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Sao Paulo Swallow: Maria Bueno Maria-Esther Andion Bueno took the mantle of one-time doubles partner Althea Gibson, by taking tennis to a further level in the late 1950s and 1960s, by becoming one of the most graceful and proficient athletes the world has ever seen in a 19-Grand Slam winning career, which lasted nine years.
The "Sao Paulo Swallow" had learnt to play by copying the grip of Bill Tilden in a photograph she had seen as a youngster. She was a delight to watch, her quiet and private demeanour blended power and touch, skill and grace. She was slim, dangerous to deal with, with a wide repertoire of shots, who swept to the net and executed piercing volleys.
Grass courts were her favourite surface, the Brazilian born in Sao Paulo on the 11th October 1939 was clearly the best player to come out of Latin America and was rated number one in the world in 1959, 1960, 1964, 1966, and a member of the Top Ten between 1958-68. In her regal choreography, styled in Ted Tinling dresses, the versatile right-hander was one of three ladies: 1920s star Suzanne Lenglen and Australian Evonne Goolagong whose fluidity and artistry set them apart. Her first major singles triumph was at Wimbledon in 1959 against one-time doubles partner Darlene Hard winning 6-3, 6-2. At 18 in the company of Gibson she had won the Wimbledon doubles the first of five doubles titles at SW19. Two months later in a teenage Forest Hills final she beat Christine Truman 6-1, 6-4 for the title, the first of four singles crowns at the U.S. Championships. Bueno won again in 1963 and 1964, taking the scalp of Margaret Smith (Court) 7-5, 6-4 in the later final amazing the crowd with her power. The following year she stunned spectators by destroying Carole Caldwell Graebner 6-1, 6-0. At Wimbledon in 1964 she faced Smith again in a serve-volley duel, which went to the Brazilian 6-4, 9-7, 6-3. She won her last U.S. singles title beating Nancy Richey 6-3, 6-1 in 1966, but was beaten in her last important singles final by adversary Smith at the 1968 U.S. Amateur tournament. She won 12 doubles and mixed titles with six different partners, including five at Wimbledon (1958, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1966) and five at Forest Hills (1960, 1962, 1966, 1968 [amateur], 1968 [professional]). In 1960 she won the doubles Grand Slam with two different partners Truman at the Australian and Hard at the French, Wimbledon and U.S.
By the time the game was declared 'open', Bueno's best days were past her and in 1968 with a variety of arm and leg injuries she retired from the game she had graced so well. In 1961 she had suffered from hepatitis and required a lengthy period out. She did return however to win the Japan Open in 1974, her only professional title and showed glimpses of her brilliance at Wimbledon in 1976 and 1977, winning through to the fourth round where she lost to doubles accomplice Billie Jean King. She won 62 singles titles as an amateur. Grand Slam Record Australian Singles finalist 1965; Doubles winner 1960 French Singles finalist 1964; Doubles winner 1960; Doubles finalist 1961; Mixed winner 1960; Mixed finalist 1965 Wimbledon Singles 1959-1960, 1964; Singles finalist 1965-66; Doubles winner 1958, 1960, 1963, 1965-66; Doubles finalist 1967; Mixed finalist 1959-60, 1967 U.S. Championships Singles winner 1959, 1963-63, 1966; Singles finalist 1960, 1968; Doubles winner 1960, 1962, 1966, 1968 (amateur), 1968 (professional); Doubles finalist 1958-59, 1963; Mixed finalist 1958, 1960 Tournament Record (inc. Federation Cup) Italian Championships Singles winner 1958, 1961, 1968; Singles finalist 1962, 1967; Doubles winner 1962; Doubles finalist 1969; mixed finalist 1964 Brazilian Federation Cup team member
1965
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