Bobbie Heine Miller

Esther " Bobbie " Heine Miller ( born December 4, 1909 in Greytown, South Africa as Esther Heine ) is a former South African tennis player.

Life

Heine grew up on a farm in Winterton in the former province of Natal, together with her parents, a sister and three brothers on. On a tennis court against her school, she learned the game of tennis. She won in a row several regional tournaments and later the South African championships in the years 1928, 1931, 1932, 1936 and 1937. Already in her youth she received from an official of the South African Tennis Association nicknamed " Bobbie " missed because they him English at a policemen would remember.

In 1927 she won with her ​​compatriot Irene Peacock the women's doubles of the French Tennis Championships. In the same year, the two reached the final of the Wimbledon Championships, where they were beaten by the U.S. women Helen Wills Moody and Elizabeth Ryan, however.

At the French Championships in 1929 Heine reached with Alida Neaveerneut the finals, but had to admit defeat of the Spanish Lili Alvarez and the Dutch Bouman Kornelia. In the same year she won the singles at the Irish Championships and the British Hard Court Championships.

In 1931 she married the farmer Harry Miller. Her husband died shortly after his return from military service in World War II.

1947 was the South African attempt a comeback at the Wimbledon Championships. However, their plane caught fire and crashed over Egypt. Heine Miller and the other passengers survived the accident, but their entire tennis equipment was lost.

In the following decades Heine Miller worked in a sports shop in South Africa, and accompanied students on trips to Europe. In the late 1970s she emigrated to Australia Canberra, where her family lives. In 2009, she celebrated her 100th birthday there.

Doubles title

Source

• Louise Maher, 10 centenarians - Bobbie Heine Miller. abc.net.au, March 16, 2013, accessed on 20 April 2013 ( English).