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 A
new name, a new location and an increase in prize money highlighted the 1985 tennis scene
as the $75,000 Virginia Slims of San Diego took place at the Hilton Beach and Tennis Resort
on Mission Bay.
The biggest surprise of the week occurred in the finals as little known Annabel Croft, an
18-year-old Englishwoman, won the title by upsetting heavily favored tour veteran, Wendy
Turnbull, 6-0, 7-6 (2) in 86 minutes.
It was a match of streaks as Croft took advantage of Turnbull's tentative play and five
double faults to win the first set at love in 30 minutes.
Turnbull, an Australian who came into the tournament ranked seventh in the world, battled
back in the second set and took a 5-3 lead.
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| Tournament promoters, Raquel Giscafre
(standing) and Jane Stratton, at a pre-tournament press conference. |
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With the match on the verge of going a third set, a close call in the ninth
game went against Croft. Instead of letting it bother her, she turned it on and scored two
service breaks for a 6-5 lead.
The 34-year-old Turnbull held serve to send the second set to a tiebreaker where she quickly
jumped out to a 5-1 lead.
Croft, ranked 83rd in the world, then reeled off six straight points in the tiebreak to
wrap up the title.
Following her victory in San Diego, Croft telephoned her parents to give them the good news.
It was 11:30 p.m. in England.
Croft, who came to San Diego without a coach or personal friends, got an uplifting telephone
call from tennis legend Billie Jean King earlier in the day, who told her not to be negative
and to just have fun.
She accomplished both in collecting the winner's check for $12,000.
KUSI-TV Channel 51 televised the semifinals and finals.
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| Tournament co-promoter, Raquel Giscafre
(right) joins in a toast with tournament champion, Annabelle Croft and San Diego
Hilton Tennis Club pro, Paul Wilkens |
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In a third place consolation singles match, Melissa Gurney, an amateur, defeated
Mary Lou Piatek in a pro set, 8-4.
Turnbull didn't go home without a title as she came back to win the doubles title with Candy
Reynolds in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Susan Leo and Rosalyn Fairbank.
In a second round match to note, fourth-seeded Andrea Jaeger was defeated 6-0, 6-1 in 40
minutes by Melissa Gurney, a 15-year-old from Palos Verdes.
The nineteen-year-old Jaeger was starting a singles comeback after an eight-month break
due to shoulder and neck injuries.
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