The Torquay Open[1] was grass court tennis event founded in 1879. In 1881 it was known as the Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament.[2] that was held at the Winter Garden, Torquay, Devon, England. It continued under that name until after World War II when it was known as the Torquay Open In 1971 the tobacco company Rothmans International took over sponsorship of the event and it was branded as the Rothmans Torquay Tournament until 1974 when their sponsorship ended.
| Torquay Open | |
|---|---|
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Abolished | 1974 |
| Location | Torquay, Devon, England |
| Venue | Torquay Lawn Tennis Club |
| Surface | Grass |
This tournament though no longer part of the international tour is still being staged today as the Torbay Open Tennis Tournament.[3]
History edit
A Torquay Tennis Tournament was founded as early as 1879.[4] In 1881 the event was known as the Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament and played at the Winter Garden, Torquay, Devon, England.[5] In 1887 it became an open event for the women to play for the first time. The tournament was held annually, with the exception of world war's one and two. Following the second world war the tournament known by then as the Torquay Open Lawn Tennis Tournament at least up to 1960.[6][7] In 1971 Rothmans International took over sponsorship of the event and it was renamed as the Rothmans Torquay Tournament until 1974, when Rothman's pulled out of sports sponsorship and this tournament ended as part international world wide tour. It is still being staged today as the Torbay Open Tennis Tournament.[8]
Finals edit
Men's singles edit
Incomplete roll included:[9]
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament | ||||
| 1880 |  Ernest W. S. K. Maconchy |
 C. Hughes |
6-0, 6-0 | |
| 1881 | Ernest W. S. K. Maconchy (2) |
 Thomas Arembery Tombe |
6-1, 6-0 | |
| 1887 | Ernest Wool Lewis |
Wilfred Milne |
7-5, 6-2, 7-5 | |
| 1888 | Ernest Wool Lewis (2) |
Herbert Chipp |
3-6, 0-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-0 | |
| 1889 | Ernest Wool Lewis (3) |
Edward James Avory |
1-6, 6-5, 6-3 | |
| 1890 | Ernest Wool Lewis (4) |
Edward James Avory |
6-1, 6-2, 6-3 | |
| 1905 | Harold Michelmore (2) |
George Alan Thomas |
6-4, 6-2 | |
| 1907 | Harold Michelmore (2) |
J.S. Talbot |
6-3, 6-4 | |
| 1908 | Harold Michelmore (3) |
 Les Poidevin |
w.o. | |
| 1914/1918 | Not held (due to world war one) | |||
| 1923 | Philip Robert Broadway |
Sydney Ford |
6-1, 6-1, 6-4 | |
| 1930 |  Jiro Satoh |
A.C.D. Campbell |
6-0, 6-2 | |
| 1934 | Don Butler |
Jack Lysaght |
10-12, 6-3, 6-4 | |
| 1935 | Don Butler (2) |
John Temple Bouverie Leader |
7-5, 6-2 | |
| 1936 | Charles Haree |
Frank Wilde |
6-3, 6-3 | |
| 1937 | Eric Filby |
 Cristea Caralulis |
6-1, 9-11, 6-1 | |
| 1938 | Eric Filby (2) |
 Kho Sin-Kie |
6-4, 6-4 | |
| 1939 | Eric Filby (3) |
 Ernest Wittman |
6-2, 6-3 | |
| 1940/1945 | Not held (due to world war two) | |||
| Torquay Open | ||||
| 1946 | Henry Billington |
Ignacy Tloczynski |
7-5, 6-0 | |
| 1947 |  John Barry |
Jeff Robson |
2-6, 6-3, 6-2 | |
| 1948 | Tim Lewis |
David Anderton |
6-0, 6-2 | |
| 1949 | Tony Mottram |
Paddy Roberts |
9-7, 7-5 | |
| 1950 | Gerry Oakley |
Paddy Roberts |
6-4, 6-4 | |
| 1951 | Paddy Roberts |
Ignacy Tloczynski |
6-3, 6-1 | |
| 1952 |  Jaroslav Drobný |
Ian Ayre |
6-3, 6-1 | |
| 1953 | Ian Ayre |
Colin Hannam |
6-4, 6-2 | |
| 1954 | Jaroslav Drobný (2) |
Jack Arkinstall |
6-0, 6-3 | |
| 1959 | Mike Sangster |
Julian L. P. Coni |
9-7, 6-4 | |
| Open era | ||||
| Rothmans Torquay Tournmament | ||||
| 1971 |  Premjit Lall |
Ken Weatherley |
6-4, 7-5 | |
| 1974 | Graeme Thomson |
Martin Cornish |
6-4, 6-4 | |
Women's singles edit
(Incomplete roll)
- Notes: In 1924 and 1925 there were two versions of the tournament held in August on grass courts and October on clay courts.
