Bobbie Heine Miller

Bobbie Heine Miller
Full name Ester Laurie Heine Miller
Country (sports) South Africa South Africa
Born (1909-12-05) 5 December 1909
Greytown, Colony of Natal
Plays Right-handed
Singles
Highest ranking No.5 (1929)
Grand Slam Singles results
French Open SF (1927)
Wimbledon QF (1929)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
French Open W (1927)
Wimbledon F (1927)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Wimbledon SF (1927, 1929)

Ester Laurie "Bobbie" Heine Miller (born 5 December 1909) is a retired South African female tennis player. She was born in Greytown. In 1929 she was ranked No. 5 in the World.[1] Her brother was South African cricketer Peter Heine.

Heine taught herself to play tennis by hitting the ball against the wall of her father's butcher shop in Winterton. In 1925 she won the Natal championship at the age of 15.[2] She won the doubles title at the 1927 French Championships with compatriot Irene Bowder Peacock defeating Peggy Saunders and Phoebe Holcroft Watson from Great Britain in two straight sets. They also reached the final of the 1927 Wimbledon Championships but lost to the American couple Helen Wills and Elizabeth Ryan in straight sets.[3] Her best singles performance at a Grand Slam event was reaching the semifinals of the 1927 French Championships in which she lost to eventual winner Kea Bouman in three sets.

In 1929 Heine won the singles titles at the Irish Open, defeating Billie Tapscott in three sets, and the British Hard Court Championships, winning the final against Joan Ridley in three sets.[4][5] Heine won the South African Championships singles title on five occasions (1928, 1931, 1932, 1936 and 1937). In July 1938 she won the singles title at the Dutch Championships defeating Nancye Wynne in the final in two sets.[6]

On 6 April 1931 she married (and took the surname Heine Miller) in Pietermaritzburg.[7] She emigrated to Australia in 1978 where she celebrated her 100th birthday in 2009.[8][9]

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (1 title, 2 runners-up)

Outcome Year Championship Partner Opponents in final Score in final
Winner 1927 French Championships South Africa Irene Bowder Peacock United Kingdom Peggy Mitchell
United Kingdom Phoebe Watson		 6–2, 6–1
Runner-up 1927 Wimbledon South Africa Irene Bowder Peacock United States Helen Wills
United States Elizabeth Ryan 		3–6, 2–6
Runner-up 1929French ChampionshipsSouth Africa Alida NeaveSpain Lilí de Álvarez
Netherlands Kea Bouman		 5–7, 3–6

References

  1. ↑ Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 721. ISBN 9780942257700.
  2. ↑ Russell Eldridge, ed. (1977). Tennis : The South African Story. Owen Williams. pp. 17, 111. OCLC 86066820.
  3. ↑ Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 401, 438. ISBN 9780942257700.
  4. ↑ Brady, Maurice (1958). The Encyclopedia of Lawn Tennis (1 ed.). London: Robert Hale Ltd. p. 67. ISBN 9780498074684. OCLC 26127.
  5. ↑ "ENGLISH TENNIS". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 15 June 1929. p. 10.
  6. ↑ "Tennis – Intern. Kampioenschappen van Nederland" (PDF). Nieuwsblad van Friesland. 11 July 1938. p. 6.
  7. ↑ "Robbie Heine Gehuwd". De Telegraaf. 7 April 1931.
  8. ↑ Fitzsimons, Peter (5 December 2009). "Tennis legend cracks a century". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  9. ↑ "10 Centenarians – Bobbie Heine Miller". abc.net.au. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
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