Mary Eileen Halford, OBE (nee Whitmarsh; 14 December 1915 — 1 November 2009) was a British tennis player and coach. In the 1940s she married Peter Halford, who played for the Great Britain national field hockey team.
| Full name | Mary Eileen Halford OBE |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United Kingdom |
| Born | 14 December 1915 Dulwich, England |
| Died | 1 November 2009 (aged 93) Esher, England |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | 3R (1938) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1936, 1946, 1948, 1950) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | QF (1948, 1952) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | SF (1936) |
Born in Dulwich, Halford made her Wimbledon debut at age 17 in 1933 and was the youngest competitor in the women's event that year.[1] She made the singles fourth round at Wimbledon on four occasions and was a mixed doubles semi-finalist in 1936 with Frank Wilde. In 1946 she played Wightman Cup tennis for Great Britain.[2]
Halford became non-playing captain of the Wightman Cup team in 1954.[3] Her final year as captain in 1958 saw Great Britain win the tournament for the first time in 28-years, after which she announced her retirement.[4] She was honoured with an OBE in the 1959 New Year Honours list for services to tennis.[5]
References edit
- ^ "Won Title At Age of 15". Western Daily Press. 27 June 1933.
- ^ "U.S. Girls Sweep British In 3 Wightman Matches". New York Daily News. 15 June 1946.
- ^ "Herman David Reappointed". The Birmingham Mail. 15 March 1954.
- ^ "British Clinch Wightman Cup As Miss Truman Posts Upset". The Montreal Star. 16 June 1958.
- ^ "Awards To Sportsmen". Nottingham Evening Post. 1 January 1959.