Connecticut Open (tennis)

The Connecticut Open was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts under various names and in various venues from 1948 until 2019.

Connecticut Open
Defunct tennis tournament
TourWTA Tour
Founded1948
Abolished2019
Editions50
LocationNew Haven, Connecticut
United States
CategoryATP World Series
(1990–1997)
ATP International Series
(1998–2008)
ATP World Tour 250 series
(2009–2010)
WTA Tier IV
(1988–1989)
WTA Tier III
(1990–1994)
WTA Tier II
(1997–2008)
WTA Premier
(2009–2018)
SurfaceHard / outdoor

It was most recently a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour, held annually at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, just before the fourth and last Grand Slam tournament of the year, the US Open.[1] From 2005 through 2010, the tournament was also part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour.

In 2019, the tournament sanction was sold to APG, a sports and entertainment company, which transferred it to Zhengzhou, China.[2]

History

The tournament was created in 1948 as the U.S. Women's Hardcourt Championships and first played in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Over the 20 years of its first run, the event was held in various locations in the western United States: San Francisco; Berkeley, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Washington; La Jolla, California; and Denver, Colorado. Among the winners of the event were Doris Hart, Darlene Hard, Nancy Richey, Rosemary Casals, Billie Jean King, and Jane Bartkowicz. The event was discontinued in 1969 after the beginning of the Open Era.[3]

In 1988, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) reinstated the tournament. The first edition of the new U.S. Women's Hardcourt Championships was held that year in San Antonio, Texas, first as part of Tier IV of the WTA Tour, then as an upgraded Tier III event in 1990. The championships were sponsored by Post Cereals in 1990[4] and by Acura from 1992 to 1994.[4] Over the first years of its second run, the tournament was won by several past or future World No. 1s, including Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and Martina Navratilova. The event was held in Stratton Mountain, Vermont, in 1993 and 1994, but conflicts with the 1996 Summer Olympics prevented the tournament from being held the following two years. In 1997, the event returned again, now within Tier II and first in Stone Mountain, Georgia, then settling in 1998 in New Haven, Connecticut, under the new sponsorship of Pilot Pen.[3] In the first years of its run in New Haven, the renamed Pilot Pen International saw its competition dominated by Lindsay Davenport (four-time runner-up in New Haven, one previous time in Stone Mountain, and 2005 champion) and Venus Williams (four-time champion from 1999 to 2002).

New Haven was already host to a men's tournament, the Pilot Pen International. It was created in 1973 in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, as the Volvo International, and moved to Connecticut in 1990, where it took Pilot Pen sponsorship in 1997. When the men's event was cancelled in 1999, the women's Pilot Pen tournament remained the only one of the region.

In 2005, the USTA purchased the men's tournament of Long Island, New York,[5] and merged it with the women's Pilot Pen International to create Pilot Pen Tennis, the first large joint ATPWTA tournament leading to the US Open.[6] The tournament became the last event of the US Open Series and continued to attract top players, including champions Caroline Wozniacki, Svetlana Kuznetsova, James Blake, Justine Henin, and Nikolay Davydenko.

In 2011, after the men's competition moved to Winston-Salem, the newly women's-only event was renamed the New Haven Open at Yale.[7] In 2014, it was renamed the Connecticut Open.[8]

In 2019, the Connecticut Open ended due to a lack of funding. The tournament's sanction was sold and assigned to Zhengzhou, China, after the 2019 US Open.[9] In 2021, the Tennis in the Land tournament in Cleveland took over its former spot on the WTA schedule.[10]

