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Blast Encyclopedia of Female Tennis Players

654K views 6K replies 43 participants last post by  Peter2003 
#1 · (Edited)
Welcome to the Blast Encyclopedia of Female Tennis Players. While this is very much a work in progress, we intend to create an A to Z Encyclopedia of women who have played competitive tennis.

Finding players:

Players are listed from A to Z alphabetically by last name. Thus Daphne Akhurst will be listed alphabetically under "Akhurst".

Daphne also played under her married name of Cozens. Cozens will be redirected to look under "Akhurst".

Example of the entry for Akhurst:

AKHURST, Daphne Jessie (Australia) [22 April 1903-9 Jan 1933] [Mrs. Royston Stuckey Cozens, from 26 Feb 1930] [Active 1919-31]

Last Name, First and Middle names. (Country) [Date of Birth-Date of Death] [other identities] [Years active]

Finding more biographical details,links, and pictures:

Notice the underlined name here: AKHURST, Daphne Jessie. Clicking on the name will work as a hyperlink, and will take you to a fuller biography.

Please enjoy using this as we grow, and don't hesitate to contact us with corrections, suggestions, pictures, or new entries.

Finding names by letter:

[Aa-Al] [Am-Az]
[Ba-Bh]
[Bi-Bo] [Br-Bz]
[Ca-Ch]
[Ci-Co] [Cr-Cz]
[Da-Dn] [Do-Dq] [Dr-Dz]
[E]
[Fa-Fl]
[Fm-Fq] [Fr-Fz]
[Ga-Gl]
[Gm-Gz]
[H-Ha]
[Hb-He] [Hf-Hq]
[Hr-Hz]
[I]
[J]
[Ka-Kh] [Ki-Kz]
[La-Lh]
[Li-Lz]
[Ma]
[Mb-Mi] [Mj-Mz]
[N]
[O]
[Pa]
[Pb-Ph] [Pi-Pz]
[Q]
[Ra-Rg]
[Rh-Ri] [Rj-Rz]
[Sa]
[Sb-Sf] [Sg-Sl] [Sm-Ss] [St] [Su-Sz]
[Ta-Tn]
[To-Tz]

[U]
[Va] [Vb-Vz]
[Wa]
[Wb-Wh] [Wi] [Wj-Wz]
[X]
[Y]
[Z]


In memory of William "Rollo" Rollins (1965-2021), a tennis historian, our friend and co-worker.
 
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#820 ·
I confess some confusion here:

Maria Murkovic, Joško and Vjera's second daughter was called Mica after their firstborn, who died at a young age.
She married Milan Crnadak and they had three childrem: Joško, Zdenka and Seka.
Tominac incorrectly has her as champion of Yugoslavia in tennis, whereas it's her daughter Seka who became champion.
So is our M Crnadek the Maria (or Mica) born in 1881-or her daughter Seka?
Or are there two Crnadeks?
 
#821 ·
I confess some confusion here:

So is our M Crnadek the Maria (or Mica) born in 1881-or her daughter Seka?
Or are there two Crnadeks?
For the moment we know our M Crnadak (not Crnadek) as:
1) Marcia, active in 1950s. She was RU in Yugoslavian Champs. 1951 '55, and in Berlin Champs. 1955.
2) Monica, RU in Doubles in Closed Croatian Championships 1940
3) in Yugoslavian ranking 1953, number one was M Milonja-Crnadak

:confused:
 
#825 · (Edited)
#829 · (Edited)
ok-temporary block while I try and process all of this.


Added Musluoglu:

MUSLUOGLU, BAHTIYE (nee Bahtite Kollu)
Turkey
Born 1918
Died 8 February 1999
Married (1) Rauf Musluoglu, circa 1939
Married (2) Rifat Mursaloglu, 1953

Probably the greatest Turkish female player ever. She was a prominent mammologist who specialized in the the Monk Seal.

