1885 women's tennis season

Last updated

1885 Women's tennis season
Maud watson.jpg
Maud Watson is singles title leader this year
Details
Duration4 May – 6 November
Edition10th
Tournaments60 (Amateur)
CategoriesImportant (3)
National (0)
Provincial/Regional/State (7)
County (7)
Regular (13)
Achievements (singles)
Most titles Flag of England.svg Maud Watson (5)
Most finals Flag of England.svg Blanche Bingley (6)
1884
1886

The 1885 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 60 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in May in Sydney, Australia and ended in November in New Haven, United States. [1]

Contents

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]

1885 sees a large expansion in the overall number of combined women's events being held as the tennis circuit continues to grow. [5] At the beginning of may the first Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament (later known as the New South Wales Championships) is held in Sydney, Australia and is won by Annie Lamb. [6]

In late May 1884 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships [7] in Dublin, Ireland. In the women's singles final England's Maud Watson retains the title defeating Irleland's Louisa Martin. Watson also claims the doubles title with her sister Lilian Watson defeating the Irish sisters Adela Langrishe and May Langrishe. In the mixed doubles Watson retains the title with William Renshaw against Ireland's Connie Butler and Ireland's Ernest Browne. [1] and completes a clean sweep of all possible events, singles, doubles and mixed doubles. [1]

In June 1884 at the second major tournament of the year the Northern Championships in Manchester England's Maud Watson wins her second major singles title against Edith Davies. The women's doubles title is won by Ann Dod and Lottie Dod who defeated Margaret Bracewell and Beatrice Langrishe. [1] In the mixed doubles event Maud Watson wins a second title paired with William Renshaw beating England's Margaret Bracewell and America's James Dwight. [1]

At the 1885 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament in the singles competition Maud Watson defeats Blanche Bingley to claim a second ladies championship title. [8] At the U.S. National Championships there was still no women's championship events held.

In Australasia in October the Victorian Championships held in Melbourne, Australia and played on asphalt courts is won by Mabel Shaw. In November the season ended in the United States at the New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament at that was by Adeline Robinson. In 1913 the International Lawn Tennis Federation was created, and consisted of 13 national member associations. The ILTF through its associated members then became responsible for supervising women's tour events.

Season 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

Main events. [10] [11] [12] [13]
National events
Provincial/State/Regional events
County events
Regular events

Singles

Results included:. [14]

