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Sussex Championships

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Sussex Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
TourLTA Circuit (1889-1912)
ILTF World Circuit (1913-1968)
ILTF Independent Circuit (1970-1980)
Founded1889
Abolished1980
Editions78
LocationBrighton, East Sussex, England (1889-1926)
West Worthing, West Sussex, England (1972-1980)
SurfaceGrass

The Sussex Championships or Sussex County Championships was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament that were first staged in 1889. By 1972 it was known as the Sussex Tennis Open Championships.[1] The championships were first held in Brighton, East Sussex, England then moved to West Worthing, West Sussex, England and ran only until 1980.

The tournament is no longer a senior level international tour event, but is still staged today as a closed county tournament to British players only.[2]

History

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A Sussex County Lawn Tennis Tournament was a brief tennis tournament consisting of a spring tournament usually held in April and another held in autumn usually September.[3] It was originally played on outdoor asphalt courts at Brighton and Hove Rink, England with the exception of the 1884 event that was played on grass courts. In 1882 the organisers staged the spring event. also played on asphalt courts, but for only two editions. there was just four editions of this event but did feature two future Wimbledon Men's singles champions the Renshaw twins it ran until 1885 then was abolished. In 1889 the event was revived as a grass court tournament called the Sussex Championships that was held at Hove County Cricket Ground.

The Sussex Championships was a very successful tournament in the years up to World War I, and was the second largest of the South of England meetings.[4] The September tournament (otherwise called the Autumn Tournament), even when held in August, just before the South of England Championships was the main draw event on the Sussex calendar for many years.[5] In 1911 it became a two-week competition. Many of the leading players of the day took part in the championships. Following the First World War for some unknown reason, the event failed to gain the longevity it needed to keep the success going, unlike the South of England tournament, rescheduling of the event may have been the cause of its early demise.

Following the start of the open era the Sussex Championships were revived, but this time played at a new location in West Worthing. By 1972 it was known as the Sussex Tennis Open Championships.[6] The championships continued as a two-week tournament until 1978. The tournament continued up to 1980 when it was abolished for the final time as a senior tour level event. It was a featured county level event on the Mens Amateur Tour (1877-1912), the Women Amateur Tour (1877-1912), the ILTF Mens Amateur Tour (1913-1967) and the ILTF Women's Amateur Tour (1913-1967).

Finals

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Men's singles

[edit]
Incomplete Roll:[7]
Year Champions Runners-up Score
Sussex Championships (Brighton)
1889 England Horace Chapman United Kingdom Wilberforce Eaves 6-3, 6–3, 8–6.
1890 England Wilfred Baddeley England Horace Chapman 6-4, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5.
1891 Ireland Grainger Chaytor England Wilfred Baddeley w.o.
1892 United Kingdom Wilberforce Eaves Ireland Grainger Chaytor w.o.
1893 England Wilfred Baddeley (2) United Kingdom Wilberforce Eaves 6-1, 1–6, 8–6, 6-2
1894 England Wilfred Baddeley (3) England Harry Sibthorpe Barlow 6-1, 6–0, 2–6, 7-5
1895 Ireland Grainger Chaytor (2) England Wilfred Baddeley w.o.
1896 England Wilfred Baddeley (4) Ireland Grainger Chaytor w.o.
1897 Ireland George Ball-Greene England Wilfred Baddeley w.o.
1898 Ireland Grainger Chaytor (3) Ireland George Ball-Greene 6-1, 6–1, 2–6, 8-6
1899 United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith Ireland Grainger Chaytor 6-4, 6–3, 6-2
1900 United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith (2) United Kingdom George Whiteside Hillyard 6-2, 4–6, 6–4, 6-2
1901 United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith (3) Ireland Joshua Pim 6-1, 6–3, 5–7, 6-2
1902 United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith (4) United Kingdom Frank Riseley 5-7, 6–4, 2–6, 6-4 ret.
1903 United States Robert Leroy United States Wylie Grant 8-6, 6–1, 1–6, 1–6, 6-2
1904 United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith (5) United Kingdom Frank Riseley 6-4. 5–7. 3-3 ret.
1905 United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith (6) United Kingdom Frank Riseley w.o.
1906 United Kingdom Arthur Gore United Kingdom Major Josiah Ritchie 6-2, 6–3, 6-3
1907 United Kingdom George Whiteside Hillyard United Kingdom Alfred Bentley 6-3, 1–6, 6-4
1908 United Kingdom Walter Cecil Crawley United Kingdom John Frederick Stokes 6-2, 6–2, 6-3
1909 Canada Robert Branks Powell United Kingdom William Alfred Ingram 6-2, 6-2
1910 United Kingdom James Zimmermann United Kingdom Walter Cecil Crawley w.o.
1914/1919 Not held (due to world war one)
1920 United Kingdom Alfred Beamish United Kingdom Monty Temple 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1
1921 India Mohammed Sleem India Cotah Ramaswami 6-4, 6-3, 6-0
1922 United Kingdom F. R. Leighton Crawford United Kingdom Charles Tuckey 6-0, 6-1
1924 United Kingdom Jack Hillyard United Kingdom F. R. Leighton Crawford 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5
↓  Open era  ↓
1970[8] United Kingdom Max Franklin India Jay Royappa 9-7, 6-2
Sussex Tennis Open Championships (West Worthing)
1977 United Kingdom Clive Rothwell United Kingdom Jasper Cooper 6-4, 6-2
1978 United Kingdom Willie Davies United Kingdom Tony Lloyd 7-5, 6-4
1979 United Kingdom Chris Wells Robert Booth 6-1, 6-0

