Rothmans Connaught Hard Court Championships

Last updated
Connaught Hard Court Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Tour ILTF
Founded1951;72 years ago (1951)
Abolished1974;49 years ago (1974)
Location Chingford, Essex, England.
VenueConnaught Lawn Tennis Club (f.1885)
Surface Clay- outdoors

The Rothmans Connaught Hard Court Championships [1] also known simply as the Connaught Hard Courts was a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1951. [2] The championships were organised by the Connaught Lawn Tennis Club, Chingford, Essex, England. The tournament ran until 1974.

Contents

History

The Connaught Hard Court Championships, [3] were established in 1951 as an open tournament held at the Connaught Lawn Tennis Club (f.1885), [4] Chingford, Essex, England. The tournament was continually staged until 1974. The tournament was sponsored by the tobacco company Rothmans International from 1971 to 1974.

Notable winners of the men's singles title included; Tony Mottram, Jack Arkinstall, Torben Ulrich, Sven Davidson, Lew Hoad, [5] Rod Laver, [6] Jaroslav Drobný, [7] and Owen Davidson. [8] Previous winners of women's singles title included; Doris Hart, [9] Angela Mortimer, Christine Truman, Norma Baylon, Ann Haydon Jones, Virginia Wade, [10] and Dianne Fromholtz.

Finals

Men's singles

(Incomplete roll) [11]

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
↓  ILTF Circuit  ↓
1951 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tony Mottram Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Horn 6-0, 6-3
1952 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tony Mottram (2) Flag of Poland.svg Ignacy Tloczynski 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
1953 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Arkinstall Flag of Rhodesia (1968-1979).svg Don Black 6-3, 6-0
1954 Flag of Denmark.svg Torben Ulrich Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson 6-2, 1-6, 6-0
1955 Flag of Sweden.svg Sven Davidson Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Davies 6-4, 6-1
1956 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lew Hoad Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson 6-2, 6-1
1957 Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg Jaroslav Drobný Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Davies 6-4, 6-3
1958 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Roger Becker Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Davies 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
1959 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Roger Becker (2) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson 7-5, 2-6, 6-4
1960 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Roger Becker 6-4, 6-4
1961 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson (2) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alan Mills 8-6, 6-1
1962 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver Flag of Australia (converted).svg Martin Mulligan 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
1963 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson (3) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Sangster 8-6, 6-4, 6-2
1964 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson (4) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Sangster 6-2, 6-3
1965 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson (5) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Cox 6-2, 8-6
1966 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson (6) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alan Mills 6-2, 6-2
1967 Flag of Sweden.svg Birger Folke Flag of Sweden.svg Lars Ölander 6-3, 2-6, 14-12
1968 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Paul Hutchins Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson 6-2, 1-6, 6-1
↓  Open era  ↓
1969 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Stone Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Cooper 6-4, 6-2
1972 Flag of Rhodesia (1968-1979).svg Hank Irvine Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Clifton 6-2, 6-2
1973 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Owen Davidson Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Colin Dowdeswell 3-6, 9-8, 6-1

Women's singles

(Incomplete roll)

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
↓  ILTF Circuit  ↓
1951 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Kay Tuckey Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Joy Gannon Mottram 6-4, 6-4
1952 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jean Walker-Smith Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Joy Gannon Mottram 1-6, 9-7, 6-4
1953 Flag of the United States.svg Doris Hart Flag of the United States.svg Shirley Fry 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
1954 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Leonie Thorn Brighton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jenny Middleton 7-5, 6-3
1955 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Angela Mortimer Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Elaine Watson 6-1, 6-0
1956 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Angela Mortimer (2) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jenny Middleton6-3, 6-1
1957 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Christine Truman Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Elaine Shenton 6-3, 6-3
1958 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Christine Truman (2) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ann Haydon 6-3, 8-6
1959 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Angela Mortimer (3) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Christine Truman 6-3, 7-5
1960 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Angela Mortimer (4) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Christine Truman 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
1961 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Angela Mortimer (5) Flag of Germany.svg Edda Buding 6-3, 6-3
1962 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Angela Mortimer (6) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Christine Truman 6-2, 6-4
1963 Flag of Argentina.svg Norma Baylon Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Christine Truman divide title
1964 Flag of Argentina.svg Norma Baylon (2) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Christine Truman 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
1965 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Elizabeth Starkie Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Christine Truman 8-6, 6-3
1966 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ann Haydon Jones Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Virginia Wade 6-4, 6-3
1967 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Virginia Wade Flag of Rhodesia (1968-1979).svg Pat Walkden 6-0, 9-7
1968 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Faye Toyne Moore Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Virginia Wade 6-4, 8-6
↓  Open era  ↓
1969 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Corinne Molesworth Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Shirley Bloomer Brasher 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
1972 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cynthia Sieler Flag of the United States.svg Wendy Appleby 7-5, 7-5
1973 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dianne Fromholtz Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg Ilana Kloss 6-1, 3-6, 6-4

Tournament records

Related Research Articles

Shirley Brasher is a former tennis player from England who won three Grand Slam titles during her career and who was the top-ranked singles player in her country in 1957.

The Monte-Carlo Masters is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, a commune that borders on Monaco founded in 1896 as the Monte-Carlo International.