Winner: Istanbul International Championships 1947
RU: Turkey International Championships 1949 '52

Sources:

http://bahtiye-mursaloglu.blogspot.co.uk/

Blast bio at: http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost.php?p=27090818&postcount=2500


Added to Straubeova. It currently reads:

STRAUBEOVA, Mrs HELENA (nee Helena ????)
Czechoslovakia/Italy
Married (1) Straubeova
Married (2) Milan Matous-fellow Czech player, in 1950

Active as early as 1939 and as late as 1953.

1949 Welsh finalist. Milan and Helen were touring together in 1948 and may have defected to Italy. She is called Mme Straubeova in French 1949 list. Was she married or widowed at the time-or is the Mme at the 1949 French an error?

After the marriage with the tennis player and hockey player Matous, Helena lived in Italy, at Cortina d'Ampezzo, where in 1955 born her daughter Elena Matous, that became a good skier (she competed for several nations) and married Fausto Radici, a great skier (without an eye!), great manufacturer, and suicide at 49 years old

Blast bio at: http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost.php?p=25514938&postcount=1890
 
#835 ·
Added to Straubeova. It currently reads:

STRAUBEOVA, Mrs HELENA (nee Helena ????)
Czechoslovakia/Italy
Married (1) Straubeova
Married (2) Milan Matous-fellow Czech player, in 1950

Active as early as 1939 and as late as 1953.

1949 Welsh finalist. Milan and Helen were touring together in 1948 and may have defected to Italy. She is called Mme Straubeova in French 1949 list. Was she married or widowed at the time-or is the Mme at the 1949 French an error?
Rollo, great find also about Marica Crnadak!!

About Helena Straubeova I haven't evidences but I have the impression that Matous is her only husband.
 
#830 · (Edited)
Added Helen Dew-and found her maiden name, dates of birth and death.

DEW, HELEN (nee Helen Mary Salter Thackera)
United Kingdom
Born 12 March 1915 (or 1914) in Portsmouth, Hampshire
Died September 2005 in Surrey, England.
Married Patrick Somerset Morgan Dew (1907-1988), between October and December of 1940

Daughter Patricia born circa 1942.

Note two sources contradict each other slightly with her date of birth. parish registers indicate 1915, which a death ceretificate indicates 12 March 1915.

Winner: Malayan Championships 1950 '52
RU: Malayan Championships '55

Blast bio at: http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost.php?p=27090842&postcount=2502
 
#834 ·
Added Helen Dew-and found her maiden name, dates of birth and death.

DEW, HELEN (nee Helen Mary Salter Thackera)
United Kingdom
Born 12 March 1915 (or 1914) in Portsmouth, Hampshire
Died September 2005 in Surrey, England.
Married Patrick Somerset Morgan Dew (1907-1988), between October and December of 1940
Great find, Rollo! :)
But are you sure that her maiden name is Thackera and not Thackeray?
Thackera seems to me an incomplete surname.
 
#831 · (Edited)
I was able to get to the bottom of Crnadek and we have a bio

thanks Mark and Jimbo:)

CRNADAK, "MARICA" (Marija Crnadak)
Yugoslavia
Born 4 April 1922 in Brinje, Croatia
Married Caplar after 1956

May also have gone by the nickname "Seka", which is very common in Serbia and Croatia.

Between the two world wars, her parents moved to Vinkovci. She graduated in 1941. As a high school girl loved sports, and played table tennis, tennis, skiing and skating. In the 1930s Vinkovci had a well-organized tennis club, and a very strong female team.At 15 ,she was the tennis champion of Sid, and at 17 played in the Yugoslav national championship.

In Zagreb she studied chemistry, and continued to play tennis. She was on a national team that traveled to Italy for the first inter-governmental meeting in 1943/44. After the war she dominated Yugoslav tennis, winning the National title from 1946 to 1953, and in 1955. and 1956--10 titles in all. . She won in international tournaments in Wegen (1953), Kitzbühel (1954) and , Zell am See (1954.) She is an honorary member of the "Vinkovci" Tennis Club.

She now lives in Zagreb as a pensioner, enjoying her grandchildren and great-grandchildren with whom he talks about the first days of women's sport in Croatia.

