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Louise Brough

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Louise Brough
Louise Brough in 1948
Full nameAlthea Louise Brough
Country (sports) United States
Born(1923-03-11)March 11, 1923
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
DiedFebruary 3, 2014(2014-02-03) (aged 90)
Vista, California
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Retired1959
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF1967 (member page) (member page)
Singles
Career record614-134 (82.10%)
Career titles59
Highest rankingNo. 1 (1955, Lance Tingay)[1]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (1950)
French OpenSF (1946, 1947, 1950)
WimbledonW (1948, 1949, 1950, 1955)
US OpenW (1947)
Doubles
Career record0–0
Highest rankingNo. 1 (1946)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenW (1950)
French OpenW (1946, 1947, 1949)
WimbledonW (1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1954)
US OpenW (1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1957)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
WimbledonW (1946, 1947, 1948, 1950)
US OpenW (1942, 1947, 1948, 1949)
Team competitions
Wightman CupW (1946, 1947, 1948, 1950)

Althea Louise Brough Clapp (née Brough; March 11, 1923 – February 3, 2014) was an American tennis player. In her career between 1939 and 1959, she won six Grand Slam titles in singles as well as numerous doubles and mixed-doubles titles. At the end of the 1955 tennis season, Lance Tingay of the London Daily Telegraph ranked her world No. 1 for the year.

Biography

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Louise Brough was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1923.[2] Her 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 coached by Dick Skeen. In 1940 and 1941, she won the U.S. Girls' Championships.[4]

In women's doubles, Brough never failed to reach the quarterfinals at the 32 Grand Slam tournaments she played during her career. She reached the semifinals 29 times and the final 28 times. She usually teamed with her longtime friend Margaret Osborne duPont.[2] They won their first U.S. doubles title as a team at the 1942 U.S. National Championships. That was the first of nine consecutive doubles titles at the U.S. national tournament. This was the longest championship run in history in any event at any Grand Slam tournament.[4] Their attempt at a tenth consecutive title was unsuccessful because Osborne duPont was injured and unable to play the 1951 U.S. Nationals. Osborne duPont also did not play there in 1952. In 1953, their winning streak as a team at the U.S. Nationals reached 42 before they lost to Doris Hart and Shirley Fry in the final, 6–2, 7–9, 9–7.[4] Their career record as a team at the U.S. National Championships was 58–2, winning twelve of the 14 times they entered the tournament and losing only 12 sets in those 60 matches.[4] They played Wimbledon as a team seven times, winning five titles and compiling a 33–2 record. At the French International Championships, they won three titles and had a 14–1 record. Combining their record at these three Grand Slam tournaments, they had a win–loss record of 105–5, 95.45 percent and won 20 titles out of 25 attempts.

In singles, Brough won the U.S. title in 1947 after being the runner-up in 1942 and 1943. Although she appeared in three more singles finals, this remained her only U.S. singles title. In 1948, she had a match point at 6–5 in the third set against duPont.[5]: 67  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]: 89 

At Wimbledon, Brough won three consecutive singles titles from 1948 through 1950, with her fourth and last title coming in 1955. From 1946 through 1955, she appeared in seven Wimbledon singles finals. She also appeared in 21 of the 30 finals contested at Wimbledon in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles during those ten years.[4] In 1946, she lifted a "double" at Wimbledon, winning the women's doubles title, and the mixed doubles title partnering Tom Brown. In 1948 and 1950, she won the rare "triple" at Wimbledon, sweeping the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles titles. During this stretch, in 1949, she lifted another "double" at Wimbledon, winning the singles and women's doubles titles. Alongside duPont, she won five doubles titles there. She also won 3 more mixed doubles titles there with partners John Bromwich and Eric Sturgess.

Brough entered the Australian National Championships only once, in 1950, when she won the singles and women's doubles titles. She played the French International Championships four times between 1946 and 1950, with her best result in singles being the semi-finals. The slow clay courts in Paris were not suitable to her attacking style of play.[6] However, she won women's doubles titles there in 1946, 1947, and 1949.

Brough came very close in 1950 to winning a calendar year Grand Slam in women's doubles. She won the title at the Australian Championships with Doris Hart, and she won the titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, both with Osborne duPont. At the French International Championships, Brough and Osborne duPont reached the final and were heavy favorites to defeat Hart and Shirley Fry, but the latter team prevailed, 1–6, 7–5, 6–2. This was Brough's first defeat in a Grand Slam women's doubles match since the 1947 Wimbledon final.

