Out Of Africa
South Africa
Apartheid was a system of racial segregation in South Africa created in 1948 by the white minority government. It finally crumbled from ANC pressure under Nelson Mandela’s leadership in 1994.
South Africa’s only Davis Cup success was in 1974. There was no final that year as the opposition, India, boycotted the final in protest against the Apartheid regime.
Nelson Mandela with Club member Tony O’Reilly in Dublin. Tony, as well as being a talented tennis player is the all-time leading try scorer for the British and Irish Lions (38).
Lindsay Rawstorne and Matt Doyle with Mike Barron in the centre before the Carrickmines final in 1988. Lindsay won the title.
Lindsay’s father, Francis Rawstorne was originally from South Africa before moving to France. He won the County Dublin Championships in 1963.
Francis returned to Dublin in the early 1990s to head up the coaching team in the newly set up club – Riverview Rackets and Leisure Centre, now David Lloyd Riverview.
He coached Scott Barron who went on to became one of Ireland’s leading players.
Scott with his Carrickmines Class 1 winning team in 1990.
Mark French, Scott Barron, Julian Drury Byrne, Ronan Reid (Capt), Kerry & Barry McCarthy
Francis Rawstorne played doubles with Frew McMillan at Wimbledon. McMillan went on to win 10 Grand Slam Doubles titles (5 Men’s & 5 Mixed).
Frew McMillan wearing his trademark cap with the bearded Bob Hewitt.
Bob Hewitt served time for extremely serious crimes and consequently was permanently removed from the international Hall of Fame.
Eustace Fannin on left playing in the 1937 Carrickmines Doubles final with his cousin.
Fannin won the County Dublin Singles title in 1937. Ten years later, after the war he won the French Open Doubles with his South African compatriot, Eric Sturgess. They reached the final again two years later.
Sturgess was defeated in the French 1951 singles final by Drobny.
Bernice Carr
South African Fed Cup player Bernice Carr was the County Dublin Champion in 1956. She defeated Billie Jean King in 1960 at the US Open and went on to reach the Quarter finals.
Billie Jean King is one of the all-time greats and won twenty Wimbledon titles (6 Singles, 10 Doubles & 4 Mixed).
In 1979 she surpassed Elizabeth Ryan’s record of nineteen titles. Ryan, also a five-time County Dublin Champion, died on the grounds of Wimbledon the day before Billie Jean King broke her record. Ryan had declined an invitation to meet King earlier that week.
Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in the 1973 match labelled the “Battle of the Sexes”
This became one of the most watched sporting duels of all time. Riggs who defeated Margaret Court previously lost to Billie Jean.
And from North Africa
Tunisia
Malek Jaziri serving in the final in Carrickmines in 2005 against Colin O’Brien.
Jaziri played in all the slams and reached a career high of No 42. He reached the ATP final in 2018 in Istanbul. He was defeated by Federer, Djokovic and Murray over his career.
In a long career, Jaziri had a win over the then world No. 4 Grigor Dimitrov. In 2013 he controversially withdrew from a tournament rather than play an Israeli player under instructions from the Tunisian Tennis Federation.
Two years later he withdrew with an injury when drawn to play another Israeli player.
Ireland Fed Cup Team 2012
Ann O’Connor (Tennis Ireland President), David O’Connell (Physio), Amy Bowtell, Jenny Claffey, Sinead Lohan, Lyndsay McCullagh, Pat Crowe (Captain) and Karen Nugent.
In 2012, Ireland was defeated in the Fed Cup promotion playoff against Tunisia in oppressive heat in Egypt. Tunisia’s top player, Ons Jabeur was at the time Junior French Open Champion.
Ons Jabeur
Jabeur is the highest-ranked Arab player in WTA history. She was French Open Junior Champion 2011 and was awarded the 2019 Arab Sports Women of the Year.
Her highest WTA Ranking #7 (November 2021).
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