Bielefeld Challenger | |
---|---|
Defunct tennis tournament | |
Tour | ILTF World Circuit |
Founded | 1907 |
Abolished | 2004 |
Location | Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
Venue | Bielefeld Tennis Tournament Club (1907-1981) Bielefeld Tennis Club Games and Sports (1984-2004) |
Surface | Clay / outdoor |
The Bielefeld Challenger or ATP Challenger Bielefeld was a men's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1907 as combined event called the Bielefeld Tennis Tournament. [1]
In 1949 the tournament was branded as the Bielefeld International Tennis Tournament [2] until 1981. The tournament was first played at the Bielefeld Tennis Tournament Club (BTTC), then later at the Bielefeld Tennis Club Games and Sports, Bielefeld, Germany until 2004. [3] [1]
In 1905 the Bielefeld Tennis Tournament Club BTTC) was founded in 1905. [4] In 1907 it established the Bielefeld Tennis Tournament that ran annually until just before World War II. In 1949 following the second world war the event was rebranded as the Bielefeld International Tennis Tournament, [5] that ran annually as part of the ILTF World Circuit until 1970 when it was downgraded from the main worldwide tour.
In 1973 the tournament was revived at a new venue the Bielefeld Tennis Club Games and Sports (Tennisclub Spiel und Sport Bielefeld) founded in 1909, [6] and was part of the ILTF Independent Circuit until 1975. In 1976 the tournament became part of the German National Grand Prix Series (Deutsche Grand-Prix-Serie) until 1981 when it was discontinued again. [1] In 1984 the event was revived as an ATP Challenger tournament played at the same venue, however this was not a permanent fixture in the tennis calendar as the tournament was held only for three more editions in 1991, [7] 1998 and 2004 when it was abolished. [8] As of 2024 an international tournament is currently being held back at the original venue called the International Westphalian Senior Tennis Championships. [9]
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the governing body of world tennis, wheelchair tennis, and beach tennis. It was founded in 1913 as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by twelve national tennis associations. As of 2016, there are 211 national and six regional associations that make up the ITF's membership.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is the governing body of the men's professional tennis circuits – the ATP Tour, the ATP Challenger Tour and the ATP Champions Tour. It was formed in September 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of professional tennis players, and Drysdale became the first president. Since 1990 the association has organized the ATP Tour, the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the organization's name. It is the governing body of men's professional tennis. In 1990 the organization was called the ATP Tour, which was renamed in 2001 as just ATP and the tour being called ATP Tour. In 2009 the name of the tour was changed again and was known as the ATP World Tour, but changed again to the ATP Tour by 2019. It is an evolution of the tour competitions previously known as Grand Prix tennis tournaments and World Championship Tennis (WCT). The ATP's global headquarters are in London. ATP Americas is based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; ATP Europe is headquartered in Monaco; and ATP International, which covers Africa, Asia and Australasia, is based in Sydney, Australia.
The ITF Grand Prix Circuit was a professional tennis tour for male players that existed founded in 1970 as the ILTF Grand Prix Tennis Circuit it ran annually until 1989 when it and WCT Circuit were replaced by a single world wide ATP Tour.
The racket sport traditionally named lawn tennis, invented in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, now commonly known simply as tennis, is the direct descendant of what is now denoted real tennis or royal tennis, which continues to be played today as a separate sport with more complex rules. The first Lawn Tennis Club and tournament was held in Royal Leamington Spa on 1 August 1882.
The Belgian Open was a women's tennis tournament founded in 1899 as a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament.
The Düsseldorf Open was a women's clay court tennis tournament founded as a combined men's and women's tournament in 1905 called the Düsseldorf International or Internationale Düsseldorf. It remained a joint event until 1969 and was held annually at the Rochusclub Düsseldorfer Tennisclub in Düsseldorf, Germany until 1974.
