Beth Herr

Beth Herr (born 28 May 1964) is an American tennis player from Centerville, Ohio, who won four Junior Grand Slam titles, the NCAA singles and team titles and one professional tennis tournament. In her home state of Ohio, she was a two-time high school singles state champion (1980-1981). Her NCAA singles title came in 1983.[2]

Beth Herr Bellamy
Country (sports) United States
Born (1964-05-28) 28 May 1964
Middletown, Ohio[1]
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[1]
Turned pro1981
Retired1990
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize moneyUS$ 391,346
Singles
Career record71–92
Career titles1
Highest rankingNo. 31 (15 August 1983)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open1R (1983, 1984, 1989)
French Open3R (1982)
Wimbledon3R (1987)
US Open3R (1982)
Doubles
Career record102–82
Career titles4
Highest rankingNo. 26 (10 October 1988)
Grand Slam doubles results
US OpenQF (1982)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French OpenSF (1986)
WimbledonQF (1988)

College

Herr became the number-one junior tennis player in the world at the age of 16. Upon graduation from Centerville High School, she was the No. 1 college recruit in 1982 and played for the University of Southern California, where she won the NCAA singles title and team title in her first year. She beat Clemson University's Gigi Fernández in the third-set tiebreak, having faced a match point, to win the NCAA singles final.[3]

Junior Grand Slam titles

In 1982, Herr won the 1982 French Open girls' doubles championship with Janet Lagasse,[4] Herr also won the Wimbledon girls' doubles and US Open girls' doubles with Penny Barg and won the US Open girls' singles in the same year.

Professional career

Herr cut short college and went directly into professional tennis after the NCAA Championship, and played on tour for 11 years, with wins over Pam Shriver, Hana Mandlíková, Martina Navratilova, Virginia Wade, and Mary Joe Fernández. In 1983, she lost a second-round singles match to Billie Jean King at Wimbledon, 6–8 in the third set.[5] Commentators on HBO mentioned her ability to hit numerous swinging volleys for winners, something for which no female had previously been noted.

WTA career finals
Legend
Grand Slam0–00–0
Tier I0–00–0
Tier II0–00–0
Tier III0–02–0
Tier IV & V1–00–3

Singles: 1 title
Result W-L Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 Mar 1986 Virginia Slims of Arizona, U.S. Clay United States Ann Henricksson 6–0, 3–6, 7–5

Paddle Tennis

Beth was the winningest player in paddle tennis history winning virtually every event she ever played including the US Open and World Championships of paddle tennis With teammate, Scotty Freedman to become the greatest mixed-doubles team in the sports' 112-year history, as they were undefeated as a team from 2000 to 2007.

Pickleball

In her 2022 season, Beth finished #1 in singles, gender doubles and mixed doubles and won a gold medal in all 27 events that she played.

Personal life

After tennis, she finished her undergraduate degree at UCLA and then went to law school at UCLA. She married Tennis Channel founder Steve Bellamy[6] and after a short stint as a lawyer at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips.

References
  1. John Barrett, ed. (1984). World of Tennis 1984: The Official Yearbook of the International Tennis Federation. London: Willow Books. p. 300. ISBN 0002181223.
  2. "OHSAA State Tennis Tournament Records" (PDF). ohsaa.org. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  3. "Beth Herr Wins". The New York Times. 23 May 1983. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  4. "UBItennis Tomorrow's Stars". Archived from the original on 28 February 2014.
  5. Miller, Geoffrey (23 June 1983). "King survives scare from Herr". The Daily Collegian. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  6. "Several tennis pros to play in unisex tourney". ESPN.com. Associated Press. 22 July 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
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