The Western India Championships also known as the Western India Tennis Championships, was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament founded in 1888 as the Bombay Gymkhana Club Open Tournament. The championships were played at the Gymkhana Club grounds, in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. The championships ran until 1980 before they were discontinued.
History Tennis was introduced to India in the 1880s by British Army and Civilian Officers. In 1888 the Western India Championships were founded as the Bombay Gymkhana Club Tournament and played at the Bombay Gymkhana Club, Bombay, Maharashtra, India. In 1900 the tournament became known as the Western India Tournament, and in 1912 it was officially named the West India Championships. The championships were staged until 1980 when they were abolished.
In 1947, 1955 and 1959 this tournament was held in conjunction with the All India Hard Court Championships. It was also held jointly with the Cricket Club of India tournament for 1970 and 1975.
Finals Men's singles (incomplete roll).
YearChampionsRunners-upScoreBombay Gymkhana Club Tournament1888 Francis Reid Ward T.C. Sangster 2–6, 6–5, 6–31889 Alfred Bruce Sangster Arthur Knapp Oliver 6–1, 5–6, 6–41890 Eustace Ferrers Nicholson Arthur Elliott Barton 6–5, 6–5, 6–41891 Eustace Ferrers Nicholson (2) Arthur Elliott Barton 6–4, 3–5, 6–2, 6–11892 C.S. Smith Pelham George von Donop 8–6, 6–4, 6–11894 C.S. Smith (2) Robert Montagu Poore 6–3, 6–2, 6–11897 Herbert E. Cheetham John Glennie Greig6-5, 6-21898 John Glennie Greig Herbert E. Cheetham6-5, 6-31899 Arthur Cyril Ransome Percy F. Fisher 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–1Western India Tournament1900 Percy F. Fisher W. Reid 6–4, 3–6, 6–41902 Francis J. Marshall W. Reid 6–5, 6–4, 6–31903 W. Reid Herbert E. Cheetham 6–1, 6–3, 6–01904 W. Reid (2) Ralph Kidd 6–0, 3–6, 6–31905 Herbert E. Cheetham (2) Ralph Kidd?1906 John C. S. Rendall Herbert E. Cheetham6-3, 6-11907 W. Reid (3) T.C. Lucas6-4, 6-31909 J. Stuart Milne A.H. Glendenning6-5, 6-31910 Richard Dubourdieu W. Reid?1911 F.R.R. Brooke J. Stuart Milne6-3, 6-3Western India Championships1912 Hassan Ali Fyzee J.T. Lucas7-5, 6-41913 Richard Dubourdieu (2) Udupi D. Ranga Rao 6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 6–11914 Hassan Ali Fyzee Udupi D. Ranga Rao 6–4, 2–6, 6–2, 6–31915 Udupi D. Ranga Rao N.F. Naoroji6-3, 6-21916 Udupi D. Ranga Rao (2) Zenzo Shimidzu 0–6, 6–0, 6–11917 Udupi D. Ranga Rao (3) Hassan Ali Fyzee6-3, 6-01918 Zenzo Shimidzu Udupi D. Ranga Rao6-4, 6-11919 John C. S. Rendall Zenzo Shimidzu10–8, 4–6, 6–2, 9–71920 Udupi D. Ranga Rao (4) Lewis Seymour Deane6-4, 6-21921 N.B. Bhagwat Tawara Tsumoru (Tsumio) Takeshi 6–4, 2–6, 6–11922 Udupi D. Ranga Rao (5) Ernest Taylor Annett6-3, 6-21923 Sunao Okamoto Udupi D. Ranga Rao6-1, 6-11924 Mr. Chunilal