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.
History The Wolverhampton Open was established as the Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament in 1897, under auspices of the Albert Lawn Tennis Club, Parkdale, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, Midlands - before it was discontinued in 1900. In 1903 a second Wolverhampton tournament was revived by Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Club, in Newbridge. In 1931 the tournament was renamed as the Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament. By the 1950s it was branded as the Wolverhampton Open and ran until 1974.Tennis Archives In 1970 the event was marketed under the brand name the Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open as part of the Bio-Strath Circuit, it remained part of that tour through till 1971.
Notable winners of the men's singles title included; Sydney Howard Smith, Cam Malfroy, George Lyttleton-Rogers, Claude Lister, Tony Pickard, Bill Hoogs Jr., Frew McMillan, and Andrew Pattison. Winners of the women's singles title included; Phoebe Holcroft Watson, Dorothy Holman, Rita Bentley, Angela Mortimer, Ann Haydon Jones, Faye Toyne, Mary Habicht, Kerry Melville and Valerie Ziegenfuss.
Venues The Albert Lawn Tennis Club was founded at Parkdale, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire around 1894. It staged the first Wolverhampton tennis tournament until 1900. In 1903 a second Wolverhampton tournament was revived by the Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Club (f. 1885), in Newbridge, Wolverhampton.
Finals Men's singles (incomplete roll) YearWinnersRunners-upScore↓ LTA Circuit ↓ Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament1897 Sydney Howard Smith Charles Henry Ridding6–0, ret.1898 Sydney Howard Smith (2) Wilberforce Eaves6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2.1900 Wilberforce Eaves John Mycroft Boucher7–5, 7–5, 6–3. Wolverhampton Tennis Tournament1905 Edward Roy Allen Alfred Beamish 4–6, 2–6, 6–3, 8–6, 6–4.1910 Edward Joseph Sampson Xenophon Kasdaglis6–2, 8–6.↓ ILTF Circuit ↓1915/1919Not held (due to World War I)1924 Hassan Ali Fyzee Edward (Teddy) Higgs 3-2 sets.The Sportsman1929 Donald Greig George Meredith 6–2, 7–5. Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament1930 George Meredith Thomas Slater 6–4, 3–6, 6–3.1934 Cam Malfroy Ryuki Miki 6–2, 6–1.1935 George Lyttleton Rogers Umberto De Morpurgo6–3, 8–6.1939 Jack Moore Claude Lister2–6, 6–1, 7–5.1940/1946Not held (due to World War II)1947 Claude Lister Jack Moore4–6, 7–5, 9–7.1948 Claude Lister (2) John B. Griffith8–6, 9–7.1949 Claude Lister (3) John B. Griffith6–4, 6–3. Wolverhampton Open1950 W.P.W. Anderson George Godsell6–3, 2–6, 6–2.1951 N.E. Hooper J.B. Payne6–1, 6–1.1952 Rex H. Hack John C. Upton 6–4, 6–3.1953 J.C. Upton K.G. Jones6–4, 6–1.1954 Claude Lister (4) K.G. Jones6–2, 8–6.1955 M.A. Harris L.M. Kilby6–2, 7–5.1956 M.L. Booth L.M. Kilby6–4, 6–2.1957 K.G. Jones P.G. Wainwright4–6, 6–1, 6–2.1959 Robin Sanders John Maloney4–6, 6–4, 6–1.1960 Tony Pickard David Samaai6–2, 5–7, 6–3.1961 Will Coghlan Roger Taylor6–4, 6–1.1962 Frew McMillan John B. Hillebrand6–4, 6–4.1963 Frew McMillan (2) Roy W. Dixon 6–4, 4–6, 7–51964 Billy Knight Frew McMillan6–3, 4–6, 6–4.1965 Billy Knight (2) Patricio Cornejo 9–7, 6–3.1966 Bill Hoogs Jr. Onny Parun6–4, 8–6.1967 Jaroslav Drobný Billy Knight6–8, 6–4, 6–3.1968 Keith Carpenter Graydon Garner6–4, 7–5.↓ Open era ↓Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open1970 Frew McMillan (3) Hank Irvine6–4, 4–6, 6–4.1971 Andrew Pattison Peter Doerner6–3, 6–2. Wolverhampton Open1974 Alvin Gardiner Roger Webb6–2, 6–2.
