Patricia Canning Todd (born Mary Patricia Canning, July 22, 1922 – September 5, 2015) was an American tennis player who had her best results just after World War II. In 1947 and 1948, she won a total of four Grand Slam championships: one in singles, two in women's doubles, and one in mixed doubles. She won these titles as a young mother.

Tennis career Todd and her partner lost seven times to Louise Brough and Margaret Osborne duPont in the women's doubles finals of Grand Slam tournaments. Todd's lone victory over the Brough-Osborne duPont partnership was in the final of the 1947 Wimbledon Championships when Todd teamed with Doris Hart. Todd and her partner lost twice to Brough and her partner in the mixed doubles finals of Grand Slam tournaments.

Todd won the title at the 1947 French International Championships and reached the semifinals there in 1948. At the 1947 event, the fourth-seeded Todd played top-seeded Osborne duPont,"Patricia Todd Spills Favorite", Portland Press Herald, July 21, 1947, page 12 the defending champion, in a semifinal that took two days to complete. After Osborne duPont won the first set 6–2, thunderstorm stopped play for the remainder of the day. The next day, Todd, "producing magnificent backhand shots", won after being 1–3 down in the final set. The crowd was so vocal in backing Todd that a referee reversed a line call to give Todd match point. In the final, Doris Hart played an attacking game and led Todd 4–3 in the final set, but "she was against a great fighter who was content to retrieve, and on a slow court, defence overcame attack". At the 1948 event, Todd, who was the favorite and defending champion, was defaulted by French officials after she refused to move her scheduled center court match to court 2. Todd had complained about being last on center court after having played there only one match previously. When requested to move, she refused because of the late hour and because a full set of linesmen would not be present. "They can scratch [default] me if they like. I am not going to play anywhere but on the center court where my match is scheduled." The officials defaulted her, then changed their minds and gave her Nelly Landry's phone number, her opponent, to reschedule. When Landry could not be reached, the default stood.

She returned to the French International Championships in 1950 after a one-year absence, and reached the final where she lost to Hart. Todd went to the hospital after the final for blood poisoning.

Todd won the singles and mixed doubles titles at the South American championships in 1947 and 1948. In 1942 and 1948, she won the U.S. Indoor National Championships. In 1950, she was the singles and doubles titlist at the Asian Championships and the Championships of India. She won both the singles and doubles titles at the Tri Cities Championships in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1951. She also won singles titles at the U.S. Hardcourt Championships in 1950 and 1951, and she was the women's doubles champion there in 1950, 1955, 1956, and 1957.

According to John Olliff and Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Todd was ranked in the world top 10 from 1946 through 1952 (no rankings issued from 1940 through 1945), reaching a career high of world no. 4 in those rankings in 1950. Todd was included in the year-end top 10 rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association in 1942 and from 1944 through 1952, reaching a career high ranking of no. 4 in 1947 and 1949. She unsuccessfully complained about her no. 6 ranking in 1948, especially the placement of Beverly Baker, Gertrude Moran, and Hart above her, accusing the USLTA of having no standard ranking rules and of punishing her for refusing to play her semifinal match against Landry in Paris."USLTA Steps Up Date for Meet", The Salt Lake Tribune, January 23, 1949, page 8B

Todd played doubles on the U.S. Wightman Cup team from 1947 to 1951, compiling a 4–1 win–loss record.

Todd was nominated for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005, but she was not selected. She was inducted into the San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010. Todd was inducted to the Southern California Tennis Association Hall of Fame, 2011.

Personal life Patricia married Richard Bradburn Todd on December 25, 1941. They had two children, Patrica Ann Todd on November 7, 1943, and Whitney Seaton Todd on July 1, 1953. She died on September 5, 2015, in Encinitas, California, at the age of 93.

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Tournament 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 19461 19471 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 – 1956 1957 Career SR Australian ChampionshipsAAA NH NH NH NH NHAAAAAAAAA 0 / 0 French ChampionshipsAANH R R R RA3R W SFA FAAAA 1 / 4 WimbledonAA NH NH NH NH NH NH3RQFSFSFSFASFAA 0 / 6 U.S. Championships1R1R3R3R2RA2RQFSFQFSFQFQF3RAA3R 0 / 14 SR0 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 00 / 10 / 10 / 31 / 30 / 30 / 20 / 30 / 10 / 10 / 00 / 1 1 / 24

R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation.

1In 1946 and 1947, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 title, 1 runner-up)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScoreWin 1947 French Championships Clay Doris Hart 6–3, 3–6, 6–4Loss 1950 French Championships Clay Doris Hart 4–6, 6–4, 2–6

Doubles (2 titles, 8 runners-up)

ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1943 U.S. Championships Grass Mary Arnold Prentiss Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont 1–6, 3–6Loss 1946 U.S. Championships Grass Mary Arnold Prentiss Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont 1–6, 3–6Win 1947 Wimbledon Grass Doris Hart Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont 3–6, 6–4, 7–5Loss 1947 French Championships Clay Doris Hart Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont 5–7, 2–6Loss 1947 U.S. Championships Grass Doris Hart Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont 7–5, 3–6, 5–7Win 1948 French Championships Clay Doris Hart Shirley Fry Irvin Mary Arnold Prentiss 6–4, 6–2Loss 1948 Wimbledon Grass Doris Hart Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont 3–6, 6–3, 3–6Loss 1948 U.S. Championships Grass Doris Hart Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont 4–6, 10–8, 1–6Loss 1949 Wimbledon Grass Gussie Moran Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont 6–8, 5–7Loss 1951 U.S. Championships Grass Nancy Chaffee Shirley Fry Irvin Doris Hart 4–6, 2–6

Mixed doubles (1 titles, 3 runners-up)

ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1942 U.S. Championships Grass Alejo Russell Louise Brough Frederick Schroeder 6–3, 1–6, 4–6Win 1948 French Championships Clay Jaroslav Drobný Doris Hart Frank Sedgman 6–3, 3–6, 6–3Loss 1950 French Championships Clay Bill Talbert Barbara Scofield Davidson Enrique Morea WalkoverLoss 1950 Wimbledon Grass Geoff Brown Louise Brough Eric Sturgess 9–11, 6–1, 4–6

See also Performance timelines for all female tennis players since 1978 who reached at least one Grand Slam final

References

External links