Bernice Carr Vukovich Explained

Bernice Carr Vukovich
Country: South Africa
Birth Date:1938 1, df=yes
Turnedpro:1954
Retired:1969
Singlestitles:17 ITF
Australianopenresult:1R (1965)
Frenchopenresult:3R (1958)
Wimbledonresult:4R (1958)
Usopenresult:QF (1960)
Doublestitles:5 ITF
Australianopendoublesresult:2R (1965)
Frenchopendoublesresult:QF (1958)
Wimbledondoublesresult:3R (1962)
Frenchopenmixedresult:2R (1960)
Wimbledonmixedresult:4R (1960)

Bernice Carr Vukovich (née Car) (born 12 January 1938) is a retired South African tennis player from South Africa of Croatian origin. Her father was a Croat immigrant from the peninsula of Pelješac.[1]

Bernice completed her secondary education at End Street Convent (Holy Family order), matriculating in 1955. She was South African junior tennis champion in 1954 and 1955.[1] After she began to compete in senior tennis, she won 1958 and 1960 South African championship,[1] while in 1959 she was runner-up. In 1958, she beat Heather Brewer-Segal with 3–6, 7–5, 6–4. In 1959, she lost the title in a match against Sandra Reynolds, losing 6–0, 8–6. In 1960, she regained the title, beating Sandra Reynolds with 6–1, 2–6, 12–10.

In 1965 Bernice Vukovich beat Luisa Bassi (Italy) 7–5,6–0 to win the International lawn tennis tournament in Palermo, Sicily.

She played many international matches.[1] She competed in 1965 Federation Cup quarterfinals, playing for South Africa against Great Britain. She lost both matches. In singles, she lost to Christine Janes, and in doubles, she played with Annette Du Plooy and lost against Ann Haydon Jones and Deidre Keller.[2]

In the 1960 US Open, she defeated Billie Jean King in the third round. Carr Vukovich was seeded seventh in this tournament.

Career finals

Singles (17–8)

ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss1.19 May 1956Paddington, United KingdomHard6–3, 0–6, 4–6
Win2.17 November 1956Benoni, South AfricaHard Estelle van Tonder6–2, 6–3
Loss3.1 December 1956East London, South AfricaHard8–10, 6–1, 1–6
Loss4.1 January 1957Port Elizabeth, South AfricaHard2–6, 2–6
Loss5.12 January 1957Cape Town, South AfricaHard3–6, 5–7
Win6.7 October 1957Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Jean Forbes3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Loss7.12 January 1958East London, South AfricaHard4–6, 6–4, 4–6
Win8.4 April 1958Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Heather Brewer-Segal3–6, 7–5, 6–4
Win9.21 June 1958London, United KingdomGrass Margaret Varner Bloss6–4, 5–7, 8–6
Win10.20 September 1958Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Estelle van Tonder6–3, 6–1
Win11.3 January 1959East London, South AfricaHard Dora Kilian2–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win12.1 March 1959Bloemfontein, South AfricaClay Estelle van Tonder6–1, 6–2
Loss13.29 March 1959Johannesburg, South AfricaClay0–6, 6–8
Win14.26 July 1959Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaHard Dora Kilian6–3 6–8 6–1
Win15.19 September 1959Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Joan Cross6–3, 6–1
Win16.2 January 1960East London, South AfricaHard Valerie Forbes6–3 6–3
Loss17.9 January 1960Cape Town, South AfricaHard4–6, 4–6
Win18.18 April 1960Johannesburg, South AfricaHard6–1 2–6 12–10
Win19.1 May 1960Palermo, ItalyClay6–4, 6–3
Win20.3 July 1960Berlin, West GermanyClay12–10, 6–4
Loss21.16 July 1960Newport, Wales, United KingdomGrass9–11, 3–6
Win22.31 July 1960Hilversum, NetherlandsClay6–0, 6–1
Win23.26 December 1960East London, South AfricaHard6–3, 6–3
Win24.5 September 1964Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Heather Brewer-Segal7–5, 9–7
Win25.19 April 1965Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Jean Forbes6–4, 7–5

Doubles (5–15)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1.7 January 1955Port Elizabeth, South AfricaHard1–6, 1–6
Win2.14 July 1956Sunderland, United KingdomGrassW/O
Loss3.17 November 1956Benoni, South AfricaHard2–6, 6–3, 2–6
Loss4.12 January 1957Cape Town, South AfricaHard Merrill Hammill Daphne Seeney
Valerie Forbes
8–10, 0–6
Loss5.7 October 1957Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Estelle Van Tonder Beryl Bartlett
Joan Scott
2–6, 0–6
Loss6.14 June 1958Beckenham, United KingdomGrass Jean Forbes Sonia Cox
Ruia Morrison
1–6, 3–6
Loss7.20 September 1958Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Estelle van Tonder Beryl Bartlett
Joan Scott
2–6, 3–6
Loss8.3 January 1959East London, South AfricaHard Estelle van Tonder Beryl Bartlett
Dora Kilian
0–6, 0–6
Loss9.2 January 1960East London, South AfricaHard Peggy Pentelow Jean Forbes
Valerie Forbes
3–6 4–6
Loss10.9 January 1960Cape Town, South AfricaHard Heather Brewer-Segal Sandra Reynolds
Renee Schuurman
5–7, 1–6
Loss11.18 April 1960Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Heather Brewer-Segal Sandra Reynolds
Renee Schuurman
11–13, 9–7, 1–6
Win12.4 June 1960Birmingham, United KingdomGrass6–3, 7–5
Loss13.11 June 1960Bristol, United KingdomGrass Gwyn Thomas Sandra Reynolds
Renee Schuurman
5–7, 3–6
Win14.16 July 1960Newport, Wales, United KingdomGrass Rita Bentley
Jill Rook Mills
6–1, 6–1
Loss15.31 July 1960Hilversum, NetherlandsClay Margaret Hunt
Lynette Hutchings
6–4, 4–6, 5–7
Loss16.16 September 1961Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Valerie Forbes Annette Van Zyl
Joan Cross
3–6, 3–6
Loss17.29 September 1962Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Estelle van Tonder Beryl Bartlett
Jean Forbes
1–6, 7–5, 4–6
Loss18.15 April 1963Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Marlene Gerson Margaret Hunt
Annette Van Zyl
2–6, 7–9
Win19.6 February 1965Pretoria, South AfricaHard Christine Truman Sandra Reynolds
Heather Brewer-Segal
2–6, 6–1, 6–4
Win20.19 April 1965Johannesburg, South AfricaHard Marlene Gerson Jean Forbes
Valerie Forbes
7–5, 7–5

Notes and References

  1. http://www.geni.com/projects/Early-Croatian-Settlers-in-South-Africa/10278 Geni.com
  2. News: South Africa v Great Britain. fedcup.com. 18 September 2012. 23 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141023194219/http://www.fedcup.com/en/results/tie/details.aspx?tieId=20005130. dead.