Louise Brough
Full name | Althea Louise Brough |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Born |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | March 11, 1923
Died |
February 3, 2014 90) Vista, California | (aged
Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) |
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Int. Tennis HOF | 1967 (member page) |
Singles | |
Highest ranking | No. 1 (1955, Lance Tingay)[1] |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | W (1950) |
French Open | SF (1946, 1947, 1950) |
Wimbledon | W (1948, 1949, 1950, 1955) |
US Open | W (1947) |
Doubles | |
Highest ranking | No. 1 (1946) |
Grand Slam Doubles results | |
Australian Open | W (1950) |
French Open | W (1946, 1947, 1949) |
Wimbledon | W (1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1954) |
US Open | W (1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1957) |
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
Wimbledon | W (1946, 1947, 1948, 1950) |
US Open | W (1942, 1947, 1948, 1949) |
Althea Louise Brough Clapp (March 11, 1923 – February 3, 2014) was an American tennis player. During her career between 1942 and 1957, she won six Grand Slam singles titles as well as numerous doubles and mixed doubles titles. She was ranked world no. 1 by Lance Tingay in 1955.
Biography
Louise Brough (pronounced Bruff) was born in Oklahoma City in 1923.[2] Their family moved to Beverly Hills, California when she was four years old.[2] She learned to play tennis on the public courts at Roxbury Park[3] and was later coached by Dick Skeen. In 1940 and 1941, she won the US Girls' Championships.[4]
In doubles, Brough usually teamed with her longtime friend Margaret Osborne duPont.[2] Both won their first US doubles title at the 1942 US Championships. The successful pair won another eight consecutive doubles titles at Forest Hills until 1950 which is the longest championship run in history in any event at any Grand Slam tournament.[4] Brough and duPont did not play as a team at the US Championships in 1951 or 1952 but in 1953, they returned to extend their record match winning streak to 41 before losing to Hart and Shirley Fry Irvin in the final, 6–2, 7–9, 9–7.[4] Their career record as a team at the US Championships was 58–2, winning 12 of the 14 times they entered the tournament and losing only five sets in those 14 years.[4] In singles, Brough won the US title in 1947. Although she appeared in five more singles finals at Forest Hills, this would remain her only US singles title. In 1948, she had a match point at 6–5 in the third set against duPont.[5][6] She also had three match points in the 1954 final against Doris Hart, the first at 5–4 in the third set and two more at 6–5 in that set.[5][7]
At Wimbledon, Brough won the singles title three times in a row between 1948 and 1950, and again 1955. During the "Brough decade" from 1946 through 1955, a Wimbledon final without her was unusual. She appeared in 21 of the 30 finals contested at Wimbledon in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles during that period.[4] In 1950, she won the rare triple at Wimbledon – singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Alongside duPont, she won four doubles titles at Wimbledon, and another four mixed doubles titles partnering Tom Brown, John Bromwich and Eric Sturgess.
Brough took part in the Australian Championships only once, in 1950, when she won the singles and doubles title. Despite reaching the semifinals three times at the French Championships between 1946 and 1950, she could never win the singles titles there as the slow clay courts were not suitable to her attacking style of play.[8] However, she won the doubles title at Paris in 1946, 1947 and 1949.
In summary, Brough won 13 titles at Wimbledon, 17 titles at the US Championships, 3 titles at the French Championships, and 2 titles at the Australian Championships. Her 35 Grand Slam titles ties her with Doris Hart for fifth on the all-time list, behind only Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, and Margaret Osborne duPont.[4]
According to John Olliff and Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Brough Clapp was ranked in the world top 10 from 1946 through 1957 (no rankings issued from 1940 through 1945), reaching a career high of World No. 1 in those rankings in 1955.[1] She was included in the year-end top 10 rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) from 1941 through 1950 and from 1952 through 1957. She was the top ranked US player in 1947.[4] Her 16 years in the USLTA top 10 put her behind only Billie Jean King (18 years) and Chris Evert (19 years).[4]
Bud Collins regards her one of the great volleyers in history.[4] He wrote, "A willowy blonde, 5-foot-71/2, she was quiet but the killer in the left court when at play alongside duPont."[4] Beside her aggressive volleys, her strengths were her backhand and a paralyzing American twist serve with a high kick.[5][8] Her rival Alice Marble wrote about Brough's serve, "She gets an enourmous high bounce on [it], and women are notoriously feeble in their effort to return it, especially on the backhand."[2]
Brough retired from her tennis career in 1958 and married Pasadena dentist Dr. Alan Clapp.[8][3] She taught juniors in California for the following 20 years.[8] She was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1967. Occasionally she played in senior tournaments, winning the doubles title at the US Hard Court Senior Championships alongside Barbara Green Weigandt in 1971 and 1975.[4] Her husband died in 1999. She died at her home in Vista, California, on February 3, 2014, at the age of 90 and left no children.[2]
Major finals
