1884 women's tennis season

1884 Women's tennis season

Maud Watson is singles title leader this year
Details
Duration	6 March – 19 December
Edition	9th
Tournaments	33 (Amateur)
Categories	Important (3) National (0) Provincial/Regional/State (6) County (5) Regular (24)
Achievements (singles)
Most tournament titles	Maud Watson (4)
Most tournament finals	Maud Watson (4)
← 1883 1885 →

The 1884 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 33 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in March in Brooklyn, United States, and ended in December in Melbourne, Australia. ^[1]

Season summary

Prior to the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913 the Wimbledon Championships, the U.S. National Championships, the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and the Northern Championships were considered by players and historians as the four most important tennis tournaments to win. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

1884 sees a slight expansion in the number women's singles events being held as the tennis circuit continues to grow. ^[5] In March the 23rd Regiment Armory Indoors tournament is held at the 23rd Regiment Armory in Brooklyn is the first indoor wood court tournament for women held in the United States, the event is won by Bessie Hazard.

In May 1884 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships ^[6] in Dublin, Ireland. In the women's singles final holder Ireland's May Langrishe is defeated by England's Maud Watson. Watson also claims the mixed doubles title with William Renshaw against Ireland's Connie Butler and Scotlands John Galbraith Horn. ^[1] In terms of draw size the West of England Championships was the largest tournament of the year with a draw of 46 across three events.

In June 1884 at the second major tournament of the year the Northern Championships in Liverpool England's Edith Davies achieves a clean sweep winning singles title against Margaret Bracewell, she also picks up the doubles title with Miss Eckersley defeating sisters Annie and Lottie Dod, ^[1] and the mixed doubles title paired with Ireland's Ernest Browne. ^[1] In July in South Africa the first major women's tournament the Natal Championships is played in Pietermaritzburg, and in South East Asia the Singapore Cricket Club establishes a ladies lawn tennis club who stage a tournament later in December. ^[7]

At the 1884 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament women's championships events are staged for the first time, in the singles competition Maud Watson defeats her sister Lilian Watson to claim the very first ladies championship event. ^[8] At the U.S. National Championships there was still no women's championship events held.

In Australasia the first singles tournaments for women are held. In October the Carisbrook tournament in Dunedin, New Zealand is staged for the first time. In December the first Victorian Championships for women is held in Melbourne, Australia and played on asphalt courts. In 1913 the International Lawn Tennis Federation was created, that consisted of national member associations. The ILTF through its associated members then became responsible for supervising women's tour events.

Results

Notes 1: Challenge Round: the final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921), ^[9] in some tournaments not all.

* Indicates challenge round final

Key

Important. [10] [11] [12] [13]

National

Provincial/State/Regional

County

Regular

Singles

Results included:. ^[14]

Tournaments (30)

