Dorothy Cheney

Dorothy "Dodo" May Sutton Bundy Cheney (September 1, 1916 – November 23, 2014) was an American tennis player from her youth into her 90s.[1] In 1938, Bundy was the first American to win the women's singles title at the Australian National Championships, defeating Dorothy Stevenson in the final.[2]

Dorothy Bundy Cheney
Bundy in 1929
Full nameDorothy May Sutton Bundy Cheney
Country (sports) United States
Born(1916-09-01)September 1, 1916
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 23, 2014(2014-11-23) (aged 98)
Escondido, California, U.S.
Int. Tennis HoF2004 (member page)
Singles
Career record0–0
Highest rankingWorld No. 6 (1946, John Olliff)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenW (1938)
French OpenSF (1946)
WimbledonSF (1946)
US OpenSF (1937, 1938, 1943, 1944)
Doubles
Career record0–0
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian OpenF (1938)
US OpenF (1940, 1941)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
French OpenF (1946)
WimbledonF (1946)
US OpenF (1940, 1944)

Personal life

Cheney was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Tennis Hall of Famer May Sutton Bundy (1886–1975) and U. S. men's doubles champion Tom Bundy (1881–1945). She was the grandmother of former Major League Baseball player Danny Putnam.[3] Cheney died on November 23, 2014, in Escondido, California at the age of 98.[2]

Tennis career

According to A. Wallis Myers and John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Bundy Cheney was ranked in the world top 10 in 1937 and 1946 (no rankings issued from 1940 through 1945), reaching a career high of sixth in 1946.[4]

The United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) included Bundy Cheney in its year-end, top-ten rankings of U. S. players from 1936 through 1941, 1943 through 1946, and in 1955. She was ranked third in 1937, 1938, and 1941.[5]

Bundy was a member of the victorious U. S. Wightman Cup teams from 1937 through 1939.

She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004.

Cheney was still competing in selected top level events at the age of 51. In 1967, she defeated a seeded player, Karen Krantzcke, in the third round of the Pacific Southwest Championships in straight sets.

Her win-loss singles records against some elite players were as follows:

  • 7–2 Doris Hart
  • 4–1 Billie Jean King
  • 4–2 Shirley Fry
  • 6–5 Margaret Osborne duPont
  • 0–0 Helen Wills Moody
  • 0–1 Althea Gibson, Angela Mortimer, Ann Haydon
  • 0–1 Christine Truman, Lesley Turner, Nancy Richey
  • 2–4 Maureen Connolly
  • 0–2 Helen Jacobs, Rosemary Casals
  • 8–11 Sarah Palfrey Fabyan Cooke
  • 0–3 Carole Caldwell
  • 1–5 Darlene Hard
  • 1–6 Karen Hantze Susman
  • 4–10 Louise Brough
  • 1–9 Alice Marble
  • 1–15 Beverly Baker Fleitz
  • 8–25 Pauline Betz

By the end of her senior age-groups playing career, Cheney had amassed 394 USTA titles — a record.[6]

Grand Slam and other singles tournaments

In the first singles match of her career at any Grand Slam tournament, Bundy upset second-seeded Sarah Palfrey Fabyan in the first round of the 1936 U. S. National Championships. Bundy ultimately lost in the quarterfinals.

The first nine times that Bundy Cheney played singles at the U. S. National Championships, she reached at least the quarterfinals. During those (and other) years, she had no "bad" losses at Grand Slam singles tournaments. Her losses were as follows

Bundy Cheney also had several significant singles wins at Grand Slam tournaments:

Year Tournament Round Opponent Opponent's
Seeding
1936U. S. National Championships1RSarah Palfrey FabyanSecond
1937U. S. National Championships3RMarie HornFourth foreign
1937U. S. National ChampionshipsQFAlice MarbleFirst
1938U. S. National Championships2RMargaret OsborneNone
1938U. S. National ChampionshipsQFSimone MathieuSecond foreign
1939U. S. National Championships3RFreda JamesFifth foreign
1941U. S. National Championships3RPatricia Canning ToddNone
1943U. S. National ChampionshipsQFMargaret OsborneThird
1944U. S. National Championships2RPatricia Canning ToddNone
1944U. S. National ChampionshipsQFDoris HartSecond
1946Wimbledon Championships4RBetty NuthallNone
1946Wimbledon ChampionshipsQFKatherine StammersNone

Cheney won the singles title at the 1944 Tri-Cities Championships in Cincinnati, defeating Betz in the final. The following year, Cheney was the singles runner-up at that tournament.

Grand Slam and other women's doubles tournaments

Bundy Cheney was a three-time runner-up in Grand Slam women's doubles tournaments: 1938 Australian National Championships, 1940 U. S. National Championships, and 1941 U. S. National Championships.

