Ellen Forde Hansell Allerdice (née Hansell; September 18, 1869, – May 11, 1937) was an American female

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

player. She was the first women's singles champion of the U.S. Championships in 1887. She was a losing finalist to

Bertha Townsend Bertha Louise Townsend Toulmin (née Townsend; March 7, 1869 – May 12, 1909) was a female tennis player from the United States. She is best remembered for being the first repeating women's singles champion at the U.S. Championships (now: U.S. ...

the next year.

Early life and tennis

Hansell was born on September 18, 1869 in Philadelphia, the daughter of Samuel Rob Hansell, an upholstery manufacturer, and Jane Martin. She battled anemia as a child and started playing tennis on advice of her doctor. She joined the Belmont Club in Philadelphia when she was 16 where she played with

Margarette Ballard Margarette Ballard (20 December 1866 – unknown) was an American tennis player from the end of the 19th century. In 1889, she won the first women's doubles at the U.S. Women's National Championship with Bertha Townsend. Grand Slam finals ...

and

U.S. Women's National Singles Championship

In 1887, Hansell took part in the inaugural U.S. Women's National Singles Championship. The event was played on the outdoor

grass court A grass court is one of the four different types of tennis court on which the sport of tennis, originally known as "lawn tennis", is played. Grass courts are made of grasses in different compositions depending on the tournament. Although grass c ...

s of the

Philadelphia Cricket Club The Philadelphia Cricket Club, founded in 1854, is the oldest country club in the United States. It has two locations: Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, and Flourtown, Pennsylvania. History Founded on February 10, 1854, the Philadelphia Cricket ...

and started on 27 September. She was one of seven contestants who came from the greater Delaware Valley area. Hansell, playing in a full, over-draped skirt with long sleeves and her customary red hat, won her opening round against Jessie Harding while losing just one game. In the semifinals, she lost the first set against Helen Day Harris, but won the match in three sets. The final against Laura Knight was a one-sided affair, which Hansell won in straight sets to become the first U.S. women's champion. According to a report she "employed sidearm serves, sliced ground strokes and never, but never went to the net". The tournament used a challenge system whereby the defending champion automatically qualified for the next year's final in which she would play the winner of the all-comers tournament. This meant that Hansell did not have to play through the 1888 tournament and only had to play the challenge round. She played

, who had won the all-comer's event against Marion Wright in the final, and Townsend won the match in straight sets. Hansell did not win another tournament and retired from the game in 1890. She married Taylor Allerdice, and the couple had six children. Hansell was inducted into the

International Tennis Hall of Fame The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It honors both players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The complex, the former Newport Casino, includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indo ...

in 1965.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hansell, Ellen 1869 births 1937 deaths American female tennis players Tennis players from Philadelphia International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees United States National champions (tennis) Grand Slam (tennis) champions in women's singles