Cash Advance: Women's Tennis Pioneers

Jane "Peaches" Bartkowicz

■ Age: 71 

■ Hometown: Hamtramck, Michigan 

■ Bio: Bartkowicz was a dominant juniors player but her pro career was short; she retired at age 21 a year after the Original 9 tournament in Houston, in part because of her aversion to the promotional work required to help launch the fledgling Virginia Slims Circuit. Bartkowicz helped pioneer the two-handed backhand shot.

Rosie Casals

■ Age: 71 

■ Hometown: San Francisco 

■ Bio: Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996, the self-declared “rebel” won seven majors doubles titles alongside her close friend, King. Casals won 112 pro doubles championships overall, second all-time only to Martina Navratilova, and was an accomplished singles player, too. 

Judy Dalton

■ Age: 82 

■ Hometown: Melbourne, Australia 

■ Bio: Dalton was the oldest member of the Original 9 and a highly successful doubles player. She won doubles titles in all four Grand Slams and even after retirement continued to promote women’s tennis as president of the Australian Fed Cup Foundation.  

Julie Heldman

■ Age: 74 

■ Hometown: Berkeley, California 

■ Bio: Gladys Heldman’s daughter, she was a talented pro player, reaching a No. 5 ranking twice. Heldman was a late addition to the momentous Virginia Slims of Houston tournament after realizing she didn’t want to miss out on contributing to sports history, despite an elbow injury. Heldman later became a lawyer and author, writing a book about her life, her mother and her Original 9 experience.

Billie Jean King

■ Age: 76 

■ Hometown: Long Beach, California 

■ Bio: Famous for her on-court success — she won 39 singles and doubles major titles, including a record 20 Wimbledon titles, and became the first woman athlete to earn $100,000 in a season — and promotion of the sport and social justice cause, King helped found the WTA and World TeamTennis, is an International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee and a Presidential Medal of Honor recipient.

Kristy Pigeon

■ Age: 70 

■ Hometown: Danville, California 

■ Bio: Pigeon was one of the younger members of the Original 9 in September 1970, playing professionally part of the year, then attending college the other part. Pigeon was close with Original 9 organizer Gladys Heldman. Pigeon played professionally until 1975, and later started a ranch for therapeutic horseback riding in Idaho.

Kerry Melville Reid

■ Age: 73 

■ Hometown: Mosman, Australia 

■ Bio: Reid won 26 titles, including the 1977 Australian Open singles crown and the 1968 Wimbledon and 1978 Australian Open doubles titles, during a successful pro tennis career in which she was a top-10 regular. Queen Elizabeth II made Reid a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1979.

Nancy Richey

■ Age: 78 

■ Hometown: San Angelo, Texas 

■ Bio: An International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, Richey reached No. 2 in the world in 1969 and won 69 singles titles in her two-decade career. She won Australian Open and French Open singles championships and four majors doubles titles, while playing around the same time as her equally talented brother, Cliff.

Valerie Ziegenfuss

■ Age: 71 

■ Hometown: San Diego 

■ Bio: Ziegenfuss won six titles as a doubles player, as well as a bronze medal in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City with doubles partner, and fellow Original 9 member, Jane “Peaches’’ Bartkowicz. Ziegenfuss still lives in her hometown of San Diego and has an active career in real estate.