Beverly Baker Fleitz
Beverly Baker Fleitz was a women's tennis player from the United States who was active in the late 1940s and during the 1950s. According to John Olliff and Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Fleitz was ranked in the world top 10 in 1951, 1954, 1955, 1958, and 1959, reaching a career high of World No. 3 in those rankings in 1954, 1955, and 1958. Fleitz was included in the year-end top 10 rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association from 1948 through 1951 and in 1954, 1955, 1958, and 1959. She was the top-ranked U.S. player in 1959. She was ambidextrous and played with two forehands.
Career
Fleitz began playing tennis at age 11 and played mostly on public courts in Lincoln Park in Santa Monica, California. Her father Frank Baker was her only coach and was the assistant director of recreation for the city of Santa Monica.During 11 of the 12 weeks following June 19, 1950, Fleitz competed in tournaments across the U.S. In singles, she won three titles, was the runner-up three times, and was a semifinalist at both the U.S. National Championships and the U.S. Women's Clay Court Championships. Her 6 losses during this period were to Doris Hart, Margaret Osborne duPont, Maureen Connolly, and Magda Berescu Rurac. She recorded wins over Louise Brough, Connolly, Berescu Rurac, Patricia Canning Todd, and Dorothy Bundy Cheney. In women's doubles, she was a quarterfinalist at the U.S. National Doubles Championships.
Grand Slam tournaments
At the U.S. National Championships, Fleitz reached the semifinals twice and the quarterfinals in four of her six other attempts. She played Grand Slam singles tournaments outside the U.S. only six times. At the 1951 Wimbledon Championships, she defeated Althea Gibson in the third round 6–1, 6–3 and Margaret Osborne duPont in the quarterfinals before falling to Doris Hart in the semifinals 6–3, 6–1. Fleitz was the top seed at the 1955 French International Championships, but she was upset by fourth-seeded Dorothy Head Knode in the semifinals 6–2, 6–3.At the 1955 Wimbledon Championships, third-seeded Fleitz defeated top-seeded Hart in the semifinals 6–3, 6–0, which was the last Wimbledon singles match of Hart's career. Fleitz then played second-seeded Louise Brough in the final. Fleitz was the first mother to play in a Wimbledon singles final since Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers in 1920. Fleitz had won the last four matches with Brough since the beginning of 1954, but Brough prevailed on this day 7–5, 8–6 in 1 hour, 32 minutes. The veteran BBC tennis broadcaster Max Robertson observed, "Louise was always prone to tighten up at important points, but had a greater breadth of stroke and experience at her command, which just saw her through a keenly fought struggle. In the sixth game of the second set, for example, it was only after nine deuces and five ... Fleitz that Louise wrong-footed her... exhausted opponent with a backhand slice down the line to lead 4-2. That was the turning point, and Louise went on to win her fourth singles ...." Afterwards, Fleitz said, "I've no excuses for my defeat. Louise was just marvelous today. She played as well as I've ever seen her play and well deserved her victory."
At the 1956 Wimbledon Championships, Fleitz reached the quarterfinals where she was forced to withdraw from the tournament because of a pregnancy-related illness. She last played Wimbledon in 1959 as the third-seeded player. Unseeded Edda Buding from West Germany defeated her in the fourth round 8–6, 2–6, 7–5.
Fleitz never played contemporaries Angela Mortimer, Ann Jones, Christine Truman, Darlene Hard, Maureen Connolly, or Shirley Fry in a Grand Slam singles tournament. Her win-loss record against other top players at those tournaments was as follows: Althea Gibson 2–1, Doris Hart 1–2, Louise Brough 0–3, Margaret Osborne duPont 2–1, and Maria Bueno 1–0.
Fleitz's only Grand Slam title was in women's doubles at the 1955 French International Championships. In the final, she and partner Darlene Hard needed 50 games to defeat their opponents in the longest Grand Slam women's doubles final of all time.
Other tournaments
Outside of the U.S., Fleitz won singles tournaments in Bermuda, England, Ireland, Mexico, and West Germany. She was the runner-up at tournaments in Cuba and England.Within the U.S., she was the runner-up at the 1949 U.S. Clay Court Championships, losing to former Romanian national champion Magda Berescu Rurac. Fleitz won the U.S. Hardcourt Championships three times, in 1954, 1957, and 1958. She defeated future Wimbledon singles champion Karen Hantze in the 1958 final. In tournaments sponsored by sections of the United States Lawn Tennis Association, Fleitz was the singles champion of the Southern California section four times, the Pacific Northwest section once, and the Western section once.