R.A. Wagle6-0, 6-21925 Sunao Okamoto (2) Thomas William Brough6-0, 6-31926 Syed Mohammad Hadi Udupi D. Ranga Rao2-6, 7-5 6-11927 Alexander Maurice Dudley Pitt R.S. Raya Iyer 8–6, 5–7, 6–11928 Alexander Maurice Dudley Pitt (2) Morley Fox6-4, 6-21929 Alexander Maurice Dudley Pitt (3) Morley Fox 6-4, 6-21930 Buster Andrews M. Kamruddin6-4, 6-31931 N.R. Suvarna B.H. Khardekar 6–2, 3–6, 6–31932 Jiro Satoh Edward Vivian Bobb 3–6, 6–3, 6–31933 Giorgio de Stefani Edward Vivian Bobb6-4, 6-31934 Edward Vivian Bobb John Edward Tew7-5, 7-51935 Josip Palada Franjo Punčec 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 6–21936 Roderich Menzel Ladislav Hecht6-1, 6-11937 Antoine Gentien Alan Stedman7-5, 6-21938 Subba L.R. Sawhney Bernard Thomas Blake 6–4, 2–6, 6–41939 Edward Vivian Bobb (2) Syed Abdul Azim 3–6, 6–1, 6–31940 Edward Vivian Bobb (3) Syed Abdul Azim 2–6, 6–1, 6–21941 Finn Bekkevold Charles William Barker 7-5, 6-21942 Ghaus Mohammed Khan Prem Lal Pandhi6-2, 7-51943 S.S. Indulkar R.N. Pandit 6–3, 2–6, 6–21944/1945Not held (due to World War II)1946 Narendra Nath/ Jimmy Mehta 6-3, 6-3Western India & All India Hard Court Championships1947 Narendra Nath (2) Khan-Iftikhar Ahmed6-4 6-4 6-3Western India Championships1948 Torsten Johansson Lennart Bergelin6-4 ret.1950 Robert Abdesselam Philippe Washer 6–2, 9–7, 6–21952 Louis Straight Clark Władysław Skonecki 8–6, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6, 6–21953 Narendra Nath (3) Ramanathan Krishnan 6–4, 7–5, 6–01954 Jack Arkinstall Sumant Misra 6–4, 1–6, 6–4Western India & All India Hard Court Championships1955 Ramanathan Krishnan Jack Arkinstall 6–2, 0–6, 3–6, 6–1, 6–3Western India Championships1956 Ramanathan Krishnan (2) Jack Arkinstall 5–7, 7–5, 6–0 ret.1957 Jaroslav Drobný Jack Arkinstall 6–4, 6–3, 6–31958 Ramanathan Krishnan (3) Billy Knight 6–1, 6–2, 6–4Western India & All India Hard Court Championships1959 Ramanathan Krishnan (4) Giuseppe Merlo 6–4, 6–3, 6–4Western India Championships1960 Ramanathan Krishnan (5) Warren Woodcock 6–2, 6–3, 6–31962 Ramanathan Krishnan (6) Billy Knight 8–6, 6–3, 6–11965 Shyam Minotra Ravi Venkatesan13–11, 9–7, 6-21966 Premjit Lall Osamu Ishiguro 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 8–61967 Jaidip Mukerjea Bob Carmichael 5–7, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 6-31968 Shiv Prakash Misra Premjit Lall 1–6, 8–6, 9–7, 4–6, 6–3↓ Open Era ↓1969 Shyam Minotra Mieczysław Rybarczyk6-1, 7-5
Women's singles (incomplete roll)
