Championship Partnering Opponents in Final Score in Final
1987 Australian Open Flag of the United States Jim Pugh Flag of the United Kingdom Andrew Castle
Flag of the Soviet Union Natalia Zvereva
4–6, 6-2, 6–3
1989 Australian Open Flag of the United States Sherwood Stewart Flag of Czechoslovakia Jana Novotna
Flag of the United States Jim Pugh
6–3, 6-4
1993 Australian Open Flag of the United States Rick Leach Flag of Spain Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
Flag of Australia Todd Woodbridge
7-5, 6-4

[edit] WTA Results

[edit] Singles wins (14)

Legend (Singles)
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Championships (0)
Tier I (0)
Tier II (0)
Tier III (5)
Tier IV & V (3)
Pre-Tier wins (6)
No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. November 4, 1984 Zurich, Switzerland Carpet (I) Flag of West Germany Claudia Kohde Kilsch 6–1, 0–6, 6–2
2. April 21, 1985 Amelia Island, SC, USA Clay Flag of the United States Chris Evert-Lloyd 6–4, 6–3
3. November 3, 1985 Zurich, Switzerland Carpet (I) Flag of Czechoslovakia Hana Mandlíková 6–1, 6–3
4. November 2, 1986 Indianapolis, IN, USA Hard (I) Flag of the United States Melissa Gurney 6–3, 6–3
5. January 11, 1987 Sydney, Australia Grass Flag of the United States Pam Shriver 6–2, 6–4
6. February 15, 1987 San Francisco, CA, USA Carpet (I) Flag of West Germany Sylvia Hanika 7–5, 4–6, 6–3
7. February 26, 1989 Oakland, CA, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the Soviet Union Larisa Neiland 6–1, 6–1
8. July 23, 1989 Newport, RI, USA Grass Flag of the United States Pam Shriver 6–0, 6–1
9. November 12, 1989 Chicago, IL, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the Soviet Union Larisa Neiland 6–3, 2–6, 6–4
10. June 17, 1990 Birmingham, England Grass Flag of Czechoslovakia Helena Suková 6–4, 6–1
11. February 23, 1992 Oklahoma City, OK, USA Hard (I) Flag of the United States Lori McNeil 7–5, 3–6, 7–6(10)
12. February 21, 1993 Oklahoma City, OK, USA Hard (I) Flag of the United States Patty Fendick 6–2, 6–2
13. October 24, 1993 Budapest, Hungary Carpet (I) Flag of Belgium Sabine Appelmans 7–5, 6–2
14. June 18, 1995 Birmingham, England Grass Flag of the United States Lori McNeil 6–3, 6–3

[edit] Singles runner-ups (22)

No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. August 7, 1983 US Clay Courts Indianapolis, IN, USA Clay Flag of Hungary Andrea Temesvari 6–2, 6–2
2. January 2, 1984 Washington, DC, USA Carpet (I) Flag of Czechoslovakia Hana Mandlíková 6–1, 6–1
3. September 30, 1984 New Orleans, LA, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová 6–4, 6–3
4. January 20, 1985 Denver, CO, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Peanut Harper 6–4, 4–6, 6–4
5. July 27, 1985 US Clay Courts Indianapolis, IN, USA Grass Flag of Hungary Andrea Temesvari 7–6(0), 6–3
6. September 21, 1986 Tampa, FL, USA Hard Flag of the United States Lori McNeil 2–6, 7–5, 6–2
7. August 23, 1987 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Hard Flag of the United States Pam Shriver 6–4, 6–1
8. October 30, 1988 Indianapolis, IN, USA Hard (I) Flag of Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva 6–3, 2–6, 6–2
9. February 19, 1989 Washington, DC, USA Carpet (I) Flag of West Germany Steffi Graf 6–1, 7–5
10. June 18, 1989 Birmingham, England Grass Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová 7–6(5), 6–3
11. August 6, 1989 San Diego, CA, USA Hard Flag of West Germany Steffi Graf 6–4, 7–5
12. November 5, 1989 Worcester, MA, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová 6–2, 6–3
13. February 25, 1990 Washington, DC, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová 6–1, 6–0
14. July 8, 1990 Wimbledon Grass Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová 6–4, 6–1
15. October 23, 1990 San Juan, Puerto Rico Hard Flag of the United States Jennifer Capriati 5-7, 6–4, 6–2
16. February 17, 1991 Chicago, IL, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová 6–1, 6–2
17. October 27, 1991 Brighton, England Carpet (I) Flag of Germany Steffi Graf 5–7, 6–4, 6–1
18. April 19, 1992 Houston, TX, USA Clay Flag of Yugoslavia Monica Seles 6–1, 6–1
19. June 13, 1993 Birmingham, England Grass Flag of the United States Lori McNeil 6–4, 2–6, 6–3
20. August 1, 1993 Stratton Mountain, VT, USA Hard Flag of Spain Conchita Martínez 6–3, 6–2
21. November 7, 1993 Oakland, CA, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová 6–2, 7–6(1)
22. June 12, 1994 Birmingham, England Grass Flag of the United States Lori McNeil 6–2, 6–2

