The Bristol and Clifton Open was a late 19th century men's and women's tennis tournament first established in 1882 as the Clifton Lawn Tennis Tournament. It was played on outdoor grass courts at the Clifton Lawn Tennis Club, Clifton, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England. The tournament ran annually until 1897.
History In 1882 the Clifton Lawn Tennis Club was founded, with Bristol player Mr. Charles Lacy Sweet being appointed honorary club secretary. He became instrumental in the initial success of the Clifton Lawn Tennis tournament. In 1886 the tournament's name was changed to the Clifton Open. In 1895 the tournament had by this time grown in both size and importance it became part of the Western tour circuit, it was then rebranded as the Bristol and Clifton Open.
That year the event featured some of the biggest names in British tennis including; Charles Gladstone Allen, Edward Roy Allen, Herbert Baddeley, Wilfred Baddeley (Wimbledon Champion), Frank Riseley, Sydney Howard Smith, and Frank Riseley. The men's singles title that year was won by Wilberforce Eaves. There was no women's singles, but did include and mixed doubles featuring players such as Charlotte Cooper (Wimbledon Champion), Ruth Dyas, Lottie Paterson (the Scottish Champion), and Alice Pickering.
In 1897 the Gloucestershire Lawn Tennis Association was formed, it had originally staged an unofficial county level event in 1882 in Cheltenham. This year the association decided to officially create the Gloucestershire Championships and decided to move the tournament to Clifton as a replacement for the Bristol and Clifton Open, at which point this tournament was discontinued as a distinct event.
Finals Men's singles (Incomplete roll) YearWinnerRunner-upScoreClifton Lawn Tennis Club Tournament1882 Charles Lacy Sweet Teddy Williams6–3, 6–31883 George Butterworth Donald Charles Stewart6–3, 4–6, 6–21884 Charles Lacy Sweet (2) Charles Walder Grinstead6–3, 4–6, 6–2 Clifton Open1886 Charles Lacy Sweet (3) Mark Anthony Hartnellw.o.1890 Wilfred Baddeley Charles Gladstone Allen6–2,6–21891 Sydney Howard Smith Charles Lacy Sweet6–3, 5–7, 7–51894 Roy Allen Horace Chapman6–4, 6–1 Bristol and Clifton Open1895 Wilberforce Vaughan Eaves George Ball-Greene4–6, 6–3, 6–4 ret.
Women's singles (Incomplete roll) YearWinnerRunner-upScoreClifton Open1886 Beatrice Langrishe Nora Pope6–2, 7–5
Mixed doubles (Incomplete roll) YearWinnerRunner-upScoreClifton Open1890 Wilfred Baddeley May Langrishe Ernest Wool Lewis Violet Pinckney6–3, 6–1Bristol and Clifton Open1895 Edward Roy Allen Alice Pickering George Ball-Greene Charlotte Cooperdivided prizes
Venue Clifton Lawn Tennis Club was established in 1882,Clifton Lawn Tennis Club the club's facilities at this time consisted of four grass courts, the club added three hard asphalt courts by 1886. The Clifton tournament had outgrown the facilities of the venue by 1895 when it had hire the county cricket ground at Ashley Down, Bristol, for the use of the cricket ground during the week that had ten tennis courts.
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