#	Date end	Tournament	Location	Surface	Winner	Finalist	Score
1.	6-Mar-1884	23d Regiment Armory Indoors	Brooklyn	Wood (i)	Bessie Hazard	Miss N. Hanly	6–3, 5–6, 6–4
2.	24-May-1884 [14]	Irish Championships	Dublin	Grass	Maud Watson	May Langrishe	6–3, 6–2, 6–2
3.	24-May-1884 [14]	Whitehouse Open	Edinburgh	Grass	Jane Meikle	Julia Ferguson	10–8, 6–2
4.	31-May-1884 [14]	West of England Championships	Bath	Grass	Edith Davies	Lilian Cole	6–4, 6–4
5.	10-Jun-1884 [14]	Waterloo Tournament	Liverpool	Grass	Margaret Bracewell	E. Gordon	6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–1
6.	14-Jun-1884 [14]	East Gloucestershire Championships	Cheltenham	Grass	Edith Davies	Louisa Martin	3–6, 6–5, 6–3
7.	19-Jun-1884 [14]	Northern Championships	Liverpool	Grass	Edith Davies	Margaret Bracewell	2–6, 6–4, 6–4
8.	21-Jun-1884 [14]	London Athletic Club Tournament	Stamford Bridge	Grass	Maud Watson	Edith Cole	6–4, 6–2, 2–6, 6–1
9.	26-Jun-1884 [14]	Ealing LTC Championship	Ealing	Grass	Mrs. Streetern	Charlotte Cooper	6–4, 4–6, 6–5
10.	1-Jul-1884 [14]	Kilkenny County and City Tournament	Kilkenny	Grass	Mabel Cahill	May Langrishe	6–4, 6–4
11.	5-Jul-1884	Natal Championships	Pietermaritzburg	Grass	Miss. Pearson	L. Button	6–0, 6–0, 3–6, 7–5
12.	18-Jul-1884 [14]	Hull Westbourne Avenue Tournament	Hull	Grass	Mabel Boulton	E.D. Ramsey	6–0, 7–5
13.	19-Jul-1884 [15]	Wimbledon Championships	London	Grass	Maud Watson	Lilian Watson	6–8, 6–3, 6–3
14.	25-Jul-1884 [14]	Midland Counties Championships	Edgbaston	Grass	Miss Noon	E Richardson	3–6, 8–6, 6–3
15.	2-Aug-1884 [14]	Chiswick Park Tournament	Chiswick Park	Grass	Blanche Bingley	Miss Wing	6–3, 6–3
16.	9-Aug-1884 [14]	Exmouth Open	Exmouth	Grass	Maud Watson	Agnes Watts	6–1, 7–5, 6–3
17.	16-Aug-1884 [14]	North Yorkshire Tournament	Scarborough	Grass	Constance Hodgson	Beatrice Wood	7–5, 6–3
18.	16-Aug-1884 [14]	East Grinstead Open	East Grinstead	Grass	Miss Cobbold	Ada Strapp	6–1, 6–4
19.	21-Aug-1884 [14]	Saxmundham Lawn Tennis Tournament	Saxmundham	Grass	May Marriott	G. Rant	6–1, 6–1
20.	23-Aug-1884 [14]	Derbyshire Championships	Buxton	Grass	Agnes Watts	Florence Stanuell	6–1, 6–2
21.	23-Aug-1884 [14]	South of Scotland Championships	Moffat	Grass	Jane Meikle	Lottie Paterson	6–3, 6–4
22.	23-Aug-1884 [14]	Whitby Open Lawn Tennis Tournament	Whitby	Grass	L. Cheetham	A.J. Osmond	6–3, 6–4
23.	30-Aug-1884	St. Paul Open	Saint Paul	Grass	Miss Napier	Miss K. Gilman	2–1 sets
24.	5-Sep-1884 [14]	Bournemouth Lawn Tennis Club Tournament	Bournemouth	Grass	F. Davies	Mrs Hornby	3–6, 6–2, 6–5
25.	6-Sep-1884 [14]	South of England Championships	Eastbourne	Grass	Frances Burton	Nellie Burton	6–2, 6–4
26.	27-Sep-1884 [14]	Sussex County Lawn Tennis Tournament	Brighton	Grass	M. Leslie	Eva Adshead	def.?
27.	16-Oct-1884	Carisbrook Tournament	Dunedin	Grass	F. E. Maitland	?	Won
29.	19-Dec-1884	Victorian Championships	Melbourne	Asphalt	E. MacKenzie	A. Bayles	10-4 (games)
30. [16]	Dec-1884	Singapore Ladies LTC Tournament	Singapore	Grass	results unknown	ditto	ditto

Tournament winners

Singles

This is list of winners sorted by number of singles titles (major titles in bold)

• Maud Watson (4) Exmouth, Irish Championships, Wimbledon Championships, Stamford Bridge.
• Edith Davies (3) Bath, Cheltenham, Northern Championships
• Jane Meikle (2) Edinburgh, Moffat
• Bessie Hazard (1) Brooklyn
• Margaret Bracewell (1) Liverpool
• Mrs. Streetern (1) Ealing
• Mabel Cahill (1) Kilkenny
• Miss. Pearson (1) Pietermaritzburg
• Mabel Boulton (1) Hull
• Miss Noon (1) Edgbaston
• Blanche Bingley (1) Chiswick Park
• Constance Hodgson (1) Scarborough
• Miss Cobbold (1) East Grinstead
• May Marriott (1) Saxmundham
• Agnes Watts (1) Buxton
• L. Cheetham (1) Whitby
• Miss Napier (1) St. Paul
• F. Davies (1) Bournemouth
• Frances Burton (1) Eastbourne
• M. Leslie (1) Brighton
• F. E. Maitland (1) Dunedin
• E. MacKenzie (1) Melbourne

Doubles

This is list of winners sorted by number of doubles titles (major titles in bold) Davies, Eckersley, Mardall and Watts won titles with different partners.

