Middlesex Championships

Middlesex Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Tour	Pre open era
Founded	1884
Abolished	1949
Location	Chiswick Park, Chiswick, Middlesex, Great Britain
Venue	Chiswick Park Lawn Tennis Club
Surface	Grass

The Middlesex Championships. ^[1] or Middlesex Lawn Tennis Championships ^[2] and also known as the Middlesex Open Tennis Championships was a men's and women's grass court tennis founded at the Chiswick Park Lawn Tennis Club,Chiswick Park, Chiswick, Middlesex, Great Britain in 1884 and known as the Chiswick Park Club Open Lawn Tennis Tournament ^[3] during the early editions of the event. The tournament was staged annually until 1949. ^[4]

History

Chiswick Park, House and gardens from the air (2016) the location of this tournament.

In 1883 William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire decided to lease some of his land, with a low annual ground rent for the residents Chiswick who wanted to establish a sports club. ^[4] This new sports ground staged bowls, cricket, football, and lawn tennis. In Chiswick Park Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club was formed and established a Middlesex County Championship tennis tournament. ^[4] The championships were usually held annually at the end of July through to the third week August. ^[4] In 1887 "Challenge Cups" were presented to the winners of the men's and women's singles events. In 1893 the scheduling of the tournament was altered to start at the end of May through to early June.

The Chiswick Park Lawn Tennis Club continued to stage the annual Championship of Middlesex, ^[5] making the venue second only to Wimbledon in importance. In 1925 the land lease arrangement came to end due it expiring, however by this point the former tennis and cricket clubs had by this point formed into a business entity the Chiswick Cricket and Lawn Tennis Company. The tournament was not held during World War One and was postponed again in 1939 following the outbreak of World War Two. In 1946 the tournaments grounds were issued with a compulsory purchase by Brentford and Chiswick Urban District Council. ^[4] After this tournament staged only three more times for the men's events, the women's events ended in 1946. ^[4] The Middlesex Championships ran for 59 years, and was quite successful in attracting attract top players to four championships until 1949 when it was abolished.

Notable winners of the men's singles included Charles Walder Grinstead (1884), Ernest Wool Lewis (1886–1890, 1892), ^[6] Athar-Ali Fyzee, (1921), Henry Mayes (1926) Daniel Prenn (1935), Czeslaw Spychala (1946) and Ghaus Mohammad (1947). Previous women's singles champions included Maud Shackle (1891–1893), Edith Austin Greville (1894, 1905), Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (1926) and Jadwiga Jędrzejowska (1938).

Finals

Men's singles

Harold Mahony won 6 singles titles.

Ernest Wool Lewis won 4 consecutive singles titles.

(incomplete roll)

