Dianne Evers Tennis Career
Dianne Evers
Dianne Evers parents Bill and Rose Evers whilst supporting and helping Dianne in her love of tennis as a Junior LTAV, then Professional Player. Collected her trophy cards, letters, newspaper clippings, player mementos, photos and a full cabinet of trophies in their home. Two scrap books of memories collected over years of lovingly supporting their daughter has helped to document a career in tennis spanning over 50 Years. This is Dianne Evers story.
Home 2016 – 2017 2011 – 2015 USA Coaching Years Professional Years 1974 Professional Years 1975 Professional Years 1976 Professional Years 1977 Professional Years 1978 Professional Years 1979 Professional Years 1980 Professional Years 81 – 83 Juniors 1972 – 1973 Juniors 1967 – 1971
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In May 2016 Dianne received her 1979 Australian Open Womens Doubles Winner "Perpetual Trophy"
In 2017: At the Australian Open. Dianne finaly got to hold the Australian Open Womens Doubles Trophy for the first time.
In 2019: Dianne Evers as the last Australian woman to have won a championship trophy at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, donated her Australian Open Womens Doubles Winner "Perpetual Trophy" to Kooyong LTC.
In 2019: Judy Chaloner (NZ) and Dianne Evers got to hold together the Australian Open Womens Doubles "Winners Trophy" for the first time since winning the doubles tournament at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in 1979
In 1979 there was no presentation for this womens tennis event, as the match was played in an outside court whilst the mens events had the more prominent tennis courts. There was another match being played when their doubles match was finally over.
Dianne Evers was born in Melbourne. Played and trained at Kooyong LTC as a Junior singles and doubles player. As an Australian doubles tennis player, this was the most important tournament she could win in her professional career in her home town.
Sadly, they didn't have a trophy presentation.
A story to warm your heart
Having heard about Dianne's tennis career, curiosity led me to look up Judy Chaloner on Google. An NZ newspaper article came up about Judy out of the blue receiving a Trophy Plate "Perpetual Trophy" from Tennis Australia for winning the 1979 Australian Womens Doubles Title. Another search led to a photograph of former Australian champions holding their Trophy Plates at an awards night in 2002. A phone call from Dianne to Tennis Australia, and late in 2016 Dianne received by Australia Post her Trophy Plate.
Whilst watching the 2016 AO ladies Doubles Finals in the Presidents Reserve I looked at Dianne and she had tears in her eyes, asking why the tears she mentioned that she saw her name on the tv cameramans monitor. She mentioned it was the first time she had seen her name on the Womens Doubles Trophy and that in 1979 had not been afforded a trophy presentation with Judy Chaloner and they had never held or touched the trophy. As a keen photographer I did not realise I had taken a photo of that moment.
A conversation with the President of Tennis WA in 2017changed this injustice. During Rod Laver's OAM presentation we were called up to the "O" where two security guards were standing with the trophy. Dianne shyly asked if she could touch the trophy? then asked for gloves to wear. Smiling the head of security said "your name is on the trophy, you don't have to wear gloves."
In 2019 With Judy Chaloner at the Australian Open visiting from New Zealand. Dianne asked If Judy and herself could get to be with the Doubles Trophy to share a special moment with her. That moment came after the womens Doubles Final Presentation, close to midnight in the trophy engravers work room. That special moment happend 40 years late. The rest is history
Click on a photo to enlarge it
In 2021. The final quest is to get all the Tennis Web Sites around the world to correct their spelling of Dianne Evers first name.
In 1975 and 1976 Dianne was selected to represent Australia in the Annie Soisbault Cup. An under 21 girls tournament in Europe. She played her first year in Romania, the second year in Spain and France.