Past finals

Women's singles

Location Year Champion Runner-up Score
San Francisco 1948*United States Gussie MoranUnited States Virginia Wolfenden Kovacs2–6, 6–1, 6–2
1949*United States Doris HartUnited States Dorothy Head Knode6–3, 6–4
Berkeley, California 1950*United States Patricia Canning ToddRomania Magda Rurac6–2, 6–1
Salt Lake City 1951United States Patricia Canning Todd (2)United States Anita Kanter 6–1, 6–4
Seattle 1952United States Mary Arnold PrentissUnited States Anita Kanter6–1, 8–6
Salt Like City 1953United States Anita KanterUnited States Joan Merciadis6–0, 6–4
1954United States Beverly Baker FleitzUnited States Barbara Green6–1, 6–3
La Jolla, California 1955United States Mimi ArnoldUnited States Patricia Canning Todd6–0, 6–0
1956United States Nancy Chaffee KinerUnited States Patricia Canning Todd6–4, 5–7, 7–5
1957United States Beverly Baker Fleitz (2)United States Mimi Arnold6–1, 6–1
1958United States Beverly Baker Fleitz (3)United States Karen Hantze6–1, 8–6
Denver, Colorado 1959South Africa Sandra ReynoldsUnited States Beverly Baker Fleitz6–3, 6–2
La Jolla, California 1960United States Katherine D. ChabotUnited States Karen Hantze4–6, 7–5, 7–5
1961United States Nancy RicheyUnited States Dorothy Head Knode6–1, 6–1
Seattle 1962United States Carol HanksUnited States Marilyn Montgomery7–5, 6–3
La Jolla, California 1963United States Darlene HardUnited States Tory Fretz6–1, 8–6
Sacramento, California 1964United States Kathleen HarterUnited States Kathy Blake6–1, 6–0
1965United States Rosemary CasalsUnited States Kathleen Harter6–4, 4–6, 6–2
La Jolla, California 1966United States Billie Jean KingUnited States Patti Hogan7–5, 6–0
Sacramento, California 1967United States Jane "Peaches" BartkowiczUnited States Valerie Ziegenfuss6–4, 6–4
La Jolla, California 1968South Africa Maryna GodwinUnited States Janet Newberry6–3, 8–6
Sacramento, California 1969United States Eliza PandeUnited States Kristien Kemmer7–5, 6–4
1970–
1987
Not held
San Antonio, Texas 1988Germany Steffi GrafBulgaria Katerina Maleeva6–4, 6–1
1989Germany Steffi Graf (2)United States Ann Henricksson6–1, 6–4
1990Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica SelesSwitzerland Manuela Maleeva-Fragnière6–4, 6–3
1991Germany Steffi Graf (3)Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles6–4, 6–3
1992United States Martina NavratilovaFrance Nathalie Tauziat6–2, 6–1
Stratton Mountain, Vermont 1993Spain Conchita MartínezUnited States Zina Garrison6–3, 6–2
1994Spain Conchita Martínez (2)Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario4–6, 6–3, 6–4
  1995Not held
1996Not held
Stone Mountain, Georgia 1997United States Lindsay DavenportFrance Sandrine Testud6–4, 6–1
New Haven, Connecticut 1998Germany Steffi Graf (4)Czech Republic Jana Novotná6–4, 6–1
1999United States Venus WilliamsUnited States Lindsay Davenport6–2, 7–5
2000United States Venus Williams (2)United States Monica Seles6–2, 6–4
2001United States Venus Williams (3)United States Lindsay Davenport7–6(8–6), 6–4
2002United States Venus Williams (4)United States Lindsay Davenport7–5, 6–0
2003United States Jennifer CapriatiUnited States Lindsay Davenport6–2, 4–0 retired
2004Russia Elena BovinaFrance Nathalie Dechy6–2, 2–6, 7–5
2005United States Lindsay Davenport (2)France Amélie Mauresmo6–4, 6–4
2006Belgium Justine HeninUnited States Lindsay Davenport6–0, 1–0 retired
2007Russia Svetlana KuznetsovaHungary Ágnes Szávay4–6, 3–0 retired
2008Denmark Caroline WozniackiRussia Anna Chakvetadze3–6, 6–4, 6–1
2009Denmark Caroline Wozniacki (2)Russia Elena Vesnina6–2, 6–4
2010Denmark Caroline Wozniacki (3)Russia Nadia Petrova6–3, 3–6, 6–3
2011Denmark Caroline Wozniacki (4)Czech Republic Petra Cetkovská6–4, 6–1
2012Czech Republic Petra KvitováRussia Maria Kirilenko7–6(11–9), 7–5
2013Romania Simona HalepCzech Republic Petra Kvitová6–2, 6–2
2014Czech Republic Petra Kvitová (2)Slovakia Magdaléna Rybáriková6–4, 6–2
2015Czech Republic Petra Kvitová (3)Czech Republic Lucie Šafářová6–7(6–8), 6–2, 6–2
2016Poland Agnieszka RadwańskaUkraine Elina Svitolina6–1, 7–6(7–3)
2017Australia Daria GavrilovaSlovakia Dominika Cibulková4–6, 6–3, 6–4
2018Belarus Aryna SabalenkaSpain Carla Suárez Navarro6–1, 6–4
  • From 1948 through 1950, the U.S. Women's Hardcourt Championships were a combined event with the Pacific Coast Championships.

