Dorothy Cheney
Dorothy "Dodo" May Sutton Bundy Cheney was an American tennis player from her youth into her 90s. In 1938, Bundy was the first American to win the women's singles title at the Australian National Championships, defeating Dorothy Stevenson in the final.
Personal life
Cheney was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Tennis Hall of Famer May Sutton Bundy and U. S. men's doubles champion Tom Bundy. She was the grandmother of former Major League Baseball player Danny Putnam. Cheney died on November 23, 2014, in Escondido, California at the age of 98.Tennis career
According to A. Wallis Myers and John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Bundy Cheney was ranked in the world top 10 in 1937 and 1946, reaching a career high of sixth in 1946.The United States Lawn Tennis Association included Bundy Cheney in its year-end, top-ten rankings of U. S. players from 1936 through 1941, 1943 through 1946, and in 1955. She was ranked third in 1937, 1938, and 1941.
Bundy was a member of the victorious U. S. Wightman Cup teams from 1937 through 1939.
She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004.
Cheney was still competing in selected top level events at the age of 51. In 1967, she defeated a seeded player, Karen Krantzcke, in the third round of the Pacific Southwest Championships in straight sets.
Her win-loss singles records against some elite players were as follows:
- 7–2 Doris Hart
- 4–1 Billie Jean King
- 4–2 Shirley Fry
- 6–5 Margaret Osborne duPont
- 0–0 Helen Wills Moody
- 0–1 Althea Gibson, Angela Mortimer, Ann Haydon
- 0–1 Christine Truman, Lesley Turner, Nancy Richey
- 2–4 Maureen Connolly
- 0–2 Helen Jacobs, Rosemary Casals
- 8–11 Sarah Palfrey Fabyan Cooke
- 0–3 Carole Caldwell
- 1–5 Darlene Hard
- 1–6 Karen Hantze Susman
- 4–10 Louise Brough
- 1–9 Alice Marble
- 1–15 Beverly Baker Fleitz
- 8–25 Pauline Betz
Grand Slam and other singles tournaments
In the first singles match of her career at any Grand Slam tournament, Bundy upset second-seeded Sarah Palfrey Fabyan in the first round of the 1936 U. S. National Championships. Bundy ultimately lost in the quarterfinals.The first nine times that Bundy Cheney played singles at the U. S. National Championships, she reached at least the quarterfinals. During those years, she had no "bad" losses at Grand Slam singles tournaments. Her losses were as follows
Bundy Cheney also had several significant singles wins at Grand Slam tournaments:
| Year | Tournament | Round | Opponent | Opponent's Seeding |
| 1936 | U. S. National Championships | 1R | Sarah Palfrey Fabyan | Second |
| 1937 | U. S. National Championships | 3R | Marie Horn | Fourth foreign |
| 1937 | U. S. National Championships | QF | Alice Marble | First |
| 1938 | U. S. National Championships | 2R | Margaret Osborne | - |
| 1938 | U. S. National Championships | QF | Simone Mathieu | Second foreign |
| 1939 | U. S. National Championships | 3R | Freda James | Fifth foreign |
| 1941 | U. S. National Championships | 3R | Patricia Canning Todd | - |
| 1943 | U. S. National Championships | QF | Margaret Osborne | Third |
| 1944 | U. S. National Championships | 2R | Patricia Canning Todd | - |
| 1944 | U. S. National Championships | QF | Doris Hart | Second |
| 1946 | Wimbledon Championships | 4R | Betty Nuthall | - |
| 1946 | Wimbledon Championships | QF | Katherine Stammers | - |
Cheney won the singles title at the 1944 Tri-Cities Championships in Cincinnati, defeating Betz in the final. The following year, Cheney was the singles runner-up at that tournament.
Grand Slam and other women's doubles tournaments
Bundy Cheney was a three-time runner-up in Grand Slam women's doubles tournaments: 1938 Australian National Championships, 1940 U. S. National Championships, and 1941 U. S. National Championships.Cheney won the women's doubles title at the 1944 and 1945 Tri-Cities Championships in Cincinnati.
