Jan Lehane

{{Short description|Australian tennis player}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox tennis biography | name = Jan Lehane | itf_name = Jan O'Neill | image = | caption = | fullname = Janice Patricia Lehane-O'Neill | country = {{AUS}} | residence = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1941|7|9}} | birth_place = Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia | death_date = | death_place = | height = | college = | turnedpro = | retired = | plays = Right-handed (double-handed backhand) | careerprizemoney = | tennishofyear = | tennishofid = | website = | singlesrecord = | singlestitles = | highestsinglesranking = No. 7 (1963) | AustralianOpenresult = F (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963) | FrenchOpenresult = QF (1960, 1962, 1963, 1964) | Wimbledonresult = QF (1963) | USOpenresult = QF (1960, 1961) | Othertournaments =  | MastersCupresult = | doublesrecord = | doublestitles = | highestdoublesranking = | AustralianOpenDoublesresult = F (1961, 1963) | FrenchOpenDoublesresult = SF (1960, 1961, 1962) | WimbledonDoublesresult = F (1961) | USOpenDoublesresult = | OthertournamentsDoubles =  | MastersCupDoublesresult = | OlympicsDoublesresult = | Mixed =  | mixedtitles = | mixedrecord = | AustralianOpenMixedresult = '''W''' (1960, 1961) | FrenchOpenMixedresult = SF (1961) | WimbledonMixedresult = 4R (1960, 1962) | USOpenMixedresult = | Team=yes | FedCupresult = F (1963) }} '''Janice Patricia "Jan" Lehane O'Neill OAM''' (née '''Lehane'''; born 9 July 1941) is a former Australian female tennis player. She was the first leading female player with a double-handed backhand.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Bud Collins |author-link=Bud Collins |title=Legends of the court |url=https://www.theage.com.au/news/tennis/legends-of-the-court/2005/01/16/1105810772148.html |website=The Age |date=17 January 2005}}</ref>

She won the singles title at the New South Wales Championships in 1959 after a three-sets victory in the final against Mary Carter Reitano. In 1960, she successfully defended her title by winning the semifinal against world No. 1 ranked Maria Bueno and the final in straight sets against Margaret Smith.<ref name="dawsons1961">{{cite book|title=Dawson's International Lawn Tennis Almanac|date=1961|publisher=Dawson's of Pall Mall|location=London|page=196|editor=C.M. Jones}}</ref>

At the Australian Championships, Lehane reached the singles final four consecutive years (1960–1963) but lost to Margaret Smith each time. She had a similar experience in women's doubles, reaching the final twice (in 1961 with Mary Bevis Hawton and 1963 with Lesley Turner Bowrey) but losing each time to a team that included Smith (with Mary Carter Reitano in 1961 and Robyn Ebbern in 1963).<ref>{{cite web |author1=Peter Bodo |title=Twenty-four majors good? |url=http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2014/01/twenty-four-majors-good/50047/ |website=Tennis.com |date=5 January 2014}}</ref> Lehane had more success in the mixed doubles, twice winning the title (in 1960 with Trevor Fancutt and 1961 with Bob Hewitt). However, Mike Sangster and Lehane lost the 1964 mixed doubles final to Smith and Ken Fletcher.

She had an operation on her right knee in January 1965 and did not play any of the Grand Slams that year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105822470 |title=Jan Lehane to have operation |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=9 January 1965 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105864952 |title=Who's Who in A.C.T. Open |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=2 October 1965 |page=25 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

She was part of the Australian Fed Cup team that reached the final in 1963 and won all three of her singles rubbers.

According to Lance Tingay of ''The Daily Telegraph'' and the ''Daily Mail'', O'Neill was ranked in the world top 10 in 1960, 1963, and 1964, reaching a career high of World No. 7 in 1963.<ref>{{cite book |author=Collins, Bud |title=The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book |publisher=New Chapter Press |location=New York, N.Y |year=2008 |pages=695, 703 |isbn=978-0-942257-41-0 }}</ref>

Lehane married James John O'Neill on 19 February 1966.

In 2018, she was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |title=Greats of the game at the Happy Slam |url=http://www.wtatennis.com/photos/greats-game-happy-slam |publisher=Women's Tennis Association (WTA)}}</ref>

On Australia Day 2019, Jan was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to tennis.

