The Droitwich Open also known as the Droitwich Spa Open was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament founded in 1928 as the Droitwich Open Lawn Tennis Tournament or Droitwich Spa Open Open Lawn Tennis Tournament. The tournament was organised by the Droitwich Spa Lawn Tennis Club (now called the Droitwich Tennis Club), and played at the Brine Baths Park (now called Droitwich Lido Park), Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, England. The tournament ran until 1939 just before World War II then was discontinued.
History In 1928 the Droitwich Open Lawn Tennis Tournament was founded. This tournament was played on grass court and staged annually through till 1939 when it was discontinued.Birmingham Daily Post (4 October 1967) In October 1967 Droitwich Tennis Club applied to the Lawn Tennis Association to restart a new open tennis hard court tournament that was to begin in 1968.Birmingham Daily Post (4 October 1967). British Newspaper Archives. p.19. In May 1968 the first Droitwich Open Hard Courts tournament was held.Birmingham Daily Post (4 October 1967) In 1971 that event became part of the Bio-Strath Circuit under the brand name the Bio-Starth Droitwich Open Hard Courts.
Venue Droitwich Spa Lawn Tennis Club was founded in 1920.Droitwich Tennis Club It staged the first Droitwich Open in 1928.Birmingham Daily Gazette. (6 August 1934). The British Newspaper Archive. p. 10. The club was located in what was then called Brine Baths Park (now called Droitwich Lido Park), Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire.Droitwich Tennis Club The original club had four grass courts and four hard courts (clay). In 1975 Droitwich Tennis Club moved to its current location at St Peters Church Lane.Droitwich Tennis Club The club still has the eight tennis courts. They no longer have the original grass or clay courts, but a combination of hard and artificial grass courts.
Finals Men's singles (Incomplete list) YearWinnersRunners-upScore 1929 Alfred Pearson Don Butler6–3, 6–1 1931 Don Butler E. M. Sykes6–3, 2–6, 6–3 1933 Don Butler (2) Ronald Shayes6–4, 1–6, 6–2 1934Birmingham Daily Gazette. 10 August 1934. p.11. Cam Malfroy Don Butler6–4, 3–6, 8–6 1935 Don Butler (3) George Godsell6–3, 6–2 1936 George Godsell Henry Billington6–3, 3–6, 7–5 1937Evening Despatch. 6 August 1937 p.15. Ronald Shayes George Godsell6–4, 6–4, 6–3 1938 Alexander M. Hamburger Ronald Shayes6–3, 3–6, 6–2 1939 Alexander M. Hamburger (2) G.R.M. Ricketts 6–0, 7–5
Women's singles (Incomplete list) YearWinnersRunners-upScore 1928 Vera Marshall Vera Noott 6–3, 6–2 1929Birmingham Daily Gazette. Warwickshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 8 August 1929. p. 10 Miss Elizabeth T. Madin Vera Marshall6–4, 6–4 1931 Vera Noott Mrs H. O'Connor 6–1, 6–4 1932 Jeanette Morfey Gladys Clarke-Jervoise 6–3, 6–0 1933 Florence Ford Mary Whitmarsh 6–4, 6–4 1934Birmingham Daily Gazette. 10 August 1934. p.11. Florence Ford (2) Joy Cunningham 6–3, 6–3 1935 Florence Ford (3) Joy Cunningham 6–3, 6–2 1936 Dorothy Round Florence Ford 6–4, 6–4 1937 Florence Ford (4) Betty Batt 2–6, 6–2, 6–2 1938 Gertrude Valentine-Brown Florence Ford 6–2, 1–6, 6–4 1939 Gertrude Valentine-Brown (2) Madge Slaney4–6 7–5 6–1
See also Droitwich Open Hard Courts (clay court tournament)
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