The English tennis star: Charlotte "Lottie" Dod
The English tennis sensation, Charlotte "Lottie" Dod was born on 24 September 1871. Lotie has triumphed in the grass court Grand Slam Ladies Single’s tournament on five occasions, with her very first title at a small age of fifteen in the summers back in 1887.
She stays the only teenage girl who triumphed in ladies singles champion at such a small age though Martina Hingis was just three days younger when she triumphed in the women's doubles title back in 1996.
Apart from the game of tennis, Dod participated in several other sports, such as field hockey, archery as well as golf. She succeeded in the British Amateur Golf Championship, contested on two occasions for the women’s national field hockey team of England and earned a silver medal; at the Summer Olympics in archery back in 1908. She has also been categorized as the most adaptable women athlete of all times along with Babe Zaharias, a golf player.
Dod was born to Margaret Dod Joseph and Joseph in Cheshire. Her parents were quite well off in terms of financial stability. Lottie along with her brother, Willy never actually worked anywhere. Apart from Willy, Lottie had another sister as well as a brother named Tony, all of whom advanced in sports as well. Annie, her sister was a fine tennis player, ice skater golfer as well as billiard player. Willy Dod earned a gold medal at Olympic in archery back in 1908, whereas Tony was a city level archer and tennis as well as a chess player. When Dod was just nine years of age, two tennis courts were constructed across the family's estate, Edge worth. Lawn tennis, discovered back in 1873, was extremely modish for the well off in England, and all of the Dod kids begin participating in the game on regular basis.
Dod stepped in the Northern Championship held in Manchester back in 1883 as her very first tennis championship along with eight years old Annie. They fell down in the very first round of the doubles championship to Amber McCord and Hannah Keith, but succeeded in the consolation event. One reporter named Sydney Brown commented that "Miss L. Dod will be a tennis star in future". She turned out to be so true.
At the same championship back in 1885, she came to the limelight when she almost defeated dominating grass court Grand Slam champion Maud Watson in the final match, falling down 8 – 6, 7 – 5.
Dod would triumph in the doubles event along with her partner with Annie and had previously succeeded in the doubles, singles as well as mixed doubles at the Waterloo championship. These wonderful tennis exhibits gave her the nickname "Little Wonder" in the media.
Gradually, Dod became a recognized top player, confirmed by the fact she teamed with then seven times grass court Grand Slam tournament doubles champion Ernest Renshaw on the very first occasion back in 1887. That same season, she also made a debut at Wimbledon. Just six competitors, excluding the top player Watson, qualified. Dod comfortably cruised through the first rounds to gain the right to dare the defending player Blanche Bingley, whom she knocked down 6–2, 6–0.
Both the players faced each other again in the final of the West of England championship back in 1888. Dod won against Blanshe Bingley 6–3, 6–3 to grab the title.
Dod only participated in a single one open championship back in 1889 named the Northern tournament which she succeeded and was unable to participate at Wimbledon, much to the frustration of her lovers.
However Dod was willing to triumph in Wimbledon thrice in a row, beginning in 1891. Although it was her only combative participation of that year, she triumphed in her third Wimbledon championship with comfort, once again by knocking down Hillyard (6–2, 6–1).
1892 featured Dod's first singles loss in an open championship since 1886, falling down to Louise Martin of Ireland in the Irish tournament. It was the last of her five defeats in her whole professional life. She endured the season powerfully, concluding in another comfortable Wimbledon win over Hillyard.
Dod's final tennis year as a competitive athlete was back in 1893, and she contested in just two championships, succeeding in both. Both times, she knocked down Blanche Hillyard in a total of three sets.
Apart from women's championships, Dod at times also contested and actually won games against men. Dod died at an age of eighty eight years old however the English tennis ace is still recognized for her tennis contributions in the open era.
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