[edit] Doubles wins (20)

Legend (Doubles)
Grand Slam Title (0)
WTA Championships (0)
Tier I (2)
Tier II (6)
Tier III (6)
Tier IV & V (0)
Pre-Tier/Non-Tier wins (5)
Olympic Gold (1)
No. Date Tournament Surface Partnering Opponents in the final Score
1. August 10, 1986 Montreal, Quebec, Canada Hard Flag of Argentina Gabriela Sabatini Flag of the United States Pam Shriver
Flag of Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
7–6(2), 5–7, 6–4
2. November 2, 1986 Indianapolis, IN, USA Hard (I) Flag of the United States Lori McNeil Flag of the United States Candy Reynolds
Flag of the United States Anne Smith
4–5 ret.
3. August 23, 1987 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Hard Flag of the United States Lori McNeil Flag of West Germany Claudia Kohde Kilsch
Flag of Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
6–1, 6–2
4. October 7, 1987 New Orleans, LA, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Lori McNeil Flag of the United States Peanut Harper
Flag of the United States Heather Ludloff
6–3, 6–4
5. March 13, 1988 Delray Beach, FL, USA Hard Flag of the United States Katrina Adams Flag of West Germany Claudia Kohde Kilsch
Flag of Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
4–6, 5–7, 6–4
6. April 11, 1988 Amelia Island, FL, USA Clay Flag of West Germany Eva Pfaff Flag of the United States Katrina Adams
Flag of the United States Penny Mager
4–6, 6–2, 7-6(5)
7. April 24, 1988 Houston, TX, USA Clay Flag of the United States Katrina Adams Flag of the United States Lori McNeil
Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová
6–7(4), 6-2, 6–4
8. October 2, 1988 Seoul Olympics, Seoul, South Korea Hard Flag of the United States Pam Shriver Flag of Czechoslovakia Jana Novotná
Flag of Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
4–6, 6–2, 10–8
9. November 27, 1988 Tokyo, Japan Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Katrina Adams Flag of the United States Gigi Fernández
Flag of the United States Robin White
7–5, 7–5
10. February 5, 1989 Tokyo, Japan Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Katrina Adams Flag of the United States Mary Joe Fernández
Flag of West Germany Claudia Kohde Kilsch
6–3, 6–3, 7–6(5)
11. April 30, 1989 Houston, TX, USA Clay Flag of the United States Katrina Adams Flag of the United States Gigi Fernández
Flag of the United States Lori McNeil
6–3, 6–4
12. June 25, 1989 Eastbourne, England Grass Flag of the United States Katrina Adams Flag of Czechoslovakia Jana Novotná
Flag of Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
6–3 ret.
13. February 25, 1990 Washington, DC, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová Flag of the United States Ann Henricksson
Flag of South Africa Dinky Van Rensburg
6–0, 6–3
14. August 12, 1990 San Diego, CA, USA Hard Flag of the United States Patty Fendick Flag of the United States Elise Burgin
Flag of South Africa Rosalyn Nideffer
6–4, 7–6(5)
15. October 21, 1990 Filderstadt, Germany Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Mary Joe Fernández Flag of Argentina Mercedes Paz
Flag of Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
7–5, 6–3
16. March 24, 1991 Miami, FL, USA Hard Flag of the United States Mary Joe Fernández Flag of the United States Gigi Fernández
Flag of Czechoslovakia Jana Novotná
7–5, 6–2
17. February 14, 1993 Chicago, IL, USA Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Katrina Adams Flag of the United States Amy Frazier
Flag of the United States Kimberly Po
7–6(3), 6–3
18. February 21, 1993 Oklahoma City, OK, USA Hard (I) Flag of the United States Patty Fendick Flag of the United States Katrina Adams
Flag of the Netherlands Manon Bollegraf
6–3, 6–2
19. October 10, 1993 Zurich, Switzerland Carpet (I) Flag of the United States Martina Navrátilová Flag of the United States Gigi Fernández
Flag of Belarus Natasha Zvereva
6–3, 5–7, 6–3
20. June 12, 1994 Birmingham, England Grass Flag of Latvia Larisa Neiland Flag of Australia Catherine Barclay
Flag of Australia Kerry-Anne Guse
6–4, 6–4

[edit] Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Tournament 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Career SR
Australian Open A A 1R SF 1R QF NH QF 2R QF QF 4R 4R 3R 1R 3R A 0 / 13
French Open A A QF 1R 4R 2R 3R A 4R 3R 1R 1R A 1R 1R 1R A 0 / 12
Wimbledon A A 4R 1R 2R SF 2R A QF 2R F QF 4R 4R QF 3R A 0 / 13
U.S. Open 1R 1R 4R 4R 3R QF 4R 4R SF SF QF 4R 4R 3R 4R 4R 1R 0 / 17
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 1 0 / 55
  • NH = tournament not held.
  • A = did not participate in the tournament.
  • SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

  • A. P. Porter, Zina Garrison: Ace, First Ave. Editions, 1992

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links