Elisabeth 'Bessie' Holmes Moore (March 5, 1876 – January 22, 1959) was an American tennis champion who was active at the beginning of the 20th century.[1] Moore won the singles title at the U.S. Championships on four occasions. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971.[2]
![]() Moore circa 1912 | |
Full name | Elisabeth Holmes Moore |
---|---|
Country (sports) | ![]() |
Born | (1876-03-05)March 5, 1876 Brooklyn, New York, United States |
Died | January 22, 1959(1959-01-22) (aged 82) Starke, Florida, United States |
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Int. Tennis HoF | 1971 (member page) |
Singles | |
Grand Slam singles results | |
US Open | W (1896, 1901, 1903, 1905) |
Doubles | |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
US Open | W (1896, 1903) |
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
US Open | W (1902, 1904) |
Elisabeth Moore was born on March 5, 1876 in Brooklyn, the daughter of George Edward Moore (1840–1911), an affluent cotton broker, and Sarah Z. Orr (1857–1942). She was raised and schooled in Ridgewood, New Jersey. She learned to play tennis at age 12. Moore reached her first U.S. National Championships singles final in 1892 at the age of 16 years and three months, losing to Mabel Cahill from Ireland in the first five-set match contested between two women.[3] In the final years of the 19th century, she had a rivalry with Juliette Atkinson.[4]
She won the inaugural U.S. Indoor Women's Singles Championship in 1907, defeating Marie Wagner in the final in three sets. In 1908, she also won the inaugural indoor doubles title with partner Helen Pouch.[3]
Elisabeth Moore died on January 22, 1959 in Starke, Florida from congestive heart failure.[2][3]
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1892 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | 7–5, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 2–6 |
Win | 1896 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
Loss | 1897 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 3–6 |
Win | 1901 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | 6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 2–6, 6–2 |
Loss | 1902 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | 1–6, 0–1 retired |
Win | 1903 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | 7–5, 8–6 |
Loss | 1904 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | 1–6, 2–6 |
Win | 1905 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | default |
Loss | 1906 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | default |
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1895 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 2–6, 2–6, 10–12 |
Win | 1896 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–4, 7–5 |
Loss | 1901 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | default |
Win | 1903 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–4, 6–1, 6–1 |
Loss | 1904 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–3, 3–6, 3–6 |
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1902 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–2, 6–1 |
Win | 1904 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–2, 6–1 |
In the lower half Miss Elizabeth H. Moore, the former champion defeated her rival Miss Edna Wildey. 6–4. 7–3. ...
A precocious competitor, Moore made it to the final of the 1892 U.S. Championships at the age of 16, losing to Mabel Cahill in the first fiveset match contested between two women. In 1896, she collected the first of her four titles in that tournament. ...
For several years Miss Moore and Miss Atkinson have been the bright particular stars of the meeting, and a very large share of the interest is always centered in their match, for they invariably come together sooner or later. In fact, these two girls are so decidedly the most skilled women players of the country that for two or three years the result of almost every tournament for which they have entered has hung on their meeting; it has narrowed down to a duel between them.