The West Wales Championships originally founded as the Tenby Lawn Tennis Club Tournament was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament first held the Tenby Lawn Tennis Club, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, South Wales in 1876.[1] In 1881 it was renamed as the South Wales Championships[2] In 1900 it was renamed again to the West Wales Championships. The tournament was staged until the outbreak of World War Two in 1939.

West Wales Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded1876; 148 years ago (1876)
Abolished1939; 85 years ago (1939)
LocationTenby, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
VenueTenby Lawn Lennis Club
SurfaceGrass

History

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In 1876 the Tenby Lawn Club Tennis Tournament was first staged at the Tenby Lawn Tennis Club, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, South Wales.[3] In 1881 the tournament changed its name to the South Wales Championships, and play was open to all residents who had resided for three months in all six southern counties of Wales.[4] The first winner of the 1881 men's singles was Britain's L.G. Campbell. In 1885 the latter tournament was renamed as the South Wales and Monmouthshire Championships until 1900 when the Welsh Lawn Tennis Association moved the championships to Newport, Monmouthshire, South Wales. This tournament at Tenby, Pembrokshire was then renamed as the West Wales Championships which ran until 1939. The men competed for the West Wales Challenge Cup.[3]

Venue

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The original Tenby Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club was a former sports club situated on Heywood Lane, Tenby.[5] It opened in the late-nineteenth century.[6] The cricket club occupied land to the south side of Heywood Lane whilst the Tennis Club was located on the north side of Heywood Lane.[6] The Tennis club no longer exists and the land has been subsequently used for housing - this is the present Heywood Court. The cricket pitch still survives though.[6] In 2009 a new Tenby Tennis Club was reformed.[7]

Finals

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Men's Singles

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(incomplete roll) included:.[8]

Year Winner Runner-up Score
Tenby Lawn Tennis Tournament
1879 ? ?
1880 ? ?
South Wales Championships
1881   L.G. Campbell   Grismond Saunders Davies 6-2, 6–5, 9-7
1882   P. J. Ashe   L.G. Campbell 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
1883.[9]   Herbert Wilberforce   P.J. Ashe 6-2, 6–1, 6-1[8]
1884.   Herbert Wilberforce (2)   William Sidney Nelson Heard 6-4, 3–6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1[8]
South Wales and Monmouthshire Championships
1885   William Sidney Nelson Heard   E.W. Evans 5-6 6-0 6-0 6-3[8]
1886   William Sidney Nelson Heard (2)   James Baldwin 6-0, 6–1, 6-1[8]
1887   William Sidney Nelson Heard (3)   E.W. Davies 6-2 6-4 6-1[8]
1894.[10]   F.D. Morris   E.W. Evans ?
West Wales Championships
1909.[3]   W.S. Warburgh   G. Kent 6-3, 6–1, 6-3
1910   Algernon Kingscote   T.A.Gibson 6-3, 6–3, 6–1.[8]
1915/1918 Not held (due to World War One)
1919   Ivor Evans   G.R. Mellor 6-4, 6–4, 8-6[8]
1920   Peter B.W. Freeman   H.R. Lymbery 6-0, 6–3, 6-0[8]
1939   Ted Avory   B. Williams 6-1, 6-0[8]
1940 Tournament abolished (due to World War Two)

Women's Singles

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(incomplete roll)

Year Winner Runner-up Score
Tenby Lawn Tennis Tournament
1879 ? ?
1880 ? ?
South Wales Championships
1882   G. Milman   Ruth Sparrow 6-5, 6–5, 6-1
1883.[11]   C. Jones   E Fletcher 6-2, 3–6, 6-4
South Wales and Monmouthshire Championships
1886   Katherine Hill   Mary Agg 6-4, 6-3
West Wales Championships
1909.[3]   Miss Douglas   Miss Wards 6-4, 6-4
1915/1918 Not held (due to World War One)
1920   Gladys Lamplough   Kathleen Lidderdale 6-2, 6-2
1924   Mary McIlquham   Weeta Crawshay-Williams 6-0, 6-4
1927   Mrs Burdon   Mrs Parke 6-2, 7-5
1928   Mrs Dudley   Mrs Congreve 6-2, 6-2
1930   M Wynne   Mrs D M Gimson 6-0, 6-2
1940 Tournament abolished (due to World War Two)

References

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  1. ^ "THE TENBY TENNIS TOURNAMENT". The Pembroke County Guardian and Cardigan Reporter. Tenby, Pembrokshire, Wales: Welsh Newspapers. 20 August 1909. p. 7. Retrieved 24 February 2023 – via newspapers.library.wales.
  2. ^ "TENBY LAWN TENNIS CLUB ANNUAL TOURNAMENT. Aug. 13 and following days. The Open LADIES' SINGLES. LADIES' DOUBLES. LADIES' and GENTLEMEN'S DOUBLES. GENTLEMEN'S SINGLES, AND GENTLEMEN'S DOUBLES. THE SOUTH WALES CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE CUP will be played for on the usual days" (Subscription). The Field. London, England: British Newspaper Archive. 4 August 1883. p. 1. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d The Pembroke County Guardian and Cardigan Reporter
  4. ^ "NOTES OF THE WEEK". The Cambrian. Aberystwyth, Wales: Welsh Newspapers: National Library of Wales. 15 July 1881. p. 8. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Coflein: Site Record: Tenby Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, Heywood Lane, Tenby". coflein.gov.uk. National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW). Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  6. ^ a b c National Monuments Record of Wales
  7. ^ "Home". www.tenbytennisclub.co.uk. Tenby Tennis Club. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Tournaments: Tenby - South Wales". The Tennis Base. Madrid: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  9. ^ "TENBY - LAWN TENNIS CLUB TOURNAMENT". The Tenby Observer Weekly List of Visitors and Directory. Tenby, Pembrokshire, Wales: Welsh Newspapers: National Library of Wales. 23 August 1883. p. 6. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  10. ^ "CRICKET AND GENERAL ATHLETIC NOTES". The Cambrian. Aberystwyth, Wales: Welsh Newspapers: National Library of Wales. 31 August 1894. p. 3. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  11. ^ The Tenby Observer Weekly List of Visitors and Directory