Career
Balestrat began playing tennis at the age of 7. She left school at the age of 16 to play in international tournaments. She turned pro in 1973 and joined the WTA Tour.
She reached the finals of the Australian Open in January 1977, losing to fellow Australian Kerry Melville Reid. She was a semifinalist twice at the French Open, in 1979 and 1980. She also reached the semifinals of the US Open in 1976.
Balestrat won six singles titles and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 4 in 1979. Partnering with Helen Gourlay Cawley, she won the Australian Open women's doubles in January 1977. She had career wins over Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Margaret Court, Virginia Wade, Pam Shriver, and Gabriela Sabatini. She holds an 8-7 career record over King.
On 30 August 2000, Balestrat was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for her strong commitment to Tennis.
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