Carole Caldwell Graebner, who won doubles titles at the U.S. and
Australian Championships in the 1960s, died on Wednesday. She was 65.
Graebner died in New York City following a brief battle with cancer,
said her daughter, Cameron Graebner Mark.
The top-ranked doubles player in the United States in 1963, Graebner
teamed with Nancy Richey to capture doubles titles at the 1965 U.S.
Championships, now the U.S. Open, and the 1966 Australian
Championships, now the Australian Open.
She also won doubles titles at the 1965 and 1966 U.S. Clay Court
Championships and was a finalist in singles at the 1964 U.S.
Championships, losing to Maria Bueno.
Graebner was a member of the inaugural 1963 U.S. Fed Cup team, and
played college tennis alongside Billie Jean King at California State
University at Los Angeles.
She later served the U.S. Tennis Association as chair of the Fed Cup
committee. Graebner was a vice president of Tennis Week magazine and a
radio and television commentator.
"Carole and I first met when we were both 12 years old and remained
lifelong friends," King said. "More than any other person, Carole
worked tirelessly behind the scenes to be the driving force and
influential leader of Fed Cup."
Graebner is survived by her daughter, son Clark Edward Graebner,
Jr., and four grandchildren.
No services are planned. The family asks donations be sent to the
American Cancer Society.
Sapa-AP
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