Jacqueline Anne Shilcock was a British tennis player who was active in the 1950s.

The Essex Championships also known as the Essex County Lawn Tennis Championships or Essex Grass Court Championships was a combined men's and women's grass court tennis tournament established in 1881 at Brentwood, Essex. In 1946 it was moved to the Frinton Lawn Tennis Club, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, Great Britain until 1983 when it was discontinued.

The Essex County Cricket Club Tournament was an early men's grass court tennis tournament held initially at Knighton, Essex in England in 1879 and finally at Leyton in 1888.

The North of England Championships and later known as the Rothmans Open North of England Championships, was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1884 as the North Yorkshire Tournament. It was mainly held at Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Great Britain from. The tournament was discontinued in 1974 when it was staged at Hoylake.

The Sutton Hard Courts later known as the Rothmans Sutton Hard Court Championships was a men's and women's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1924 and hosted by the Sutton Tennis & Squash Club (ST&SC), at Sutton, London, Great Britain that ran only until 1989.

The Exmouth Open, originally called the Exmouth Lawn Tennis Club Tournament or simply Exmouth Tournament, was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1880. From 1890 the event was known as the Exmouth Open Tennis Tournament. It was hosted by the Exmouth Archery, Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, Exmouth, Devon, Great Britain until 1927. It was then hosted by the newly founded Exmouth Lawn Tennis Club until it was abolished as a senior tour event in 1975.

The East of England Championships also called the East of England Lawn Tennis Championships was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1885 as the Felixstowe Open Lawn Tennis Tournament. In 1889 the event had by this time become a regional level tournament that ran until 1983 when it lost its status as a senior international tour level event. However the championships are still being staged today as the East of England and an LTA British Tour.

The Priory Whitsun Lawn Tennis Tournament also known as the Priory Open Lawn Tennis Tournament, or the Priory Club Tournament was a men's and women's grass court tennis event established in 1920 that ran until 1960. In May 1963 the Priory Club was destroyed by a fire, and in 1964 it merged with the Edgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club to form the Edgbaston Priory Club.

The Bedford Open also known as the Bedford Lawn Tennis Open Tournament was men's and women's grass court tennis tournament established in 1880 as the Bedfordshire LTC Tournament. It was held at the Bedford Lawn Tennis Club, Bedford, Berkshire, England and ran through until 1974 when it was abolished.

The Worcestershire Championships also known as the Worcestershire County Lawn Tennis Championships or the Worcestershire Grass Court Championships was a combined men's and women's grass court tournament originally founded in 1908. It was held Malvern, Worcestershire, England until 1974

The Tally-Ho! Open Tennis Championships also known as the Tally-Ho! Hard Courts, was a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament originally founded in 1923. The tournament was held at the Tally Ho Lawn Tennis Club, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England until 1982.

The North London Hard Courts Championships was a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1920. The tournament was co held at the Gipsy Lawn Tennis Club, Stamford Hill, and the North London Hard Courts Tennis Club, Highbury London, England It ran until 1939.

The Wolverhampton Open was a combined men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1897 as the Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament. The first tournament was staged at Parkdale, Wolverhampton from 1897 to 1900 before it was discontinued in 1900. In 1903 a second tournament was revived and played in Newbridge, in Wolverhampton, where it ran until 1974.

The National Lawn Tennis Championships of India originally called the All India Championships or formally the All India Lawn Tennis Championships and also known as the India National Championships was a defunct combined tennis tournament. It was played from 1910 until 1999. It was held in various cities in, India and was played outdoor on multiple surfaces, but mainly grass courts.

The North of England Hard Court Championships and later known as the Wilson North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships for sponsorship reasons was a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament established in 1913 and ran until 1988.

Clay Iles is a former British tennis player, and currently is an LTA licensed tennis coach. He has also worked as a sports writer and tennis umpire. He competed at the Wimbledon Championships twelve times between 1962 and 1974. He won 6 career singles titles.

The Hoylake Open Championships also known as the Rothman's Hoylake Open Championships was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1930 as the Hoylake and West Kirby Open. The event was staged annually at Ashton Park, West Kirby, Cheshire, England until 1974.

The Sutton Coldfield Hard Courts Championship also known as the Sutton Coldfield Hard Courts was a men's and women's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1926 as the Sutton Coldfield Hard Courts Lawn Tennis Club Tournament. The event was staged annually at Sutton Coldfield Tennis Club, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England until 1965.

References

  1. "SWIRLING near-gale-force wind and rain hit the Rothman's Connaught Hard Court Championships at Chingford Essex yesterday, and flurries snow made play almost impossible". Birmingham Weekly Mercury. Birmingham, England: British Newspaper Archives. 28 May 1972. p. 40.
  2. Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament–Connaught Hard Courts; Chingford". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  3. Wilson, Bobby (1964). St. Paul's Bibliographies: My Side of the Net. Oxford: Oxford Polytechnic Press. p. 76.
  4. "History". www.connaughtclub.co.uk. Chingford, England: Connaught Club. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  5. Connaught Club
  6. Connaught Club
  7. Connaught Club
  8. Tennis Archives
  9. Connaught Club
  10. Connaught Club
  11. "Tournament – Connaught Hard Courts; Chingford". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 30 March 2023.