In March 1954, Fleitz defeated Maureen Connolly 6–0, 6–4 at a tournament in La Jolla, California, which was the last time anyone defeated Connolly in a singles tournament and her only loss of 1954. Connolly had won the last seven Grand Slam singles tournaments she had played. Fleitz won four of their nine career singles matches.
Fleitz was a four-time singles champion at the Pacific Southwest Championships in Los Angeles and was the runner-up three times. She defeated Hard in the 1958 final and Bueno in the 1959 final. At the Tri-State Championships in Cincinnati, Fleitz won the 1950 singles title and was the runner-up in 1949, with Berescu Rurac being her opponent in both finals.
Retirement years
Fleitz retired permanently from singles tennis in 1959 and was inducted into the Southern California Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2005.Personal life
She married actor Scotty Beckett on September 28, 1949, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Baker was granted a divorce in June 1950. She married tennis player John Fleitz on October 6, 1951. They had five daughters together. John Fleitz died in Long Beach, California on November 14, 2011, at age 82.Grand Slam finals
Singles: (1 runner-up)
Women's doubles: (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Other singles finals (38 titles, 13 runner-ups)
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Lost | Apr 1948 | Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament Ojai, California, U.S. | Hard | Louise Brough | 2–6, 2–6 |
| Won | Jul 1948 | Colorado State Championships Denver, Colorado, U.S. | Hard | Maureen Connolly | 6–0, 6–3 |
| Won | Jul 1948 | Pacific Northwest Sectional Championships Tacoma, Washington, U.S. | Unknown | Maureen Connolly | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Lost | Sep 1948 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles Tennis Club, Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Louise Brough | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Lost | Apr 1949 | Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament Ojai, California, U.S. | Hard | Louise Brough | 1–6, 4–6 |
| Lost | Jun 1950 | Hotel del Coronado Invitational Coronado, California, U.S. | Hard | Maureen Connolly | 2–6, 9–7, 2–6 |
| Lost | Jun 1950 | Southern Sectional Championships Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | Clay | Magda Berescu Rurac | 6–8, 2–6 |
| Won | Jul 1950 | Tri-State Tennis Championships Cincinnati Tennis Club Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | Clay | Magda Berescu Rurac | 5–7, 6–3, 9–7 |
| Won | Jul 1950 | Western Sectional Championships Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | Clay | Imelda Ramirez | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Won | Jul 1950 | Maidstone Club Invitational East Hampton, New York, U.S. | Grass | Maureen Connolly | 6–4, 9–7 |
| Lost | Aug 1950 | Essex County Club Championships Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, U.S. | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | 3–6, 0–6 |
| Won | Jan 1951 | Dixie Championships Tampa, Florida, U.S. | Clay | Shirley Fry | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Won | Jan 1951 | South Florida Championships Howard Park West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. | Clay | Shirley Fry | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Lost | Jan 1951 | Havana International | Unknown | Doris Hart | 4–6, 6–8 |
| Lost | Feb 1951 | U.S. Indoor National Championships Seventh Regiment Armory New York City | Wood | Nancy Chaffee | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Won | Feb 1951 | Bermuda International Hamilton | Unknown | Barbara Scofield | 9–7, 7–5 |
| Won | Mar 1951 | Coral Beach Club Invitational Hamilton, Bermuda | Unknown | Betty Rosenquest | 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Won | May 1951 | Hurlingham Hard Courts | Clay | Kay Tuckey | 6–4, 5–7, 7–5 |
| Won | May 1951 | Priory Club Tournament Birmingham, England | Grass | Nancye Wynne Bolton | 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Lost | Jun 1951 | Northern Championships Northern Lawn Tennis Club Manchester, England | Grass | Doris Hart | 6–8, 3–6 |
| Won | Jun 1951 | West of England Championships Bristol | Grass | Beryl Nicholas Bartlett | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Lost | Jul 1951 | Maidstone Club Invitational East Hampton, New York, U.S. | Grass | Patricia Canning Todd | 4–6, 1–6 |
| Lost | Sep 1951 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles Tennis Club Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Maureen Connolly | 7–9, 4–6 |
| Won | Jun 1953 | Hotel del Coronado Invitational Coronado, California, U.S. | Hard | Dorothy Bundy Cheney | 4–6, 8–6, 6–1 |
| Won | Aug 1953 | Balboa Bay Club Invitational, Newport Beach, California, U.S. | Hard | Dorothy Bundy Cheney | 6–4, 7–5 |
