Valerie Ziegenfuss
Valerie Bradshaw is an American former female professional tennis player. She started off as an amateur player at the beginning of the 1970s before turning professional.
She is most famous for being one of the so-called "Original 9" along with eight of her fellow players, who rebelled against the United States Tennis Association in 1970. Their actions brought about the creation of a new tennis tour, the Virginia Slims Circuit, which was the basis for the WTA Tour.
During her career she reached the fourth round at the French Open and the US Open on two occasions. She reached one singles final the Virginia Slims of Oklahoma in 1972. She had far more success in doubles tournament, with twelve doubles final appearances, including six tournament victories.
She won a bronze medal in doubles in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City partnering with Jane Bartkowicz.
Career review
"Original 9"
In 1970 the top women tennis players started to become frustrated at the lack of equality within tennis in terms of prize money on offer for male and female players. The publisher Gladys Heldman offered up $5,000 of her own money which would allow the players to negotiate their own contracts. Ziegenfuss and the other players, including Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals, signed $1 contracts in the summer of 1970 and formed their own tour, the Virginia Slims Circuit.WTA Tour finals
Singles 1
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
Runner-up | 1. | Feb 1972 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA | Hard | Rosie Casals | 4–6, 1–6 |
Doubles 10 (6–4)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
Winner | 1. | May 1967 | La Jolla, California, USA | Hard | Stephanie Grant | Peaches Bartkowicz Sue Shrader | 8–6, 9–7 |
Runner-up | 2. | Oct 1968 | Mexico City Olympics, Mexico | Clay | Peaches Bartkowicz | Rosy Darmon Julie Heldman | 0–6, 8–10 |
Winner | 3. | 1969 | Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | Hard | Kerry Harris | Emilie Burrer Pam Richmond | 6–3, 9–7 |
Winner | 4. | Mar 1971 | Detroit, Michigan, USA | Carpet | Mary-Ann Eisel | Jane Bartkowicz Judy Tegart Dalton | 2–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
Winner | 5. | Feb 1972 | Washington, D.C., USA | Carpet | Wendy Overton | Judy Tegart Dalton Françoise Dürr | 7–5, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 6. | Jun 1972 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Wendy Overton | Helga Masthoff Heide Orth | 6–3, 6–2, 0–6 |
Runner-up | 7. | Jan 1973 | San Francisco, California, USA | Hard | Wendy Overton | Margaret Court Lesley Hunt | 1–6, 5–7 |
Winner | 8. | Nov 1976 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Laura duPont | Yvonne Vermaak Elizabeth Vlotman | 6–1, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 9. | Jan 1977 | Washington, D.C., USA | Carpet | Kristien Shaw | Martina Navratilova Betty Stöve | 5–7, 2–6 |
Winner | 10. | Nov 1978 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Françoise Dürr | Laura duPont Regina Maršíková | 1–6, 6–4, 6–3 |