Stourbridge Open

The Stourbridge Open also known as the Trophee Pernod Stourbridge for sponsorship reasons, was a mens and womens grass court tennis tournament founded in September 1887 as the Stourbridge Lawn Tennis Tournament, and first staged at the Stourbridge Cricket Club (f.1888) grounds, Stourbridge in what was then Worcestershire,[1] but is now part of the West Midlands, England. This tournament has not had a continual history, being established then discontinued on four occasions. The last tournament took place in 1981.

Stourbridge Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Event nameStourbridge Lawn Tennis Tournament (1887-1907)
Stourbridge Open Lawn Tennis Tournament (1919–59)
Stourbridge Open (1969–70)
Bio-Strath Stourbridge Open (1971)
Stourbridge Open (1972–73)
Trophee Pernod Stourbridge (1979-1981)
Founded1887-1907 1919-59 1969-73 1979-81
LocationSolihull, Midlands, England
VenueStourbridge Lawn Tennis Club
SurfaceGrass
Hard

History

The first Stourbridge Lawn Tennis Tournament organised by the Stourbridge Cricket Club was held in September 1887 and ran until 1907. In 1919 a second Stourbridge Open lawn tennis tournament was established by the North Worcestershire Lawn Tennis Club (f.1919),[2] and continued until 1959.

In 1969 the North Worcestershire Lawn Tennis Club and the Stourbridge Old Edwardian Lawn Tennis Club (f.1926) merged to create a new club called the Stourbridge Lawn Tennis and Squash Club.[3] The new club then staged a third Stourbridge tournament called the Stourbridge Open.

In 1971 the tournament was incorporated into the Bio-Strath Circuit under the sponsorship name of the Bio-Strath Stourbridge Open or simply the Bio-Strath Stourbridge,[4] where it was the ninth leg of the circuit that year.[5] The tournament continued until 1974 as part of the ILTF circuit. In 1979 a fourth Stourbridge tournament was revived as an ITF Satellite tournament called the Pernod Trophy Stourbridge, and played at the current Stourbridge Tennis Club[6] until 1991.

Venues

There has been four versions of the Stourbridge Open staged by three different clubs. The first tournament was organised by the Stourbridge Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club. The venue for the second version of the event was the North Worcestershire Lawn Tennis Club (f.1919).[7] The venue for third version was the current Stourbridge Lawn Tennis and Squash Club (f.1969).[8]

Event Names
  • Stourbridge Lawn Tennis Tournament (1887-1907)
  • Stourbridge Open Lawn Tennis Tournament (1919–59)
  • Stourbridge Open (1969–70)
  • Bio-Strath Stourbridge Open (1971)
  • Stourbridge Open (1972–73)
  • Trophee Pernod Stourbridge (1979-1981)

References
  1. "LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT AT STOURBRIDGE:Play was resumed in connection with the Stourbridge Cricket Club Lawn Tennis Tournament on Saturday, and concluded on Monday. Both day's, experienced mid to fair weather, and a large number of spectators, including ladies, watched this first tournament". County Express. Worcester, Worcestershire, England: The British Newspaper Archive. 3 September 1887. p. 3.
  2. "STOURBRIDGE OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT:The 6th Stourbrige Open lawn tennis tournament opened, at the North Worcestershire LTC, Stourbridge, on Monday". Evesham Standard & West Midland Observer. Worcestershire, England: The British Newspaper Archive. 30 May 1925. p. 1.
  3. "About: Our History". www.stourbridge-tennis-squash.co.uk. Stourbridge Lawn Tennis and Squash Club. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  4. Barrett, John; Tingay, Lance; West, Peter (1971). "The 1970 British Tournament Season". World of Tennis 1971 : a BP yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 260–271. ISBN 978-0-362-00091-7.
  5. "Stanley Matthews into Stourbridge final:Stanley Matthews had a convincining win over 19.year old Ross Ross Walker (Bucks) in yesterday's semi final's of the Bio-Strath Stourbridge Open, in the ninth leg of the Bio-Strath Circuit. He will meet India's Gaurav Misra in the final who beat the Australian Peter Doerner". Birmingham Daily Post. Birmingham, West Midlands: The British Newspaper Archive. 31 July 1971. p. 26.
  6. "Big-time tennis at Stourbridge: Big-time tennis returns to the Midlands this year after a break of five years, when the Stourbridge Tennis Club becomes the venue and second tournament in the Trophee Pernod Satellite Series UK tour". Birmingham Daily Post. Birmingham, West Midlands: The British Newspaper Archive.
  7. Stourbridge Lawn Tennis and Squash Club
  8. Stourbridge Lawn Tennis and Squash Club
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