Cilly Aussem (April 5, 1909 in Cologne, March 22, 1963 in Portofino, Italy) was a German female tennis player. April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Cologne Cathedral with Hohenzollern Bridge Cologne (German: (help· info) [kœln]; Kölsch: Kölle) is Germanys fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of... 22 March is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in Leap years). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Portofinos small harbour Portofino is a small Italian city located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. ... Tennis ball This article is about the sport. ...

She is best remembered for winning the women's singles title at Wimbledon in 1931. She was the first German female to do so. Her opponent was the German Hilde Krahwinkel. During that period the title of Wimbledon was also seen as the world championship. Cilly Aussems had her most successfull year in 1931 when she also won the women's single titles at the French Open and German Open. Aussems Coach was tennis legend Bill Tilden . With Tilden she won the Mixed Doubles at Roland Garros in 1930. It was these years when Cilly Aussem became World's Number 2 , just one step behind the great Helen Wills Moody . Wimbledon logo Wimbledon is the oldest and most prestigious event in the sport of tennis. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling (March 26, 1908) was a German female tennis player. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... The French Open, officially the Tournoi de Roland-Garros (English: Roland Garros Tournament), is a tennis event held over two weeks between mid May and early June in Paris, France, and is the second of the Grand Slam tournaments on the annual tennis calendar. ... The German Open was a professional snooker tournament. ... William Tatem Tilden II (February 10, 1893 - June 5, 1953), often called Big Bill, was an American tennis player. ... Cover of Time Magazine (July 26, 1926) Helen Wills Moody (October 6, 1905 – January 1, 1999) was one of the greatest womens tennis players of all time, dominating the 1920s and 1930s. ...

Life

Early Years

Cilly Aussem, who till today is seen as one of Germany's most famous female tennis players, was born in April 4 1909 in Cologne . She was the daughter of a wealthy salesman. With 14 she returned to Cologne after spending some years at Geneva for education. It was this time when she started to take lessons in tennis. Cilly's mother Helen was the first to notice her talent. So she made contact to Roman Najuch, the reigning world champion of the professionals. Najuch sent young Cilly to Willy Hanneman, a tennis coach from cologne. Hannemann teached Cilly to play a great sliced backhand, an exactly placed serve and effective drop shots. But Cilly's trademark became her powerfull flat forehand, which was as at her time famous as later Steffi Graf 's. 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Cologne Cathedral with Hohenzollern Bridge Cologne (German: (help· info) [kœln]; Kölsch: Kölle) is Germanys fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German: Genf //, Italian: Ginevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland, situated where Lake Geneva (French Lac Léman) flows into the Rhône River. ... Steffi Graf Stefanie Maria (Steffi) Graf (born June 14, 1969 in Mannheim, Germany) is a former World No. ...

Bill Tilden's helpful Advice

It was in 1926 when 17 year old Cilly became German champion for the first time. But Cilly, who is described as a gracefull, small and psychologically very sensitive girl, seemed not being able to stand the mental and physical pressure of competitive sports. Usually the family traveled a lot to exclusive places all iver Europe. It was during the family's summer vacation at the French Riviera when Cilly's ambitious mother asked the world's best player "Big" Bill Tilden for advice. The secenery was as legendary as Tilden's answer. After having a look on small shy tennis playing Cilly he replied: "My dear Lady, Cilly will become a great champion, if you take her home. Take the next train to Germany!". 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Promenade des Anglais in Nice on the French Riviera at night. ... William Tatem Tilden II (February 10, 1893 - June 5, 1953), often called Big Bill, was an American tennis player. ...

Tilden was right - and more: he became Cilly's coach and made her a world class player. She learned to play her forehand powerfull and very flat, which became her trademark later on. A weapon, wich was as famous in that period as decades later Steffi Graf's. Newspaper articles of that time say, that she played a great sliced backhand and effective drop shots. But her Biggest qualities were her precision, her athletic condition and her fighting spirit.

Break through in 1930

It took untill 1927 when Germans were allowed to participate again in international tournaments. 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Three years later in 1930 Cilly had her break through. With coach and partner William Tilden she won all mixed double titles at the Riviera that season. At the French Open in Paris Cilly and Tilden defeated world's number one and two mixed couples Elizabeth Ryan / Jean Borotra and Eilen Bennet / Henri Cochet and took the French title. Aussem also reached the single semi finals where she lost to Helen Jacobs. William Tatem Tilden II (February 10, 1893 - June 5, 1953), often called Big Bill, was an American tennis player. ... The French Open, officially the Tournoi de Roland-Garros (English: Roland Garros Tournament), is a tennis event held over two weeks between mid May and early June in Paris, France, and is the second of the Grand Slam tournaments on the annual tennis calendar. ... The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, is an international symbol of the city. ... Elizabeth Ryan was an American tennis player who holds the most womens doubles and mixed doubles titles in Wimbledon history. ... Jean Borotra (August 13, 1898 in Domaine du Pouy, near Biarritz - June 17, 1994) was a champion tennis player, one of the famous Four Musketeers from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. ... Henri Jean Cochet (December 14, 1901 in Villeurbanne, near Lyon - April 1, 1987) was a champion tennis player, one of the famous Four Musketeers from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. ... Helen Hull Jacobs (August 6, 1908 - June 2, 1997) was an American female tennis player who was born in Globe, Arizona, United States. ...

