Helen Irene Bernhard
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| Bio | The New Yorker saw her career peak in the late 30s and early 1940s. Her backhand was her best shot, with the forehand the weaker wing. She was best on slower surfaces-hitting powerful ground strokes off both ends. The addition of a drop shot around 1941 made her even more dangerous. Her lack of net skills was a handicap, and vs the very best net rushers on grass her game could become erratic and the groundies lost their length. Bernhard won the US Girls title in 1938 and 1939. As she left the juniors the Eastern star went from strength to strengh. In 1940 she fell in the quarterfinals to #1 seed Alice Marble 6-2 6-3. The next year she was seeded #4, falling to Margaret Osborne 6-3 6-1. 1942 saw her best effort at the Nationals. Helen stretched serve and volleyer Louise Brough 5-7 6-4 6-2 in the semifinals. In 1943 she graduated from Cornell University and her engagement was announced to navy ensign James Whiteacker. Both may have contributed to a decline in her tennis that year. Helen had earlier attended the University of Southern California. She dropped off the tennis scene after 1943. A wedding date was planned for the summer of 1943, but the war may have delayed the date. Her move to California was for reasons of the heart, as her fiancé was stationed there in the navy. Finally she married to James George Whiteaker in February 1945 in California. |
| Tournament | AO | RG | W | US | Win-Loss |
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