INTERNATIONAL CLUB SOUTH AFRICA www.ictennis.net NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2015 Honorary President: From the archives … 1972 Doug Hillen [email protected] Who could forget the iconic picture of Brenda Kirk and Chairperson: Pat Pretorius when SA won Leonie Grondel the Fed Cup at Ellis Park in [email protected] 1972? It is therefore with sadness Lorna: [email protected] that we report on the Marco: [email protected] untimely passing of one of Rene: [email protected] the legends of tennis in Rosanne: [email protected] South Africa. Lorna Krog Terrey: [email protected] has put together a wonderful tribute to Brenda and in her honour we Carlos: [email protected] devote the entire back pages of this edition. A MESSAGE FROM RAVEN .... Happy holidays to all the IC members! I’m finally home and it's nice to enjoy the festive season with loved ones after another tough season on the ATP Tour. 2015 has had it's fair share of ups and downs but as we all know, being on the tennis court is not a bad way to pass time. I'm extremely pleased with how the season played out and managed to sneak my way to 4 titles along the way. My schedule for next season will be full and, as always, focused on trying to win big titles and enjoying the game. I'm starting out in India. Then I go to Australia to prepare for the Australian Open. It’s too early to look much further than that! I hope everyone is getting out on court and enjoying the festive season! Page | 1 This is a Christmas Greetings “I want to wish all the I C members of message to all South African SA a merry Christmas and a happy International Club Members, new year. I had a wonderful trip last especially my tennis buddies. When I year to South Africa last year and only was in South Africa for three weeks in wish I could have seen more players January this year, I did not meet as from the past. 30 years is a long many as I would have liked to. time. If there are any members out there that would like to connect, my So I take this opportunity to wish you email is as follows: all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and [email protected] HAPPY and HEALTHY 2016. I trust that all of you are still playing tennis regularly. I missed not being in Umag this year and did not see the All the best for 2016 and may the IC of SA go from strength to strength.” Springbok team. I am now 85 and play at least four Bernie times a week. My service is "sleg" and my reliable slice backhand is a thing of the past!!! My wife, Jean joins me in wishing y'all the very best. Russell JUNIORS ARE OFF TO MONTE CARLO Once again the SA 16 and under team proved too strong for the opposition and emerged victorious in the Southern Africa Challenge. This time the team, comprising Lee Barnard, Zani Barnard, Jordan Sauer, Joshua Howard-Tripp and (hopefully) Coach Terrey Schweitzer will represent Africa in the IC World Finals in Monte Carlo – please see further details of our Supporters’ trip under International Events. This trip follows on exciting World Final events in Australia (2012) and Wimbledon (2014). Incredible opportunities for young players! Page | 2 CALL BACK THE PAST ....... CHRISTO VAN RENSBURG Since Christo moved to America, his life cannot be said to have been boring! For 6 years he coached teenagers and sourced tennis scholarships for them. He coached professional players like Michael Chang and at the other end of the spectrum children as young as 8 (including his daughter who was ranked 4th in Texas in the 10 and under). Even a father, aged 60, who was No.2 in the USA in the father-son competition! He has given up fulltime coaching nowadays, doing only contract coaching on the occasional days when players ask for help on an aspect of their games. He also runs a tennis league in Austin for ladies who have their coaches on-court with them (some of us would really love that…) and in 2016 they are expanding to Dallas. He and his wife, Monica, run a 3 hour doubles clinic for 8 players, where they teach every situation in doubles and the players go home with diagrams printed in a booklet form. He has trademarked his smiley face logo and has a brand called F-ACE. Websites under the brand are: www.F-ACE.net ; www.flirtyF-ACE.com ; www.F-ACEtennisevents.com Monica, of course, was a professional player in her own right. Christo says that “Monica never talks about her life on the tour and I’m still very proud of her playing Wimbledon at the age of 16. Not many players can say that.” A new chapter will soon be starting