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Ruia Morrison - Source: Virtual Eyes -
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Ruia Morrison was something of a trailblazer for New Zealand women's tennis.
She had been at the top of the domestic ladder since the early 1950s but was an unknown overseas.
The diminutive Morrison first went to Wimbledon in 1957 and surprised many by going all the way to the quarter-finals.
The Rotorua-born right hander followed this up with solid performances over the next three years, reaching the round of 16 in 1958, 1959 and 1960.
tvnz.co.nz caught up with affable Morrison to reflect on some of her Wimbledon experiences.
She came to England in 1957 as an unknown quantity and admits her success was "totally unexpected".
Morrison was at Wimbledon thanks to nationwide appeal, organised by John Waititi and orchestrated through the Maori tribes, which raised over 2000 pounds.
She was grateful for the generosity but didn't feel any extra pressure.
"I had no expectations on myself and there was nothing put on me."
Arriving in London, she remembers being "absolutely spellbound" by the amazing setting that was Wimbledon.
"Everything was absolutely magnificent and you had to be careful not to get hooked into it as it would detract from your focus of what you are there for."
"To be spellbound was not to be totally involved. It was so different from my life at home."
Homely touches
There were some homely touches though as these were the days before five star hotels and Morrison stayed in Lonodn suburb of Putney with New Zealand friends who were working there as hairdressers, teachers and nurses.
"I was accorded the couch and it felt just like home."
But Morrison stayed focussed, charging all the way to the quarter-finals before falling to top US player Betty Pratt. She recalls the events of 1957 with her typical modesty.
"To get through the first round I was surprised. To get through the second round I earned the right and won. The third round I was absolutely stoked and played the best tennis that I was able to play."
Pratt, in the swansong of her career, was delighted to win but the tough match against the plucky Kiwi cemented a lifelong friendship.
The American was the owner of the Montego Bay event and invited Morrison to compete on the US swing in subsequent years.
This was typical of Morrison's experiences at Wimbledon as she met many people who would become important in her life.
"It seems like on a daily basis doors just opened and I had to walk through them. No questions asked. 'Look and listen as Dad always said'.
Vivid memories
While she remains very proud of her tennis achievements at the All England club, some of Morrison's most vivid memories come from events off the court.
The tennis star was invited to the Commonwealth Garden Party in 1958 at Buckingham Palace, at a time when the intergovernmental organisation had a lot more prestige and power than it perhaps does today.
Morrison met a young Queen Elisabeth II (just five years into her reign) and was edged up the line, shaking hands with all the prime ministers from around the Commonwealth.
At the top of the queue was none other than Sir Winston Churchill and the New Zealander was shocked when she saw the legendary figure.
"He was just so diminutive I couldn't get over it. I just opened my mouth and it never shut.
"I'm maybe five foot (if that) and I was looking straight at him."
The silence was not too awkward though, as protocol left no room for conversation with the wartime Prime Minister.
"He was bent over. You were just lucky to be in the line
"You just shake the hands and you go down the line halfway through to the next paddock", she laughed.
During another visit to Wimbledon a fellow player, Sonia Cox, took her along to see "My Fair Lady" for her birthday.
Worldwide stars
The iconic West End show starred Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, who were huge worldwide stars at the time.
Morrison loved the show and was astonished to spot Harrison and Andrews the next day at Wimbledon, just two rows back from the player's area in the grandstand.
A nervous Morrison decided to approach the two stars for autograph.
The two actors were leafing through the daily Wimbledon programme and as Morrison approached, they happened to be on the page that featured the New Zealander.
"We would be absolutely delighted" they said to the gleeful Morrison.
These were wonderful experiences and Morrison, the third of nine children, certainly managed to make the most of her fairytale journey and happily has no regrets.
"I think I did the best I could. Maybe the odd time I lost when I shouldn't have but generally speaking I did the best I could."
Morrison jokes that she is "carbon-dated" but remains as sharp as a tack when reminiscing about her Wimbledon days.
"Every time I think of it in depth it just blows my mind again.
"It was absolutely wonderful, unbelievable [and] it is not until I sit down and talk to myself and realise."
It is definitely something to celebrate and her achievements on the famously manicured green grass have allowed Morrison to carve a special place in New Zealand tennis folklore.