Grand Slam tournaments
Singles: 14 (6 titles, 8 runner-ups)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1942 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Pauline Betz | 4–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 1943 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Pauline Betz | 6–3, 5–7, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 1946 | Wimbledon | Grass | Pauline Betz | 6–2, 6–4 |
Winner | 1947 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Margaret Osborne | 8–6, 4–6, 6–1 |
Winner | 1948 | Wimbledon | Grass | Doris Hart | 6–3, 8–6 |
Runner-up | 1948 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Margaret Osborne | 4–6, 6–4, 15–13 |
Winner | 1949 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass | Margaret Osborne | 10–8, 1–6, 10–8 |
Winner | 1950 | Australian Championships | Grass | Doris Hart | 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
Winner | 1950 | Wimbledon (3) | Grass | Margaret Osborne | 6–1, 3–6, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 1952 | Wimbledon | Grass | Maureen Connolly | 6–4, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 1954 | Wimbledon | Grass | Maureen Connolly | 6–2, 7–5 |
Runner-up | 1954 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Doris Hart | 6–8, 6–1, 8–6 |
Winner | 1955 | Wimbledon (4) | Grass | Beverly Baker | 7–5, 8–6 |
Runner-up | 1957 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Althea Gibson | 6–3, 6–2 |
Doubles: 28 (21 titles, 7 runner-ups)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1942 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Pauline Betz Doris Hart | 2–6, 7–5, 6–0 |
Winner | 1943 | U.S. Championships (2) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Pauline Betz Doris Hart | 6–4, 6–3 |
Winner | 1944 | U.S. Championships (3) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Pauline Betz Doris Hart | 4–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
Winner | 1945 | U.S. Championships (4) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Pauline Betz Doris Hart | 6–3, 6–3 |
Winner | 1946 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Pauline Betz Doris Hart | 6–3, 2–6, 6–3 |
Winner | 1946 | French Championships | Clay | Margaret Osborne duPont | Pauline Betz Doris Hart | 6–4, 0–6, 6–1 |
Winner | 1946 | U.S. Championships (5) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Pat Canning Todd Mary Arnold Prentiss | 6–1, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 1947 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Doris Hart Pat Canning Tod | 3–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
Winner | 1947 | French Championships (2) | Clay | Margaret Osborne duPont | Pauline Betz Pat Canning Todd | 7–5, 6–2 |
Winner | 1947 | U.S. Championships (6) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Pat Canning Tod Doris Hart | 5–7, 6–3, 7–5 |
Winner | 1948 | Wimbledon Championships (2) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Doris Hart Pat Canning Tod | 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 |
Winner | 1948 | U.S. Championships (7) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Pat Canning Tod Doris Hart | 6–4, 8–10, 6–1 |
Winner | 1949 | French Championships (3) | Clay | Margaret Osborne duPont | Joy Gannon Betty Hilton | 7–5, 6–1 |
Winner | 1949 | Wimbledon Championships (3) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Gussy Moran Pat Canning Tod | 8–6, 7–5 |
Winner | 1949 | U.S. Championships (8) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Doris Hart Shirley Fry | 6–4, 10–8 |
Winner | 1950 | Australian Championships | Grass | Doris Hart | Nancye Wynne Bolton Thelma Coyne Long | 6–2, 2–6, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 1950 | French Championships | Clay | Margaret Osborne duPont | Doris Hart Shirley Fry | 6–4, 5–7, 6–1 |
Winner | 1950 | Wimbledon Championships (4) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Shirley Fry Doris Hart | 8–6, 7–5 |
Winner | 1950 | U.S. Championships (9) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Doris Hart Shirley Fry | 6–2, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 1951 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Shirley Fry Doris Hart | 6–3, 13–11 |
Runner-up | 1952 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Maureen Connolly | Shirley Fry Doris Hart | 8–6, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 1952 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Maureen Connolly | Doris Hart Shirley Fry | 10–8, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 1953 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Doris Hart Shirley Fry | 6–2, 7–9, 9-7 |
Winner | 1954 | Wimbledon Championships (5) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Shirley Fry Doris Hart | 4–6, 9–7, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 1954 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Doris Hart Shirley Fry | 6–4, 6–4 |
Winner | 1955 | U.S. Championships (10) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Doris Hart Shirley Fry | 6–2, 1–6, 6–3 |
Winner | 1956 | U.S. Championships (11) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Betty Rosenquest Pratt Shirley Fry | 6–3, 6–0 |
Winner | 1957 | U.S. Championships (12) | Grass | Margaret Osborne duPont | Althea Gibson Darlene Hard | 6–2, 7–5 |
Mixed doubles: 11 (8 titles, 3 runner-ups)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1942 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Ted Schroeder | Pat Canning Todd Aleja Russell | 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
