Blanche Bingley

Blanche Bingley Hillyard (née Bingley; 3 November 1863 – 6 August 1946) was an English tennis player. She won six singles Wimbledon championships (1886, 1889, 1894, 1897, 1898, 1900) and was runner up seven times, having also competed in the first ever Wimbledon championships for women in 1884.

Blanche Bingley
Full nameBlanche Bingley Hillyard
Country (sports) United Kingdom
Born(1863-11-03)3 November 1863
Greenford, London, England
Died6 August 1946(1946-08-06) (aged 82)
West Sussex, England
PlaysRight-handed
Int. Tennis HoF2013 (member page)
Singles
Career titles58 [1]
Grand Slam Singles results
WimbledonW (1886, 1889, 1894, 1897, 1899, 1900)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Wimbledon1R (1913)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Wimbledon3R (1913)

She also won the Irish championships three times (1888, 1894, 1897); the German championship twice (1897, 1900); and the South of England Championships at Eastbourne, 11 times between 1885 and 1905.

Early life

Bingley was born in Greenford, west London, the daughter of a wealthy tailoring business proprietor. She was a member of the Ealing Lawn Tennis & Archery Club.[2]

Biography

Wimbledon

Her professional career at Wimbledon spanned almost 30 years, longer than any other woman to date. In 1884, she competed in the first ever Wimbledon championships for women, and two years later she captured the first of her six singles titles. Also a seven-time losing finalist, Bingley's 13 finals remain a Wimbledon record as is the 14-year time span between her first and last titles.[3][4]

Bingley's Wimbledon record suggests that she was the second strongest female player of her day, only behind Lottie Dod, who defeated her in five finals.[5][6]

After marriage to Commander George Whiteside Hillyard she was usually listed in various records as Blanche Bingley Hillyard. At age 36, she again won the Wimbledon final and continued to compete until age 49, playing her last Wimbledon in 1913.

Other championships
Blanche Bingley Hillyard vs Charlotte Cooper Sterry at Eastbourne

Bingley's first success came at a local competition, held in Chiswick Park (west London) in 1884. She won the Irish championships on three occasions (1888, 1894, 1897) and the German championship, played in Hamburg, twice; in 1897, defeating Charlotte Cooper Sterry in the final in three sets, and in 1900 against Muriel Robb, also in three sets. Additionally, she won the South of England Championships at Eastbourne, then a major event, 11 times between 1885 and 1905.[7]

Private life

She married Commander George Whiteside Hillyard in Greenford on 13 July 1887) one week after the Wimbledon final.[2] He was one of the foremost men's players on the international tennis circuit between 1886 and 1914. He also played first class cricket for Middlesex and Leicestershire. From 1907 to 1925, he was secretary of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and director of The Championships at Wimbledon between 1907 and 1925. He died in Bramfold, Pulborough, on 24 March 1943.

Death and legacy

Blanche Bingley Hillyard died at her home in Pulborough, West Sussex in 1946.

She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013.[8]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 13 (6 titles, 7 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1885WimbledonGrass Maud Watson1–6, 5–7
Win1886WimbledonGrass Maud Watson6–3, 6–3
Loss1887WimbledonGrass Lottie Dod2–6, 0–6
Loss1888WimbledonGrass Lottie Dod3–6, 3–6
Win18891Wimbledon (2)Grass Helena Rice4–6, 8–6, 6–4
Loss18913WimbledonGrass Lottie Dod2–6, 1–6
Loss1892WimbledonGrass Lottie Dod1–6, 1–6
Loss1893WimbledonGrass Lottie Dod8–6, 1–6, 4–6
Win18942Wimbledon (3)Grass Edith Austin Greville6–1, 6–1
Win1897Wimbledon (4)Grass Charlotte Cooper5–7, 7–5, 6–2
Win1899Wimbledon (5)Grass Charlotte Cooper6–2, 6–3
Win1900Wimbledon (6)Grass Charlotte Cooper4–6, 6–4, 6–4
Loss1901WimbledonGrass Charlotte Cooper2–6, 2–6

1This was the all-comers final as Lottie Dod did not defend her 1888 Wimbledon title, which resulted in the winner of the all-comers final winning the challenge round and, thus, Wimbledon in 1889 by walkover.
2This was the all-comers final as Lottie Dod did not defend her 1893 Wimbledon title, which resulted in the winner of the all-comers final winning the challenge round and, thus, Wimbledon in 1894 by walkover. 3This was the all-comers final as Helena Rice did not defend her 1890 Wimbledon title, which resulted in the winner of the all-comers final winning the challenge round and, thus, Wimbledon in 1891 by walkover.

Grand Slam performance 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)
188418851886188718881889189018911892189318941895189618971898189919001901190219031904190519061907190819091910191119121913
Wimbledon SF F W F F W A F F F W A A W A W W F 2R A 3R SF QF SF 2R 2R 3R A SF 2R

See also

References
  1. Tarran, Bruce (2013). George Hillyard: The man who moved Wimbledon. Troubador Publishing Ltd. p. 143. ISBN 9781780885490. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  2. Tarran, Bruce (2013). George Hillyard: The Man Who Moved Wimbledon. Kibworth Beauchamp: Matador. p. 11. ISBN 978-1780885490.
  3. Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 693. ISBN 9780942257700.
  4. "Lady Champion of England". Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 – 1907). NSW: National Library of Australia. 14 October 1899. p. 55.
  5. "Lawn Tennis". Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 – 1907). NSW: National Library of Australia. 8 September 1888. p. 41.
  6. "TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP". Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 – 1899). Tas.: National Library of Australia. 13 July 1891. p. 3.
  7. Barrett, John (2001). Wimbledon: The Official History of the Championships. London: CollinsWillow in 1897, defeating Charlotte Cooper Sterry in the final in three sets, and in 1900 against Muriel Robb, also in three sets. Additionally, she wo. p. 37. ISBN 0007117078.
  8. "Hall of Famers – Blanche Bingley Hillyard". www.tennisfame.com. International Tennis Hall of Fame.
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