| Full name | Patricia Evelyn Ward Hales |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United Kingdom |
| Born | (1929-02-27)27 February 1929 London, England |
| Died | 22 June 1985(1985-06-22) (aged 56) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 8 (1956) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | 3R (1955) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1956) |
| US Open | F (1955) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | F (1955, 1960) |
| Wimbledon | F (1955) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | QF (1954) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1953) |
Patricia Ward Hales (née Ward; 27 February 1929 – 22 June 1985) was atennis player from the United Kingdom who reached the singles final of the 1955U.S. Championships, losing toDoris Hart.[1]
Hales partneredShirley Bloomer to reach the women's doubles final at the1955 Wimbledon Championships, where they lost to the team ofAngela Mortimer andAnne Shilcock in two sets and at theFrench Championships, where they lost to the team ofDarlene Hard andBeverly Baker Fleitz in three sets. She again reached the women's doubles final at theFrench Championships, where she andAnn Haydon lost to the team of Hard andMaria Bueno in straight sets.
With George Worthington, she reached the semifinals of the mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 1953.[2] She won the singles title at theItalian Open in 1955, beatingErika Vollmer; she also won the doubles withChristiane Mercelis. Ward had been runner-up toMaureen Connolly in 1954.[3] Also in 1955, she won Monte Carlo, beating Shirley Bloomer. She reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1956, beating Angela Mortimer in straight sets, then lost toAngela Buxton.[2] She reached the final of theBritish Hard Court Championships in 1957, scoring victories over Darlene Hard and Ann Haydon on the way, then losing in three sets to Shirley Bloomer. At Wimbledon in 1958, she defeated the seededKarol Fageros, then lost to Ann Haydon in three sets in the round of 16.[2]
According toLance Tingay ofThe Daily Telegraph and theDaily Mail, Hales was ranked in the world top 10 in 1955 and 1956, reaching a career high of world No. 8 in 1956.[4]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1955 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Doris Hart | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1955 | French Championships | Clay | Shirley Bloomer | Beverly BakerDarlene Hard | 5–7, 8–6, 11–13 |
| Loss | 1955 | Wimbledon | Grass | Shirley Bloomer | Angela MortimerAnne Shilcock | 5–7, 1–6 |
| Loss | 1960 | French Championships | Clay | Ann Jones |  Maria BuenoDarlene Hard | 2–6, 5–7 |
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
| French Championships | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | 3R | A | A | 3R | 3R | 2R | A | 0 / 5 |
| Wimbledon | 1R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 3R | 4R | 2R | SF | 1R | 4R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 0 / 13 |
| U.S. Championships | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | F | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 20 |