Karen Krantzcke
| Country (sports) |
 Australia
|
|---|---|
| Born |
1 February 1946 Brisbane, Australia |
| Died | 11 April 1977 (aged 31) Tallahassee, Florida, USA |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 9 (1970) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1970, 1977Jan) |
| French Open | SF (1970) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1970) |
| US Open | QF (1969) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1968) |
| French Open | SF (1969, 1972) |
| Wimbledon | F (1974) |
| US Open | QF (1968, 1973, 1974) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1968) |
| French Open | R3 (1969, 1970) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1969, 1973) |
| US Open | R2 |
| Team competitions | |
| Fed Cup | W (1970) |
Karen Krantzcke (1 February 1946 – 11 April 1977) was an Australian female tennis player who achieved a World Top Ten singles ranking in 1970. In her short career, she made the quarterfinals or better at each of the four Grand Slam championships. She also assisted Australia to victory in the Federation Cup.
At the age of 31, Krantzcke died from a heart attack while jogging.
Karen Krantzcke was born on 1 February 1946, in Brisbane, Australia.
A tall right-handed player, she achieved much junior success including winning the Australian junior singles title in 1966.
Krantzcke's most successful season came in 1969/70. After reaching the US Open quarterfinals, she reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and the French Open and then reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. At these tournaments, she upset highly ranked players like Virginia Wade, Françoise Dürr, and Judy Tegart Dalton.
During this time, she also combined with Dalton to win the Federation Cup for Australia, remaining undefeated in singles and doubles on the German clay.
After Wimbledon in 1970, 'Kran' took eighteen months off the tour after discovering she was hypoglycemic.
On returning to the tour, she was never able to get back to her best form. She continued to do well in her home Australian championship and reached the semifinals for the second time in 1977.
While playing on the Challenger circuit in the USA in 1977, Krantzcke suffered a heart attack while jogging. In response to her untimely death, the WTA instituted the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award which is still awarded annually to a female professional tennis player.
A street in the Canberra suburb of Nicholls, Australian Capital Territory, Krantzcke Crescent, is named after the tennis star.
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