Cheney won the women's doubles title at the 1944 and 1945 Tri-Cities Championships in Cincinnati.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 title)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Win1938Australian ChampionshipsGrass Dorothy Stevenson6–3, 6–2

Doubles (3 runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1938Australian ChampionshipsGrass Dorothy Workman Nancye Wynne
Thelma Coyne Long
7–9, 4–6
Loss1940U. S. National ChampionshipsGrass Marjorie Gladman Van Ryn Alice Marble
Sarah Palfrey
3–6, 7–9
Loss1941U. S. National ChampionshipsGrass Pauline Betz Margaret Osborne
Sarah Palfrey Cooke
6–3, 1–6, 4–6

Mixed doubles (4 runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1940U. S. National ChampionshipsGrass Jack Kramer Alice Marble
Bobby Riggs
7–9, 1–6
Loss1944U. S. National ChampionshipsGrass Don McNeill Margaret Osborne
Bill Talbert
2–6, 3–6
Loss1946Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Geoff Brown Louise Brough
Tom Brown
4–6, 4–6
Loss1946French ChampionshipsClay Tom Brown Pauline Betz
Budge Patty
5–7, 7–9

Other singles finals (21 titles, 26 runner-ups)

Result Week of Tournament Surface Opponent Score
WonApr 5, 1937Ambassador Hotel Invitational
Los Angeles, California
HardBarbara Winslow6–4, 8–6
WonApr 19, 1937Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament
Ojai, California, U. S.
HardBarbara Winslow6–2, 6–2
WonMay 3, 1937Southern California Sectional Championships
Los Angeles, U. S.
HardGracyn Wheeler6–1, 6–8, 7–5
LostJun 28, 1937Hotel del Coronado Invitational
Coronado, California, U. S.
HardBonnie Miller Blank5–7, 4–6
WonJul 12, 1937Colorado State Championships
Denver Country Club
Denver, Colorado, U. S.
ClayCarolin Babcock4–6, 6–0, 6–3
WonDec 6, 1937Victorian Championships
Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club
Melbourne, Australia
GrassNancye Wynne6–4, 1–6, 6–4
WonApr 18, 1938Ambassador Hotel Invitational
Ambassador Tennis Club
Los Angeles, California
HardMay Doeg Smith8–6, 3–6, 6–2
WonApr 25, 1938Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament
Ojai, California, U. S.
HardGertrude Bishop Bixler6–3, 6–3
LostMay 23, 1938Middlesex Championships
Chiswick Tennis Club
London, United Kingdom
GrassJadwiga Jędrzejowska5–7, 2–6
LostJul 11, 1938Scottish Championships
Peebles, Scotland
GrassMary Hardwick2–6, 5–7
LostJul 25, 1938Seabright Invitational
Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club
Rumson, New Jersey, U. S.
GrassAlice Marble2–6, 2–6
LostAug 8, 1938Eastern Grass Court Championships
Westchester Country Club
Rye, New York, U. S.
GrassAlice Marble5–7, 0–6
WonSep 26, 1938Pacific Southwest Championships
Los Angeles, U. S.
HardSarah Palfrey Fabyan6–4, 6–4
WonJan 9, 1939Palm Springs Invitational
Palm Springs Tennis Club
Palm Springs, California, U. S.
HardMary Arnold Prentiss6–4, 6–2
WonJun 26, 1939Colorado State Championships
Denver Country Club
Denver, Colorado, U. S.
ClayMarjorie Gladman Van Ryn6–3, 4–6, 6–4
LostSep 25, 1939Pacific Southwest Championships
Los Angeles, U. S.
HardAlice Marble7–9, 1–6
LostJan 8, 1940Palm Springs Invitational
El Mirador Tennis Club
Palm Springs, California, U. S.
HardHelen Bernhard3–6, 4–6
WonApr 15, 1940Beverley Hills Invitational
Beverley Hills, California, U. S.
HardHelen Bernhard6–2, 7–5
WonApr 22, 1940Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament
Ojai, California, U. S.
HardPauline Betz6–4, 6–4
WonJun 24, 1940Hotel del Coronado Invitational
Coronado, California, U. S.
HardLouise Brough3–6, 6–1, 6–4
WonJul 8, 1940Colorado State Championships
Denver, Colorado, U. S.
ClayEsther Bartosh7–5, 6–4
LostJul 15, 1940Eastern Clay Court Championships
Jackson Heights Tennis Club
New York City, U. S.
ClayVirginia Wolfenden6–4, 4–6, 3–6
WonJul 29, 1940Maidstone Invitational
Maidstone Lawn Tennis Club
East Hampton, New York, U. S.
GrassGracyn Wheeler6–2, 6–3
WonSep 16, 1940Pacific Southwest Championships
Los Angeles, U. S.
HardValerie Scott6–3, 6–3
WonNov 11, 1940Championships of the Argentine
Buenos Aires, Argentina
ClaySarah Palfrey Cooke6–1, 4–6, 6–3
WonNov 25, 1940International Tournament of Uruguay
Montevideo, Uruguay
ClaySarah Palfrey Cooke6–4, 7–9, 6–3
LostDec 2, 1940Rio de Janeiro, BrazilClaySarah Palfrey Cooke8–6, 3–6, 3–6
LostDec 9, 1940Championship of the Fluminense
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
ClaySarah Palfrey Cooke2–6, 1–6
LostJan 20, 1941Florida West Coast Championships
St. Petersburg, Florida, U. S.
ClaySarah Palfrey Cooke5–7, 1–6
LostFeb 3, 1941South Florida Championships
West Palm Beach, Florida, U. S.
ClayPauline Betz4–6, 1–6
LostFeb 24, 1941Southeastern Sectional Championships
Jacksonville, Florida, U. S.
ClayPauline Betz4–6, 9–11
LostJun 23, 1941Hotel del Coronado Invitational
Coronado, California, U. S.
HardLouise Brough2–6, 11–9, 2–6
LostSep 15, 1941Pacific Southwest Championships
Los Angeles, U. S.
HardSarah Palfrey Cooke3–6, 5–7
LostNov 17, 1941Championships of the Argentine
Buenos Aires, Argentina
ClaySarah Palfrey Cooke6–3, 7–9, 5–7
WonJun 12, 1944U. S. Clay Court Championships
Detroit Tennis Club
Detroit, Michigan, U. S.
ClayMary Arnold Prentiss7–5, 6–4
WonJun 19, 1944Tri-State Championships
Cincinnati Tennis Club
Cincinnati, Ohio, U. S.
ClayPauline Betz7–5, 6–4
LostJul 3, 1944Western Sectional Championships
Neenah, Wisconsin, U. S.
ClayPauline Betz1–6, 2–6
LostJul 10, 1944Chicago Open
River Forest Tennis Club
River Forest, Illinois, U. S.
ClayMary Arnold Prentiss7–9, 4–6
LostAug 20, 1945Maidstone Invitational
Maidstone Lawn Tennis Club
East Hampton, New York, U. S.
GrassSarah Palfrey Cooke6–8, 4–6
Lost1946Pacific Southwest Championships
Los Angeles Tennis Club
Los Angeles, U. S.
HardPauline Betz2–6, 2–6
Lost1950Pacific Southwest Championships
Los Angeles Tennis Club
Los Angeles, U. S.
HardHelen Pastall Perez2–6, 2–6
LostJun 22, 1953Hotel del Coronado Invitational
Coronado, California, U. S.
HardBeverly Baker Fleitz6–4, 6–8, 1–6
LostAug 3, 1953Balboa Bay Club Invitational,
Newport Beach, California, U. S.
HardBeverly Baker Fleitz4–6, 5–7
LostSep 7, 1953Santa Monica City Tournament
Santa Monica, California, U. S.
HardBeverly Baker Fleitz4–6, 4–6
LostApr 30, 1956Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament
Ojai, California, U. S.
HardBeverly Baker Fleitz5–7, 2–6
WonAug 26, 1957Santa Monica City Tournament
Santa Monica, California, U. S.
HardBeverly Baker Fleitz6–3, 0–6, 6–4
LostOct 21, 1957Balboa Bay Club Invitational
Newport Beach, California, U. S.
HardBeverly Baker Fleitz4–6, 1–6