| Won | Sep 1953 | Santa Monica City Tournament Santa Monica, California, U.S. | Hard | Dorothy Bundy Cheney | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Won | May 1954 | Southern California Sectional Championships Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Louise Brough | 5–7, 6–4, 7–5 |
| Won | Jul 1954 | Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championships Merion Cricket Club Haverford, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Grass | Louise Brough | 6–4, 2–6, 8–6 |
| Won | Dec 1954 | U.. Women's Hardcourt Championships La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club La Jolla, California, U.S. | Hard | Barbara Green | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Won | Jan 1955 | Thunderbird Invitational Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | Hard | Patricia Canning Todd | 6–1, 6–1 |
| Won | Feb 1955 | Shadow Mountain Club Invitational Palm Desert, California, U.S. | Hard | Barbara Breit | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Won | Mar 1955 | La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club Invitational La Jolla, California, U.S. | Hard | Louise Brough | 8–6, 3–6, 6–2 |
| Won | May 1955 | Southern California Sectional Championships Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Louise Brough | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Won | May 1955 | Wiesbaden International | Clay | Elaine Watson | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Won | Jul 1955 | Irish Lawn Tennis Championships Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club Dublin | Grass | Darlene Hard | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Won | Sep 1955 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles Tennis Club, Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Barbara Breit | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Won | Feb 1956 | Shadow Mountain Club Invitational Palm Desert, California, U.S. | Hard | Darlene Hard | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Won | Apr 1956 | Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament Ojai, California, U.S. | Hard | Dorothy Bundy Cheney | 7–5, 6–2 |
| Won | May 1956 | Southern California Sectional Championships Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Louise Brough | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Lost | Aug 1957 | Santa Monica City Tournament Santa Monica, California, U.S. | Hard | Dorothy Bundy Cheney | 3–6, 6–0, 4–6 |
| Won | Oct 1957 | Balboa Bay Club Invitational Newport Beach, California, U.S. | Hard | Dorothy Bundy Cheney | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Won | Dec 1957 | U.S. Women's Hardcourt Championships La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club La Jolla, California, U.S. | Hard | Mary "Mimi" Arnold | 6–1, 6–1 |
| Won | Jan 1958 | Thunderbird Invitational Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | Hard | Louise Brough | 6–2, 3–6, 10–8 |
| Won | Mar 1958 | Puerto Rican Invitational San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hard | Althea Gibson | 6–4, 10–8 |
| Won | Sep 1958 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles Tennis Club, Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Darlene Hard | 6–3, 9–7 |
| Won | Dec 1958 | U.S. Women's Hardcourt Championships La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club La Jolla, California, U.S. | Hard | Karen Hantze | 6–1, 8–6 |
| Won | Feb 1959 | Shadow Mountain Club Invitational Palm Desert, California, U.S. | Hard | Sally Moore | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Lost | Jul 1959 | U.S. Women's Hardcourt Championships Denver, Colorado, U.S. | Hard | Sandra Reynolds | 3–6, 2–6 |
| Won | Aug 1959 | Santa Monica City Tournament Lincoln Park Santa Monica, California, U.S. | Hard | Diane Wootton | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Won | Sep 1959 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles Tennis Club, Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Maria Bueno | 4–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Won | Oct 1959 | Pan American International Championships Mexico City, Mexico | Clay | Patricia Canning Todd | 6–1, 7–5 |
Grand Slam tournament timeline
Singles
1In 1947, the French International Championships were held after the Wimbledon Championships.Doubles
| Tournament | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | Career SR | Win-Loss |
| Australian Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 |
| French Championships | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | W | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 | 4–1 |
| Wimbledon Championships | A | A | SF | A | A | A | SF | 2R | A | A | F | 0 / 4 | 13–3 |
| U.S. National Championships | QF | QF | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 3 | 3–3 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 9 | |
| Win-Loss | 2–1 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 7–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 5–1 | 20–7 |