Year	Champion	Runner up	Score
1884	Charles Walder Grinstead	Donald Charles Stewart	6-1, 4–6, 12–10, 6–3. [1]
1885	Herbert Chipp	Donald Charles Stewart	7-5, 7–5, 6–3. [1]
1886	Harry Grove	Edward Lake Williams	6-3, 6–2, 6–3. [1]
1887	Ernest Wool Lewis	Ernest George Meers	7-5, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3. [1]
1888	Ernest Wool Lewis (2)	Ernest George Meers	6-2, 6–2, 6–2. [1]
1889	Ernest Wool Lewis (3)	Harry S. Barlow	6-3, 6–3, 8–6. [1]
1890	Ernest Wool Lewis (4)	Harold Mahony	6-1, 6–4, 6–2. [1]
1891	Ernest George Meers	Ernest Wool Lewis	w.o. [1]
1892	Ernest Wool Lewis (5)	Ernest George Meers	6-3, 6–4, 6–2. [1]
1893	Harold Mahony	Ernest Wool Lewis	w.o. [1]
1894	Harry S. Barlow	Harold Mahony	3-6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–1. [1]
1895	Harry S. Barlow (2)	George Greville	6-4, 7–5, 4–6, 6–2. [1]
1896	Harold Mahony	Harry S. Barlow	w.o. [1]
1897	George Greville	Harold Mahony	6-4, 10–8, 5–7, 1–6, 6–1. [1]
1898	Harold Mahony (2)	George Greville	4-6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–2. [1]
1899	Harold Mahony (3)	George Greville	5-7, 2–6, 6–1, 6–1, 6–4. [1]
1900	Harold Mahony (4)	Arthur Gore	6-2, 6–4, 6–2. [1]
1901	George Greville (2)	Harold Mahony	7-5, 6–1, 4–6, 6–3. [1]
1902	George Greville (3)	Roderick McNair	6-2, 6–0, 6–2. [1]
1903	Harold Mahony (5)	Brame Hillyard	3-6, 6–2, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3. [1]
1904	Harold Mahony (6)	Frederick William Payn	3-6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4. [1]
1905	George Miéville Simond	Henry Pollard	9-7, 3–6, 10–8. [1]
1906	Major Ritchie	George Miéville Simond	6-1, 6–2, 6–4. [1]
1907	Major Ritchie (2)	Granville Gilbert Sharp	6-3, 4–6, 6–0, 6–1. [1]
1908	Major Ritchie (3)	Sydney Harman Adams	6-4, 6–1, 6–1. [1]
1909	Charles P. Dixon	Percival Davson	6-4, 7–5, 6–3. [1]
1910	Major Ritchie (4)	George Alan Thomas	7-5, 6–0, 6–0. [1]
1915/1918	Not held (due to World War I)
1919	Louis Bosman Raymond	Brian Norton	6-2, 6–1, 6–2. [1]
1920	Randolph Lycett	Major Ritchie	6-1, 9–7, 6–8, 6–3. [1]
1921	Athar-Ali Fyzee	Frank Hunter	4-6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–4. [1]
1922	Randolph Lycett (2)	Brian Gilbert	6-2, 6–2, 6–2. [1]
1923	Brian Norton	Donald Greig	8-6, 6–2. [1]
1924	Pat Spence	Louis Raymond	6-2, 6–3. [1]
1925	Noel Turnbull	Teddy Higgs	6-1, 3–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4. [1]
1926	Henry Mayes	Pat Hughes	8-6, 10–8, 6–1. [1]
1927	Jack Hillyard	Frank Crosbie	6-3, 6–3. [1]
1928	Randolph Lycett (2)	Pat Spence	2-6, 7–5, 7–5, 6–4. [1]
1929	William Powell	Ryuki Miki	6-1, 4–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–1. [1]
1930	Fred Perry	Atri Madan Mohan	7-5, 6–0. [1]
1931	Ted Avory	William Powell	6-4, 6–3. [1]
1932	Kenneth Dower	David H. Williams	6-3, 6–8, 6–2. [1]
1933	Iwao Aoki [7]	Pat Spence	3-6, 7–5, 6–2. [1]
1934	Frank Wilde	Colin Ritchie	6-4, 6–3. [1]
1935	Daniel Prenn	George Lyttleton-Rogers	6-4, 6–3. [1]
1936	David Jones	Jimmy Jones	6-4, 6–2. [1]
1937	Jimmy Jones	Murray Deloford	6-1, 6–1. [1]
1938	Choy Wai-Chuen	Eric Filby	6-2, 6–4. [1]
1939	Choy Wai-Chuen (2)	Eric Filby	6-4, 6–4. [1]
1940/1945	Not held (due to World War II)
1946	Czeslaw Spychala	Choy Wai-Chuen	6-8, 6–2, 6–4. [1]
1947	Ghaus Mohammed Khan	Howard Walton	6-2, 6–2. [1]
1948	Tim Lewis	Bernard Crouch	6-1, 6–3. [1]
1949	Headley Baxter	Cliff Hovell	6-1, 7–5. [1]

Women's singles

Dorothea Douglass-Chambers won 9 singles titles.

Charlotte Cooper won 4 consecutive singles titles.

(incomplete roll)