In summary, Brough won 17 titles at the U.S. National Championships, 13 titles at Wimbledon, three titles at the French International Championships, and two titles at the Australian National Championships. Her 35 Grand Slam titles ties her with Doris Hart for fifth on the all-time list, behind only Margaret Smith Court, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, and Margaret Osborne duPont.[4]

According to John Olliff and Lance Tingay of the London Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Brough 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 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 regarded her as one of the great volleyers in history.[4] He wrote "A willowy blonde, 5-foot-7 1/2, 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]: 65 [6] Alice Marble wrote about Brough's serve "She gets an enormously high bounce on this serve, and women are notoriously feeble in their effort to return it, especially on the backhand."[2]

Brough married dentist Dr. Alan Clapp on August 9, 1958.[3] She taught juniors in California for the following 20 years.[6] She was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1967. Occasionally she played in local tournaments in California and in senior tournaments, winning the doubles title at the U.S. 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] She left one of her Wimbledon trophies to her alma mater, Beverly Hills High School.

Grand Slam finals

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Singles: 14 (6 titles, 8 runner-ups)

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Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1942 U.S. Championships Grass United States Pauline Betz 6–4, 1–6, 4–6
Loss 1943 U.S. Championships Grass United States Pauline Betz 3–6, 7–5, 3–6
Loss 1946 Wimbledon Grass United States Pauline Betz 2–6, 4–6
Win 1947 U.S. Championships Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont 8–6, 4–6, 6–1
Win 1948 Wimbledon Grass United States Doris Hart 6–3, 8–6
Loss 1948 U.S. Championships Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont 6–4, 4–6, 13–15
Win 1949 Wimbledon (2) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont 10–8, 1–6, 10–8
Win 1950 Australian Championships Grass United States Doris Hart 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
Win 1950 Wimbledon (3) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont 6–1, 3–6, 6–1
Loss 1952 Wimbledon Grass United States Maureen Connolly 5–7, 3–6
Loss 1954 Wimbledon Grass United States Maureen Connolly 2–6, 5–7
Loss 1954 U.S. Championships Grass United States Doris Hart 8–6, 1–6, 6–8
Win 1955 Wimbledon (4) Grass United States Beverly Baker Fleitz 7–5, 8–6
Loss 1957 U.S. Championships Grass United States Althea Gibson 3–6, 2–6

Doubles: 28 (21 titles, 7 runner-ups)

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Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1942 U.S. Championships Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Pauline Betz
United States Doris Hart
2–6, 7–5, 6–0
Win 1943 U.S. Championships (2) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Pauline Betz
United States Doris Hart
6–4, 6–3
Win 1944 U.S. Championships (3) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Pauline Betz
United States Doris Hart
4–6, 6–4, 6–3
Win 1945 U.S. Championships (4) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Pauline Betz
United States Doris Hart
6–3, 6–3
Win 1946 Wimbledon Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Pauline Betz
United States Doris Hart
6–3, 2–6, 6–3
Win 1946 French Championships Clay United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Pauline Betz
United States Doris Hart
6–4, 0–6, 6–1
Win 1946 U.S. Championships (5) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Patricia Canning Todd
United States Mary Arnold Prentiss
6–1, 6–3
Loss 1947 Wimbledon Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Doris Hart
United States Patricia Canning Todd
6–3, 4–6, 5–7
Win 1947 French Championships (2) Clay United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Pauline Betz
United States Patricia Canning Todd
7–5, 6–2
Win 1947 U.S. Championships (6) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Patricia Canning Todd
United States Doris Hart
5–7, 6–3, 7–5
Win 1948 Wimbledon (2) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Doris Hart
United States Patricia Canning Todd
6–3, 3–6, 6–3
Win 1948 U.S. Championships (7) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Patricia Canning Todd
United States Doris Hart
6–4, 8–10, 6–1
Win 1949 French Championships (3) Clay United States Margaret Osborne duPont United Kingdom Joy Gannon
United Kingdom Betty Hilton
7–5, 6–1
Win 1949 Wimbledon (3) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Gussy Moran
United States Patricia Canning Todd
8–6, 7–5
Win 1949 U.S. Championships (8) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Doris Hart
United States Shirley Fry
6–4, 10–8
Win 1950 Australian Championships Grass United States Doris Hart Australia Nancye Wynne Bolton
Australia Thelma Coyne Long
6–2, 2–6, 6–3
Loss 1950 French Championships Clay United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Doris Hart
United States Shirley Fry
6–1, 5–7, 2–6
Win 1950 Wimbledon (4) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Shirley Fry
United States Doris Hart
6–4, 5–7, 6–1
Win 1950 U.S. Championships (9) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Doris Hart
United States Shirley Fry
6–2, 6–3
Loss 1951 Wimbledon Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Shirley Fry
United States Doris Hart
3–6, 11–13
Loss 1952 Wimbledon Grass United States Maureen Connolly United States Shirley Fry
United States Doris Hart
6–8, 3–6
Loss 1952 U.S. Championships Grass United States Maureen Connolly United States Doris Hart
United States Shirley Fry
8–10, 4–6
Loss 1953 U.S. Championships Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Doris Hart
United States Shirley Fry
2–6, 9–7, 7–9
Win 1954 Wimbledon (5) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Shirley Fry
United States Doris Hart
4–6, 9–7, 6–3
Loss 1954 U.S. Championships Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Doris Hart
United States Shirley Fry
4–6, 4–6
Win 1955 U.S. Championships (10) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Doris Hart
United States Shirley Fry
6–3, 1–6, 6–3
Win 1956 U.S. Championships (11) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Betty Rosenquest Pratt
United States Shirley Fry
6–3, 6–0
Win 1957 U.S. Championships (12) Grass United States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Althea Gibson
United States Darlene Hard
6–2, 7–5