The Phoenix Thunderbird Open was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament founded in 1952 as Phoenix Thunderbird Championships Invitational. Also known as the Phoenix Thunderbird Invitational it continued as a joint event until 1970 when the men's event was discontinued. In 1971 the women's tournament was re branded as the Virginia Slims Thunderbird Classic that event continued until 1980.
The Cacharel Caracas Open was a men's tennis tournament founded as the Altimira International, also known as the Altamira International Invitation and Caracas International Championships. The tournament was played annually at the Altamira Tennis Club, Miranda, Caracas, Venezuela usually in mid-March initially as part of the ILTF Caribbean Circuit.
The Düsseldorf Grand Prix or Großer Preis von Düsseldorf was a men's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1905 as a combined event men's and women's called the Düsseldorf International or Internationale Düsseldorf. It remained a joint event until 1969 and was held at the Rochusclub Düsseldorfer Tennisclub in Düsseldorf, Germany until 1977.
The 1972 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit held that year and organized by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF). It consisted of 33 Grand Prix tournaments in different categories including three of the four Grand Slam tournaments and was followed by a season-ending Masters tournament. The circuit ran from February through November.
The 1971 ILTF Women's Tennis Circuit was the 58th season since the formation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation in 1913, it consisted of a number of tennis tournaments for female tennis players.
The 1972 ILTF Women's Tennis Circuit was the 58th season since the founding of the International Lawn Tennis Association and was the final season to be solely administered by the ILTF.
The Highland Championships was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament first established in 1896 as part of the Atholl Hydropathic Open Lawn Tennis Tournament. Also known as the Bell's Highland Championships for sponsorship reasons (1974–1981).
The Alverstoke Open was an annual combined tennis tournament founded in 1909 as the Gosport Tournament at Alverstoke, Hampshire, England. The tournament was mainly played on grass courts except for the 1921 to 1923 editions which were played on clay courts. The tournament was part of the ILTF Circuit and ended in 1981.
The Florida State Open Championships also known as the Florida State Championships or Florida Open was an open international men's and women's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1910 as the Winter Championships of Florida. It was first organised by the Palm Beach Tennis Club and first played on clay courts adjacent to the Royal Poinciana Hotel, Palm Beach Florida, United States. The international tournament was played at other locations throughout its run until September 1972 when it was discontinued as part of the ILTF Independent Tour.
The Marrickville and District Hardcourts was an open international men's and women's hard court tennis tournament founded in 1970. It was first organised by the Marrickville and District Hardcourt Tennis Association and played at the Marrickville Hardcourt Tennis Club, Marrickville in Sydney. This international tournament was part of the ILTF World Circuit until 1972, then the ILTF Independent Tour from 1973 to 1983 when it was discontinued.
The New South Wales Hard Court Championships was a men's and women's open tennis tournament founded in 1915, and first held at Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia. It was first organised by the Dubbo District Tennis Association in conjunction with the New South Wales Lawn Tennis Association and was played on clay courts. It was staged as part of ILTF Australasia Circuit a sub circuit of the ILTF World Circuit until 1972, then became part of the ILTF Independent Tour until 1984 and finally part of the Tennis Australia Circuit till 1988 when it was discontinued as a senior event.
The Nice International Winter Championships or Championnats Internationaux d'Hiver de Nice was a men's and women's tennis tournament founded in 1922 as the Nice Lawn Tennis Club Winter Cup also known as the Parc Imperial Winter Tournament or Nice Winter Tournament. It was organised by the Nice Lawn Tennis Club, Nice, France and played on clay courts until 1974 as part of the ILTF Independent Circuit.
The South-West Districts Championships was a combined men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1950. The tournament was played at the Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Club, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia, and ran annually until 1979 when it was discontinued as part of the ILTF Independent Circuit.
The San Francisco City Championships is a men's and women's tennis tournament founded in 1901. It first was played at the California Tennis Club, San Francisco, United States, and then staged annually at various locations until 2019 when it moved to Dolores Park.