Year	Champion	Runner up	Score
1884	Blanche Bingley	Miss Wing	6-3, 6-3
1885	Edith Gurney	Blanche Bingley	1-6, 7–5, 6–0, retd.
1886	Miss Douglas	May Jacks	6-4, 6-0
1887	Dorothy Patterson	Edith Gurney	6-0, 4–6, 7-5
1888	Blanche Hillyard (2)	D. Patterson	6-2, 6-4
1889	Mary Steedman	Bertha Steedman	6-4, 7-5
1890	Mary Steedman (2)	May Jacks	6-2, 6-2
1891	Maud Shackle	Edith Austin	6-0, 6-1
1892	Maud Shackle (2)	Edith Austin	6-4, 6-0
1893	Maud Shackle (3)	Edith Austin	6-3, 6-4
1894	Edith Austin	A. Brown	6-3, 6-3
1895	Charlotte Cooper	Edith Austin	6-3, 7-5
1896	Charlotte Cooper (2)	Edith Austin	6-4, 6-2
1897	Charlotte Cooper (3)	Edith Austin	1-6, 6–4, 6-4
1898	Charlotte Cooper (4)	Edith Austin	6-3, 3–6, 7-5
1899	Edith Austin (2)	Charlotte Cooper	7-5, 6-4
1900	Charlotte Cooper (5)	Edith Austin Greville	6-3, 9-7
1901	Charlotte Cooper Sterry (6)	Toupie Lowther	6-3, 6-2
1902	Charlotte Cooper Sterry (7)	Edith Bromfield	6-1, 6-0
1903	Dorothea Douglass	Edith Bromfield	6-4, 9-7
1904	Dorothea Douglass (2)	Charlotte Cooper Sterry	4-6, 6–1, 6-3
1905	Edith Austin Greville (3)	Mabel Squire	6-4, 7-5
1906	Dorothea Douglass (3)	Charlotte Cooper Sterry	6-1, 6-0
1907	Dorothea Chambers (4)	Maud Brown	6-3, 6-1
1908	Dorothea Chambers (5)	Alice Greene	7-5, 6-4
1909	Beryl Tulloch	Agnes Daniell Tuckey	6-3, 4–6, 7-5
1910	Dorothea Chambers (6)	M. Messom	6-2, 6-2
1911	Dorothea Chambers (7)	Mabel Parton	6-3, 6-2
1912	Dorothy Holman	Mabel Squire Parton	6-2, 4–6, 7-5
1913	Dorothea Chambers (8)	Dora Boothby	6-2, 6-3
1914	Dorothea Chambers (9)	Aurea Edgington	walkover
1915/1918	Not held (due to World War I)
1919	Elizabeth Ryan	Geraldine Beamish	6-2, 4–6, 6-4
1920	Elizabeth Ryan (2)	Dorothea Chambers	7-5, 6-2
1921	Elizabeth Ryan (3)	Geraldine Beamish	6-3, 6-4
1922	Irene Bowder Peacock	Geraldine Beamish	6-1, 1–6, 6-2
1923	Kathleen McKane	Molla Bjurstedt Mallory	6-3, 6-2
1924	Kathleen McKane (2)	Elizabeth Ryan	6-4, 6-4
1925	Elizabeth Ryan (4)	Geraldine Beamish	6-4, 6-0
1926	Molla Bjurstedt Mallory	Gwen Sterry	6-3, 1–6, 6-1
1927	Elizabeth Ryan (5)	Joan Fry	6-0, 4–6, 6-2
1928	Ermyntrude Harvey	Madge Valantine List	6-1, 6-3
1929	Peggy Saunders Michell	Margaret McKane Stocks	6-3, 6-1
1930	Betty Nuthall	Jenny Sandison	9-7, 6-3
1931	Elsie Goldsack Pittman	Peggy Saunders Michell	9-7, 6-2
1932	Nancy Lyle	Irene Bowder Peacock	6-4, 6-4
1933	Violet Chamberlain Owen	Elsie Goldsack Pittman	6-4, 6-2
1934	Elsie Goldsack Pittman (2)	Joan Ridley	6-4, 6-4
1935	Susan Noel	Elsie Goldsack Pittman	6-1, 8-6
1936	Mary Hardwick	Nancy Lyle	4-6, 7–5, 7-5
1937	Anita Lizana	Alice Marble	9-7, 9-7
1938	Jadwiga Jędrzejowska	Dorothy Bundy	7-5, 6-2
1939	Jean Saunders	A. Cardinall	6-4, 6-3
1940/1945	Not held (due to World War I)
1946	Women's event (discontinued)

Tournament records

Men

Source: ^[1]

• Most singles titles: Harold Mahony (6)
• Most singles finals: Harold Mahony (10)
• Most consecutive singles titles: Ernest Wool Lewis (4)

Women

• Most singles titles: Dorothea Chambers (9)
• Most singles finals: Edith Austin Greville (11)
• Most consecutive singles titles: Charlotte Cooper (4)

References

1. "Tournaments: Middlesex Championships" . The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
2. "Tennis Championships". Kalgoorlie Miner. Trove: National Library of Australia. 31 May 1922. p. 5. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
3. "Lawn Tennis. — The Chiswick Park Club Open Lawn Tennis Tournament". London Evening Standard . London, England: British Newspaper Archive. 21 July 1886. p. 8. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
4. Clegg, Gill. "Entertainment :Chiswick Park Lawn Tennis Club". brentfordandchiswicklhs.org.uk. Brentford and Chiswick Local History Society. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
5. Baily's Magazine of Sports & Pastimes. London: Vinton and Co Limited. 1896. p. 80.
6. Heathcote, J. M. Heathacote: C. G. (1890). Tennis; Lawn Tennis. London: Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & co. ltd. p. 481.
7. "Iwao Aoki: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP.

Sources

• Baily's Magazine of Sports & Pastimes. London: Vinton and Co Limited. 1896.
• Clegg, Gill. "Entertainment :Chiswick Park Lawn Tennis Club". brentfordandchiswicklhs.org.uk. Brentford and Chiswick Local History Society. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
• Heathcote, J. M. Heathacote: C. G. (1890). Tennis; Lawn Tennis. London: Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & co. ltd.
• Tennis Championships. Kalgoorlie Miner. Trove: National Library of Australia. 31 May 1922. Retrieved 4 October 2022.