Laura duPont
| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Born | May 4, 1949 Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
| Died | February 20, 2002 (aged 52) Durham, North Carolina, USA |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) [1] |
| Plays | Right-handed [1] |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 79–122 |
| Highest ranking | No. 23 (1977)[2] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | 3R (1977) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1972, 1979) |
| US Open | QF (1971) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 117–119 |
| Career titles | 5 |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1975) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1973, 1976) |
| US Open | QF (1976) |
Laura duPont (May 4, 1949 – February 20, 2002) was a female American tennis player. She was the first woman to win a national title in any sport for the University of North Carolina,[3] as well as being the first female All-American[4] at the school. She was not related to the multiple grand slam winner Margaret Osborne duPont.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Laura became acquainted with tennis by practicing on the city's public courts. In her adolescent years, DuPont moved to North Carolina, where she showed promise competing in junior tennis championships.
DuPont attended the University of North Carolina where three times she was named Mid-Atlantic Singles Collegiate Champion. DuPont was singles champion in the years 1968, 1970, and 1971. In 1970, she also secured doubles champion. Aside from her tennis accolades at the school, she also played varsity basketball. In 1970, duPont was named North Carolina AAU Athlete of the Year.[3] In 1972, duPont graduated with a B.A. and joined the tennis inter-national circuit soon after. She won the Canadian (1979), Argentine, New Zealand (singles as well as doubles) and German singles.
DuPont's success continued, becoming the South African doubles champion in 1976, a doubles finalist in 1975 and singles finalist in 1976. She won the U.S. Clay Court Championships singles title in 1977, as well as was a doubles finalist in 1976. In 1984, duPont won the U.S. Open 35 and over singles championship.
From 1975 to 1981, she was on the Women's Tennis Association board, serving in the roles of vice president and treasurer.[5]
Laura duPont was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977, the Charlotte Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 2000, the Women's collegiate tennis Hall of fame in 2002[6] and then North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, DuPont moved back to North Carolina in 1997. She died at Duke University Medical Center in Durham on February 20, 2002.[7]
WTA Tour finals
[edit]Doubles 10 (5–5)
[edit]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | September 17, 1978 | San Antonio, Texas, USA | Hard |  Françoise Dürr
|
 Ilana Kloss Marise Kruger
|
1–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | November 5, 1978 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay |  Regina Maršíková
|
Françoise Dürr  Valerie Ziegenfuss
|
6–1, 4–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | November 25, 1979 | Brighton, England | Carpet | Ilana Kloss
|
Ann Kiyomura Anne Smith
|
2–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 4. | January 13, 1980 | Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | Carpet | Pam Shriver
|
 Mima Jaušovec Ann Kiyomura
|
6–3, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 5. | January 20, 1980 | Kansas City, Missouri, USA | Carpet | Pam Shriver
|
Billie Jean King Martina Navratilova
|
3–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 6. | March 28, 1980 | Carlsbad, California, USA | Hard | Pam Shriver
|
Rosie Casals JoAnne Russell
|
6–7, 6–4, 6–1 |
| Winner | 7. | September 27, 1981 | Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Hard | Betsy Nagelsen
|
Rosie Casals Candy Reynolds
|
6–4, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 8. | October 18, 1982 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Barbara Jordan
|
 Naoko Sato  Brenda Remilton
|
6–2, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 9. | October 24, 1982 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Barbara Jordan
|
Naoko Sato Brenda Remilton
|
6–2, 6–7, 6–1 |
| Winner | 10. | November 6, 1982 | Hong Kong | Clay | Alycia Moulton
|
Jennifer Mundel Yvonne Vermaak
|
6–2, 4–6, 7–5 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Bostic, Stephanie, ed. (1979). USTA Player Records 1978. United States Tennis Association (USTA). p. 186.
- ^ Year-end 1977 singles ranking at the WTA
- ^ a b ITA - 2002 Inductee Laura duPont Archived 2006-08-31 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Inventory of the Office of the Women's Tennis Coach of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1976–2004
- ^ John Barrett, ed. (1979). World of Tennis 1979 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Jane's. p. 264. ISBN 978-0354090681.
- ^ Inductees at the ITA Hall of fame
- ^ "Laura DuPont, 52, tennis star, managed club for Shriver". The Baltimore Sun. February 24, 2002. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