Women's singles (incomplete roll) YearWinnersRunners-upScore↓ ILTF Circuit ↓ Wolverhampton Tennis Tournament 1920 Marie Hazel Mrs South 6–1, 6–2 1921 Marie Hazel (2) Mrs Bellord 6–3, 6–0 1922 Marie Hazel (3) Miss Wynne 6–1, 6–0 1923 Marie Hazel (4) Phoebe Holcroft 6–4, 7–5 1924 Jessie Russell Colegate Marie Hazel 6–0, 6–2 1925 Irene Maltby Kathleen Lidderdale Bridge 6–4, 4–6, 6–3 1926 M. Wynne Irene Maltby 6–2, 6–4 1927 Marie Hazel (5) Irene Maltby 6–1, 6–8, 8–6 1928 Dorothy Round Marie Hazel 8–6, 4–6, 6–3 1930 Dorothy Round (2) Marie Hazel 6–1, 6–2Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament 1931 Phoebe Holcroft Watson Jackie McAlpine 6–3, 6–2 1932 Dorothy Round (3) Mrs H. Page 6–1, 6–2 1933 Mie Johnstone Mrs H. Page 6–3, 6–4 1934 Dorothy Round (4) Grace Vaughton 6–1, 6–2 1935 Christabel Wheatcroft Gladys Southwell 6–3, 6–3 1936 Christabel Wheatcroft (2) Barbara Freisenbruch6–0, 6–2 1937 Mrs H. Page Isobel Cooke 7–5, 6–1 1939 Elsie Hamilton Mary Norman 6–4, 6–31940/1946Not held (due to World War II) 1947 Sally Stoney Lister Elsie Hamilton Phillips 6–1, 6–4 1948 Sally Stoney Lister (2) Isabel Follows 6–2, 6–2 1949 Elsie Hamilton Phillips Patricia Cowney 8–6, 6–3 Wolverhampton Open 1950 Patricia Cowney Gillian Gittings Worrall 6–3, 6–3 1951 Elsie Hamilton Phillips (2) Molly Wadlow Stone 6–2, 6–2 1952 Elsie Hamilton Phillips (3) Molly Wadlow Stone 6–3, 6–3 1953 Y. Toyne L. Bishop 6–4, 0–6, 6–4 1954 Sally Stoney Lister (3) Jane Godfrey 7–5, 6–3 1955 Molly Wadlow Stone Jane Godfrey 12–10, 3–6, 7–5 1956 Valerie Pitt Molly Wadlow Stone 6–4, 6–1 1957 Mrs R. Worrall Mrs L. Newman 3–6, 6–0, 6–1 1958 Rita Bentley Hazel Austin Cheadle 8–6, 6–2 1959 Angela Mortimer Ann Haydon 6–1, 6–4 1960 Angela Mortimer (2) Rita Bentley 8–6, 9–7 1961 Ann Haydon Lynn Hutchings6–0, 6–1 1962 Hazel Cheadle Eleanor O'Neill 6–1, 1–6, 6–3 1963 Ann Haydon Jones (2) Renée Schuurman9–7, 1–6, 6–4 1964 Faye Toyne Alison Stroud 6–1, 6–3 1965 Mary Habicht Jean Haskew 4–6, 6–4, 6–1 1966 Susan Tutt Jean Haskew 6–1, 6–1 1968 Valerie Ziegenfuss Janice Townsend divided title↓ Open era ↓ Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open 1970 Kerry Melville Sue Alexander6–2, 6–2 1971 Janice Townsend Wainwright Maria Guzman 6–3, 6–2 Wolverhampton Open 1974 Jenny Dimond Jenny Helliar 2–6, 6–1, 6–1
Event Names Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament (1897–1900) Wolverhampton Tennis Tournament (1903–30) Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament (1931–49) Wolverhampton Open (1950–69) Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open (1970–71) Wolverhampton Open (1972–74)
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