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. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)
Tournament1936193719381939194019411942194319441945194611947119481949 - 195419551956 - 19581959Career SR
Australian Championships A A W A A NH NH NH NH NH A A A A A A A 1 / 1
French Championships A A A A NH R R R R A SF A A A A A A 0 / 1
Wimbledon Championships A A 4R A NH NH NH NH NH NH SF A A A A A A 0 / 2
U. S. National Championships QF SF SF QF QF QF A SF SF QF 1R A 2R A 3R A 1R 0 / 13
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 1 / 3 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 1 / 17

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

1In 1946 and 1947, the French International Championships were held after the Wimbledon Championships.

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See also

References

  1. Matt Schudel (November 30, 2014). "Dorothy 'Dodo' Cheney, who won more than 300 tennis championships, dies at 98". The Washington Post.
  2. "Dodo Cheney, tennis champion, dies at 98". The New York Times. November 25, 2014.
  3. "Danny Putnam profile". www.gostanford.com. Stanford Baseball.
  4. The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York City: New Chapter Press. 2008. pp. 695, 702. ISBN 0-942257-41-3.
  5. United States Tennis Association (1988). 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook. Lynn, Massachusetts: H. O. Zimman, Inc. p. 260.
  6. Joel Drucker (May 16, 2013). "The Durable & Dominant Dodo". Tennis Channel. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
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