YearChampionsRunners-upScoreWestern India Championships 1924 Lena McKenna Mrs T.E. Cunningham 6–8, 6–3, 6–3 1925 Gladys Tedman Bayley Meherbai Bhabha Tata 6–1, 1–6, 6–1 1926 Phyllis Howkins Covell Annie Nepean Clayton6-0, 6-0 1927 Phyllis Howkins Covell (2) R. Wallis 6-4, 6-3 1928 Phyllis Howkins Covell (3) G. Evans 6-4, 6-1 1929 Mrs M.P. McDougall Olive Stebbing7-5, 6-1 1930 Phyllis Howkins Covell (4) Leila Row6-2, 6-1 1931 Leila Row Laura Woodbridge 6-0, 6-1 1932 Laura Woodbridge Esther Bonjour 6-4, 6-4 1933 Lucia Valerio Leila Row 6-4, 6-3 1934 Leila Row (2) Esther Bonjour 6-2, 6-1 1935 Jenny Sandison Leila Row 3–6, 6–2, 6–4 1936 Jenny Sandison Boland (2) Hyacinth Harvey-Johnston 6-3, 6-3 1937 Leila Row (3) Meher Dubash 6-1, 6-2 1938 Lolita Simon Foottit Mrs E.H. Edney 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 1939 I.S. Hannay Williams S. Emery 6-4, 6-0 1940 Leila Row (4) Khanum Haji 6-2, 6-2 1941 Leila Row (5) Khanum Haji6-3, 6-3 1942 Khanum Haji Leila Row 6–8, 6–2, 9–7 1943 Leila Row (6) Laura Woodbridge 6-3, 6-4 1946 Leela Row Dayal (7) Laura Woodbridge 6-2, 6-0Western India & All India Hard Court Championships 1947 Leela Row Dayal (8) Khanum Haji Singh 5–7, 6–2, 6–3Western India Championships1948(Not held) 1949 Khanum Haji Singh (2) Laura Woodbridge 6-4, 6-4 1950 Gem Hoahing Leela Row Dayal 6-0, 6-1 1952 Shirley Fry Doris Hart 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 1953 Leela Row Dayal (9) Laura Woodbridge 6–3, 7–9, 6–3 1954 Urmila Thapar Laura Woodbridge 6–4, 4–6, 6–2Western India & All India Hard Court Championships 1955 Rita Davar Bridget Zachariassen 6-3, 6-1Western India Championships 1956 Totta Zehden Inge Reh Vogle 6–3, 2–6, 6–4Western India & All India Hard Court Championships 1957 Khanum Haji Singh (3) Mrs Sarah Mody 6-2, 6-3Western India Championships 1958 Bridget Zachariassen Laura Woodbridge 6–4, 2–6, 8–6 1959 Mrs Sarah Mody Leela Punjabi 2–6, 9–7, 10-8 1960 Mimi Arnold Margaret Hellyer 6–8, 6–3, 6–2 1961 Margaret Hellyer Dechu Appaiah 6-3, 6-4 1962 Pia Balling Dechu Appaiah 6-1, 6-0 1965 Lakshmi Mahedevan Leela Punjabi 6-2, 10-8 1966 Carol-Ann Prosen Nirupama Vasant 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 1968 Nirupama Vasant Rattan Thadani 6-2, 6-4↓ Open Era ↓ 1969 Nirupama Vasant (2) Judith Dibar 8-6, 6-3Western India Championships & Cricket Club of India Tournament 1970 (Feb) Nirupama Vasant (3) Irena Škulj 3–6, 6–0, 6–3 1970 (Dec) Nirupama Vasant (4) Kiran Peshawaria 6-2, 6-3Western India Championships1971(Not held) 1972 Nirupama Vasant Mankad (5) Marilyn Tesch6-4, 6-1 1973 Udaya Kumar Susan Das 6-2, 6-4 1974 Susan Das Nirupama Vasant Mankad6-2, 6-4 1975 Nirupama Vasant Mankad (6) Udaya Kumar 6-1, 6-1 1976 Nirupama Vasant Mankad (7) Lakshmi Mahedevan 6-1, 6-0Western India Championships & Cricket Club of India Tournament 1977 Nirupama Vasant Mankad (8) Amreeta Ahluwalia 6–4, 6–0Western India Championships 1978 Amreeta Ahluwalia Nirupama Vasant Mankad 5–7, 6–4, 8–6 1979 Nirupama Vasant Mankad (9) Amreeta Ahluwalia 6-3, 6-2 1980 Nandini Rangaraja Namratha Apparao 7-5, 6-0
Event names Bombay Gymkhana Club Tournament (1888–1899) Western India Tournament (1900–1911) Western India Championships (1912–1980)
References