Sussex Championships

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.

Sussex Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
TourMens Amateur Tour (1877-1912)
Women Amateur Tour (1877-1912)
ILTF Mens Amateur Tour (1913-1967)
ILTF Women's Amateur Tour (1913-1967)
Founded1889
Abolished1980
Editions78
LocationBrighton, East Sussex, England (1889-1926)
West Worthing, West Sussex, England (1972-1980)
Surfaceoutdoor (grass)

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

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

Men's singles

Incomplete Roll:[7]
Year Champions Runners-up Score
Sussex Championships (Brighton)
1889England Horace ChapmanUnited Kingdom Wilberforce Eaves6-3, 6–3, 8–6.
1890England Wilfred BaddeleyEngland Horace Chapman6-4, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5.
1891Ireland Grainger ChaytorEngland Wilfred Baddeleyw.o.
1892United Kingdom Wilberforce EavesIreland Grainger Chaytorw.o.
1893England Wilfred Baddeley (2)United Kingdom Wilberforce Eaves6-1, 1–6, 8–6, 6-2
1894England Wilfred Baddeley (3)England Harry Sibthorpe Barlow6-1, 6–0, 2–6, 7-5
1895Ireland Grainger Chaytor (2)England Wilfred Baddeleyw.o.
1896England Wilfred Baddeley (4)Ireland Grainger Chaytorw.o.
1897Ireland George Ball-GreeneEngland Wilfred Baddeleyw.o.
1898Ireland Grainger Chaytor (3)Ireland George Ball-Greene6-1, 6–1, 2–6, 8-6
1899United Kingdom Sydney Howard SmithIreland Grainger Chaytor6-4, 6–3, 6-2
1900United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith (2)United Kingdom George Whiteside Hillyard6-2, 4–6, 6–4, 6-2
1901United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith (3)Ireland Joshua Pim6-1, 6–3, 5–7, 6-2
1902United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith (4)United Kingdom Frank Riseley5-7, 6–4, 2–6, 6-4 ret.
1903United States Robert LeroyUnited States Wylie Grant8-6, 6–1, 1–6, 1–6, 6-2
1904United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith (5)United Kingdom Frank Riseley6-4. 5–7. 3-3 ret.
1905United Kingdom Sydney Howard Smith (6)United Kingdom Frank Riseleyw.o.
1906United Kingdom Arthur GoreUnited Kingdom Major Josiah Ritchie6-2, 6–3, 6-3
1907United Kingdom George Whiteside HillyardUnited Kingdom Alfred Bentley6-3, 1–6, 6-4
1908United Kingdom Walter Cecil CrawleyUnited Kingdom John Frederick Stokes6-2, 6–2, 6-3
1909Canada Robert Branks PowellUnited Kingdom William Alfred Ingram6-2, 6-2
1910United Kingdom James ZimmermannUnited Kingdom Walter Cecil Crawleyw.o.
1914/1919Not held (due to world war one)
1920United Kingdom Alfred BeamishUnited Kingdom Monty Temple3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1
1921India Mohammed SleemIndia Cotah Ramaswami6-4, 6-3, 6-0
1922United Kingdom F. R. L. CrawfordUnited Kingdom Charles Tuckey6-0, 6-1
1924United Kingdom Jack HillyardUnited Kingdom F. R. L. Crawford1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5
Open Era
1970[8]United Kingdom Max FranklinIndia Jay Royappa9-7, 6-2
Sussex Tennis Open Championships (West Worthing)
1977United Kingdom Clive RothwellUnited Kingdom Jasper Cooper6-4, 6-2
1978United Kingdom Willie DaviesUnited Kingdom Tony Lloyd7-5, 6-4
1979United Kingdom Chris WellsRobert Booth6-1, 6-0

Women's singles

Incomplete Roll:
Year Champions Runners-up Score
Sussex Championships (Brighton)
1889Ireland May LangrisheIreland Beatrice Langrishe6-3, 6-3, 8-6
1890Ireland May Langrishe (2)England Maud Shackle6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
1891England Maud ShackleIreland May Langrishe6-4, 5-7, 6-2
1892England Maud Shackle (2)United Kingdom Bertha Steedman6-0, 8-6
1893United Kingdom Blanche Bingley HillyardUnited Kingdom Maud Shackle6-1, 6-4
1894United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard (2)England Maud Shackle6-3, 6-0
1895United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard (3)United Kingdom Helen Jackson6-2, 6-2
1896United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard (4)United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper3-6, 6-4, 6-1
1897United Kingdom Charlotte CooperUnited Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard7-5, 7-5
1898United Kingdom Edith AustinUnited Kingdom Charlotte Cooper6-3, 6-2
1899United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper (2)United Kingdom Edith Austin6-4, 6-4
1900United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard (5)United Kingdom Hilda Lane6-3, 6-3
1901United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry (3)United Kingdom Blanche Bingley Hillyard6-4, 6-2
1902United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry (4)United Kingdom Dorothea Douglass6-2, 6-8, 6-3
1903United Kingdom Alice GreeneUnited Kingdom Dorothea Douglass2-6, 8-6, 6-2
1904United Kingdom Dorothea DouglassUnited Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry6-3, 6-3
1905United Kingdom Winifred LonghurstUnited Kingdom Connie Wilsondivided the prizes
1906United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry (5)United Kingdom Violet Pinckney6-0, 6-0
1907United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry (6)United Kingdom Ruth Winch6-0, 6-1
1908United Kingdom Charlotte Cooper Sterry (7)United Kingdom Edith Boucher9-7, 6-4
1909United Kingdom Dora BoothbyEngland Hilda Lane6-1, 6-2
1910United Kingdom Ethel Thomson LarcombeUnited Kingdom Dora Boothby9-7. 6-4
1911United Kingdom Dora BoothbyUnited Kingdom Agnes Daniell Tuckey4-6, 6-3, 6-4
1912United Kingdom Dora Boothby (2)United Kingdom Annie Wix Cobb6-4, 6-2
1913United Kingdom Dora Boothby (3)United Kingdom Minnie Dillon6-2, 4-6, 6-4
1914/1919Not held (due to world war one)
1920United States Elizabeth RyanUnited Kingdom Dorothy Holman6-2, 2-6 6-2
1921United Kingdom Dorothy HolmanUnited Kingdom Louise Bull8-6, 6-2
1922United Kingdom Dorothy Holman (2)United Kingdom Agnes Daniell Tuckeyw.o.
1923United States Elizabeth Ryan (2)United Kingdom Christine Tyrrell]6-2, 6-0
1924United Kingdom Dorothy Holman (3)United Kingdom Phoebe Holcroft6-4, 3–6, 6-3
1925United Kingdom Phoebe Holcroft WatsonUnited Kingdom Joyce Brown6-2, 6-1
1926United Kingdom Phoebe Holcroft Watson (2)United Kingdom Joyce Brown6-1, 6-1
Open Era
1970[9]United Kingdom Jenny ChamberlainUnited Kingdom H.B. Chamberlain6-2, 6-3
Sussex Tennis Open Championships (West Worthing)
1977United Kingdom Annette CoeUnited Kingdom Debra Parker6-4, 6-4
1978United Kingdom Debra StewartUnited Kingdom Annette Coe2-6, 6–2, 6-1
1979United Kingdom Michele TylerUnited Kingdom Lesley Charles1-6, 6–2, 7-5
1980United Kingdom Lesley CharlesUnited Kingdom Elizabeth Jones6-4, 6-2

References

  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. 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

  • 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.
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