Elizma Nortje (born 1 February 1966) is a Namibian tennis coach and former professional player.[1][2] She is the most successful Namibian woman to have played professionally and was the first to be ranked on the WTA Tour.[3][4]
| Country (sports) |  South Africa Namibia |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 February 1966 Windhoek, South West Africa |
| Prize money | $22,480 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 44–99 |
| Highest ranking | No. 447 (18 December 1989) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 67–83 |
| Career titles | 2 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 280 (7 November 1994) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | Q3 (1991) |
Born in Windhoek in 1966, Nortje represented South Africa as a junior and early in her professional career, before Namibian independence.[5] She played collegiate tennis for United States International University in San Diego, competing in the NCAA Division I Championships.[6] In the early 1990s she made appearances in the doubles qualifying draws at Wimbledon and won two ITF doubles tournaments.[7]
Nortje served as president of the Namibian Tennis Association from 1996 to 1999 and was Namibia's team captain when the country made its Fed Cup debut in 2004. A certified ITF Level 3 coach, she is now the head tennis professional at the Van Der Meer Tennis Academy in South Carolina.[8]
ITF finals edit
Singles: 1 (0–1) edit
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 3 April 1994 | Marsa, Malta | Clay |  Caroline Schneider
|
6–7(2), 4–6 |
Doubles: 11 (2–9) edit
| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1. | 28 April 1991 | Bracknell, United Kingdom | Hard |  Barbara Griffiths
|
 Lynn Nabors Merete Balling-Stockmann
|
6–3, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1. | 4 August 1991 | Haifa, Israel | Hard | Janine Humphreys
|
Tessa Price Kirsten Dreyer
|
1–6, 0–6 |
| Loss | 2. | 11 August 1991 | Ramat HaSharon, Israel | Hard | Janine Humphreys
|
 Ilana Berger Robyn Field
|
0–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 3. | 5 April 1992 | Windhoek, Namibia | Hard | Louise Venter
|
Cindy Summers Nicole Simunic
|
6–3, 4–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 2. | 12 April 1992 | Gaborone, Botswana | Hard | Louise Venter
|
Liezel Horn Estelle Gevers
|
6–0, 6–7(2), 6–4 |
| Loss | 4. | 19 July 1992 | Frinton, United Kingdom | Grass |  Robyn Mawdsley
|
Caroline Billingham Danielle Thomas
|
2–6, 6–4, 6–7 |
| Loss | 5. | 6 February 1994 | Tipton, United Kingdom | Hard |  Paula Iversen
|
Alison Smith Sara Tse
|
6–4, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 6. | 3 April 1994 | Marsa, Malta | Clay |  Ivana Havrlíková
|
 Isabela Listowska Petra Winzenhöller
|
6–7(5), 3–6 |
| Loss | 7. | 24 April 1994 | Nottingham, United Kingdom | Hard |  Caroline Stassen
|
Shannon Peters Nicole Oomens
|
5–7, 2–6 |
| Loss | 8. | 30 October 1994 | Negril, Jamaica | Hard |  Ximena Rodríguez
|
 Kim Grant Claire Sessions Bailey
|
2–6, 7–6(6), 3–6 |
| Loss | 9. | 18 June 1995 | Morelia, Mexico | Hard | Ximena Rodríguez
|
Tracey Hiete  Renata Kolbovic
|
3–6, 5–7 |
References edit
- ^ "Pieters appointed tennis CEO". The Namibian. 24 November 2011.
- ^ "Tennis Talente". Allgemeine Zeitung. 14 February 2006.
- ^ "Bright opportunities for Namibian tennis". Republikein. 8 February 2006.
- ^ Maletsky, Christof (21 December 1994). "Swartz shocks Visser in two straight sets". The Namibian. p. 15.
- ^ Ihuhua, Corry (7 August 2007). "Nortje recognised by tennis body". The Namibian.
- ^ Cooper, Tony (19 April 1985). "USIU Looks to World's Courts : Like Its Campus, Gulls' Tennis Team Sports Decidedly Foreign Flair". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Jurgens jaag Wimbledon-droom". Republikein (in Afrikaans). 27 June 2005.
- ^ "Namibia: Third PTA Tennis Tourney Served". Namibia Economist. AllAfrica. 22 April 2016.
