The Darlington Open.Routledges Sporting Annual (1883). Principal Meetings of 1882. George Routledge and Son. London. p.116. also known as the Darlington Association TournamentRoutledges Sporting Annual (1882). Lawn Tennis in 1881. George Routledge and Son. London. p.68. was a late Victorian era men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1881. It was organised by the Darlington Outdoor's Sports Association and held at the Feethams Cricket Ground Darlington, County Durham, England.Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) The tournament ran annually until 1933.

History Darlington Open Tournament was founded in 1881 by the Darlington Outdoor's Sports Association,Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) and held at the Feethams Cricket Ground Darlington, County Durham, England until 1893. The inaugural was held from 1 August to 6 August 1881. The winner of the men's singles was Mr. Mark Fenwick who defeated Mr. Arthur Richard Springett. The women's singles was won by Miss Ethel Surtees who defeated Miss Alice Cheese.

A local newspaper report of the event that concluded on early August 1882:

The final edition concluded on 12 August 1893 the winner of men's singles was Mr. Harold Mahony and the winner of the women's singles was Miss Charlotte Cooper.

Other notable winners of this title in the men's singles include Herbert William Wrangham Wilberforce (1883, 1887, 1888) and Patrick Bowes-Lyon (1884–1886). Whilst former women's singles winners included Helen Jackson (1887) and Lottie Dod (1888). Of note the ladies singles tournament was not played at every edition. The tournament ran annually until 1933 when it was dropped by the County Durham Lawn Tennis Association along with the following Norton Open and Ryton Open.Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette (1934) p.9.

Finals Challenge Round: the final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921), in some tournaments not all.* Indicates challenger Men's Singles YearWinnerRunner-upScore1881.Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) Mark Fenwick G. H. Evans6–0, 4–6, 6–21882.The Northern Echo Arthur Hallward * Minden Fenwick6–1, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3 1883. Herbert Wilberforce * Arthur Hallward6-2, 6-1, 6-1 1884. Patrick Bowes-Lyon * Herbert Wilberforce7-9, 6-2, 6-1, ret.1885. Patrick Bowes-Lyon (2) Kenneth Ramsden Marley *6–0, 6–1, 6–31886. Patrick Bowes-Lyon (3) Arthur Godfrey Pease *? 1887. Herbert Wilberforce (2) John Galbraith Horn6–0, 6–0, 6–11888. Herbert Wilberforce (3) Herbert Bowes-Lyon *6–2, 6–2, ret. 1889. Frank Noon George Richmond Mewburn6-4, 7-5, 6-2 1890. Frank Noon (2) Henry Johnston Carson3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–11891. George Ball-Greene Harold Weston Carlton6–4, 6–3, 1–6, 6–21892. Grainger Chaytor * George Ball-Greene7–5, 6–3, 7–51893. Harold Mahony * Grainger Chaytorw.o.

Men's Doubles YearWinnerRunner-upScore1881.Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) Lawn Tennis in 1881. George Routledge and Son. London. p.69. Mark Fenwick Minden Fenwick Mr. Long George E. Newby5–6, 6–1, 6–3

Women's Single's YearWinnerRunner-upScore1881.Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) Miss. Ethel Surtees Miss. Alice Cheese3–6, 6–3, 6–11882. Constance Smith Anthea Turner6–3, 6–01893. Charlotte Cooper Miss. Shaw6–0, 6–1

Women's Doubles YearWinnerRunner-upScore1881.Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) Miss. A, Stobart Miss. E. Hunt Miss. Bell Miss. F. Lightfootwon

Mixed Doubles YearWinnerRunner-upScore1881.Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) Sir James Blackhouse Dale Miss. Alice Cheese Percival Clennell Fenwick Miss. Winnifred Fenwick9–7, 6–31882.Routledges Sporting Annual (1883)The Northern Echo J.W. Fowler Miss. E. Cheese Percival Clennell Fenwick Miss. Winnifred Fenwick7–5, 8–61893. Harold Mahony Miss. Charlotte Cooper Henry Gervas Stobart Miss. Shaw6–1, 6–4

Notes The Minden family were closely associated with this tournament, who within a couple of years had emigrated to New Zealand. Percival Clennell Fenwick won the inaugural New Zealand Lawn Tennis Championships in 1886 and again in 1887, 1888. His brother Minden Fenwick won the title in 1889–1890.

References

Sources McLintock, Alexander Hare; McLintock, Alexander Hare; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "New Zealand Championships". An encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, 1966. Ministry of Culture and Heritage. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) George Routledge and Son. London. Routledges Sporting Annual (1883) George Routledge and Son. London. The Northern Echo (2008) Darlington, County Durham, England.