Phyllis Howkins was the daughter of a wealthy Berkshire flour miller. She made her Wimbledon début in 1920 and a year later reached the mixed doubles final with Max Woosnam but lost 3-6, 1-6 to Randolph Lycett (Great Britain) and Elizabeth Ryan (USA). She also enjoyed her best performance in the singles that year, losing to fellow Briton Phyllis Satterthwaite in the quarter-final. Phyllis married Beverley Covell in India in 1921 and in 1923 she won her only Grand Slam title when she captured the US doubles with Kitty McKane after beating the Americans Hazel Wightman and Eleanor Goss in three sets after losing the first set. Also in 1923 she appeared in the first Wightman Cup match against the United States and was a member of the first winning British team a year later when she won her two singles, against Helen Wills and Molla Mallory and, with Dorothy Shepherd-Barron, won the doubles as Great Britain won 6-1. She was the playing captain of the side in 1929.
Covell was runner-up at Wimbledon in 1924, again with McKane, and in 1929 was runner-up in three Grand Slam events - the ladies’ doubles with Dorothy Shepherd-Barron at the US Open and at Wimbledon, and in the mixed doubles at the US championships with Bunny Austin. She won the silver medal in doubles at the 1924 Olympics with Kitty McKane after a valiant effort in pushing the Americans Wightman and Wills before losing the final 7-5, 8-6.
Great Britain