Dorothy "Dodo" May Sutton Bundy Cheney (September 1, 1916 – November 23, 2014) 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 (1886–1975) and U.S. men's doubles champion Tom Bundy (1881–1945). 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 (no rankings issued from 1940 through 1945), reaching a career high of sixth in 1946.

The United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) 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.

By the end of her senior age-groups playing career, Cheney had amassed 394 USTA titles — a record.

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 (and other) 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:

YearTournamentRoundOpponentOpponent'sSeeding 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 None 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 None 1943 U.S. National Championships QF Margaret Osborne Third 1944 U.S. National Championships 2R Patricia Canning Todd None 1944 U.S. National Championships QF Doris Hart Second 1946 Wimbledon Championships 4R Betty Nuthall None 1946 Wimbledon Championships QF Katherine Stammers None

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)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScore Win 1938 Australian Championships Grass Dorothy Stevenson 6–3, 6–2

Doubles (3 runner-ups)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore Loss 1938 Australian Championships Grass Dorothy Workman Nancye Wynne Bolton Thelma Coyne Long 7–9, 4–6 Loss 1940 U.S. National Championships Grass Marjorie Gladman Van Ryn Alice Marble Sarah Palfrey Cooke 3–6, 7–9 Loss 1941 U.S. National Championships Grass Pauline Betz Margaret Osborne duPont Sarah Palfrey Cooke 6–3, 1–6, 4–6

Mixed doubles (4 runner-ups)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore 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 duPont Bill Talbert 2–6, 3–6 Loss 1946 Wimbledon Grass Geoff Brown Louise Brough Thomas Brown, Jr. 4–6, 4–6 Loss 1946 French Championships Clay Thomas Brown, Jr Pauline Betz Budge Patty 5–7, 7–9

Other singles finals (54 titles, 60 runner-ups)