Tournaments (31)
#Date endedTournamentLocationSurfaceWinnerFinalistScore
1.7-May-1885 [15] Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament Sydney Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Annie Lamb Flag of Australia (converted).svg Miss Gordon6–5, 6–4, 6–1, 6–1
2.26-May-1885 [14] Irish Championships Dublin Grass Flag of England.svg Maud Watson Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg Louisa Martin 6–2, 4–6, 6–3
3.30-May-1885 [14] West of England Championships Bath Grass Flag of England.svg Gertrude Gibbs Flag of England.svg Edith Davies2–6, 6–4, 6–0
4.6-Jun-1885 [14] East Gloucestershire Championships Cheltenham Grass Flag of England.svg Maud Watson Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg Connie Butler6–3, 6–1
5.13-Jun-1885 [14] Kilkenny County and City Tournament Archersfield Grass Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg May Langrishe Flag of England.svg Miss Neville6–1, 6–8
6.13-Jun-1885 [14] London Championships Stamford Bridge Grass Flag of England.svg Maud Watson Flag of England.svg Lilian Watson 6–2, 6–3
7.17-Jun-1885 [14] Acton Vale LTC Open East Acton Grass Flag of England.svg Blanche Bingley Flag of England.svg Miss Day6–0, 6–2
8.19-Jun-1885 [14] Waterloo Tournament Liverpool Grass Flag of England.svg Lottie Dod Flag of England.svg Margaret Bracewell 6–4, 6–2
9.20-Jun-1885 [14] Brincliffe Lawn Tennis Club Open Tournament Sheffield Grass Flag of England.svg Beatrice Wood Flag of England.svg Florence Mardall6–1, 6–0
10.27-Jun-1885 [14] Northern Championships * Manchester Grass Flag of England.svg Maud Watson Flag of England.svg Edith Davies6–3, 6–3
11.3-Jul-1885 [14] Midland Counties Championship Cup Edgbaston Grass Flag of England.svg Margaret Bracewell Flag of England.svg Mary Steedman6–3, 6–2
12.9-Jul-1885 [14] Ealing Lawn Tennis Tournament Ealing Grass Flag of England.svg Charlotte Cooper Flag of England.svg Edith Gurney 6–4, 6–4
13.9-Jul-1885 [16] Natal Championships Durban Grass Flag of the Natal Colony (1875-1910).svg Mabel Grant Flag of the Natal Colony (1875-1910).svg L. Button18–8 games
14.17-Jul-1885 [14] Wimbledon Championships London Grass Flag of England.svg Maud Watson Flag of England.svg Blanche Bingley 6–1, 7–5
15.25-Jul-1885 [14] Chiswick Park Tournament Chiswick Park Grass Flag of England.svg Edith Gurney Flag of England.svg Blanche Bingley 1–6, 7–5, 6–0
16.25-Jul-1885 [14] Leicester Open Lawn Tennis Tournament Leicester Grass Flag of England.svg Margaret Bracewell Flag of England.svg Agnes Watts6–2, 8–6
17.6-Aug-1885 [14] Darlington Association Tournament Darlington Grass Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg Florence Stanuell Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg Connie Butler6–0, 7–5
18.8-Aug-1885 [14] West of Ireland Championships Sligo Grass Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg C. McClintock Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg Maude Scovell0–6, 6–3, 6–2
19.14-Aug-1885 [14] East Grinstead Lawn Tennis Tournament East Grinstead Grass Flag of England.svg Blanche Bingley Flag of England.svg Edith Davies6–2, 5–7, 6–3
20.17-Aug-1885Charleville Ladies' Tournament Charleville Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Miss CrookbainWon
21.18-Aug-1885 [14] Bournemouth Lawn Tennis Club Tournament Bournemouth Grass Flag of England.svg Mrs Surman Flag of England.svg Mrs Hornbydrew
22.20-Aug-1885Augusta Tournament Augusta Grass Flag of the United States.svg Miss Haynes Flag of the United States.svg Katie Baldwin3–6, 6–1, 6–4
23.22-Aug-1885 [14] North Yorkshire Tournament Scarborough Grass Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mabel Boulton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Beatrice Wood 6–2, 6–2
24.22-Aug-1885 [14] South of Scotland Championships Moffat Grass Flag of England.svg Ann Dod Flag of Scotland.svg J. Forrest6–0, 6–0
25.29-Aug-1885 [14] Derbyshire Championships Buxton Grass Flag of England.svg Blanche Bingley Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg Louisa Martin 6–3, 6–3
26.17-Sep-1885 [14] South of England Championships Eastbourne Grass Flag of England.svg Blanche Bingley Flag of England.svg Ada Strapp6–1, 6–0
27.26-Sep-1885 [14] Sussex County Lawn Tennis Tournament Brighton Asphalt Flag of the United Kingdom.svg EF Hudson Flag of England.svg Constance Bryan 6–1, 6–4
28.26-Sep-1885 Orange LTC Open Montrose Grass Flag of the United States.svg Adeline Robinson Flag of the United States.svg Grace Roosevelt 6–3, 3–6, 6–2
29.5-Oct-1885 Camp Washington Ladies Lawn Tennis Tournament Livingston Grass Flag of the United States.svg Miss Lesley Flag of the United States.svg Miss Austin4–6, 6–2, 6–3
30.10-Oct-1885 Victorian Championships Melbourne Asphalt Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mabel Shaw Flag of Australia (converted).svg Miss Patterson13–7 games
31.6-Nov-1885New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament New Haven Grass Flag of the United States.svg Adeline Robinson Flag of the United States.svg Emma Leavitt-Morgan 6–2, 6–3

Tournament winners

Singles

This is list of winners sorted by number of singles titles (# and main titles in bold)

Doubles

This is list of winners sorted by number of doubles titles (# and main titles in bold)
Note: Ann Dod and Connie Butler won titles with two different partners.

Mixed doubles

This is list of winners sorted by number of mixed doubles titles (# and main titles in bold)

Statistical summary

Singles

Doubles

Mix Doubles

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Garcia, Gabriel. "Season - 1885" . The Tennis Base. Madrid: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 4 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.33.
  6. "Lawn Tennis". Illustrated Sydney News . Vol. XXII, no. 6. New South Wales, Australia. 6 June 1885. pp. 11–15 via National Library of Australia.
  7. Irish TV Documentary (4 Jul 2016). The True Tale Of The Irish Tennis Murderer. Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE). Dublin. Ireland.
  8. "The Championships 1885 - Ladies' Singles" (PDF). Wimbledon. AELTC. Retrieved 5 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 "Lawn Tennis Tournaments of 1885". Routledges Sporting Annual. London: George Routledge and Son. 1886. pp. 124–130.
  15. Illustrated Sydney News
  16. "The History of KZN Tennis". KZN Tennis Association. p. 1. Retrieved 5 August 2023.