Women's doubles

Location Year Champions Runners-up Score
New Haven 2018Czech Republic Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková
Czech Republic Barbora Strýcová
Chinese Taipei Hsieh Su-wei
Germany Laura Siegemund
6–4, 6–7(7–9), [10–4]
2017Canada Gabriela Dabrowski
China Xu Yifan
Australia Ashleigh Barty
Australia Casey Dellacqua
3–6, 6–3, [10–8]
2016India Sania Mirza (3)
Romania Monica Niculescu
Ukraine Kateryna Bondarenko
Chinese Taipei Chuang Chia-jung
7–5, 6–4
2015Germany Julia Görges
Czech Republic Lucie Hradecká
Chinese Taipei Chuang Chia-jung
China Liang Chen
6–3, 6–1
2014Slovenia Andreja Klepač
Spain Sílvia Soler Espinosa
New Zealand Marina Erakovic
Spain Arantxa Parra Santonja
7–5, 4–6, [10–7]
2013India Sania Mirza (2)
China Zheng Jie (2)
Spain Anabel Medina Garrigues
Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik
6–3, 6–4
2012United States Liezel Huber
United States Lisa Raymond (4)
Czech Republic Andrea Hlaváčková
Czech Republic Lucie Hradecká
4–6, 6–0, [10–4]
2011Chinese Taipei Chuang Chia-jung
Belarus Olga Govortsova
Italy Sara Errani
Italy Roberta Vinci
7–5, 6–2
2010Czech Republic Květa Peschke
Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik
United States Bethanie Mattek-Sands
United States Meghann Shaughnessy
7–5, 6–0
2009Spain Nuria Llagostera Vives
Spain María José Martínez Sánchez
Czech Republic Iveta Benešová
Czech Republic Lucie Hradecká
6–2, 7–5
2008Czech Republic Květa Peschke
United States Lisa Raymond (3)
Romania Sorana Cîrstea
Romania Monica Niculescu
4–6, 7–5, [10–7]
2007India Sania Mirza
Italy Mara Santangelo
Zimbabwe Cara Black
United States Liezel Huber
6–1, 6–2
2006China Yan Zi
China Zheng Jie
United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Samantha Stosur
6–4, 6–2
2005United States Lisa Raymond (2)
Australia Samantha Stosur
Argentina Gisela Dulko
Russia Maria Kirilenko
6–2, 6–7(1–7), 6–1
2004Russia Nadia Petrova
United States Meghann Shaughnessy
United States Martina Navratilova
United States Lisa Raymond
6–1, 1–6, 7–6(7–4)
2003Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez
Australia Alicia Molik
Spain Magüi Serna
7–6(8–6), 6–3
2002Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Italy Tathiana Garbin
Slovakia Janette Husárová
7–6, 1–6, 7–5
2001Zimbabwe Cara Black
Russia Elena Likhovtseva
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Jelena Dokić
Russia Nadia Petrova
6–0, 3–6, 6–2
2000France Julie Halard-Decugis
Japan Ai Sugiyama
Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez
6–4, 5–7, 6–2
1999United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Rennae Stubbs
Russia Elena Likhovtseva
Czech Republic Jana Novotná
7–6(7–1), 6–2
1998France Alexandra Fusai
France Nathalie Tauziat
South Africa Mariaan de Swardt
Czech Republic Jana Novotná
6–1, 6–0
Stone Mt. 1997United States Nicole Arendt
Netherlands Manon Bollegraf
France Alexandra Fusai
France Nathalie Tauziat
6–7(5–7), 6–3, 6–2
  1996Not held
1995Not held
Stratton
Mountain
1994Australia Elizabeth Sayers-Smylie (2)
United States Pam Shriver (3)
Spain Conchita Martínez
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
7–6(7–4), 2–6, 7–5
1993Australia Elizabeth Sayers-Smylie
Czech Republic Helena Suková (2)
Switzerland Manuela Maleeva-Fragnière
Argentina Mercedes Paz
6–1, 6–2
San Antonio 1992United States Martina Navratilova
United States Pam Shriver (2)
United States Patty Fendick
Czechoslovakia Andrea Strnadová
3–6, 6–2, 7–6(7–4)
1991United States Patty Fendick
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles
Canada Jill Hetherington
United States Kathy Rinaldi
7–6(7–2), 6–2
1990United States Kathy Jordan
Australia Elizabeth Sayers-Smylie
United States Gigi Fernández
United States Robin White
7–5, 7–5
1989United States Katrina Adams
United States Pam Shriver
United States Patty Fendick
Canada Jill Hetherington
3–6, 6–1, 6–4
1988United States Lori McNeil
Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
United States Gretchen Rush-Magers
6–3, 6–7(5–7), 6–2

