East of England Championships

East of England Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Event nameFelixstowe Open Lawn Tennis Tournament(1885-88)
East of England County Lawn Tennis Championships (1889-96)
East of England Championships (1897–1967)
East of England Open Championships (1968–72)
East of England Tournament (1973)
East of England Championships (1974–82)
Founded1885; 139 years ago (1885)
Abolished1983; 41 years ago (1983)
LocationFelixstowe, Suffolk, England.
VenueFelixstowe LTC
SurfaceGrass

The East of England Championships[1] also called the East of England Lawn Tennis Championships[2] was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1885 as the Felixstowe Open Lawn Tennis Tournament.[3] In 1889 the event had by this time become a regional level tournament that ran until 1983 when it lost its status as a senior international tour level event. However the championships are still being staged today as the East of England and an LTA British Tour (Premier Event).[4]

History

[edit]

The Felixstowe Open Lawn Tennis Tournament hosted by the Felixstowe Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club became a regional level tour event called the East of England Championships in 1889. It was located Felixstowe, Suffolk, South East England.

The tournament was usually staged in mid-August, this later changed the middle or third week of July following the Wimbledon Championships. The East of England Championships ran for 98 years before it was discontinued in 1983 as a senior international tour level event. However the championships are still being staged today as the East of England an LTA British Tour (Premier Event).[5]

This tournament became an interrelating regional event to the North of England Championships (f.1884), the South of England Championships (f.1881) and the West of England Championships (f.1881).

Notable winners of the men's singles championship title included Reggie Doherty (1906), Herbert Roper Barrett (1897-1899, 1901-1902, 1910), George Hillyard (1907-1908), Héctor Cattaruzza (1926), Jiro Yamagishi (1934-1935, 1937), George Worthington (1949), Jan Leschly (1957-1957), Mark Cox (1963, 1965-1967) and Saeed Meer (1977).

Former women's singles winners included Dorothea Douglass Chambers, (1902, 1906-1908, 1910-1911), Geraldine Ramsey Beamish (1921-1922), Elsie Goldsack Pittman (1931-1932), Jadwiga Jędrzejowska )1937), Shirley Bloomer (1954), Jill Blackman (1966), Patti Hogan (1967) and Greer Stevens (1973).

Finals

[edit]

Men's singles

[edit]

Incomplete roll included:[6]

