OBITUARY : DODO CHENEY

Written by: Staff on 2nd December 2014

Dorothy "Dodo" Cheney. |

(Courtesy of the ITF and original Link: http://www.itftennis.com/news/191754.aspx )

Dorothy “Dodo” Bundy Cheney passed away peacefully at home in La Jolla, California on 23 November following a brief illness. She was 98 years old.

Cheney was involved in tennis for the majority of her life, first picking up a racket at a young age and playing the game well into her 90s. The highlight of her lengthy career was winning the Australian Championships in 1938, becoming the first American woman to do so.

She finished a runner-up on three occasions in women’s doubles at Grand Slam tournaments, and on four occasions in mixed doubles, and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 6 in 1946, featuring in the world’s top 10 throughout the late 1930s and mid 1940s.

Dorothy “Dodo” Cheney.

She achieved consistent success at each of the Grand Slams, reaching the semifinals at all four majors including on four occasions at her native US Open.

Cheney won a remarkable 391 gold balls – the accolade that is awarded by the USTA to winners of its national titles, amateur or professional, junior or senior – and was highly regarded for her strong baseline game.

Born into a tennis family, Cheney was the daughter of Wimbledon and US Nationals Champion, Hall of Famer May Sutton Bundy and US Nationals Doubles Champion Tom Bundy. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame herself in 2004.

Dodo is survived by her two daughters, May and Christie; her son, Brian; and eight grandchildren.

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