for them when their daughter goes off to College. Sport obviously plays a huge role in the family as his daughter went to 3 National Softball Tournaments in the USA and finished twice in the last 8 (an accomplished short stop, 2nd base and pitcher). She will finish her career in May 2016 after having started in the game at age 10. Christo says he is indebted to lovely parents and a brother and all the coaches who spent ‘hours and hours with me to mould me into the player I became”. What a player he was. His career results are impressive indeed. He won many doubles titles with Paul Annacone, in particular, including the Australian Open in 1985. His career-high rankings were World No. 19 in singles (achieved in 1988) and World No. 5 in doubles (achieved in 1987). He is one of only two men to beat Pete Sampras in straight sets at Wimbledon (doing so in 1990, where Sampras was the No. 12 seed), the other being 1996 Champion Richard Krajicek. “To all the IC Club members, have a wonderful 2016 and farewell till our paths cross again”. Christo won the SA Open 1989 May that be soon, Christo! Have a wonderful Christmas. Page | 3 BRENDA BRYSON (NEE KIRK) 11 January 1951 to 06 September 2015 Former top South African tennis player, Brenda Bryson (nee Kirk) passed away in her sleep on 6th September 2015 and is survived by her husband and three children. Brenda Kirk married Jimmy Dimitriou in 1975 and they had 2 children, a son Alexis who is now 39 and a daughter Natasha 36. Both children played hockey for their province – Transvaal at the time. Alexis went on to play hockey and water polo for South African schools. After Brenda and Jimmy’s divorce, she married Iain Bryson and her third child, Gabriella, was born when Brenda was 51. Her son Alexis was married a month after she passed away while Natasha married in 2007, has 2 children and is expecting a third. Gaby is now 12 years old. Natasha says: “She was the kindest woman I knew, always putting others needs before her own! Gone too soon, taken from us suddenly in her sleep! Wonderful friend, mother and grandmother”. And Alexis : “To an amazing woman and mother, selfless, supportive, caring and compassionate. You would have given the shirt off your back and used the last cent in your purse to ensure we never went wanting even when things were tough. You have left an amazing legacy and I celebrate your life. I’ll never forget you, you are written in my scars. In the words of Robert Laurence Binyon: There is music in the midst of desolation and a glory that shines upon our tears”. Some of Brenda’s best tennis results 1968, ’69 and ’70 – Winner Eastern Transvaal Open 1969 and 1970 – Winner Southern Transvaal Open 1977 – Winner Natal Sugar Championship Womens’s Doubles 1968, ’69 and ’70 – won Eastern Transvaal Open with Wendy Tomlinson. 1969 – won Southern Transvaal with Wendy Tomlinson. 1971 – won the Eastern Province Open with Pat Pretorius. 1971 – won Border Open with Pat Pretorius. International Grand Slams - Singles In 1971 Brenda reached the 3rd round of Wimbledon beating Anne Coleman in the 1st round and Betty Stove in the 2nd round before bowing out to Kerry Reid. 1972 and again she made the 3rd round of the French Open where she was beaten by Helga Masthoff. Women’s Doubles on the circuit Apr-71 Laura Rossouw Margaret Smith/Yvonne Goolagong Finalist Johannesburg – SA Jul-71 Laura Rossouw Francois Durr/Lea Pericoli Winner Gstaad – Switzerland Page | 4 May-72 Betty Stove Yvonne Goolagong/Helen Gourlay Finalist Bournemouth – UK Jun-72 Pat Walkden Rosie Casals/Billie-Jean King Finalist Queens – London Jul-72 Pat Walkden Yvonne Goolagong/Karen Krantzke Winner Dublin – Ireland Jul-72 Pat Walkden Yvonne Goolagong/Helen Gourlay Finalist Hoylake – UK Aug-72 Pat Walkden Margaret Court/Yvonne Goolagong Finalist Cincinatti – US Aug-72 Pat Walkden Margaret Court/Yvonne Goolagong Finalist Toronto – Canada Aug-72 Pat Walkden Virginia Wade/Sharon Walsh Finalist Merion – US Nov-72 Sharon Walsh Margaret Court/Virginia Wade Finalist Torquay – UK FEDERATION CUP – 1972 – ELLIS PARK, JOHANNESBURG - Extracts from article by Sam Merwis Silence. A deathly, unbearable hush. Then, suddenly, a great roar which rocked Johannesburg as Ellis Park erupted. Bedlam. Pandemonium. And tears. Yes, tears from the eyes not only of women, but of men when Brenda Kirk and Pat Pretorius won the last point in the doubles to give South Africa the Federation Cup for the first time – and write perhaps the most glorious chapter in the country’s tennis history.