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament | ||||
| 1887 | Blanche Bingley Hillyard |
Maud Watson |
4-6, 6-2, 6-3 | |
| 1888 | Miss Mockler |
Alice Foley |
6-4, 6-4 | |
| 1890 | Miss Wolfe |
Miss Fisher |
7-5, 6-4 | |
| 1899 | Winifred Longhurst |
K. Hughes |
6-2, 6-1 | |
| 1900 | Winifred Longhurst (2) |
Miss Smythe |
6-2, 6-2 | |
| 1901 | Winifred Longhurst (3) |
Miss Collett |
6-1, 6-1 | |
| 1902 | Ethel Thomson |
Edith Boucher |
6-4, 6-1 | |
| 1903 | Edith Boucher |
M. Stonham |
6-1, 3-6, 7-5 | |
| 1904 | Edith Boucher (2) |
Miss Collett |
6-0, 6-4 | |
| 1905 | Meriel Lucas |
Charlotte Everard |
6-3, 6-1 | |
| 1906 | Meriel Lucas (2) |
M. Stonham |
6-2, 6-4 | |
| 1907 | Edith Boucher (2) |
Meriel Lucas |
3-6, 6-0, 6-3 | |
| 1908 | Meriel Lucas (3) |
Nora Bawden |
3-6, 6-4, 6-1 | |
| 1909 | Elsie Lane |
Evelyn de Vere Scott |
6-0, 6-1 | |
| 1910 | M. Fergus |
Edith Longhurst |
6-4, 6-3 | |
| 1911 | Beryl Tulloch |
Nora Bawden |
6-3, 6-3 | |
| 1912 | Nora Bawden |
E. Miller |
divided prizes | |
| 1913 | Madeline Fisher O'Neill |
Nora Bawden |
6-2, 9-11, 7-5 | |
| 1914/1918 | Not held (due to world war one) | |||
| 1920 | Phyllis Satterthwaite |
Miss Davies |
6-1, 6-1 | |
| 1921 | G.M. Head |
Nora Bawden |
6-3. 3-6, 6-4 | |
| 1922 | Edith Hannam (3) |
Miss Robertson |
6-0, 7-5 | |
| 1923 | Helen Bourne |
P. Robertson |
6-3, 6-4 | |
| 1924 (Aug) | Mrs Hopper |
A G Buckner |
6-2, 6-2 | |
| 1924 (Oct) |  Elizabeth Ryan |
Ermyntrude Harvey |
6-4, 6-1 | |
| 1925 (Aug) | Mrs R. Bruce May |
Mrs Lawrence |
6-2, 6-1 | |
| 1925 (Oct) | Ariadne Rodocanachi |
Phyllis French |
7-5, 6-4 | |
| 1926 | Davina Gordon |
Cristobel Hardie |
6-3, 6-2 | |
| 1927 | Davina Gordon (2) |
Katherine Lewis |
divided prizes | |
| 1928 | Davina Gordon (3) |
Gethyn Harry |
6-3, 6-1 | |
| 1929 | Elsa McAlpin Haylock |
Andrée Lucas |
6-3, 3-6, 6-3 | |
| 1930 | Elsa McAlpin Haylock (2) |
Gethyn Harry |
6-4, 6-3 | |
| 1931 | Mary McIlquham |
Elsa McAlpin Haylock |
4-6, 6-1, 6-2 | |
| 1932 | Peggy Scriven |
Andrée Lucas |
6-1, 6-1 | |
| 1934 | Billie Yorke |
Jean Saunders |
6-4, 6-3 | |
| 1935 | Jean Saunders |
Andrée Lucas |
6-2, 6-2 | |
| 1936 |  Irmgard Rost |
Mary Whitmarsh |
6-0, 6-0 | |
| 1937 | Irmgard Rost (2) |
Billie Yorke |
8-6, 6-3 | |
| 1938 | Andrée Lucas |
Rita Jarvis |
7-5, 1-6, 6-2 | |
| 1939 | Andrée Lucas (2) |
Jean Saunders |
6-4, 5-7, 9-7 | |