Men's singles

Location Year Champions Runners-up Score
Long Island
(exhibition)
1981United States Brian TeacherFrance Yannick Noah4–6, 6–3, 6–4
1982United States Gene MayerUnited States Johan Kriek6–2, 6–3
1983United States Gene MayerSwitzerland Heinz Günthardt6–7(9–11), 6–4, 6–0
1984Czech Republic Ivan LendlEcuador Andrés Gómez6–2, 6–4
1985Czech Republic Ivan LendlUnited States Jimmy Connors6–1, 6–3
1986Czech Republic Ivan LendlUnited States John McEnroe6–2, 6–4
1987Sweden Jonas SvenssonUnited States David Pate7–6, 3–6, 6–3
1988United States Andre AgassiFrance Yannick Noah6–3, 0–6, 6–4
1989Czech Republic Ivan LendlSweden Mikael Pernfors4–6, 6–2, 6–4
Long Island 1990Sweden Stefan EdbergSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Goran Ivanišević7–6, 6–3
1991Czech Republic Ivan LendlSweden Stefan Edberg6–3, 6–2
1992Czech Republic Petr KordaUnited States Ivan Lendl6–2, 6–2
1993Switzerland Marc RossetUnited States Michael Chang6–4, 3–6, 6–1
1994Russia Yevgeny KafelnikovFrance Cédric Pioline5–7, 6–1, 6–2
1995Russia Yevgeny KafelnikovNetherlands Jan Siemerink7–6(7–0), 6–2
1996Ukraine Andrei MedvedevCzech Republic Martin Damm7–5, 6–3
1997Spain Carlos MoyáAustralia Patrick Rafter6–4, 7–6(7–1)
1998Australia Patrick RafterSpain Félix Mantilla7–6(7–3), 6–2
1999Sweden Magnus NormanSpain Àlex Corretja7–6(7–4), 4–6, 6–3
2000Sweden Magnus NormanSweden Thomas Enqvist6–3, 5–7, 7–5
2001Germany Tommy HaasUnited States Pete Sampras6–3, 3–6, 6–2
2002Thailand Paradorn SrichaphanArgentina Juan Ignacio Chela5–7, 6–2, 6–2
2003Thailand Paradorn SrichaphanUnited States James Blake6–2, 6–4
2004Australia Lleyton HewittPeru Luis Horna6–3, 6–1
New Haven 2005United States James BlakeSpain Feliciano López3–6, 7–5, 6–1
2006Russia Nikolay DavydenkoArgentina Agustín Calleri6–4, 6–3
2007United States James BlakeUnited States Mardy Fish7–5, 6–4
2008Croatia Marin ČilićUnited States Mardy Fish6–4, 4–6, 6–2
2009Spain Fernando VerdascoUnited States Sam Querrey6–4, 7–6(8–6)
2010Ukraine Sergiy StakhovskyUzbekistan Denis Istomin3–6, 6–3, 6–4

