Quick Facts
AquariusBiography
Elizma Nortje (born 1 February 1966) is a Namibian tennis coach and former professional player. She is the most successful Namibian woman to have played professionally and was the first to be ranked on the WTA Tour.
Born in Windhoek in 1966, Nortje represented South Africa as a junior and early in her professional career, before Namibian independence. She played collegiate tennis for United States International University in San Diego, competing in the NCAA Division I Championships. In the early 1990s she made appearances in the doubles qualifying draws at Wimbledon and won two ITF doubles tournaments.
Nortje served as president of the Namibian Tennis Association from 1996 to 1999 and was Namibia's team captain when the country made its Fed Cup debut in 2004. A certified ITF Level 3 coach, she is now the head tennis professional at the Van Der Meer Tennis Academy in South Carolina.
ITF finals
Singles: 1 (0–1)
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 3 April 1994 | Marsa, Malta | Clay | Caroline Schneider | 6–7, 4–6 |
Doubles: 11 (2–9)
| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1. | 28 April 1991 | Bracknell, United Kingdom | Hard | Barbara Griffiths | Lynn Nabors Merete Balling-Stockmann | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1. | 4 August 1991 | Haifa, Israel | Hard | Janine Humphreys | Tessa Price Kirsten Dreyer | 1–6, 0–6 |
| Loss | 2. | 11 August 1991 | Ramat HaSharon, Israel | Hard | Janine Humphreys | Ilana Berger Robyn Field | 0–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 3. | 5 April 1992 | Windhoek, Namibia | Hard | Louise Venter | Cindy Summers Nicole Simunic | 6–3, 4–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 2. | 12 April 1992 | Gaborone, Botswana | Hard | Louise Venter | Liezel Horn Estelle Gevers | 6–0, 6–7, 6–4 |
| Loss | 4. | 19 July 1992 | Frinton, United Kingdom | Grass | Robyn Mawdsley | Caroline Billingham Danielle Thomas | 2–6, 6–4, 6–7 |
| Loss | 5. | 6 February 1994 | Tipton, United Kingdom | Hard | Paula Iversen | Alison Smith Sara Tse | 6–4, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 6. | 3 April 1994 | Marsa, Malta | Clay | Ivana Havrlíková | Isabela Listowska Petra Winzenhöller | 6–7, 3–6 |
| Loss | 7. | 24 April 1994 | Nottingham, United Kingdom | Hard | Caroline Stassen | Shannon Peters Nicole Oomens | 5–7, 2–6 |
| Loss | 8. | 30 October 1994 | Negril, Jamaica | Hard | Ximena Rodríguez | Kim Grant Claire Sessions Bailey | 2–6, 7–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 9. | 18 June 1995 | Morelia, Mexico | Hard | Ximena Rodríguez | Tracey Hiete Renata Kolbovic | 3–6, 5–7 |