Grand Slam finals
Singles (1 title)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Win | 1938 | Australian Championships | Grass |  Dorothy Stevenson | 6–3, 6–2 |
Doubles (3 runner-ups)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Loss | 1938 | Australian Championships | Grass | Dorothy Workman | Nancye Wynne Thelma Coyne Long | 7–9, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1940 | U. S. National Championships | Grass |  Marjorie Gladman Van Ryn | Alice Marble Sarah Palfrey | 3–6, 7–9 |
| Loss | 1941 | U. S. National Championships | Grass | Pauline Betz | Margaret Osborne Sarah Palfrey Cooke | 6–3, 1–6, 4–6 |
Mixed doubles (4 runner-ups)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Loss | 1940 | U. S. National Championships | Grass | Jack Kramer | Alice Marble Bobby Riggs | 7–9, 1–6 |
| Loss | 1944 | U. S. National Championships | Grass | Don McNeill | Margaret Osborne Bill Talbert | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1946 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Geoff Brown | Louise Brough Tom Brown | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1946 | French Championships | Clay | Tom Brown | Pauline Betz Budge Patty | 5–7, 7–9 |
Other singles finals (21 titles, 26 runner-ups)
| Result | Week of | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Won | Apr 5, 1937 | Ambassador Hotel Invitational Los Angeles, California | Hard | Barbara Winslow | 6–4, 8–6 |
| Won | Apr 19, 1937 | Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament Ojai, California, U. S. | Hard | Barbara Winslow | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Won | May 3, 1937 | Southern California Sectional Championships Los Angeles, U. S. | Hard | Gracyn Wheeler | 6–1, 6–8, 7–5 |
| Lost | Jun 28, 1937 | Hotel del Coronado Invitational Coronado, California, U. S. | Hard | Bonnie Miller Blank | 5–7, 4–6 |
| Won | Jul 12, 1937 | Colorado State Championships Denver Country Club Denver, Colorado, U. S. | Clay | Carolin Babcock | 4–6, 6–0, 6–3 |
| Won | Dec 6, 1937 | Victorian Championships Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club Melbourne, Australia | Grass | Nancye Wynne | 6–4, 1–6, 6–4 |
| Won | Apr 18, 1938 | Ambassador Hotel Invitational Ambassador Tennis Club Los Angeles, California | Hard | May Doeg Smith | 8–6, 3–6, 6–2 |
| Won | Apr 25, 1938 | Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament Ojai, California, U. S. | Hard | Gertrude Bishop Bixler | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Lost | May 23, 1938 | Middlesex Championships Chiswick Tennis Club London, United Kingdom | Grass | Jadwiga Jędrzejowska | 5–7, 2–6 |
| Lost | Jul 11, 1938 | Scottish Championships Peebles, Scotland | Grass | Mary Hardwick | 2–6, 5–7 |
| Lost | Jul 25, 1938 | Seabright Invitational Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club Rumson, New Jersey, U. S. | Grass | Alice Marble | 2–6, 2–6 |
| Lost | Aug 8, 1938 | Eastern Grass Court Championships Westchester Country Club Rye, New York, U. S. | Grass | Alice Marble | 5–7, 0–6 |
| Won | Sep 26, 1938 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles, U. S. | Hard | Sarah Palfrey Fabyan | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Won | Jan 9, 1939 | Palm Springs Invitational Palm Springs Tennis Club Palm Springs, California, U. S. | Hard | Mary Arnold Prentiss | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Won | Jun 26, 1939 | Colorado State Championships Denver Country Club Denver, Colorado, U. S. | Clay | Marjorie Gladman Van Ryn | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4 |
| Lost | Sep 25, 1939 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles, U. S. | Hard | Alice Marble | 7–9, 1–6 |
| Lost | Jan 8, 1940 | Palm Springs Invitational El Mirador Tennis Club Palm Springs, California, U. S. | Hard | Helen Bernhard | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Won | Apr 15, 1940 | Beverley Hills Invitational Beverley Hills, California, U. S. | Hard | Helen Bernhard | 6–2, 7–5 |
| Won | Apr 22, 1940 | Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament Ojai, California, U. S. | Hard | Pauline Betz | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Won | Jun 24, 1940 | Hotel del Coronado Invitational Coronado, California, U. S. | Hard | Louise Brough | 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
| Won | Jul 8, 1940 | Colorado State Championships Denver, Colorado, U. S. | Clay | Esther Bartosh | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Lost | Jul 15, 1940 | Eastern Clay Court Championships Jackson Heights Tennis Club New York City, U. S. | Clay | Virginia Wolfenden | 6–4, 4–6, 3–6 |
