Elisabeth Moore

Elisabeth 'Bessie' Holmes Moore (March 5, 1876 – January 22, 1959) was an American tennis champion who was active at the beginning of the 20th century.[1] Moore won the singles title at the U.S. Championships on four occasions. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971.[2]

Elisabeth Moore

Moore circa 1912
Full name	Elisabeth Holmes Moore
Country (sports)	United States
Born	(1876-03-05)March 5, 1876 Brooklyn, NY, United States
Died	January 22, 1959(1959-01-22) (aged 82) Starke, FL, United States
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF	1971 (member page)
Singles
Grand Slam Singles results
US Open	W (1896, 1901, 1903, 1905)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
US Open	W (1896, 1903)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
US Open	W (1902, 1904)

Elisabeth Holmes Moore, from a 1902 publication.

Biography

Elisabeth Moore was born on March 5, 1876 in Brooklyn, the daughter of George Edward Moore (1840–1911), an affluent cotton broker, and Sarah Z. Orr (1857–1942). She was raised and schooled in Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey. She learned to play tennis at age 12. Moore reached her first U.S. National Championships singles final in 1892 at the age of 16 years and three months, losing to Mabel Cahill from Ireland in the first five-set match contested between two women.[3] In the final years of the 19th century, she had a rivalry with Juliette Atkinson.[4]

She won the inaugural U.S. Indoor Women's Singles Championship in 1907, defeating Marie Wagner in the final in three sets. In 1908, she also won the inaugural indoor doubles title with partner Helen Pouch.[3]

Elisabeth Moore died on January 22, 1959 in Starke, Florida from congestive heart failure.[2][3]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (4 titles, 5 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1892	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Mabel Cahill	7–5, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 2–6
Winner	1896	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Juliette Atkinson	6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up	1897	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Juliette Atkinson	3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 3–6
Winner	1901	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Myrtle McAteer	6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 2–6, 6–2
Runner-up	1902	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Marion Jones	1–6, 0–1 retired
Winner	1903	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Marion Jones	7–5, 8–6
Runner-up	1904	U.S. National Championships	Grass	May Sutton	1–6, 2–6
Winner	1905	U.S. National Championships	Grass	May Sutton	default
Runner-up	1906	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Helen Homans	default

Doubles (2 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1895	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Amy Williams	Juliette Atkinson Helen Hellwig	2–6, 2–6, 10–12
Winner	1896	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Juliette Atkinson	Annabella C. Wistar Amy Williams	6–4, 7–5
Runner-up	1901	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Marion Jones	Juliette Atkinson Myrtle McAteer	default
Winner	1903	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Carrie Neely	Miriam Hall Marion Jones	6–4, 6–1, 6–1
Runner-up	1904	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Carrie Neely	May Sutton Bundy Miriam Hall	6–3, 3–6, 3–6

Mixed doubles (2 titles)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1902	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Wylie Grant	Elizabeth Rastall Albert L. Hoskins	6–2, 6–1
Winner	1904	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Wylie Grant	May Sutton F. B. Dallas	6–2, 6–1

References

1. "On The Tennis Courts" (PDF). The New York Times. August 31, 1910. Retrieved 2010-11-18. In the lower half Miss Elizabeth H. Moore, the former champion defeated her rival Miss Edna Wildey. 6–4. 7–3. ...
2. "Elisabeth Moore". International Tennis Hall of Fame. A precocious competitor, Moore made it to the final of the 1892 U.S. Championships at the age of 16, losing to Mabel Cahill in the first fiveset match contested between two women. In 1896, she collected the first of her four titles in that tournament. ...
3. Joan N. Burstyn, ed. (1997). Past and Promise : Lives of New Jersey Women (1st Syracuse University Press ed.). Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press. pp. 173–174. ISBN 978-0815604181.
4. "Two lawn tennis stars". Stevens Point Daily Journal. June 14, 1897. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com. For several years Miss Moore and Miss Atkinson have been the bright particular stars of the meeting, and a very large share of the interest is always centered in their match, for they invariably come together sooner or later. In fact, these two girls are so decidedly the most skilled women players of the country that for two or three years the result of almost every tournament for which they have entered has hung on their meeting; it has narrowed down to a duel between them.

External links

• Elisabeth Moore at the International Tennis Hall of Fame