In Wimbledon Cilly reached the semi finals facing Elizabeth Ryan of Canada . The match ended unplanned: running Cilly tumbled, fall and became unconcious. It was that time when health problems started to influence Cilly's carreer on the courts. Her eyes became more and more sensitive, so that she had to spend hours in a darkened room waiting for her matches to start. Wimbledon logo The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly refered as simply Wimbledon, is the oldest and, arguably, most prestigious event in the sport of tennis. ... Elizabeth Ryan was an American tennis player who holds the most womens doubles and mixed doubles titles in Wimbledon history. ...

But Cilly's best time still was to come: at the end of 1930 ,just three years after competing in international championships, she reached second place of the world rankings. Cilly Aussem, Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling, Marie Luise Horn and Irmgard Rost made a great German team, which never lost a game and defeated the strong British team. 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling (March 26, 1908) was a German female tennis player. ...

First German Wimbledon Champion in 1931

1931 was Cilly's most successfull year: she won the French Open beating Betty Nuthall of Great Britain and also became German Open champion in Hamburg. But her greatest success was still to come: Cilly won the Wimbledon Championships , defeating her compatriot Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling 7:5 7:5. She was the first German woman to do so. Cilly was ranked again as world's number 2, just one step behind tennis legend "little Miss Pokerface" Helen Wills . It was that time an English newspaper wrote: " There is a Paavo Nurmi of tennis from Germany, a beautiful young girl. Her quickness and her fighting spirit are singular!" 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... The French Open, officially the Tournoi de Roland-Garros (English: Roland Garros Tournament), is a tennis event held over two weeks between mid May and early June in Paris, France, and is the second of the Grand Slam tournaments on the annual tennis calendar. ... Betty Nuthall Shoemaker (born May 23, 1911, Surbiton, Surrey, England – died November 8, 1983) was a female tennis player from Great Britain. ... The German Open was a professional snooker tournament. ... Alster Lake at dusk Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and with the Hamburg Harbour, its principal port. ... Wimbledon logo Wimbledon is the oldest and most prestigious event in the sport of tennis. ... Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling (March 26, 1908) was a German female tennis player. ... Helen Wills Moody (October 6, 1905 – January 1, 1998) was one of the greatest womens tennis players of all time, dominating the 1920s and 1930s. ... Paavo Nurmi (June 13, 1897 – October 2, 1973) was a Finnish runner. ...

A Fateful trip and it's consequences

All seemed to be prepared for a great international career when something happened that stopped Cilly's rise rapidly: celebrating the succesfull year of 1931 Cilly and her friend and teammate Irmgard Rost decided to do a trip to Argentinia and Brazil . Cilly won some tournaments but also cought a serious liver inflamation. Back in Germany she had to undergo a surgery from which she recovered just very slowly. During two years where she wasn't allowed to do any sports, she was dreaming about having a comeback. 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Motto: En Unión y Libertad (English: In Union and Liberty) Anthem: Himno Nacional Argentino Capital Buenos Aires 34°20′ S 58°30′ W Largest city Buenos Aires Official languages Spanish Government President Democratic Republic Néstor Kirchner Independence - May Revolution - Declared - Recognised from Spain May 25, 1810 July 9, 1816 in...

In 1933 she returned to the courts, but wasn't able to regain her form. However in 1934 she reached again the ninth place of the rankings. But loosing to players she always had beaten before. It was one year later in 1935 when she lost in Wimbledon to Helen Jacobs and decided to quit the tour. Cilly was just 26. 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Helen Hull Jacobs (August 6, 1908 - June 2, 1997) was an American female tennis player who was born in Globe, Arizona, United States. ...

Private life after tennis

During her winter holidays in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1936 Cilly met her later Italian husband, Earl Fermo Murari dalla Corte Bra. The wedding followed at Munich in March 1936 . The last two decades of her life Cilly spend mainly on her husbands castle in Portofino . Very rarely people noticed her as a hidden spectator of some tournaments. Garmisch-Partenkirchen (29,875 inhabitants; 01-01-2004) is a market town, and the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region of Bavaria, Germany, near the border with Austria. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Munich and the Bavarian Alps Munich (German: München, (pronounced listen) is the largest city and capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Portofinos small harbour Portofino is a small Italian city located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. ...

In 1963 she had to undergo again a liver surgery, late consequence of that trip to Southern America in 1931. Cilly didn't recover. She died on march 22 1963 in the age of 53. 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ...

German tennis player and writer Roderich Menzel wrote: "Everywhere where she swang her racket and warmed the spectators hearts with her magic smile, she unknowingly inspired young girls to play tennis the way she did. If we remember her today, we feel deep love in our hearts. And we confess proudly: She was our mistress of tennis".