• Edith Davies & Miss Eckersley/ Florence Mardall (4) Bath, Cheltenham, Edgbaston, Northern Championships. ^[14]
• Florence Mardall & Edith Davies (3) Bath, Cheltenham, Edgbaston
• Miss Eckersley & Margaret Bracewell/ Edith Davies (2) Liverpool II, Northern Championships
• Agnes Watts & Effie Noon/ Miss Noon (2) Buxton, Exmouth. ^[14]
• Adela Langrishe & May Langrishe (1) Irish Championships. ^[14]
• Margaret Bracewell & Miss Eckersley (1) Liverpool II. ^[14]
• Lilian Watson & Maud Watson (1) Edgbaston. ^[14]
• Effie Noon & Agnes Watts (1) Exmouth. ^[14]
• Annie Riddell & M. Rose (1) Melbourne
• A. Turner & Miss Turner (1) Scarborough. ^[14]
• Miss Cobbold & Miss Richardson (1) East Grinstead. ^[14]
• Miss Noon & Agnes Watts (1) Buxton. ^[14]
• A. Foster & G. Rant (1) Saxmundham. ^[14]
• Miss Mockler & Miss Skirrow (1) Bournemouth. ^[14]
• Blanche Bingley & M. Leslie (1) Brighton. ^[14]

Mixed doubles

This is list of winners sorted by number of mixed doubles titles (major titles in bold)

• Maud Watson & William Renshaw/ John Redfern Deykin (2) Exmouth, Irish Championships. ^[1]
• Florence Mardall & Charles Gostling/ John Redfern Deykin (2) Bath, Edgbaston. ^[1]
• Miss Hanly & Mr. Hough (1) Brooklyn. ^[1]
• Margaret Bracewell & J. Bruce Ismay (1) Liverpool II. ^[1]
• Edith Davies & Ernest Browne (1) Northern Championships. ^[1]
• Miss Noon & Frank Noon (1) Leamington. ^[1]
• Marian Bradshaw & Herbert Wilberforce (1) Darlington. ^[1]
• Miss Bourchier & Donald Stewart (1) Chiswick Park. ^[1]
• Ellen Ramsay & Ernest Browne (1) Scarborough. ^[1]
• Miss Taylor & William Renshaw (1) East Grinstead. ^[1]
• Lilian Cole & Charles E. Pine-Coffin (1) Teignmouth. ^[1]
• Ethel Surtees & Charles Grinstead (1) Buxton. ^[1]
• Miss Burnand & E.M. Hansell (1) Saxmundham. ^[1]
• D. Radcliffe & John Charles Kay (1) Whitby. ^[1]
• Blanche Bingley & E. Barratt-Smith (1) Brighton. ^[1]
• Annie Riddel & Walter J. Riddell (1) Melbourne. ^[1]
• Annie Lamb & Mr Cropper (1) Sydney. ^[1]

Statistical summary

Singles

• Total Tournaments (30)
• Most Titles: Maud Watson (4)
• Most Finals: Maud Watson (4)
• Most Matches Played: Maud Watson (15)
• Most Matches Won: Maud Watson (15)
• Match Winning %: Maud Watson (100%)
• Most Tournaments Played: Maud Watson (4)

Doubles

• Total Tournaments: (14)
• Most Titles: Edith Davies (4)
• Most Finals: Edith Davies (4)

Mix Doubles

• Total Tournaments: (20)
• Most Titles: Florence Mardall / Maud Watson (2)
• Most Finals: Florence Mardall / Maud Watson (2)

References

1. Garcia, Gabriel. "Season - 1884" . The Tennis Base. Madrid: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
2. Robertson, Max (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. pp. 266, 267. ISBN   9780047960420.
3. Meyers, A. Wallis (1903). Lawn Tennis at Home and Abroad. New York: Charles Scribner and Sons. p. 55.
4. Lake, Robert J. (2014). A Social History of Tennis in Britain. Routledge. p. 49. ISBN   9781134445578.
5. Berry. David (2020). A people's history of tennis. (2) Feminists. Pluto Books London ISBN 978-0745339658. p.30.
6. Irish TV Documentary (4 Jul 2016). The True Tale Of The Irish Tennis Murderer. Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE). Dublin. Ireland.
7. "The Ladies Lawn Tennis Club is established - Singapore History". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Singapore: Government of Singapore. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
8. "The Championships 1884 Ladies' Singles" (PDF). Wimbledon. AELTC. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
9. "Abolition of Challenge Rounds". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. EVENING POST, VOLUME CIII, ISSUE 65, 20 March 1922. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
10. Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles (2012). Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 198. ISBN   9781598843002.
11. Gillmeister, Heiner (1998). Tennis:Cultural History. London: A&C Black. p. 199. ISBN   9780718501952.
12. Mazak, Karoly (2017). The Concise History of Tennis. Independently published. pp. 5–36. ISBN   9781549746475.
13. Lake, Robert J. (2014). A Social History of Tennis in Britain: Volume 5 of Routledge Research in Sports History. Routledge. p. 48. ISBN   9781134445578.
14. "Lawn Tennis Tournaments of 1884". Routledges Sporting Annual. London: George Routledge and Son. 1885. pp. 120–124.
15. Barrett, John (2001). Wimbledon : The Official History of the Championships. London: CollinsWillow. pp. 28–30. ISBN   0007117078.
16. Government of Singapore