Maria Bueno wins Wimbledon for the third time in 1964
1964 Wimbledon Singles Title
There is a wonderful article on Maria Bueno’s third Wimbledon win written by Leigh Walsh for the Wimbledon website as part of its Throwback Thursday series as Wimbledon.com goes back in time…
Released on 29 May 2014, the story depicts Maria winning her third and final Wimbledon title, the only South American woman to win The Championships:
“If you like graceful women and good tennis, you can watch Maria Bueno all day,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Herbert Warren Wind in 1960.
The Brazilian youngster, at 20, had just won back-to-back singles titles at Wimbledon and her talent was sending a wave of interest across the sporting world. Like Suzanne Lenglen before her and Evonne Goolagong Cawley after her, Bueno’s ability to wield a racket like a magician would a wand separated her from her peers.
The Bueno Family
The right-hander was born to a tennis-loving couple who thrust a racket into their daughter’s hands at a young age. Along with her parents and brother Pedro, the Buenos spent much of their time hitting tennis balls back and forth at Clube de Regatas Tiete in Sâo Paulo on the doorstep of their family home.
It was some 6,000 miles away, however, on the lawns of the All England Club where Bueno made a lasting mark on the game. And by the time the “Sao Paulo Swallow” arrived in South West London in 1964 bidding for a hat- trick of Wimbledon titles, she was a household name with her all-court game, fluid movement and elegant strokes endearing her to fans.
The top four seeds all advanced to the semi-final stage that year. Margaret Smith, Billie Jean Moffitt and Lesley Turner – or as we know them today Margaret Court, Billie Jean King and Lesley Bowrey – all joined Bueno in the final four.
Maria Bueno and Margaret Court fought out the 1964 Wimbledon singles final over three sets
Bueno, the No. 2 seed, had dropped just 12 games in her opening four matches before overcoming the unyielding baseliner Turner, who was a two-time French Open champion, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-final.
Her opponent in the final was a familiar foe, Margaret Smith. The top seeded Australian, who was the defending champion, had defeated Bueno in the French Open final one month previously and the Brazilian was seeking revenge…”
To read the full article, click HERE.