Note that most sources list her as Miss M Crnadak, but the 1954 Dunlops Annual calls her M Milonja-Crnadek.

Source:
http://povijest.net/v5/zivotpis/hr-zivotopisi/2011/marija-crnadak-caplar/

Blast bio at: http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost.php?p=27090850&postcount=2503


----------------------

Added Sansoni at:

SANSONI, "DOREEN" (Thomasine Doreen Sansoni)
Ceylon
Born 11 October 1911
Winner: Malayan Championships 1936 '37 '38 '39. Sir Lankan National Champion 1935-1940 and 1946. All-India Champion in 1949

Blast bio at: http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost.php?p=27090858&postcount=2504

----------------------

Edited entry on Astrid Winther
Blast bio at: http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost.php?p=25568258&postcount=2188
 
#832 · (Edited)
Per LKKs notice: I need to check on Margaret Knoblanche-the dates do seem off.

Is it possible that she competed in the Australian Championships being just 11 year-old, or her Date of Birth is incorrect ?
http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost....postcount=1064

----------------------------

Perhaps we can create a thread for Musluoglu. Her blog is a great find Mark!

----------------------------

Gem Hoahing

----------------------------

Add in 1885 Wimbledon ladies.

----------------------------

Add Lkk's wonderful info on "Adams". My thought is we need to link her to the Countess.

Note I need to fix the 1901 Wimbledon draw.

----------------------------

Edit B Parsons and Pauline Spencer-Parsons

----------------------------

Jimbo is working with the grandson of an Italian player! We are excited to see what this produces and hope to add this.
 
#838 ·
On Biographies:
http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost.php?p=27090818&postcount=2500

MUSLUOGLU, BAHTIYE(nee Bahtite Kollu)
Turkey
Born 1918
Died 8 February 1999
Married (1) Rauf Musluoglu, circa 1939
Married (2) Rifat Mursaloglu, 1953

Probably the greatest Turkish female player ever. She was a prominent mammologist who specialized in the the Monk Seal.

Winner: Istanbul International Championships 1947
RU: Turkey International Championships 1949 '52

Sources:

http://bahtiye-mursaloglu.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Newmark for this biography.

-------------

On first line, between brackets: Bahtiye, not Bahtite.

I don't take any interest in recognitions, but about my above post #826, where I have collected the info on this player, I point out that Mark has only provided the link, probably without completely read it, because he didn't understand that her maiden name is Kollu and that she have been married two times.
On the contrary, as Musluoglu and Mursaloglu are similar names, the Mark's words "This is a link to a long blog on the Turkish player Bahtiye Musluoglu, or Mursaloglu (1918-99). The text is in both English and Turkish" did think that he consider them the same name badly written.
Just for clarity... :)
 
#839 · (Edited)
About Helena Straubeova I haven't evidences but I have the impression that Matous is her only husband.
You may be correct on her Jimbo-the French used "Mme"-but it could be an error.

I reedited MUSLUOGLU. Thanks for doing all the double-checking Jimbo-it keeps us honest!:)


But are you sure that her maiden name is Thackera and not Thackeray?
Thackera seems to me an incomplete surname.
Double checked. All the sources agree it was Thackera, which is a rare name. Salter weas her mother's maiden name.

Will add Silva and track down more on Alston. Now maybe we can find her husband and use it to find her maiden name!
 
#840 ·
Per LKKs notice: I need to check on Margaret Knoblanche-the dates do seem off.

Is it possible that she competed in the Australian Championships being just 11 year-old, or her Date of Birth is incorrect ?
http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost....postcount=1064

----------------------------

Perhaps we can create a thread for Musluoglu. Her blog is a great find Mark!

----------------------------

Gem Hoahing

----------------------------

Add in 1885 Wimbledon ladies.

----------------------------

Add Lkk's wonderful info on "Adams". My thought is we need to link her to the Countess.

Note I need to fix the 1901 Wimbledon draw.