==Grand Slam finals ==

===Singles (4 runners-up)=== {|class="sortable wikitable" !Result !Year !style="width:190px"|Championship !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:170px"|Opponent !style="width:100px" class="unsortable"|Score |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||1960 || style="background:#ffffcc;"|Australian Championships || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} Margaret Smith || 5–7, 2–6 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||1961 || style="background:#ffffcc;"|Australian Championships || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} Margaret Smith || 1–6, 4–6 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||1962 || style="background:#ffffcc;"|Australian Championships || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} Margaret Smith || 0–6, 2–6 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||1963 || style="background:#ffffcc;"|Australian Championships || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} Margaret Smith || 2–6, 2–6 |}

===Doubles: (3 runners-up)=== {|class="sortable wikitable" !Result !Year !style="width:190px"|Championship !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:170px"|Partner !style="width:170px"|Opponent !style="width:100px" class="unsortable"|Score |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1961 || style="background:#ffffcc;"|Australian Championships || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} Mary Hawton || {{flagicon|AUS}} Mary Carter Reitano {{flagicon|AUS}} Margaret Smith || 4–6, 6–3, 5–7 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1961 || style="background:#cfc;"|Wimbledon || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} Margaret Smith || {{flagicon|USA}} Karen Hantze Susman {{flagicon|USA}} Billie Jean Moffitt || 3–6, 4–6 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1963 || style="background:#ffffcc;"|Australian Championships || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} Lesley Turner || {{flagicon|AUS}} Robyn Ebbern {{flagicon|AUS}} Margaret Smith || 1–6, 3–6 |}

=== Mixed doubles (2 titles, 1 runner-up) === {|class="sortable wikitable" !Result !Year !style="width:190px"|Championship !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:170px"|Partner !style="width:170px"|Opponent !style="width:100px" class="unsortable"|Score |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1960 || style="background:#ffffcc;"|Australian Championships || Grass || {{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Trevor Fancutt || {{flagicon|GBR}} Christine Truman {{flagicon|AUS}} Martin Mulligan || 6–2, 7–5 |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1961 || style="background:#ffffcc;"|Australian Championships || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} Bob Hewitt || {{flagicon|AUS}} Mary Carter Reitano {{flagicon|AUS}} John Pearce || 9–7, 6–2 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1964 || style="background:#ffffcc;"|Australian Championships || Grass || {{flagicon|GBR}} Mike Sangster || {{flagicon|AUS}} Margaret Smith {{flagicon|AUS}} Ken Fletcher || 2–6, 3–6 |}

==Grand Slam singles tournament timeline== {{Performance key|short=yes|active=no}} {|class="wikitable" ! Tournament !! 1958 !! 1959 !! 1960 !! 1961 !! 1962 !! 1963 !! 1964 !! 1965 !! 1966 !! 1967 !! 1968 !! 1969 !! 1970 !! 1971 !! 1972 !! 1973 !! 1974 !! 1975 !! 1976 !! 1977 !! Career SR |- | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Australia | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R | align="center" style="background:yellow;" |SF | align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;"|F | align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;"|F | align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;"|F | align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;"|F | align="center" style="background:yellow;" |SF | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R / A | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''0 / 13''' |- | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | France | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''0 / 6''' |- | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Wimbledon | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''0 / 5''' |- | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | United States | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''0 / 3''' |- | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | SR | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 4 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 4 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 4 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 3 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 3 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''0 / 27''' |}

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December. O'Neill participated only in the January edition.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{WTA}} * {{ITF profile}} * {{Fed Cup player}}

{{Australian Championships mixed doubles champions}} {{Australian Championships girls' singles champions}} {{Australian Championships girls' doubles champions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lehane, Jan}} Category:Australian Championships (tennis) champions Category:Australian female tennis players Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in mixed doubles Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in girls' singles Category:Tennis players from New South Wales Category:Australian Championships (tennis) junior champions Category:Sportswomen from New South Wales Category:20th-century Australian sportswomen Category:People from Grenfell, New South Wales

Jan Lehane

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