The Torquay Open was grass court tennis event founded in 1879. In 1881 it was known as the Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament. that was held at the Winter Garden, Torquay, Devon, England. It continued under that name until after World War II when it was known as the Torquay Open In 1971 the tobacco company Rothmans International took over sponsorship of the event and it was branded as the Rothmans Torquay Tournament until 1974 when their sponsorship ended.
This tournament though no longer part of the international tour is still being staged today as the Torbay Open Tennis Tournament.
History A Torquay tennis tournament was founded as early as 1879. In 1881 the event was known as the Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournament and played at the Winter Garden, Torquay, Devon, England.Exeter and Plymouth Gazette Daily Telegrams In 1887 it became an open event for the women to play for the first time and was branded as the Torquay & Shaldon Open. The tournament was held annually, with the exception of world war's one and two. Following the second world war the tournament known by then as the Torquay Open Lawn Tennis Tournament at least up to 1960. In 1971 Rothmans International took over sponsorship of the event and it was renamed as the Rothmans Torquay Tournament until 1974, when Rothman's pulled out of sports sponsorship and this tournament ended as part international world wide tour. It is still being staged today as the Torbay Open Tennis Tournament.English Riviera BID Company Ltd.
Finals Men's singles Incomplete roll included: YearChampionsRunners-upScoreTorquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament 1880 Ernest W. S. K. Maconchy C. Hughes6-0, 6-01881 Ernest W. S. K. Maconchy (2) Thomas Arembery Tombe6-1, 6-01887 Ernest Wool Lewis Wilfred Milne7-5, 6-2, 7-51888 Ernest Wool Lewis (2) Herbert Chipp3-6, 0-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-01889 Ernest Wool Lewis (3) Edward James Avory 1-6, 6-5, 6-31890 Ernest Wool Lewis (4) Edward James Avory 6-1, 6-2, 6-31905 Harold Michelmore (2) George Alan Thomas6-4, 6-21907 Harold Michelmore (2) J.S. Talbot6-3, 6-41908 Harold Michelmore (3) Les Poidevinw.o.1914/1918Not held (due to world war one)1923 Philip Robert Broadway Sydney Ford6-1, 6-1, 6-41930 Jiro Satoh A.C.D. Campbell6-0, 6-21934 Don Butler Jack Lysaght10-12, 6-3, 6-41935 Don Butler (2) John Temple Bouverie Leader7-5, 6-21936 Charles Haree Frank Wilde6-3, 6-31937 Eric Filby Cristea Caralulis 6-1, 9-11, 6-11938 Eric Filby (2) Kho Sin-Kie6-4, 6-41939 Eric Filby (3) Ernest Wittman6-2, 6-31940/1945Not held (due to world war two)Torquay Open 1946 Henry Billington Ignacy Tloczynski7-5, 6-01947 John Barry Jeff Robson2-6, 6-3, 6-21948 Tim Lewis David Anderton6-0, 6-21949 Tony Mottram Paddy Roberts9-7, 7-51950 Gerry Oakley Paddy Roberts 6-4, 6-41951 Paddy Roberts Ignacy Tloczynski6-3, 6-11952 Jaroslav Drobný Ian Ayre6-3, 6-11953 Ian Ayre Colin Hannam6-4, 6-21954 Jaroslav Drobný (2) Jack Arkinstall6-0, 6-31959 Mike Sangster Julian L. P. Coni9-7, 6-4 Open eraRothmans Torquay Tournmament 1971 Premjit Lall Ken Weatherley6-4, 7-5 1974 Graeme Thomson Martin Cornish6-4, 6-4
