Anna McCune Harper
| Full name | Anna Virginia McCune Harper |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | July 2, 1902 Santa Barbara, USA |
| Died | June 14, 1999 (aged 96) Moraga, USA |
| Retired | 1932 |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1931) |
| US Open | F (1930) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| US Open | F (1928, 1930) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1931) |
| US Open | F (1931) |
| Team competitions | |
| Wightman Cup | W (1931, 1932) |
Anna McCune Harper (née Anna Virginia McCune, July 2, 1902 – June 14, 1999) was an American female tennis player. She won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 1931 partnering George Lott. She was the runner-up in singles at the 1930 U.S. Championships, losing to Betty Nuthall. She also was the runner-up in women's doubles at the 1928, 1930, and 1932 U.S. Championships and in mixed doubles at the 1931 edition of those championships.
Harper was ranked in the U.S. top ten five consecutive years from 1928 through 1932 and was top ranked in 1930.[1]
In 1932, Harper was called home because of an illness in her family.[2] She then decided to give up tournament tennis for other tasks, including the rearing of three children.[2] But she continued to follow the game and played for many years. She even had arthroscopic knee surgery at age 81 so she could continue to play. An adverse reaction to a general anesthetic sidelined her for good and precipitated a long, slow decline in her health. Harper is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.
In 1924 she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Berkeley.[3] The following year, 1925, she married Lawrence Averell Harper, a history professor at Berkeley.[3][4] They had three children.[4] Harper was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981.[2][5]
Grand Slam finals
Singles : 1 runner-up
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1930 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Betty Nuthall |
1–6, 4–6 |
Doubles : 2 runners-up
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1928 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Edith Cross |
Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman Helen Wills |
2–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 1930 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Edith Cross |
Betty Nuthall Sarah Palfrey Cooke |
6–3, 3–6, 5–7 |
Mixed doubles : 1 title, 1 runner-up
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1931 | Wimbledon | Grass | George Lott |
Joan Ridley Ian Collins |
6–3, 1–6, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 1931 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Wilmer Allison |
Betty Nuthall George Lott |
3–6, 3–6 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| Tournament | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
| French Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
| Wimbledon | 3R | 1R | A | A | A | A | 4R | 1R | 0 / 4 |
| U.S. Championships | A | A | A | 3R | 3R | F | QF | QF | 0 / 5 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 9 |
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
See also
References
- ^ United States Tennis Association (1988). 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook. Lynn, Massachusetts: H.O. Zimman, Inc. p. 260.
- ^ a b c "Tennis". Los Angeles Times. June 17, 1999.
- ^ a b Dwight Chapin (June 16, 1999). "Tennis pro, national star Anna McCune Harper". SF Gate.
- ^ a b "Lawrence Averell Harper, History: Berkeley". Calisphere.
- ^ "Anna McCune Harper". California Golden Bears.