Thelma Dorothy Coyne Long (née Coyne; 14 October 1918 – 13 April 2015) was an Australian tennis player and one of the female players who dominated Australian tennis from the mid-1930s to the 1950s. During her career, she won 19 Grand Slam tournament titles. In 2013, Long was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Tennis career

At the Australian Championships, Long won singles titles in 1952 and 1954 and was a singles finalist in 1940, 1951, 1955 and 1956. In women's doubles, she won 10 titles with Nancye Wynne Bolton (1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1952) and two titles with Mary Bevis Hawton (1956 and 1958). Long was a women's doubles finalist with Bolton in 1946 and 1950. She won mixed doubles titles in 1951, 1952 and 1955 with George Worthington and in 1954 with Rex Hartwig. She was a mixed doubles finalist in 1948 with Bill Sidwell.

At Wimbledon, Long was a women's doubles finalist in 1957 with Hawton and a mixed doubles finalist in 1952 with Enrique Morea. At 52, Long teamed with Lorraine Coghlan to lose in the first round of women's doubles at Wimbledon in 1971.

At the French Championships, Long was a women's doubles finalist in 1958 with Hawton, won the mixed doubles title in 1956 with Luis Ayala, and was a mixed doubles finalist in 1951 with Mervyn Rose.

At the 1953 tournament in Cincinnati, Long won the singles title (defeating Anita Kanter 7–5, 6–2 in the final) and the women's doubles title with Kanter.

According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Long was ranked in the world top 10 in 1952 and 1954 (no rankings issued from 1940 to 1945), reaching a career high of World No. 7 in these rankings in 1952.

Long became a teaching professional in 1960 and spent many years coaching junior players in New South Wales. In 1985, her achievements were recognised by Tennis NSW when she was awarded Life Membership of the State Association.

Honours and awards On 30 August 2000, Long was awarded the Australian Sports Medal. She was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in a ceremony at Melbourne Park during the Australian Open on Australia Day in 2002. In 2013, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Personal life She was born in Sydney, Australia, on 14 October 1918, the only child of Tom and Dorrie Coyne and was schooled at the Sydney Girls High School.

On 30 January 1941, she married Maurice Newton Long of Melbourne. The marriage did not continue after the end of the Second World War.

In May 1941, during the Second World War, Long joined the Red Cross as a transport driver and worked in Melbourne. On 19 February 1942, she joined the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) and rose to captain in April 1944. For her service in the AWAS, she was awarded the War Medal 1939–1945 and the Australia Service Medal 1939–1945.

Long volunteered at the State Library of New South Wales and received the Volunteer Service Award in 1999.

Coyne died on 13 April 2015 at the age of 96.

Grand Slam tournament finals

Singles: 6 (2 wins, 4 losses)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 1940 Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton 7–5, 4–6, 0–6Loss 1951 Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton 1–6, 5–7Win 1952 Australian Championships Grass Helen Angwin 6–2, 6–3Win 1954 Australian Championships Grass Jenny Staley Hoad 6–3, 6–4Loss 1955 Australian Championships Grass Beryl Penrose 4–6, 3–6Loss 1956 Australian Championships Grass Mary Carter 6–3, 2–6, 7–9

Doubles: 16 (12 wins, 4 losses) ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1936Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton May Blik Katherine Woodward 6–2, 6–4Win 1937Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton Nell Hall Hopman Emily Hood Westacott 6–2, 6–2Win 1938Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton Dorothy Bundy Cheney Dorothy Workman 9–7, 6–4Win 1939Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton May Hardcastle Nell Hall Hopman 7–5, 6–4Win 1940Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton Joan Hartigan Emily Niemayer 7–5, 6–2Loss 1946Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton Joyce Fitch Mary Bevis Hawton 7–9, 4–6Win 1947Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton Joyce Fitch Mary Bevis Hawton 6–3, 6–3Win 1948Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton Pat Jones Mary Bevis Hawton 6–3, 6–3Win 1949Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton Doris Hart Marie Toomey 6–0, 6–1Loss 1950Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton Louise Brough Doris Hart 2–6, 6–2, 3–6Win 1951Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton Joyce Fitch Mary Bevis Hawton 6–2, 6–1Win 1952Australian Championships Grass Nancye Wynne Bolton Allison Burton Baker Mary Bevis Hawton 6–1, 6–1Win 1956 Australian Championships Grass Mary Hawton Mary Carter Reitano Beryl Penrose 6–2, 5–7, 9–7Loss 1957 Wimbledon Grass Mary Hawton Althea Gibson Darlene Hard 1–6, 2–6Win 1958 Australian Championships Grass Mary Hawton Lorraine Coghlan Angela Mortimer 7–5, 6–8, 6–2Loss 1958 French Championships Clay Mary Hawton Yola Ramírez Rosie Reyes 4–6, 5–7

Mixed doubles (5 wins, 3 losses)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1938 U.S. Championships Grass John Bromwich Alice Marble Don Budge 1–6, 2–6Win 1951 Australian Championships Grass George Worthington Clare Proctor Jack May 6–4, 3–6, 6–2Win 1952 Australian Championships Grass George Worthington Gwen Thiele Tom Warhurst 9–7, 7–5Loss 1952 Wimbledon Grass Enrique Morea Doris Hart Frank Sedgman 6–4, 6–3, 6–4Loss 1952 U.S. Championships Grass Lew Hoad Doris Hart Frank Sedgman 3–6, 5–7Win 1954 Australian Championships Grass Rex Hartwig Beryl Penrose John Bromwich 4–6, 6–1, 6–2Win 1955 Australian Championships Grass George Worthington Jenny Staley Lew Hoad 6–2, 6–1Win 1956 French Championships Clay Luis Ayala Doris Hart Bob Howe 4–6, 6–4, 6–1

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation. Tournament 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1945 19461 19471 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 SR 1R SF SFQFSFF NH NHQFSF2R2SFQFFW AWFF A2R1R 2 / 18 46–14 76.7 French ChampionshipsAAA2RANH RAAAAAAQFAAAA3RA3RA 0 / 4 7–3 70.0 WimbledonAAA3RA NH NH NHAAA4R3R1R3QFAAA1R1R4RA 0 / 8 13–7 65.0 U.S. ChampionshipsAAA3RAAAAAAAAAAQF3RAAAA2RA 0 / 4 8–4 66.7 Win–loss0–12–13–16–33–13–12–13–10–06–24–27–211–22–15–04–16–30–17–30–1 72.5 1 In 1946 and 1947, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon. 2,3 Coyne did not play. Her opponent got a walkover.

See also Performance timelines for all female tennis players since 1978 who reached at least one Grand Slam final

References

External links