Lea Antonoplis
Lea Antonoplis is a former professional tennis player from the U.S. who won the Wimbledon Girls' Singles in 1977 and four WTA doubles titles.
Early life
Antonoplis attended Glendora High School from 1974 to 1977 and graduated from the University of Southern California. In 1974, she played an exhibition in Claremont, CA at the Roadway Inn Tennis Club with Elgin Baylor, Lawrence Mc Cutcheon, and Tracy Austin, arranged by Dale Jensen.Tennis career
In 1974, Antonoplis played her first Grand Slam match in the US Open, losing to Sue Mappin in three sets. In the 1976 Wimbledon Championships, she lost to Natasha Chmyreva in the quarterfinals of the girls' singles. In the 1977 Wimbledon Championships, Antonoplis won the girls' singles, beating compatriot Peanut Louie-Harper in the final in straight sets.In 1979, she won her first WTA doubles title in the Player's Canadian Open with Diane Evers, winning the final against Chris O'Neil and Mimmi Wikstedt 2–6, 6–1, 6–3. In 1983, she won two doubles titles with Barbara Jordan. In Indianapolis, they beat Rosalyn Fairbank and Candy Reynolds 5–7, 6–4, 7–5 in the final, and in Hershey they beat Sherry Acker and Ann Henricksson 6–3, 6–4. In 1986, she won her fourth and last WTA doubles title with Barbara Gerken, beating Gigi Fernández and Susan Leo 6–1, 6–2 in the final.
Antonoplis also acquired some notability at a 1976 satellite tournament in South Orange, New Jersey when she won a three-set semifinal match against Renée Richards. This was the first tournament in which Richards competed after it was revealed that she had undergone a sex-change procedure.
WTA Tour finals
Doubles 10 (3–7)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
Winner | 1. | February 14, 1983 | Indianapolis, Indiana, USA | Hard | Barbara Jordan | Rosalyn Fairbank Candy Reynolds | 5–7, 6–4, 7–5 |
Winner | 2. | February 20, 1983 | Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA | Hard | Barbara Jordan | Sherry Acker Ann Henricksson | 6–3, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 3. | November 13, 1983 | Ginny Championships, USA | Carpet | Barbara Jordan | Rosalyn Fairbank Candy Reynolds | 7–5, 5–7, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | August 5, 1984 | Newport, Rhode Island, USA | Grass | Beverly Mould | Anna-Maria Fernandez Peanut Louie | 5–7, 6–7 |
Runner-up | 5. | December 15, 1985 | Auckland, New Zealand | Grass | Adriana Villagrán | Anne Hobbs Candy Reynolds | 1–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 6. | October 12, 1986 | Taipei | Carpet | Barbara Gerken | Gigi Fernández Susan Leo | 6–1, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 7. | August 2, 1987 | Aptos, California, USA | Hard | Barbara Gerken | Kathy Jordan Robin White | 1–6, 0–6 |
Runner-up | 8. | November 8, 1987 | Little Rock, Arkansas, USA | Hard | Barbara Gerken | Mary-Lou Daniels Robin White | 2–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 9. | April 17, 1988 | Tokyo Outdoor, Japan | Hard | Barbara Gerken | Gigi Fernández Robin White | 1–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 10. | July 24, 1988 | Schenectady, New York, USA | Hard | Cammy MacGregor | Ann Henricksson Julie Richardson | 3–6, 6–3, 5–7 |