Year Champion Runner Up Score
Felixstowe Open Lawn Tennis Tournament
1884 United Kingdom Francis William Monement England Maurice Welldon 6-4, 1-6, 6-1
1885 United Kingdom Francis William Monement (2) England Herbert Davy Longe 6-1, 6-0
1886 England Alfred Penn Gaskell England Charles Hoadley Ashe Ross 5-6, 6-3, 6-3
1887 England William Herbert Cohen England Charles Sidney Cullingham 6-3, 6-4
1888 England Francis St. Barbe Haskett-Smith United Kingdom Herbert William Kersey 6-1, 9-7, 6-3
Eastern Counties Championships
1889 England William Nevill Cobbold United Kingdom Charles Gladstone Allen 1-6, 6-5, 6-3
1890 United Kingdom Charles Gladstone Allen United Kingdom Francis Walter Eicke 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
1891 United Kingdom Roy Allen England William Nevill Cobbold 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
1892 United Kingdom Roy Allen (2) United Kingdom Charles Gladstone Allen w.o.
1893 United Kingdom Roy Allen (3) United Kingdom Herbert William Kersey 6-4, 6-1, 10-8
East of England Championships
1894 United Kingdom Ernest Wool Lewis England Rupert L. Hamblin-Smith 6-0, 6-2
1895 United Kingdom Roy Allen (4) United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
1896 United Kingdom Reginald Doherty United Kingdom Roy Allen 6-4, 8-6
1897 United Kingdom Herbert Roper Barrett United Kingdom Charles Gladstone Allen 7-5, 7-5
1898 United Kingdom Herbert Roper Barrett (2) United Kingdom Roy Allen 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
1899 United Kingdom Herbert Roper Barrett (3) United Kingdom Roy Allen 3-6, 8-6, 6-3
1900 United Kingdom Charles Percy Dixon United Kingdom Roy Allen 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
1901 United Kingdom Herbert Roper Barrett (4) United Kingdom Charles Percy Dixon 7-5, 6-8, 6-1, 6-3
1902 United Kingdom Herbert Roper Barrett (5) United Kingdom Charles Smeathman Hatton 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
1903 United Kingdom Roy Allen (5) United Kingdom George Greville 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
1904 United Kingdom Roy Allen (6) United Kingdom Herbert Roper Barrett 6-3, 6-1
1907 United Kingdom George Hillyard United Kingdom Alfred Beamish 6-2, 6-2
1908 United Kingdom George Hillyard (2) United Kingdom Alfred Beamish 6-1, 6-2
1909 United Kingdom Alfred Ernest Beamish United Kingdom Dunstan Rhodes 6-1, 6-1, 6-2
1910 United Kingdom Herbert Roper Barrett (6) United Kingdom George Hillyard 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
1914/1918 Not held (due to world war one)
1919 United Kingdom Charles Ernest Leonard Lyle United Kingdom Basil Henty 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
1920 United Kingdom Hugh Walter Davies United Kingdom Charles Ernest Leonard Lyle 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
1921 United Kingdom Thomas Bevan United Kingdom Charles Ernest Leonard Lyle 6-2, 6-4
1922 United Kingdom Thomas Bevan (2) United Kingdom Charles Ernest Leonard Lyle 9-7, 4-6, 6-1
1923 United Kingdom Sydney Jacob United Kingdom Donald Greig 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
1924 United Kingdom Donald Greig United Kingdom Charles Ernest Leonard Lyle 6-4, 7-5, 6-2
1925 United Kingdom Max Woosnam United Kingdom Charles Kingsley 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
1926 Argentina Héctor Américo Cattaruzza Argentina Ronaldo Boyd 6-4, 6-4, 8-6
1927 United Kingdom Charles Herbert Kingsley United Kingdom Max Woosnam 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
1928 United Kingdom Gordon Crole-Rees United Kingdom Sydney Jacob 3-6, 8-6, 6-2
1929 United Kingdom Gordon Crole-Rees (2) United Kingdom G.R. Ashton 6-2, 6-2
1930 United Kingdom Arthur W. Hill United Kingdom Gordon Crole-Rees 6-0, 6-4
1931 Austria Franz Matejka Republic of Ireland Charles Frederick Scroope 6-2, 6-3
1932 United Kingdom George Godsell Republic of Ireland George S. Fletcher 8-6, 6-3
1933 United Kingdom Henry Scriven Burrows New Zealand Alan Stedman 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
1934 Japan Jiro Yamagishi Switzerland Charles Aeschlimann 6-4, 6-0
1935 Japan Jiro Yamagishi (2) Republic of Ireland George Lyttleton Rogers 6-3, 6-3
1936 United Kingdom Richard (Dickie) Ritchie Japan Eikichi Itoh 6-4, 6-3
1937 Japan Jiro Yamagishi (3) United Kingdom Henry Billington 6-1, 6-4
1938 United Kingdom Lawrence Shaffi Italy P. Martinelli 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
1939 Romania Constantin Tanacescu United Kingdom Eric Filby 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
1940/1946 Not held (due to world war one)
1947 New Zealand Jeff Robson New Zealand John Barry 6-2, 6-4
1948 Hungary Zoltan Katona Kenya R.J.E. Mayers[7] 6-8, 6-0, 6-2
1949 United Kingdom George Worthington India Naresh Kumar 6-2, 6-8, 6-4
1950 United Kingdom Anthony (Tony) Starte[8] United Kingdom Bobby Nicholl 2-6, 7-5, 6-1
1951 Denmark Torben Ulrich United Kingdom Derrick Leyland 8-6, 6-2
1952 United Kingdom Gerry Oakley Netherlands Ivo Rinkel 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
1953 United Kingdom Geoff Ward[9] United Kingdom Nigel Lowe 8-6, 6-3
1954 New Zealand Jeff Robson (2) United Kingdom Geoff Ward 8-6, 9-7
1955 United Kingdom Ivor Warwick Pakistan Khwaja Saeed Hai 14-16, 6-4, 6-4
1957 Denmark Jan Leschly South Africa Gordon Lawrence Talbot 1-6, 6-2, 6-3
1958 Denmark Jan Leschly (2) Denmark Claus Storm Pallesen 6-0, 6-0
1959[10] United States John Kebble Pakistan Tariq Afridi 7-5, 6-1
1962 New Zealand Robert G. Clarke[11] United Kingdom Mark Cox 6-4, 6-3
1963 United Kingdom Mark Cox United Kingdom Geoff Bluett 6-4, 6-3
1964 United Kingdom Keith Wooldridge United Kingdom Graham Stilwell 6-2, 6-0
1965 United Kingdom Mark Cox (2) United Kingdom Gerald Battrick 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
1966 United Kingdom Mark Cox (3) New Zealand Lew Gerrard 5-7, 7-5, 6-4
1967 United Kingdom Mark Cox (4) United Kingdom Keith Wooldridge 6-2, 6-4
1968 United Kingdom Stanley Matthews United Kingdom Keith Wooldridge 10-12, 7-5, 7-5
Open era
East of England Open Championships
1969 Australia Bob Giltinan South Africa Byron Bertram 8-6, 1-6, 8-6
1970 Australia Bob Giltinan (2) Australia Syd Ball 7-5, 6-2
1971 Australia Alvin Gardiner New Zealand Jeff Simpson 5-7, 7-5, 6-4
1972 United Kingdom John Feaver South Africa Tony Fawcett 9-8, 6-4
1973 United States Armistead Neely United States Larry Parker 5-7, 6-4, 8-6
East of England Championships
1974 South Africa Willem Prinsloo United Kingdom Dave Segal 6-3, 6-0
1975 United Kingdom Mike Collins Pakistan Saeed Meer 3-6, 6-3, 9-7
1976 United Kingdom Mark Farrell Bermuda Stephen Alger 6-3, 6-4
1977 Pakistan Saeed Meer Pakistan Ali Kahn 2-6, 6-4, 9-7
1978 United Kingdom Willie Davies United States Dean Mathias 6-3, 6-4
1979 Netherlands Rob Hak[12] United Kingdom Willie Davies 9-8, 3-6, 6-3
1980 United Kingdom John Paish United Kingdom Willie Davies 6-1, 6-4
1981 United Kingdom Ian Currie United Kingdom Martin Guntrip w.o.
1982 United Kingdom Willie Davies (2) United Kingdom John Paish 3-6, 6-1, 6-2

