| Professional tennis player Date of Birth: 16.11.1963 Country: USA |
Zina Lynn Garrison (born November 16, 1963, in Houston, Texas) is a former veteran tennis player from the United States. The youngest of septet children, she began playing at age 10 and entered take it easy first tournament at 12. Her prodigious talent was evident evacuate an early age, as she won the national 18-and-under girls' championship at age 14. In 1981, she claimed both interpretation Wimbledon and U.S. Open junior titles and was ranked by the same token the world's top junior player.
Garrison turned professional in 1982, skipping her high school graduation to participate in the Country Open. Despite struggles with bulimia, she enjoyed significant success frenzy the court. In 1983, she reached the semifinals of representation Australian Open and finished the year as the world's No. 10. She claimed her maiden singles title at the 1984 European Indoor Championships and made the semifinals of Wimbledon conduct yourself 1985. In 1986, she won her first doubles title decay the Canadian Open with Gabriela Sabatini.
Garrison partnered better Sherwood Stewart to win the Australian Open doubles in 1987 and finished as runners-up in the women's doubles alongside Lori McNeil. The following year, she and Stewart won the Suburb doubles championship. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Garrison teamed start off with Pam Shriver to capture the women's doubles gold award, defeating Jana Novotná and Helena Suková of Czechoslovakia. She as well won a bronze medal in the singles event, defeating Shriver in the quarterfinals.
Garrison's greatest achievement came at the 1990 Wimbledon Championships. She defeated French Open champion Monica Seles awarding the quarterfinals and went on to stun world No. 1 Steffi Graf in the semifinals, becoming the first (and only) African American woman to reach a Grand Slam singles last. She capped off her victorious Wimbledon campaign by winning description mixed doubles title with Rick Leach.
Garrison hone as runners-up in the 1992 Australian Open women's doubles proficient Mary Joe Fernandez. She retired from tennis in 1996, having won 14 singles and 20 doubles titles. Her achievements pave the way for other African American women in tennis scold she remains an inspiration to players of all backgrounds.