Avon Futures of Southwest Florida

The Avon Futures of Southwest Florida was a USLTA/WTA affiliated clay court then later indoor hard court tennis tournament founded in 1974 as the Barnett Bank Classic of Ft. Myers. It was first played at the Lochmoor Country Club, in Fort Myers, Florida, United States, . The event ran annually until 1982 when it was last played at the Fort Myers Racquet Club then was discontinued.

History This event began in 1974 as part of the Virginia Slims Mini-Circuit a forerunner to the Avon Futures Circuit. It was announced that it would part of a five satellite tournament held in Florida at Ocala, Fort Myers, Winter Haven, Pensacola and Seebring.

The circuit offered prize money of $3,000 per tournament provided by Barnett Bank of Florida with the USLTA providing players are ranked outside the world top 32,Ocala StarBanner (1 February 1974) p.12. the winners of each event then qualify to enter an event on the main Virginia Slims Circuit.32,Ocala StarBanner (1 February 1974) p.12.

The tournament was played on outdoor clay courts until 1980, then switched to indoor hard courts for the duration of its run till 1982 when it was discontinued when prize money had climbed to $40,000.

Past finals Singles Year Winner Runner-up Score 1974 Kate Latham Janet Haas 6–3, 4–6, 6–4 1975 Donna Ganz Marina Kroshina 6–4, 6–2 1976 Kathy May Ann Kiyomura 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 1977 Linky Boshoff Zenda Liess 6–4, 6–4 1978 Renée Richards Laura duPont 6–1, 6–7, 6–4 1979 Regina Maršíková Janet Newberry 6–4, 6–2 1980 Jeanne Duvall Felicia Raschiatore 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 1981 Ann Kiyomura Kathleen Cummings 6–3, 6–2 1982 Lee Duk-hee Yvonne Vermaak 6–0, 6–3

Doubles Year Winners Runners-up Score 1974 Miroslava Kozeluhova Renata Tomanova Sally Greer Naoko Sato 7–5, 6–7, 7–6 1975 Natasha Chmyreva Marina Kroshina Lesley Blachford Michèle Gurdal 6–2, 6–2 1976"Nagelsen Doubles Champ". St. Petersburg Times. 26 January 1976. p. 24. Rayni Fox Betsy Nagelsen Sue Mehmedbasich Marita Redondo 6–2, 6–2 1977 Linky Boshoff Ilana Kloss Lele Forood Candy Reynolds 6–2, 6–3 1978 Pam Whytcross Chris O'Neil Ann Kiyomura Renée Richards 6–3, 6–1 1979 Diane Desfor Barbara Hallquist Marjorie Blackwood Kym Ruddell 6–4, 6–4 1980Du Vall defeats Raschiatore in Futures Final". The Victoria Advocate. 17 March 1980. p. 6. Diane Desfor Barbara Hallquist Carrie Meyer Sabina Simmonds 6–3, 6–1 1981Colombia beats Canada". Star News. 12 January 1981. p. 12. Retrieved 2 April 2026. Rene Blount Dianne Morrison Renée Richards Joyce Portman 6–1, 6–3 1982Barrett, John (1983). Slazengers World of Tennis 1983. London and Sydney: MacDonald Queen Anne Press. p. 174. ISBN 0356093840. Marjorie Blackwood Susan Leo Pat Medrado Cláudia Monteiro 2–6, 6–1, 6–2

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