Women's singles

[edit]

(Incomplete roll)

Year Champion Runner Up Score
Felixstowe Open Lawn Tennis Tournament
1886 England A. Ridley England Helen Kersey 6-1, 6-5
1887 No women's event
1888 England Nellie Turner England F Green 4-6, 6-2, 10-8
Eastern Counties Championships
1889 England Ivy Arbuthnot England Helen Kersey 6-3, 6-4
1890 England Florence Noon Thompson England Winifred Kersey 6-3, 6-4
1891 England Winifred Kersey England C. Tidbury 6-4, 6-2
1892 No women's event
1893 United Kingdom Elsie Lane United Kingdom Henrietta Horncastle 6-3, 11-9
1894 United Kingdom M. Burton United Kingdom E. Burton 6-3, retired.
1895 United Kingdom Elsie Lane (2) United Kingdom A. Inge 6-1, 6-3
1896 United Kingdom Emma Ridding United Kingdom Henrica Ridding divided prizes
East of England Championships
1897 United Kingdom Mrs White United Kingdom Henrietta Horncastle 6-3, 6-3
1898 Wales Edith Austin United Kingdom Miss Tootell 6-1, 6-2
1899 United Kingdom Beryl Tulloch United Kingdom Elsie Lane 6-8 6-2 6-4
1900 United Kingdom Beryl Tulloch (2) United Kingdom Winifred Kersey 4-6, 6-0, 6-2
1901 United Kingdom Connie Wilson United Kingdom Hilda Lane 6-2, 6-4
1902 United Kingdom Dorothea Douglass United Kingdom Winifred Longhurst 6-3, 4-6, 9-7
1903 United Kingdom Alice Greene United Kingdom Connie Wilson 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
1904 United Kingdom Connie Wilson (2) United Kingdom Agnes Morton 6-3, 6-3
1905 United Kingdom Alice Greene (2) United Kingdom Marion Colbatch-Clark 8-6, 6-2
1906 United Kingdom Dorothea Douglass United Kingdom Connie Wilson 14-14, retired
1907 United Kingdom Dorothea Douglass Chambers (2) United Kingdom Agnes Morton 6-2, 6-2
1908 United Kingdom Dorothea Douglass Chambers (3) United Kingdom Agnes Morton 6-1, 6-3
1909 United Kingdom Agnes Morton United Kingdom Mary Gray Curtis-Whyte 6-0, 6-1
1910 United Kingdom Dorothea Douglass Chambers (4) United Kingdom M. Messom 6-0, 6-2
1911 United Kingdom Dorothy Holman United Kingdom Winifred McNair 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
1912 United Kingdom Agnes Morton (2) United Kingdom Dorothea Douglass Chambers 5-7, 6-3, retired
1913 United Kingdom Winifred McNair United States Elizabeth Ryan 7-5, 7-5
1914-18 Not held (due to World War I)
1919 United Kingdom Muriel Ledger Hextall United Kingdom Mrs F.W. Hodges 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
1920 United Kingdom Mabel Davey Clayton United Kingdom Phyllis Carr Satterthwaite 6-4, 6-3
1921 United Kingdom Geraldine Ramsey Beamish United Kingdom Mabel Davey Clayton 6-3, 7-5
1922 United Kingdom Geraldine Ramsey Beamish (2) United Kingdom Mabel Davey Clayton 6-0, 6-2
1923 United Kingdom Mabel Davey Clayton (2) United Kingdom Geraldine Ramsey Beamish 1-6, 6-2, 10-8
1924 United Kingdom Ermyntrude Harvey United Kingdom Claire Beckingham 6-4, 6-1
1925 United Kingdom Claire Beckingham United Kingdom Geraldine Ramsey Beamish 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
1926 United Kingdom Geraldine Ramsey Beamish (3) United Kingdom Elsie Goldsack 6-4, 6-2
1927 United Kingdom Joan Ridley United Kingdom Geraldine Ramsey Beamish 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
1928 United Kingdom Joan Ridley (2) United Kingdom Geraldine Ramsey Beamish 6-4, 6-3
1929 United Kingdom Joan Ridley (3) United Kingdom Elsie Goldsack 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
1930 United Kingdom Nancy Lyle United Kingdom Elsie Goldsack Pittman 6-4, 6-3
1931 United Kingdom Elsie Goldsack Pittman United Kingdom Joan Ridley 6-2, 6-2
1932 United Kingdom Elsie Goldsack Pittman (2) United Kingdom Ermyntrude Harvey 6-0, 8-6
1933 United Kingdom Geraldine Ramsey Beamish (4) United Kingdom Lucy Bond Pretty 6-1, 6-1
