Eva Duldig

Eva Ruth de Jong-Duldig (née Duldig; born 11 February 1938) is an Austrian-born Australian and Dutch former tennis player, and current author.

She also played at Wimbledon in 1962 and 1963 for the Netherlands, and competed in the Australian Open, French Championships, Fed Cup, and in the Israel-based Maccabiah Games, sometimes called the Jewish Olympics, where she won two gold medals.

[1][7][8] In 1938 when she was eight months old, in the wake of deportations of Jews from Vienna to Dachau concentration camp, fleeing the Nazis the family left Austria for Switzerland.

[9][7][10] The family managed to escape after Nazi Germany's Anschluss of Austria in March 1938, as her father traveled to Switzerland on a temporary visa to play in a tennis tournament.

[13][1] Austria had been annexed by Germany in March 1938 in the Anschluss, and therefore the family and all other Austrians by law had become citizens of the German Reich.

[8][1] The family later lived in St Kilda, in Glen Iris, and then in Malvern East, in Melbourne, Australia, and became Australian citizens.

[18][4][2] In addition, she played mixed doubles with partner Roger Dowdeswell from Zimbabwe, and they lost in Round 2 to Geoffrey Paish of Great Britain and Susan Chatrier of France.

[18][4] Duldig also represented Australia at the 1961 Wimbledon Championships in ladies' doubles, reaching the quarterfinals with partner Marlene Gerson, where they were defeated by American Sally Moore and Australian Lesley Turner.

[31] Duldig played singles in the 1961 French Championships, losing to 14th seed Deidre Keller of Great Britain in the Round of 128.

[12][33] In June 1963 she played in the 1963 Federation Cup against Switzerland, defeating Alice Wavre in singles, and winning in doubles against Janine Bourgnon and Anne-Marie Studer with her partner Jenny Ridderhof.

[34] That same month she played in the Fed Cup against the United States, and was defeated by Darlene Hard in singles, and by Billie Jean Moffitt (King) and Carole Caldwell, while partnering Jenny Ridderhof, in the quarter-final.

[34] In women's doubles, she partnered Robin Lesh, and they lost in the first round to American Mary-Ann Beattie and Australian Lynne Nette.

[39][38] In 1965, the family returned to Melbourne, and after she gave birth to two more children, Antony and Pieter, Duldig found it challenging to maintain her tennis.

[12] In 2009 she received the City of Stonnington Citizen of the Year Award for "outstanding service to the community" in the area of arts and culture.

[40][41][42] In 2016 she received a Victorian Community History Historical Interpretation Award with filmmaker David Smith for "Duldig Studio Documentaries.

"[46] The Age wrote: "Director Gary Abrahams keeps the story's emotional core vivid and convincing and Anthony Barnhill's score suits the material well.

Eva Duldig and her granddaughters, 2022