| Won | Jul 29, 1940 | Maidstone Invitational Maidstone Lawn Tennis Club East Hampton, New York, U. S. | Grass | Gracyn Wheeler | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Won | Sep 16, 1940 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles, U. S. | Hard | Valerie Scott | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Won | Nov 11, 1940 | Championships of the Argentine Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Sarah Palfrey Cooke | 6–1, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Won | Nov 25, 1940 | International Tournament of Uruguay Montevideo, Uruguay | Clay | Sarah Palfrey Cooke | 6–4, 7–9, 6–3 |
| Lost | Dec 2, 1940 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Clay | Sarah Palfrey Cooke | 8–6, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Lost | Dec 9, 1940 | Championship of the Fluminense Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Clay | Sarah Palfrey Cooke | 2–6, 1–6 |
| Lost | Jan 20, 1941 | Florida West Coast Championships St. Petersburg, Florida, U. S. | Clay | Sarah Palfrey Cooke | 5–7, 1–6 |
| Lost | Feb 3, 1941 | South Florida Championships West Palm Beach, Florida, U. S. | Clay | Pauline Betz | 4–6, 1–6 |
| Lost | Feb 24, 1941 | Southeastern Sectional Championships Jacksonville, Florida, U. S. | Clay | Pauline Betz | 4–6, 9–11 |
| Lost | Jun 23, 1941 | Hotel del Coronado Invitational Coronado, California, U. S. | Hard | Louise Brough | 2–6, 11–9, 2–6 |
| Lost | Sep 15, 1941 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles, U. S. | Hard | Sarah Palfrey Cooke | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Lost | Nov 17, 1941 | Championships of the Argentine Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Sarah Palfrey Cooke | 6–3, 7–9, 5–7 |
| Won | Jun 12, 1944 | U. S. Clay Court Championships Detroit Tennis Club Detroit, Michigan, U. S. | Clay | Mary Arnold Prentiss | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Won | Jun 19, 1944 | Tri-State Championships Cincinnati Tennis Club Cincinnati, Ohio, U. S. | Clay | Pauline Betz | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Lost | Jul 3, 1944 | Western Sectional Championships Neenah, Wisconsin, U. S. | Clay | Pauline Betz | 1–6, 2–6 |
| Lost | Jul 10, 1944 | Chicago Open River Forest Tennis Club River Forest, Illinois, U. S. | Clay | Mary Arnold Prentiss | 7–9, 4–6 |
| Lost | Aug 20, 1945 | Maidstone Invitational Maidstone Lawn Tennis Club East Hampton, New York, U. S. | Grass | Sarah Palfrey Cooke | 6–8, 4–6 |
| Lost | 1946 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles Tennis Club Los Angeles, U. S. | Hard | Pauline Betz | 2–6, 2–6 |
| Lost | 1950 | Pacific Southwest Championships Los Angeles Tennis Club Los Angeles, U. S. | Hard | Helen Pastall Perez | 2–6, 2–6 |
| Lost | Jun 22, 1953 | Hotel del Coronado Invitational Coronado, California, U. S. | Hard | Beverly Baker Fleitz | 6–4, 6–8, 1–6 |
| Lost | Aug 3, 1953 | Balboa Bay Club Invitational, Newport Beach, California, U. S. | Hard | Beverly Baker Fleitz | 4–6, 5–7 |
| Lost | Sep 7, 1953 | Santa Monica City Tournament Santa Monica, California, U. S. | Hard | Beverly Baker Fleitz | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Lost | Apr 30, 1956 | Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament Ojai, California, U. S. | Hard | Beverly Baker Fleitz | 5–7, 2–6 |
| Won | Aug 26, 1957 | Santa Monica City Tournament Santa Monica, California, U. S. | Hard | Beverly Baker Fleitz | 6–3, 0–6, 6–4 |
| Lost | Oct 21, 1957 | Balboa Bay Club Invitational Newport Beach, California, U. S. | Hard | Beverly Baker Fleitz | 4–6, 1–6 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| Tournament | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 19461 | 19471 | 1948 | 1949 - 1954 | 1955 | 1956 - 1958 | 1959 | Career SR |
| Australian Championships | A | A | W | A | A | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1 / 1 |
| French Championships | A | A | A | A | NH | R | R | R | R | A | SF | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 1 |
| Wimbledon Championships | A | A | 4R | A | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | SF | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 |
| U. S. National Championships | QF | SF | SF | QF | QF | QF | A | SF | SF | QF | 1R | A | 2R | A | 3R | A | 1R | 0 / 13 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 17 |
R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation.
1In 1946 and 1947, the French International Championships were held after the Wimbledon Championships.