Men's doubles

Location Year Champions Runners-up Score
Long Island 1990France Guy Forget
Switzerland Jakob Hlasek
Germany Udo Riglewski
Germany Michael Stich
2–6, 6–3, 6–4
1991Germany Eric Jelen
Germany Carl-Uwe Steeb
United States Doug Flach
Italy Diego Nargiso
0–6, 6–4, 7–6
1992United States Francisco Montana
United States Greg Van Emburgh
Italy Gianluca Pozzi
Finland Olli Rahnasto
6–4, 6–2
1993Germany Marc-Kevin Goellner
Germany David Prinosil
France Arnaud Boetsch
France Olivier Delaître
6–7, 7–5, 6–2
1994France Olivier Delaître
France Guy Forget
Australia Andrew Florent
United Kingdom Mark Petchey
6–4, 7–6
1995Czech Republic Cyril Suk
Czech Republic Daniel Vacek
United States Rick Leach
United States Scott Melville
5–7, 7–6, 7–6
1996United States Luke Jensen
United States Murphy Jensen
Germany Hendrik Dreekmann
Russia Alexander Volkov
6–3, 7–6
1997South Africa Marcos Ondruska
Germany David Prinosil
United States Mark Keil
United States T. J. Middleton
6–4, 6–4
1998Spain Julian Alonso
Spain Javier Sánchez
United States Brandon Coupe
United States Dave Randall
6–4, 6–4
1999France Olivier Delaître
France Fabrice Santoro
United States Jan-Michael Gambill
United States Scott Humphries
7–5, 6–4
2000United States Jonathan Stark
Zimbabwe Kevin Ullyett
United States Jan-Michael Gambill
United States Scott Humphries
6–4, 6–4
2001United States Jonathan Stark
Zimbabwe Kevin Ullyett
Czech Republic Leoš Friedl
Czech Republic Radek Štěpánek
6–1, 6–4
2002India Mahesh Bhupathi
United States Mike Bryan
Czech Republic Petr Pála
Czech Republic Pavel Vízner
6–3, 6–4
2003South Africa Robbie Koenig
Argentina Martín Rodríguez
Czech Republic Martin Damm
Czech Republic Cyril Suk
6–3, 7–6
2004France Antony Dupuis
France Michaël Llodra
Switzerland Yves Allegro
Germany Michael Kohlmann
6–2, 6–4
New Haven 2005Argentina Gastón Etlis
Argentina Martín Rodríguez
United States Rajeev Ram
United States Bobby Reynolds
6–4, 6–3
2006Israel Jonathan Erlich
Israel Andy Ram
Poland Mariusz Fyrstenberg
Poland Marcin Matkowski
6–3, 6–3
2007India Mahesh Bhupathi
Serbia Nenad Zimonjić
Poland Mariusz Fyrstenberg
Poland Marcin Matkowski
6–3, 6–3
2008Brazil Marcelo Melo
Brazil André Sá
India Mahesh Bhupathi
The Bahamas Mark Knowles
7–5, 6–2
2009Austria Julian Knowle
Austria Jürgen Melzer
Brazil Bruno Soares
Zimbabwe Kevin Ullyett
6–4, 7–6(7-3)
2010Sweden Robert Lindstedt
Romania Horia Tecău
India Rohan Bopanna
Pakistan Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi
6–4, 7–5

2011 earthquake

On August 23, 2011, 1:51 PM local time[11] a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Virginia stopped play for two hours[12] while the main stadium was checked for damage by the fire department.

See also

References

  1. "Connecticut Open | Connecticut Open". www.ctopen.org. Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved 2020-05-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Events". APG Sports Media. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  3. pilotpentennis.com (2008-08-15). "2008 Pilot Pen Tennis Press Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  4. sonyericssonwtatour.com. "Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Final Results: 1971-2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
  5. "USTA buys ATP event, moves it to New Haven". USA Today. Associated Press. 2005-05-09. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  6. USTA (2005-05-10). "USTA purchases ATP men's tournament to create first combined summer event". Retrieved 2010-10-19.
  7. "Tennis tournament continues as New Haven Open at Yale". New Haven Open at Yale website. 2010-10-21. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  8. "ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  9. "Connecticut Open tennis tournament comes to an end after rights to tournament sold". Hartford Courant. 2019-02-01. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  10. "Tennis in the Land brings WTA to Cleveland in August for first time". News-Herald. 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  11. "Magnitude 5.8 – VIRGINIA". Virginia: USGS. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  12. "Earthquake Causes Evacuation At New Haven Open". The Huffington Post. September 2, 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.


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