Mixed doubles: 11 (8 titles, 3 runner-ups)

[edit]
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1942 U.S. Championships Grass United States Ted Schroeder United States Patricia Todd
Argentina Alejo Russell
3–6, 6–1, 6–4
Win 1946 Wimbledon Grass United States Tom Brown United States Dorothy Bundy
Australia Geoff Brown
6–4, 6–4
Loss 1946 U.S. Championships Grass United States Robert Kimbrell United States Margaret Osborne duPont
United States Bill Talbert
3–6, 4–6
Win 1947 Wimbledon (2) Grass Australia John Bromwich Australia Nancye Wynne Bolton
Australia Colin Long
1–6, 6–4, 6–2
Win 1947 U.S. Championships (2) Grass Australia John Bromwich United States Gussy Moran
United States Pancho Segura
6–3, 6–1
Win 1948 Wimbledon (3) Grass Australia John Bromwich United States Doris Hart
Australia Frank Sedgman
6–2, 3–6, 6–3
Win 1948 U.S. Championships (3) Grass United States Tom Brown United States Margaret Osborne duPont
United States Bill Talbert
6–4, 6–4
Loss 1949 Wimbledon Grass Australia John Bromwich South Africa Sheila Piercey Summers
South Africa Eric Sturgess
7–9, 11–9, 5–7
Win 1949 U.S. Championships (4) Grass South Africa Eric Sturgess United States Margaret Osborne duPont
United States Bill Talbert
4–5, 6–3, 7–5
Win 1950 Wimbledon (4) Grass South Africa Eric Sturgess United States Pat Canning Todd
Australia Geoff Brown
11–9, 1–6, 6–4
Loss 1955 Wimbledon Grass Argentina Enrique Morea United States Doris Hart
United States Vic Seixas
6–8, 6–2, 3–6

Grand Slam performance timelines

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Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Singles

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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
US Championships 1R 1R 2R F F SF SF QF W F SF 3R A SF SF F 3R QF F A QF 1 / 19 60–18
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 / 0 0 / 1 6 / 35
Win–loss 0–1 0–1 1–1 5–1 4–1 3–1 3–1 11–3 13–2 11–1 10–2 16–2 4–1 10–2 3–1 11–2 8–1 7–2 8–2 0–0 3–1 Total: 131–29

Doubles

[edit]
Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 19461 19471 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 Career
SR
Win–loss
Australian Championships A A NH NH NH NH NH A A A W A A A A A A A A A 1 / 1 3–0
French Championships NH R R R R A W W A W F A A A A A A A A A 3 / 4 14–1
Wimbledon NH NH NH NH NH NH W F W W W F F A W A SF A A A 5 / 9 39–4
US Championships QF QF W W W W W W W W W A F F F W W W A QF 12 / 18 65–6
SR 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
Win–loss 1–1 1–1 5–0 4–0 4–0 4–0 12–0 13–1 10–0 13–0 14–1 4–1 6–2 4–1 9–1 4–0 7–1 4–0 0–0 2–1 Total: 121–11

Mixed doubles

[edit]
Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 Career
SR
Australian Championships NH NH NH NH NH A A A A A SF A A A A A A A 0 / 1
French Championships NH R R R R A A A A A A A A A A A A A 0 / 0
Wimbledon NH NH NH NH NH NH W W W F W SF SF A A F A 4R 4 / 9
US Championships 1R QF W SF A SF F W W W 3R A A QF QF A A A 4 / 12
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 1 / 1 0 / 1 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 8 / 22

R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b 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 978-0-942257-41-0.
  2. ^ a b c d e Richard Goldstein (February 5, 2014). "Louise Brough Clapp, Tennis Champion at Midcentury, Dies at 90". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "PASSINGS: Louise Brough Clapp, Richard Bull, Michael Filerman". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. February 5, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bud Collins (2010). History of Tennis (2nd ed.). New York City: New Chapter Press. p. 552. ISBN 978-0942257700.
  5. ^ a b c Billie Jean King with Cynthia Starr (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York City: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
  6. ^ a b c Evans, Richard (February 5, 2014). "Louise Brough obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
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