Daphne Akhurst
Encyclopedia
Daphne Jessie Akhurst Cozens (22 April 1903, in Ashfield
, Sydney, New South Wales
– 9 January 1933, in Sydney) was an Australian tennis
player. According to Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail
, Cozens was ranked World No. 3 in 1928.
Cozens won the women's singles title at the Australian Championships
five times, in 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929, and 1930. She ranks third on the list of most women's singles titles at the Australian Championships, behind only Margaret Court with eleven titles and Nancye Wynne Bolton
with six titles.
Cozens also won the women's doubles title at the Australian Championships five times: in 1924 and 1925 with Sylvia Lance Harper
, in 1928 with Esna Boyd Robertson
, and in 1929 and 1931 with Louie Bickerton. Cozens and Marjorie Cox were the runner-ups in 1926.
Cozens won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Championships four times: in 1924 and 1925 with John Willard, in 1928 with Jean Borotra
, and in 1929 with Gar Moon. Cozens and Willard were the runner-ups in 1926.
Cozens and her partner Jack Crawford reached the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon
in 1928, losing to the team of Elizabeth Ryan
and Patrick Spence 7–5, 6–4.
Cozens died of an ectopic pregnancy
on 9 January 1933, at the age of 29. The trophy presented each year to the winner of the women's singles at the Australian Open is named the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in her honour.
Cozens was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame on Australia Day, 26 January 2006.
NH = tournament not held.
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
1The French Championships were not held in 1924, as the Olympics were held in Paris that year.
Ashfield, New South Wales
Ashfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield.The official name for the...
, Sydney, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
– 9 January 1933, in Sydney) was an Australian tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player. According to Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, Cozens was ranked World No. 3 in 1928.
Cozens won the women's singles title at the Australian Championships
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
five times, in 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929, and 1930. She ranks third on the list of most women's singles titles at the Australian Championships, behind only Margaret Court with eleven titles and Nancye Wynne Bolton
Nancye Wynne Bolton
Nancye Wynne Bolton was a female tennis player from Australia. She won the women's singles title six times at the Australian Championships, second only to Margaret Court who won 11 titles...
with six titles.
Cozens also won the women's doubles title at the Australian Championships five times: in 1924 and 1925 with Sylvia Lance Harper
Sylvia Lance Harper
Sylvia Harper was a female tennis player from Australia who won the singles title at the 1924 Australian Championships...
, in 1928 with Esna Boyd Robertson
Esna Boyd
Esna Boyd Robertson was an Australian tennis player who reached seven consecutive women's singles finals at the Australian Championships from 1922 through 1928. She won one of those finals, defeating Sylvia Lance Harper in 1927...
, and in 1929 and 1931 with Louie Bickerton. Cozens and Marjorie Cox were the runner-ups in 1926.
Cozens won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Championships four times: in 1924 and 1925 with John Willard, in 1928 with Jean Borotra
Jean Borotra
Jean Robert Borotra was a French champion tennis player. He was one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from his country who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.-Career:...
, and in 1929 with Gar Moon. Cozens and Willard were the runner-ups in 1926.
Cozens and her partner Jack Crawford reached the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
in 1928, losing to the team of Elizabeth Ryan
Elizabeth Ryan
Elizabeth Montague Ryan was an American tennis player who was born in Anaheim, California but lived most of her life in the United Kingdom. Ryan won 30 Grand Slam titles. Nineteen of those titles were in women's doubles and mixed doubles at Wimbledon, an all-time record for those two events...
and Patrick Spence 7–5, 6–4.
Cozens died of an ectopic pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy, or eccysis , is a complication of pregnancy in which the embryo implants outside the uterine cavity. With rare exceptions, ectopic pregnancies are not viable. Furthermore, they are dangerous for the parent, since internal haemorrhage is a life threatening complication...
on 9 January 1933, at the age of 29. The trophy presented each year to the winner of the women's singles at the Australian Open is named the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in her honour.
Cozens was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame on Australia Day, 26 January 2006.
Wins (5)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1925 | Australian Championships Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
 Esna Boyd RobertsonEsna Boyd Esna Boyd Robertson was an Australian tennis player who reached seven consecutive women's singles finals at the Australian Championships from 1922 through 1928. She won one of those finals, defeating Sylvia Lance Harper in 1927... |
1–6, 8–6, 6–4 |
| 1926 | Australian Championships (2) | Esna Boyd Robertson |
6–1, 6–3 |
| 1928 | Australian Championships (3) | Esna Boyd Robertson |
7–5, 6–2 |
| 1929 | Australian Championships (4) | Louie Bickerton |
6–1, 5–7, 6–2 |
| 1930 | Australian Championships (5) | Sylvia Lance Harper Sylvia Lance Harper Sylvia Harper was a female tennis player from Australia who won the singles title at the 1924 Australian Championships... |
10-8, 2–6, 7–5 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| Tournament | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Championships | SF | W | W | 2R | W | W | W | 5 / 7 |
| French Championships French Open (tennis) The French Open |Roland Garros]]) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are... 1 |
NH | A | A | A | QF | A | A | 0 / 1 |
| Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
A | QF | A | A | SF | A | A | 0 / 2 |
| U.S. Championships U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... |
A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 3 | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 5 / 10 |
NH = tournament not held.
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
1The French Championships were not held in 1924, as the Olympics were held in Paris that year.
See also
- Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam finalTennis performance timeline comparison (women)This article presents in a tabular form the career tennis Grand Slam, World Hard Court Championships and Olympic singles results of every woman who has reached the singles final of at least one Grand Slam, World Hard Court Championships or Olympic tournament during her career...