by Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Before Ash Barty’s singles victory at the 2022 Australian Open, the last Australian to win a singles title at their home Grand Slam tournament was the 1978 tournament, which concluded on January 3, 1979. As documented in the book “On This Day In Tennis History” that Chris O’Neil of Australia, ranked No. 111 in the world, won the Australian Open women’s singles title defeating Betsy Nagelsen of the United States 6-3, 7-6 in the final. O’Neil shed tears as she accepted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Trophy – and her $6,000 first prize check – for winning, what she admitted was “probably the weakest Australian Championship tournament.” Says O’Neil “I feel very fortunate to have won as this year’s field was not as strong as in past years.”
The 1978 Australian Open women’s draw featured only 32 players (18 from Australia) and no players from the top 20 players in the field, including Australians Evonne Goolagong (ranked No. 3), Wendy Turnbull (ranked No. 7), Kerry Reid (ranked No. 9) and Dianne Fromholtz (No. 10).
Wrote Bud Collins in “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” book of the O’Neil victory: “Tallest major winner of the year was unseeded, six-footer Chris O’Neil, who ruled her island by winning the Australian Open, defeating No. 7-seeded and No. 68-ranked Betsy Nagelsen, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). Ranked No. 111, O’Neil was the longest shot ever to win a female major. A tepid field contested for the $35,000 pot, the champ getting help from compatriot Di Evers, who knocked out top-seeded Barker, No. 26, in the quarters, 6-2, 7-6. Nevertheless, 22-year-old serve-and-volleying O’Neil, with the lone title of her career and $6,000 to show for it, joined another record long shot achiever, countryman Mark Edmondson, No. 212 as the 1976 Australian victor.”
Interesting that the scoreboard operators at the Kooyong Tennis Club during the O’Neil – Nagelsen match incorrectly listed O’Neil’s name as “O’Neill” with an extra “L.” The singles title was the one and only singles title for O’Neil, who reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 80 and whose second-best career Grand Slam singles result was a third-round finish at Wimbledon in 1974. Her career record was 19-52. She won one career doubles title and reached at least the quarterfinals at all four majors in doubles, reaching the semifinals twice in Australia (1976-1978).
Tennis Australia posted a story on O’Neil being happy to hand over history to Barty here: https://www.tennis.com.au/news/2022/01/29/chris-oneil-happy-to-hand-over-history
