Toyota Championships

Last updated
Colgate Series Championships
Toyota Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Event nameColgate Series (1977–81)
Toyota Championships (1981–82)
Tour WTA Tour (1977–82)
Founded1977
Abolished1982
LocationPalm Springs, CA, U.S.
Landover MD, U.S.
East Rutherford, NJ, U.S.
Surface Hard, Carpet

The Toyota Championships were the finales in an annual series of professional women's tennis tournaments for women from 1977 through 1982. They were a continuation of the earlier Colgate Series Championships (1977-80) They were the fall season finales of the Colgate Series, then later Toyota International Series circuits. They operated in much the same way as the men's WCT Circuit which also had WCT seasonal finals held in the fall or winter. The championships were discontinued when Virginia Slims became the year-round sponsor of the Women's Tennis Association Tour in 1983. [1] [2] The best singles and doubles players of the circuit, based on ranking points earned, qualified for the championships.

Contents

The main full season finales were, called the Virginia Slims Championships in 1972-78, then the Avon Championships in the 1979-82 period, then the Virginia Slims Championships again from 1983 to 1989. In 1990 a single unified women's circuit began, with a rebranded year end championship event called the WTA Tour Championships (today known as the WTA Finals)

Finals

Singles

Series YearSeries-Ending TournamentLocationSurfaceChampionRunner-upScore
1977 Colgate Series Championships Palm Springs, California, U.S.Hard Flag of the United States.svg Chris Evert Flag of the United States.svg Billie Jean King 6–2, 6–2
1978 Colgate Series ChampionshipsPalm Springs, California, U.S.Hard Flag of the United States.svg Chris Evert Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Martina Navratilova 6–3, 6–3
1979 Colgate Series Championships Landover, Maryland, U.S.Carpet Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Martina Navratilova Flag of the United States.svg Tracy Austin 6–2, 6–1
1980 Colgate Series ChampionshipsLandover, Maryland, U.S.Carpet Flag of the United States.svg Tracy Austin Flag of the United States.svg Andrea Jaeger 6–2, 6–2
1981 Toyota Series Championships East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.Carpet Flag of the United States.svg Tracy Austin Flag of the United States.svg Martina Navratilova2–6, 6–4, 6–2
1982 Toyota Series ChampionshipsEast Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.Carpet Flag of the United States.svg Martina Navratilova Flag of the United States.svg Chris Evert 4–6, 6–1, 6–2

Doubles

Series YearChampionsRunners-upScore
1977 Flag of France.svg Françoise Dürr
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Virginia Wade
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Helen Gourlay Cawley
Flag of the United States.svg Joanne Russell
6–1, 4–6, 6–4
1978 Flag of the United States.svg Billie Jean King
Flag of the United States.svg Martina Navratilova
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wendy Turnbull
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kerry Reid
6–3, 6–4
1979 Flag of the United States.svg Billie Jean King
Flag of the United States.svg Martina Navratilova
Flag of the United States.svg Chris Evert
Flag of the United States.svg Rosemary Casals
6–4, 6–3
1980 Flag of the United States.svg Rosemary Casals
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wendy Turnbull
Flag of the United States.svg Candy Reynolds
Flag of the United States.svg Paula Smith
6–3, 4–6, 7–6
1981 Flag of the United States.svg Martina Navratilova
Flag of the United States.svg Pam Shriver
Flag of the United States.svg Rosemary Casals
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wendy Turnbull
6–3, 6–4
1982 Flag of the United States.svg Martina Navratilova
Flag of the United States.svg Pam Shriver
Flag of the United States.svg Candy Reynolds
Flag of the United States.svg Paula Smith
6–4, 7–5

See also

References

  1. John Dolan (2011). Women's Tennis 1968–84: the Ultimate Guide. Remous. pp. 500–505.
  2. Barry Lorge (December 30, 1979). "Colgate Tennis Draws Spotlight With Cross-Country Move". The Washington Post .