1934 United Kingdom Freda Scott United Kingdom Joan Ridley 12-10, 8-8, retired
1935 India Leila Row United Kingdom Freda Scott 6-3, 6-2
1936 South Africa Audrey de Smidt Allister United Kingdom Nancy Palmer 6-2, 6-2
1937 Poland Jadwiga Jędrzejowska United Kingdom Audrey Wright 6-1, 6-4
1938 United Kingdom Elsie Goldsack Pittman (3) United Kingdom Rosemary Thomas 7-5, 9-7
1939 United Kingdom Elsie Goldsack Pittman (4) United Kingdom Iris Hutchings 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
1940-46 Not held (due to World War I)
1947 Poland Jadwiga Jędrzejowska (2) Sweden Bibi Gullbrandsson 6-1, 6-2
1948 United Kingdom Jean-Nicoll-Bostock United Kingdom Jean Quertier 11-9, 6-2
1949 United Kingdom Patricia Ward United Kingdom Joey Physick David 7-5, 6-2
1950 United Kingdom Margaret Emerson United Kingdom Anne Shilcock 6-2, 6-2
1951 United Kingdom Anne Shilcock United Kingdom Joey Physick Lloyd 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
1952 United Kingdom Jean Quertier Rinkel United States Baba Lewis 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
1953 South Africa Lucille van der Westhuizen United Kingdom D. Midgley 6-0, 6-3
1954 United Kingdom Shirley Bloomer New Zealand Heather Redwood Robson 6-3, 6-1
1955 United Kingdom Bea Walter United Kingdom Anthea Gibb 6-4, 6-2
1956 New Zealand Elaine Becroft United Kingdom Christine Truman 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
1957 United Kingdom Patricia Hird Denmark Inge Overgaard 6-2, 6-0
1958 United Kingdom A. Hardwick Denmark Pia Balling 7-5, 6-2
1959 United Kingdom Sheila Griffin Bramley United Kingdom J. Stedman 6-3 6-2
1960 United Kingdom Sheila Griffin Bramley (2) United Kingdom Elaine Watson Shenton divided title
1961 United Kingdom J. Watts United Kingdom Sheila Griffin Bramley 7-5, 1-6, 6-3
1962 New Zealand Judy Davidson New Zealand Elizabeth Terry 6-2, 6-3
1963 United Kingdom Alison Stroud United Kingdom Mrs S. Stevenson 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
1964 United Kingdom Elizabeth Starkie United Kingdom Deidre Catt 9-7, 4-6, 6-4
1965 United Kingdom Rita Bentley United Kingdom Elizabeth Starkie 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
1966 Australia Jill Blackman South Africa Laura Rossouw 6-3, 6-4
1967 United States Patti Hogan United States Lynne Abbes 6-2, 6-3
1968 United Kingdom Janice Townsend Australia Jenny Staley Hoad 11-9, 6-1
Open era
East of England Open Championships
1969 South Africa Anita van Deventer South Africa Brenda Kirk 6-2, 6-4
1970 United Kingdom Corinne Molesworth United Kingdom Robin Blakelock Lloyd 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
1971 United Kingdom Jill Cooper United Kingdom Corinne Molesworth 6-3, 6-2
1972 Australia Patricia Coleman Australia Wendy Turnbull 7-5, 8-6
1973 South Africa Greer Stevens United Kingdom Diane Riste 6-2, 6-1
East of England Championships
1974 Australia Gwen Stirton Australia Lois Raymond[13] 6-3 7-5
1975 United Kingdom Lindsay Blachford United Kingdom Annette Coe 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
1976 United Kingdom J. Wilton United Kingdom Julia Lloyd 6-3, 7-5
1977 United Kingdom Linda Geeves United Kingdom Jill Cottrell 6-2, 6-4
1978 United Kingdom Deborah Stewart Israel Hagit Zubary[14] 6-2, 9-7
1979 United States Phyllis Blackwell United States E. Sharp 6-4, 6-3
1980 Australia Elizabeth Little United Kingdom Sonia Davies 6-1, 6-1
1981 United Kingdom Deborah Stewart (2) United Kingdom Jane Plackett 6-3, 6-3
1982 United Kingdom Joy Tacon New Zealand Belinda Cordwell 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
1983 United Kingdom Jane Langstaff Hong Kong Paulette Moreno 7-6, 6-0

