The Moscow International Championships was a men's and women's open international outdoor tennis tournament founded in 1956. The tournament was organised by the Tennis Federation of the USSR was played on clay courts in Moscow, Soviet Union until 1975.
The event also carried the joint denomination of USSR International Championships. The championships were part ILTF European Circuit a sub circuit of the ILTF World Circuit until 1972 then became part of the ILTF Independent Tour from 1973 until it was discontinued.
History In the mid-1950s confrontational relations between the Western Bloc and Soviet Union eased in part the Khrushchev Thaw a policy of de-Stalinization by then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, meant that Soviet players were free to travel to overseas international tournaments, while foreign players could take part in a limited number of tournaments within the USSR, mainly in the capital Moscow.
The two prominent international tournaments for foreign players to participate in were the Moscow International Indoor Championships or (USSR International Indoor Championships) usually late winter in February to early spring in March. The second international tennis event was Moscow International Championships usually staged in the summer at the end of July, beginning of August and was played on clay courts. Additionally two closed tournaments were also held in Moscow for Soviet players only the Moscow Indoor Championships and the Moscow Outdoor Championships.
Finals Men's singles (incomplete roll) (incomplete roll) summers YearChampionsRunners-upScore↓ ILTF World Circuit ↓1959 Istvan Gulyas Wladyslaw Skonecki10–8, 9–7, 6–1.1960 Istvan Gulyas (2) Zoltán Katona6–1, 6–3, 6–1.1961 Patricio Rodriguez Toomas Lejus0–6, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4.1962 Frank Froehling III John Newcombe3–6, 6–2, 6–2, 4–6, 7–5.1963 Toomas Lejus Alexander Metreveli 8–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–2.1964 Niki Pilic Boro Jovanovic5–7, 5–7, 6–2, 6–4, 6–0.1965 Alexander Metreveli Toomas Lejus2–6, 6–3, 6–0, 11–9.1966 Alexander Metreveli (2) Vyacheslav Egorov2–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–1.1967 Alexander Metreveli (3) Vyacheslav Egorov6–1, 6–1, 6–2.1968 Toomas Lejus (2) Sergei Likhachev6–8, 7–5, 6–2, 8–6.↓ Open era ↓1969 Toomas Lejus (3) Anatoli Volkov2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–2.1970 Alexander Metreveli (4) Wieslaw Gasiorek6–3, 6–2, 6–2.1971 Alexander Metreveli (5) Istvan Gulyas 6–4, 6–1, 6–4.1972 Teimuraz Kakuliya Anatoli Volkov6–3, 6–4↓ ILTF Independent Tour ↓1973 Alexander Metreveli (6) Jan Bedan6–3, 7–5, 6–4.
Women's singles (incomplete roll) YearChampionsRunners-upScore↓ ILTF World Circuit ↓ 1957 Suzy Kormoczy Vera Puzejova2–1 sets 1959 Anna Dmitrieva Valeria Kuzmenko 6–3, 6–1 1960 Anna Dmitrieva (2) Jirina Elgrova6–3, 6–4 1961The Tampa Tribune Vera Sukova Anna Dmitrieva 5–7, 6–1, 6–2 1962The Burlington Free Press Jan Lehane Anna Dmitrieva 6–3, 6–3 1964Hartford Courant Anna Dmitrieva (3) Valeria Kuzmenko Titova 6–2, 6–2 1965 Margaret Smith Galina Baksheeva 6–2, 6–4 1966 Ann Haydon Jones Anna Dmitrieva 6–1, 6–3 1968 Olga Morozova Marina Chuvirina 6–1, 6–3↓ Open era ↓ 1969 Julie Heldman Peaches Bartkowicz6–3, 2–6, 6–3 1970 Olga Morozova (2) Tiiu Kivi Parmas6–4, 6–4 1971 A. Yeremeyeva Maria Kull6–0, 6–3 1972 Olga Morozova (3) Marina Kroschina8–6, 6–2↓ ILTF Independent Tour ↓ 1975 Olga Morozova (4) Marina Kroshina2–6, 7–6, 6–0
See also :Category:National and multi-national tennis tournaments
References