The West Wales Championships originally founded as the Tenby Lawn Tennis Club Tournament was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament first held the Tenby Lawn Tennis Club, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, South Wales in 1876. In 1881 it was renamed as the South Wales Championships In 1900 it was renamed again to the West Wales Championships. The tournament was staged until the outbreak of World War Two in 1939.
History In 1876 the Tenby Lawn Club Tennis Tournament was first staged at the Tenby Lawn Tennis Club, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, South Wales.The Pembroke County Guardian and Cardigan Reporter In 1881 the tournament changed its name to the South Wales Championships, and play was open to all residents who had resided for three months in all six southern counties of Wales. The first winner of the 1881 men's singles was Britain's L.G. Campbell. In 1885 the latter tournament was renamed as the South Wales and Monmouthshire Championships until 1900 when the Welsh Lawn Tennis Association moved the championships to Newport, Monmouthshire, South Wales. This tournament at Tenby, Pembrokeshire was then renamed as the West Wales Championships which ran until 1939. The men competed for the West Wales Challenge Cup.
Venue The original Tenby Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club was a former sports club situated on Heywood Lane, Tenby. It opened in the late-nineteenth century.National Monuments Record of Wales The cricket club occupied land to the south side of Heywood Lane whilst the Tennis Club was located on the north side of Heywood Lane. The Tennis club no longer exists and the land has been subsequently used for housing - this is the present Heywood Court. The cricket pitch still survives though. In 2009 a new Tenby Tennis Club was reformed.
Finals Men's Singles (incomplete roll) included:. YearWinnerRunner-upScoreTenby Lawn Tennis Tournament1879 ?? 1880 ?? South Wales Championships1881 L.G. Campbell Grismond Saunders Davies6-2, 6–5, 9-7 1882 P. J. Ashe L.G. Campbell 6-4, 6-4, 6-21883. Herbert Wilberforce P.J. Ashe6-2, 6–1, 6-1 1884. Herbert Wilberforce (2) William Sidney Nelson Heard6-4, 3–6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 South Wales and Monmouthshire Championships1885 William Sidney Nelson Heard E.W. Evans 5-6 6-0 6-0 6-3 1886 William Sidney Nelson Heard (2) James Baldwin6-0, 6–1, 6-1 1887 William Sidney Nelson Heard (3) E.W. Davies6-2 6-4 6-1 1894. F.D. Morris E.W. Evans ? West Wales Championships1909. W.S. Warburgh G. Kent6-3, 6–1, 6-3 1910 Algernon Kingscote T.A.Gibson6-3, 6–3, 6–1.1915/1918Not held (due to World War One)1919 Ivor Evans G.R. Mellor6-4, 6–4, 8-61920 Peter B.W. Freeman H.R. Lymbery6-0, 6–3, 6-01939 Ted Avory B. Williams6-1, 6-01940Tournament abolished (due to World War Two)
Women's Singles (incomplete roll) YearWinnerRunner-upScoreTenby Lawn Tennis Tournament1879 ?? 1880 ?? South Wales Championships1882 G. Milman Ruth Sparrow6-5, 6–5, 6-11883.The Tenby Observer Weekly List of Visitors and Directory C. Jones E Fletcher6-2, 3–6, 6-4 South Wales and Monmouthshire Championships1886 Katherine Hill Mary Agg6-4, 6-3 West Wales Championships1909. Miss Douglas Miss Wards6-4, 6-4 1915/1918Not held (due to World War One)1920 Gladys Lamplough Kathleen Lidderdale 6-2, 6-2 1924 Mary McIlquham Weeta Crawshay-Williams6-0, 6-4 1927 Mrs Burdon Mrs Parke 6-2, 7-5 1928 Mrs Dudley Mrs Congreve6-2, 6-2 1930 M Wynne Mrs D M Gimson 6-0, 6-2 1940Tournament abolished (due to World War Two)
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