Women's singles

[edit]
Incomplete Roll:
Year Champions Runners-up Score
Sussex Championships (Brighton)
1889 Ireland May Langrishe Ireland Beatrice Langrishe 6-3, 6-3, 8-6
1890 Ireland May Langrishe (2) England Maud Shackle 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
1891 England Maud Shackle Ireland May Langrishe 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
1892 England Maud Shackle (2) United Kingdom Bertha Steedman 6-0, 8-6
1893 United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard United Kingdom Maud Shackle 6-1, 6-4
1894 United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard (2) England Maud Shackle 6-3, 6-0
1895 United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard (3) United Kingdom Helen Jackson 6-2, 6-2
1896 United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard (4) United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
1897 United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard 7-5, 7-5
1898 United Kingdom Edith Austin United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper 6-3, 6-2
1899 United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper (2) United Kingdom Edith Austin 6-4, 6-4
1900 United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard (5) United Kingdom Hilda Lane 6-3, 6-3
1901 United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry (3) United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard 6-4, 6-2
1902 United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry (4) United Kingdom Dorothea Douglass 6-2, 6-8, 6-3
1903 United Kingdom Alice Greene United Kingdom Dorothea Douglass 2-6, 8-6, 6-2
1904 United Kingdom Dorothea Douglass United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry 6-3, 6-3
1905 United Kingdom Winifred Longhurst United Kingdom Connie Wilson divided the prizes
1906 United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry (5) United Kingdom Violet Pinckney 6-0, 6-0
1907 United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry (6) United Kingdom Ruth Winch 6-0, 6-1
1908 United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry (7) United Kingdom Edith Boucher 9-7, 6-4
1909 United Kingdom Dora Boothby England Hilda Lane 6-1, 6-2
1910 United Kingdom Ethel Thomson Larcombe United Kingdom Dora Boothby 9-7. 6-4
1911 United Kingdom Dora Boothby United Kingdom Agnes Daniell Tuckey 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
1912 United Kingdom Dora Boothby (2) United Kingdom Annie Wix Cobb 6-4, 6-2
1913 United Kingdom Dora Boothby (3) United Kingdom Minnie Dillon 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
1914/1919 Not held (due to world war one)
1920 United States Elizabeth Ryan United Kingdom Dorothy Holman 6-2, 2-6 6-2
1921 United Kingdom Dorothy Holman United Kingdom Louise Bull 8-6, 6-2
1922 United Kingdom Dorothy Holman (2) United Kingdom Agnes Daniell Tuckey w.o.
1923 United States Elizabeth Ryan (2) United Kingdom Christine Tyrrell 6-2, 6-0
1924 United Kingdom Dorothy Holman (3) United Kingdom Phoebe Holcroft 6-4, 3–6, 6-3
1925 United Kingdom Phoebe Holcroft Watson United Kingdom Joyce Brown 6-2, 6-1
1926 United Kingdom Phoebe Holcroft Watson (2) United Kingdom Joyce Brown 6-1, 6-1
↓  Open era  ↓
1970[9] United Kingdom Jenny Chamberlain United Kingdom H.B. Chamberlain 6-2, 6-3
Sussex Tennis Open Championships (West Worthing)
1977 United Kingdom Annette Coe United Kingdom Debra Parker 6-4, 6-4
1978 United Kingdom Debra Stewart United Kingdom Annette Coe 2-6, 6–2, 6-1
1979 United Kingdom Michele Tyler United Kingdom Lesley Charles 1-6, 6–2, 7-5
1980 United Kingdom Lesley Charles United Kingdom Elizabeth Jones 6-4, 6-2

References

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  1. ^ Lewis, Ralph Henry (1972). Scene in Sussex: a fresh look at the county. London: Research Pub. Co. p. 75. ISBN 9780705000154.
  2. ^ "Sussex County Championships Archives". Tennis Sussex. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  3. ^ Teague, Bryan (20 November 2016). "History of the Club". sussexcountycroquetclub.org.uk. Sussex County Croquet Club.
  4. ^ Myers, Arthur Wallis (1903). "Other Meetings". Lawn Tennis at Home and Abroad. London: Scribner's sons. p. 85.
  5. ^ Teague (2016)
  6. ^ Henry (1972).
  7. ^ Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament – Sussex Championships". www.tennisarchives.com. Netherlands: Tennis Archives. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  8. ^ Barrett, John. Tingay, Lance. West, Peter. (1971) World of Tennis 1971 : a BP yearbook. Queen Anne Press. London. ISBN 978-0-362-00091-7. p.271.
  9. ^ World of Tennis 1971

Sources

[edit]
  • Lewis, Ralph Henry (1972). Scene in Sussex: a fresh look at the county,. London: Research Pub. ISBN 9780705000154.
  • Myers, Arthur Wallis (1903). Lawn Tennis at Home and Abroad. London: Scribner's sons.
  • Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament – Sussex Championships". www.tennisarchives.com. Netherlands: Tennis Archives.
  • Sussex County Championships Archives. Tennis Sussex. Tennis Sussex. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  • Teague, Bryan (20 November 2016). "History of the Club". sussexcountycroquetclub.org.uk. Sussex County Croquet Club.