Helga Niessen Masthoff

Helga Niessen Masthoff

Helga Niessen-Masthoff in 1965
ITF name Helga Masthoff
Country (sports)  West Germany
Born (1941-11-11) 11 November 1941
Essen, Germany
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Plays Right-handed (one handed backhand)
Singles
Highest ranking No. 6 (1970)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open QF (1976)
French Open F (1970)
Wimbledon QF (1970, 1974)
US Open SF (1973)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 2R (1976)
French Open F (1976)
Wimbledon QF (1968, 1971)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open 2R (1965)
French Open 1R (1964)

Helga Niessen Masthoff (née Niessen; born 11 November 1941) is a retired tennis player from West Germany. Her best Grand Slam singles tournament was when she reached the 1970 French Open final, losing to Margaret Court 6–2, 6–4. She won the German Open three consecutive years from 1972 through 1974, beating Martina Navratilova in the 1974 final 6–4, 5–7, 6–3. Masthoff was the runner-up at that tournament in 1971, losing to Billie Jean King 6–3, 6–2.

At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City when tennis was a demonstration sport, Masthoff won the singles and doubles (with Edda Buding) gold medals and the silver medal in mixed doubles (with Jürgen Faßbender).

Masthoff teamed with Kathleen Harter to reach the women's doubles final at the 1976 French Open, losing to the team of Fiorella Bonicelli and Gail Sherriff Lovera 6–4, 1–6, 6–3. Masthoff played on West Germany's Fed Cup team from 1965 to 1967, in 1969 and 1970, and from 1972 through 1977. Her overall win-loss record was 38–18, 23–10 in singles and 15–8 in doubles.

According to Bud Collins, Masthoff was ranked in the world top ten in 1970, 1971, and 1973, reaching a career high of World No. 6 in 1970.[1]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 runner-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1970 French Open Clay Australia Margaret Court 2–6, 4–6

Doubles (1 runner-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1976 French Open Clay United States Kathleen Harter France Gail Sheriff
Uruguay Fiorella Bonicelli 		4–6, 6–1, 3–6

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held.
Tournament 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 Career SR
Australia A A 1R A A A A A A A A A A QF A / A A 0 / 2
France A 2R 1R 2R A A A F 1R SF QF SF 2R QF 3R QF 0 / 12
Wimbledon 2R 3R 2R 1R A 2R A QF 3R 2R A QF A A 2R A 0 / 10
United States 2R A A A A A A A A A SF A A A A A 0 / 2
SR 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 26

SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

See also

References

  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, 703–4. ISBN 0-942257-41-3.
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