Women's singles (Incomplete roll) Notes: In 1924 and 1925 there were two versions of the tournament held in August on grass courts and October on clay courts. YearChampionsRunners-upScoreTorquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament 1887 Blanche Bingley Hillyard Maud Watson 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 1888 Miss Mockler Alice Foley6-4, 6-4 1890 Miss Wolfe Miss Fisher 7-5, 6-4 1899 Winifred Longhurst K. Hughes 6-2, 6-1 1900 Winifred Longhurst (2) Miss Smythe 6-2, 6-2 1901 Winifred Longhurst (3) Miss Collett 6-1, 6-1 1902 Ethel Thomson Edith Boucher 6-4, 6-1 1903 Edith Boucher M. Stonham 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 1904 Edith Boucher (2) Miss Collett 6-0, 6-4 1905 Meriel Lucas Charlotte Everard 6-3, 6-1 1906 Meriel Lucas (2) M. Stonham 6-2, 6-4 1907 Edith Boucher (2) Meriel Lucas3-6, 6-0, 6-3 1908 Meriel Lucas (3) Nora Bawden 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 1909 Elsie Lane Evelyn de Vere Scott 6-0, 6-1 1910 M. Fergus Edith Longhurst 6-4, 6-3 1911 Beryl Tulloch Nora Bawden 6-3, 6-3 1912 Nora Bawden E. Miller divided prizes 1913 Madeline Fisher O'Neill Nora Bawden 6-2, 9-11, 7-51914/1918Not held (due to world war one) 1920 Phyllis Satterthwaite Miss Davies 6-1, 6-1 1921 G.M. Head Nora Bawden6-3. 3-6, 6-4 1922 Edith Hannam (3) Miss Robertson 6-0, 7-5 1923 Helen Bourne P. Robertson 6-3, 6-4 1924 (Aug) Mrs Hopper A G Buckner 6-2, 6-2 1924 (Oct) Elizabeth Ryan Ermyntrude Harvey 6-4, 6-1 1925 (Aug) Mrs R. Bruce May Mrs Lawrence 6-2, 6-1 1925 (Oct) Ariadne Rodocanachi Phyllis French 7-5, 6-4 1926 Davina Gordon Cristobel Hardie 6-3, 6-2 1927 Davina Gordon (2) Katherine Lewisdivided prizes 1928 Davina Gordon (3) Gethyn Harry 6-3, 6-1 1929 Elsa McAlpin Haylock Andrée Lucas 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 1930 Elsa McAlpin Haylock (2) Gethyn Harry 6-4, 6-3 1931 Mary McIlquham Elsa McAlpin Haylock 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 1932 Peggy Scriven Andrée Lucas 6-1, 6-1 1934 Billie Yorke Jean Saunders 6-4, 6-3 1935 Jean Saunders Andrée Lucas 6-2, 6-2 1936 Irmgard Rost Mary Whitmarsh 6-0, 6-0 1937 Irmgard Rost (2) Billie Yorke 8-6, 6-3 1938 Andrée Lucas Rita Jarvis 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 1939 Andrée Lucas (2) Jean Saunders 6-4, 5-7, 9-71940/1945Not held (due to world war one)Torquay Open 1946 Joan Curry Jean Quertier 8-6, 6-1 1947 Joan Curry (2) P. Merrix 6-2, 6-2 1948 Joan Curry (3) Peggy Dawson-Scott 6-2, 6-1 1949 Joan Curry (4) Joy Gannon 6-3, 6-3 1950 Elsie Hamilton Phillips Lorna Cornell 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 1951 Angela Mortimer Jenny Middleton 6-2, 6-1 1952 Rita Jarvis Anderson Hilary Stebbings 6-0, 7-5 1953 Angela Mortimer (2) Pat Ward 9-7, 8-6 1954 Pat Ward Betsy Abbas6-0, 6-3 1956 Sonia Cox V. Martin 6-4, 6-2 1958Joan Curry (5) Sonia Cox 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 1959 Sheila Armstrong Phyllis Edwards 11-9, 6-1 1960 Elaine Watson Shenton Sonia Cox Preston 6-4, 6-4 1961 Margaret R. O'Donnell Carole Rosser 6-2, 11-9 1962 Elaine Watson Shenton (2) Frances Walton 7-5, 8-10, 6-2Open eraRothmans Torquay Tournmament 1971 Susan Alexander Penny Hardgrave 6-2, 6-1 1974 Sue Barker Annette Coe 6-1, 6-1
References
External links Torquay Tennis Club