Tournament records

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

In the late 1880s an East of England tournament was established in Filey, North Yorkshire, but was predominantly a local tennis meeting only.

Event names

[edit]
  • Felixstowe Open Lawn Tennis Tournament (1885-87)
  • Eastern Counties Championships (1889-96)
  • East of England Championships (1897–1967)
  • East of England Open Championships (1968–72)
  • East of England Tournament (1973)
  • East of England Championships (1974–82)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Lawn Tennis Season at Felixstowe". The Sketch: A Journal of Art and Actuality. 110. Ingram brothers: 127. 1924.
  2. ^ Daily Mail Year Book. London: Associated Newspapers Groups, Limited. 1966. p. 23.
  3. ^ "The Tennis Tournament at Felixstowe. The second day's play of the second annual lawn tennis tournament in connection with the Felixstowe Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club took place on Friday on the club ground". The Ipswich Journal. Ipswich, Suffolk, England. 14 August 1886. p. 3.
  4. ^ "Events". clubspark.lta.org.uk. Felixstowe Lawn Tennis Club. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  5. ^ Felixstowe Lawn Tennis Club
  6. ^ "Tournament – East of England Championships". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  7. ^ "R.J.E. Mayers Bio". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Anthony Starte". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Player Profile: Geoff Ward". www.itftennis.com. ITF. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  10. ^ Brammer, Chris (24 August 2012). "Veteran tennis player John Keeble reflects on Orton's success". East Anglian Daily Times. Norwich, England.: Archant Limited. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Player Profile: Robert Clarke". www.itftennis.com. ITF. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Rob Hak: Bio". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Lois Raymond: Player". Women's Tennis Association. WTA. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Player Profile: Hagit Zubary". www.itftennis.com. ITF. Retrieved 10 April 2023.

Sources

[edit]
  • Daily Mail Year Book. (1966) London: Associated Newspapers Groups.
  • Events. clubspark.lta.org.uk. Felixstowe Lawn Tennis Club.
  • The Ipswich Journal. (14 August 1886) Ipswich, Suffolk, England.
  • The Sketch: (1924) A Journal of Art and Actuality. Ingram brothers. 110: 127.