Winner | 1946 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Tom Brown | Dorothy Bundy Geoff Brown | 6–4, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 1946 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Robert Kimbrell | Margaret Osborne duPont Bill Talbert | 6–3, 6–4 |
Winner | 1947 | Wimbledon Championships (2) | Grass | John Bromwich | Nancye Wynne Bolton Colin Long | 1–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
Winner | 1947 | U.S. Championships (2) | Grass | John Bromwich | Gussy Moran Pancho Segura | 6–3, 6–1 |
Winner | 1948 | Wimbledon Championships (3) | Grass | John Bromwich | Doris Hart Frank Sedgman | 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 |
Winner | 1948 | U.S. Championships (3) | Grass | Tom Brown | Margaret Osborne duPont Bill Talbert | 6–4, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 1949 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | John Bromwich | Sheila Piercey Summers Eric Sturgess | 9–7, 9–11, 7–5 |
Winner | 1949 | U.S. Championships (4) | Grass | Eric Sturgess | Margaret Osborne duPont Bill Talbert | 4–5, 6–3, 7–5 |
Winner | 1950 | Wimbledon Championships (4) | Grass | Eric Sturgess | Pat Canning Todd Geoff Brow | 11–9, 1–6, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 1955 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Enrique Morea | Doris Hart Vic Seixas | 8–6, 2–6, 6–3 |
Grand Slam tournament timelines
Singles
Tournament | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 19461 | 19471 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | Career SR | Career Win-Loss |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Championships | A | A | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | A | A | A | A | W | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1 / 1 | 5–0 |
French Championships | A | NH | R | R | R | R | A | SF | SF | A | 3R | SF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 4 | 10–4 |
Wimbledon | A | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | F | SF | W | W | W | SF | F | A | F | W | SF | QF | A | A | 4 / 11 | 56–7 |
U.S. Championships | 1R | 1R | 2R | F | F | SF | SF | QF | W | F | SF | 3R | A | SF | SF | F | 3R | QF | F | QF | QF | 1 / 20 | 60–19 |
SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 3 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 3 | 2 / 4 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 6 / 36 | 131–30 |
Women's doubles
Tournament | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 19461 | 19471 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | Career SR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Championships | A | A | A | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | A | A | A | W | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1 / 1 |
French Championships | A | NH | R | R | R | R | A | W | W | A | W | F | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 3 / 4 |
Wimbledon | A | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | W | F | W | W | W | F | F | A | W | A | SF | A | A | A | 5 / 9 |
U.S. Championships | A | 2R | QF | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | A | F | F | F | W | W | W | A | QF | 12 / 18 |
SR | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 3 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 2 | 3 / 3 | 3 / 4 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 1 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 21 / 32 |
Mixed doubles
Tournament | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | Career SR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Championships | A | A | A | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | A | A | A | SF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1 / 1 |
French Championships | A | NH | R | R | R | R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
Wimbledon | A | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | W | W | W | F | W | SF | SF | A | A | A | A | 4R | A | A | 4 / 8 |
U.S. Championships | A | 1R | QF | W | A | A | SF | F | W | W | W | 3R | A | A | QF | QF | A | A | A | A | A | 4 / 11 |
SR | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 2 | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 9 / 20 |
NH = tournament not held.
A = did not participate in the tournament.
R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam doubles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Collins, Bud (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York, N.Y: New Chapter Press. pp. 695, 702–3. ISBN 0-942257-41-3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Goldstein, Richard (February 5, 2014). "Louise Brough Clapp, Tennis Champion at Midcentury, Dies at 90". New York Times (New York City). Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "PASSINGS: Louise Brough Clapp, Richard Bull, Michael Filerman". Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles). February 5, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 Collins, Bud (2010). History of Tennis (2nd ed.). New York City: New Chapter press. p. 552. ISBN 978-0942257700.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Billie Jean King with Cynthia Starr (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 65. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ↑ Billie Jean King with Cynthia Starr (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 67. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ↑ Billie Jean King with Cynthia Starr (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 89. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Evans, Richard (February 5, 2014). "Louise Brough obituary". The Guardian (London). Retrieved February 5, 2014.
External links
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