| Cheltenham Covered Court Championships | |
|---|---|
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Event name | Cheltenham Covered Courts |
| Tour | Mens Amateur Tour (1877–1912) |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Abolished | 1881 |
| Editions | 1 |
| Location | Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. |
| Venue | Imperial Winter Gardens |
| Surface | Wood (indoor) |
The Cheltenham Covered Court Championships [1] also called the Cheltenham Covered Courts [2] was a men's and women's indoor wood court tennis tournament staged from the 19th to 23 April 1881 only at the Imperial Winter Gardens, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. It was one of the earliest locations in England to stage an indoor wood court tennis event. [3]
The Cheltenham Covered Court Championships was an early Victorian era men's and women's indoor wood court tennis tournament staged from the 19th to 23 April 1881 only at the Imperial Winter Gardens, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. [4] Cheltenham was first towns in England to have a covered court. [5]
A description of the event that concluded on 23 April 1881 .
“The Cheltenham Lawn Tennis Club have been the first to set the ball rolling this season, and fixed upon Tuesday last for their opening tournament. It being rather early to be playing the game out of doors, it was determined to bring off the matches under cover, so the beautiful courts in the Imperial Winter Gardens were obtained for the week. The principal events were the ladies’ and gentlemen’s matches for the Covered Court Championships, and for these entries of sixteen and fourteen respectively had been obtained, amongst which might be noticed the names of many good players. The men's singles title was won by England's Ernest Renshaw who defeated Irelands Ernest de Sylly H. Browne 3 sets to 1. The women's singles title was won by England's Marion Bradley who defeated England's Florence Mardall 2 sets to 1. The event was probably the first indoor tennis event staged and was played on fast hard wood courts.
— Lawn Tennis, The Field, April 23, 1881
A description of the venue.
“In November 1878 the Winter Garden and Skating Rink opened, designed by J. T. Darby – Cheltenham’s own Crystal Palace. [6] Flanked by gardens, tennis courts and a bowling green, the Winter Gardens extended from the back of the present Town Hall almost to the Broad Walk. [7] The immense iron roof, which rose to a height of 100ft, was constructed by the Central Iron Works at Lansdown. [8] The building housed one of the earliest roller-skating rinks in the country, measuring 15,000 sq. ft. [9]
— Site of the Winter Gardens Historic Public Gardens of Cheltenham, Original by the Cheltenham History Society.
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 |  Ernest Renshaw |  Ernest Browne | 6-2, 3–6, 6–1, 8–6. [10] |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | Marion Bradley | Florence Mardall | 3-6 6-2 6–2. [11] |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | William Renshaw Ernest Renshaw |  George Butterworth G. Harrison | ?. [12] |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | Clara Hill Ellen Ramsay | Mrs Dark Miss Jones | 6-1, 6–3. [13] |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | Ernest Browne Miss Williams | Henry Blane Porter Florence Mardall | ?. [14] |
The 1878 Men's tennis tour was composed of the third annual pre-open era tour. It now incorporated 15 tournaments staged in Great Britain and Ireland the Wimbledon championships was won by challenger Patrick Francis Hadow defeating the defending champion Spencer Gore.
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The 1880 Men's tennis tour was the fifth amateur tennis tour held that year. It now incorporated 41 tournaments staged in Australia, Great Britain and Ireland and the United States. The 1880 Wimbledon Championships was won by John Hartley against Herbert Lawford, in the Challenge Round.
The 1881 Men's tennis tour was composed of the sixth annual pre-open era tour now incorporated 65 tournaments staged in Australia, Canada, Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States. The 1881 Wimbledon Championships was won by William Renshaw. This year also saw the inaugural and important 1881 U.S. National Championships held at Newport Casino which Richard Sears won. This was also the year that the United States National Lawn Tennis Association, which is the world's first national tennis association, was founded. Renshaw then won two other big tournaments of the year, the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and Princes Club Championships, whilst Richard Taswell Richardson won the prestigious Northern Championships.
The 1882 Men's tennis tour was composed of the seventh annual pre-open era tour and now incorporated 67 events. The Wimbledon Championships and Irish Championships was won by William Renshaw, the U.S. National Championships was won by Richard Sears collecting his second title other big winners were Richard Taswell Richardson picking up the Northern Lawn Tennis Championships and Ernest Renshaw winning the Princes Club Championships, The title leader this season was Robert W. Braddell winning 4 tournaments from 6 finals.
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