| 1940/1945 | Not held (due to world war one) | |||
| Torquay Open | ||||
| 1946 | Joan Curry |
Jean Quertier |
8-6, 6-1 | |
| 1947 | Joan Curry (2) |
P. Merrix |
6-2, 6-2 | |
| 1948 | Joan Curry (3) |
Peggy Dawson-Scott |
6-2, 6-1 | |
| 1949 | Joan Curry (4) |
Joy Gannon |
6-3, 6-3 | |
| 1950 | Elsie Hamilton Phillips |
Lorna Cornell |
3-6, 6-3, 6-4 | |
| 1951 | Angela Mortimer |
Jenny Middleton |
6-2, 6-1 | |
| 1952 | Rita Jarvis Anderson |
Hilary Stebbings |
6-0, 7-5 | |
| 1953 | Angela Mortimer (2) |
Pat Ward |
9-7, 8-6 | |
| 1954 | Pat Ward |
 Betsy Abbas |
6-0, 6-3 | |
| 1956 | Sonia Cox |
V. Martin |
6-4, 6-2 | |
| 1958 | Joan Curry (5) |
Sonia Cox |
5-7, 6-0, 6-4 | |
| 1959 | Sheila Armstrong |
Phyllis Edwards |
11-9, 6-1 | |
| 1960 | Elaine Watson Shenton |
Sonia Cox Preston |
6-4, 6-4 | |
| 1961 | Margaret R. O'Donnell |
Carole Rosser |
6-2, 11-9 | |
| 1962 | Elaine Watson Shenton (2) |
Frances Walton |
7-5, 8-10, 6-2 | |
| Open era | ||||
| Rothmans Torquay Tournmament | ||||
| 1971 | Susan Alexander |
Penny Hardgrave |
6-2, 6-1 | |
| 1974 | Sue Barker |
Annette Coe |
6-1, 6-1 | |
References edit
- ^ "Sport: Fixtures". The Illustrated London News. London: Illustrated London News & Sketch Limited. 1973. p. 25.
- ^ "Lawn Tennis Tournament at Torquay: The Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournament, commenced in the Torquay Winter Garden last week, was resumed yesterday, when some excellent play was witnessed by a large number of fashionable". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette Daily Telegrams. Exeter, Devon. England. 21 September 1881. p. 3.
- ^ "Torbay Open Tennis Tournament". English Riviera. English Riviera BID Company Ltd. 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ "Faciltities and History". www.torquaytennisclub.co.uk. Torquay Tennis Club. 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Exeter and Plymouth Gazette Daily Telegrams
- ^ "Torquay Lawn Tennis Winners At Open Tournament: Torquay Open Lawn Tennis Tournament". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. Exeter, Devon, England. p. 3.
- ^ "Torquay Open Lawn Tennis Tournament (was held under the auspices of the Torquay Corporation and the L.T.A.". Torbay Express and South Devon Echo. Torbay, Devon, England. 2 September 1959. p. 7.
- ^ English Riviera BID Company Ltd.
- ^ "Tournament – Torquay". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 7 May 2023.