----------------------------

Edit B Parsons and Pauline Spencer-Parsons

----------------------------

Jimbo is working with the grandson of an Italian player! We are excited to see what this produces and hope to add this.
 
#841 ·
Added to Straubeova. It currently reads:

STRAUBEOVA, Mrs HELENA (nee Helena ????)
Czechoslovakia/Italy
Married (1) Straubeova
Married (2) Milan Matous-fellow Czech player, in 1950

Active as early as 1939 and as late as 1953.

1949 Welsh finalist. Milan and Helen were touring together in 1948 and may have defected to Italy. She is called Mme Straubeova in French 1949 list. Was she married or widowed at the time-or is the Mme at the 1949 French an error?

After the marriage with the tennis player and hockey player Matous, Helena lived in Italy, at Cortina d'Ampezzo, where in 1955 born her daughter Elena Matous, that became a good skier (she competed for several nations) and married Fausto Radici, a great skier (without an eye!), great manufacturer, and suicide at 49 years old

Blast bio at: http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost.php?p=25514938&postcount=1890
Her maiden name is Straubeová. In c. 1944 she became Mrs. Straubeová-Hrdličková, but only sometimes she played under this hyphenated name (she still used it in 1948). So Mr. Matous was really her second husband.
 
#842 · (Edited)
To return to the information and discussion on the English Tripp sisters included in sections 532, 536, etc., above: It's clear from the main contemporary sources, in particular "Lawn Tennis and Badminton" and "Ayres' Lawn Tennis Almanack", that the two main tennis-playing sisters were not married (there was a third sister, B. Tripp, but she didn't play much tennis).

They two main tennis-playing sisters are almost always referred to as "Miss J. Tripp" and "Miss M. Tripp". Fortunately, once or twice they are also referred to as "Miss J.E. Tripp" and "Miss M.F. Tripp" (in at least one tournament draw). This is a big clue for genealogists and other interested parties where finding out who they were is concerned.

The Census of England and Wales for 1901 has information on the following family:

1901 Census – 52 Blackheath Hill, Lewisham, Kent

George William Tripp Head Mar 73 years Retired Draper B. Canterbury, Kent
Caroline Ada Tripp Wife Mar 57 years B. Uxbridge, Mdx
Ada Grace Tripp Daur Single 31 years B. Blackheath, Kent
Elinor M Tripp Daur Single 29 years B. Blackheath, Kent
Jessie E Tripp Daur Single 28 years B. Blackheath, Kent
Margaret F Tripp Daur Single 21 years B. Blackheath, Kent
Caroline B Tripp Daur Single 17 years B. Blackheath, Kent
+Servants
--

This appears to be the correct family from the point of view of the tennis players in question. Further searching brings up the following information:

Jessie Evelyn Tripp
United Kingdom
Born 1 September 1872 in Blackheath, Kent, England
Died 30 April 1958 in Bournemouth, Dorset, England
[Did not marry]
--

Margaret Frances Tripp
United Kingdom
Born circa August 1879 in Blackheath, Kent, England
Died 17 December 1948 in Beer, Devon, England
[Did not marry]
--

Caroline Beatrice Tripp
United Kingdom
Born circa February 1884 in Blackheath, Kent, England
Died 1959 in Yeoville, Johannesburg, South Africa
[Probably did not marry]

Because the girls' mother's first name was also Caroline, it is likely that the youngest daughter was known as Beatrice, to distinguish her from her mother. Hence "Miss B. Tripp".
-----
 
#843 · (Edited)
A note on the player known as "Miss L. Kendal", who took part in tournaments in the north east of England at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. She was from the county of Northumberland and is referred to as "Miss L.A. Kendal", the lawn tennis player, in several contemporary local newspaper reports. She is here with her family in the 1891 Census of England and Wales:

1891 Census - Market Street, Hexham, Northumberland

Cuthbert Robert Kendal Head Mar 49 years Medical Practitioner B. Gateshead, Durham
Elizabeth Kendal Wife Mar 41 years B. Northumberland
Lucy Adeline Kendal Daur Single 20 years B. Wark, N’land
Annie Wilhelmina Kendal Daur Single 19 years B. Hexham
Hugh Robert Kendal Son Single 16 years Scholar B. Hexham
Lizzie Evelyn Kendal Daur Single 11 years Scholar B. Hexham
John Arthur Kendal Neph Single 24 year Medical Assistant B. Gateshead, Durham
--

Further searching brings up the following information:

Lucy Adeline Kendal
United Kingdom
Born circa August 1870 in Wark, Northumberland, England
Died circa December 1924 in Hexham, Northumberland, England
Married Reverend Frederick William Johnson circa May 1907 in Hexham, Northumberland, England

Lucy Kendal's most notable victories came at the North of England Championships tournament, where she won the singles title five times between the years 1896 and 1906.
-----
 
#845 ·
Update on Tiny:

ALSTON, Mrs TINY (nee Tiny ????)
United Kingdom
Married a Mr Alston by 1920
Active in the 1920s

Played Wimbledon in 1920 and 1921-losing 1st match both times.

-----------

Wimbledon website has D.A. "Tiny" Alston in 1921 only, in singles and mixed, where she played with the British G.D.H. Alston, certainly her husband.
Mrs G.D.H. Alston won the Ceylon Championships in 1920 '21 '22 '24 '25 '29 '30.

I found her husband thanks to Jimbo

George Douglas Hamilton Alston
Born 29 May 1891, Epsom, Surrey
Died 29 October, 1973, Dikoya, Sri Lanka

He was a cricket player.

Still no info on Tiny herself.

 
#848 ·
Added all in to this point-thanks for finding all 3 Tripp ssiters Mark-it confirmed my earlier suspicion on Jessie's identity:)


Still working on:


Per LKKs notice: I need to check on Margaret Knoblanche-the dates do seem off.

Is it possible that she competed in the Australian Championships being just 11 year-old, or her Date of Birth is incorrect ?
http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost....postcount=1064

----------------------------

Perhaps we can create a thread for Musluoglu. Her blog is a great find Mark!

----------------------------

Gem Hoahing

----------------------------

Add in 1885 Wimbledon ladies.

----------------------------

Add Lkk's wonderful info on "Adams". My thought is we need to link her to the Countess.

Note I need to fix the 1901 Wimbledon draw.

----------------------------

Edit B Parsons and Pauline Spencer-Parsons

----------------------------

Finding more on Tiny Alston
 
#851 ·
In Biographies
http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost.php?p=25568794&postcount=2234

MARCHINI, "TEDA" (Giuseppina Marchini)
Italy
Born 27 June 1902
Died 13 January 1999
Married Carlo Serra, 24 April 1927

Nina was The Italian mixed doubles chanpion in 1924- playing with Mino Balbi di Robecco

---------------

there is a mistake done by Loregrandson in his first post, where he wrote that "She (Teda, not the twin sister Nina) has been italian mixed doubles champion in 1924 playing with Mino Balbi di Robecco" , then rectified in his second post, where he wrote: "I have to correct one information because Teda has been finalist in Italian Tennis championship, not champion."
http://www.tennisforum.com/showpost.php?p=31626857&postcount=2649

Indeed, in 1924 the winners in Mixed Doubles were Rosetta Gagliardi and Placido Gaslini.

So it's need delete that fake win in Teda's entry.
 
#853 ·
Sorry Rollo, because I have induced you to go wrong when in my previous post I have coloured and underlined this sentence: "Nina was The Italian mixed doubles chanpion in 1924- playing with Mino Balbi di Robecco."
So you have removed this sentence from Teda's entry and you have put it in Nina's entry, but as I had written, in 1924 the winners of Mixed Doubles in Italian Closed Champs. were Rosetta Gagliardi and Placido Gaslini.
Neither Teda nor Nina won that title. According Loregrandson, Teda was RU with Balbi di Robecco. So now it's need delete that fake win in Nina's entry too.
 
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