Gail Chanfreau

Who is Gail Chanfreau?

Gail Chanfreau, also known as Gail Lovera and Gail Benedetti, is a former amateur and professional tennis player.

Chanfreau was born in Australia, but moved to France in 1968. Chanfreau made her first appearance in the Federation Cup for Australia in 1966. She played for France from 1969 to 1980.

When Gail beat her sister Carol Sherriff, who reached the third round of the Australian Open on five occasions, 8–10, 6–3, 6–3 in the 1966 Wimbledon Championships second round, that was the second match between sisters at Wimbledon, the first being in the 1884 Wimbledon Championships when Maud Watson beat Lillian. The next Wimbledon match between sisters was in 2000 between Serena and Venus Williams.

Chanfreau reached the quarter-final of the Australian Open in 1967 and 1972, and the quarter-final of the French Open in 1968 and 1971. She won the French Open doubles in 1967, 1970 and 1971 with Françoise Dürr and 1976 with Fiorella Bonicelli.

At the Cincinnati Masters, she reached the singles final in 1969, only to fall to future International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Lesley Turner Bowrey, 1–6, 7–5, 10–10.

She was international veterans mixed doubles champion in 1968 and 1975 with Pierre Darmon.