Eckerd Open

The Eckerd Open is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated women's tennis tournament founded in 1953 as a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament called the Masters Invitational tournament in St Augustine, Florida. In 1954 that event moved to Jacksonville, Florida until 1959. In 1960 the event moved to St Petersburg. It remained at the former location until 1974. After the combined event the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational finished in 1970. The womens event continued under various brand names and various locations in the Tampa Bay Area until it was abolished in 1990.

Eckerd Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Event name1953–1965 Masters Invitational (1953–65)
St Petersburg Masters (1966–70)
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg (1971–72)
St Petersburg Masters Invitational (1973)
Barnett Bank Masters (1974)
1977–1985 Florida Federal Open (1977–85)
Eckerd Open
TourWTA Tour (1977–90)
Founded1953 (1953)
Abolished1990 (1990)
LocationTampa Bay Area, Florida, U.S.
SurfaceClay (1971–74)
Hard (1977–86)
Clay (1987–90)

History

In 1953 Masters Invitational tournament was established at the St Augustine Tennis Club, St Augustine, Florida and played on outdoor clay courts. In 1954 the Masters event was moved to Jacksonville, Florida through till 1959. In 1959 it changed location to St Petersburg, Florida, where it remained under that brand name until 1965. In 1966 the tournament's name was changed to the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational until 1970 when the womens event became known as the Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg, the men's tournament continued under the same name until 1971 when it was discontinued. The tournament was part Florida-Caribbean Circuit which was a major feature of the international tennis scene in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The women's event continued under brand name VS Masters of St Petersburg until 1973 when it was rebranded as the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational In 1974 a new sponsor was found and the event became known as the Barnett Bank Masters until 1974 when it was discontinued. In 1977 the tournament was revived as the Florida Federal Open until 1985, and in 1986 becoming the Eckerd Open until it was abolished. The tournament was played on outdoor clay courts from 1953 to 1974 and from 1987 to 1990. It was played on outdoor hard courts from 1977 to 1986.

The holding of men's tournaments in the Tampa Bay Area were not as consistent as the women's event in 1974 the former St Petersburg Masters Invitational was revived as the St. Petersburg WCT from 1974 to 1975 before that was discontinued. In 1981 a Tampa Open men's tournament held in Tampa, Florida through till 1983.

Locations

Played from 1953 to 1990 in various locations in the Tampa Bay Area, Florida in the United States. St Augustine, Florida from 1953 to 1954, then Jacksonville, Florida from 1955 to 1959, then it was held in St. Petersburg, Florida from 1960 to 1974, Palm Harbor, Florida in 1977, in Clearwater, Florida in 1978 and in Tampa, Florida from 1979 to 1990.

Event names

  • 1953–1965 Masters Invitational
  • 1966–1970 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
  • 1971–1972 Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
  • 1973 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
  • 1974 Barnett Bank Masters
  • 1977–1985 Florida Federal Open
  • 1986–1990 Eckerd Open

Results

Singles

For previous winners of this event see St. Petersburg Masters Invitational
Year Champion Runner-up Score
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971United States Chris EvertUnited States Julie Heldman 6–1, 6–2
1972United States Nancy GunterUnited States Chris Evert6–3, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973United States Chris EvertAustralia Evonne Goolagong6–2, 0–6, 6–4
Barnett Bank Masters
1974United States Chris EvertAustralia Kerry Reid6–0, 6–1
1975/1976Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977Romania Virginia RuziciUnited States Laura duPont6–4, 4–6, 6–2
1978United Kingdom Virginia WadeUnited States Anna-Maria Fernandez6–4, 7–6(7–1)
1979Australia Evonne Goolagong CawleyUnited Kingdom Virginia Wade6–0, 6–3
1980United States Andrea JaegerUnited States Tracy AustinWalkover
1981United States Martina NavratilovaWest Germany Bettina Bunge5–7, 6–2, 6–0
1982United States Chris Evert-LloydUnited States Andrea Jaeger3–6, 6–1, 6–4
1983United States Martina NavratilovaUnited States Pam Shriver6–3, 6–2
1984United States Michelle TorresCanada Carling Bassett6–1, 7–6
1985United States Stephanie ReheArgentina Gabriela Sabatini6–4, 6–7, 7–5
Eckerd Open
1986United States Lori McNeilUnited States Zina Garrison2–6, 7–5, 6–2
1987United States Chris Evert-LloydUnited States Kate Gompert6–3, 6–2
1988United States Chris EvertSpain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario7–6, 6–4
1989Spain Conchita MartínezArgentina Gabriela Sabatini6–3, 6–2
1990Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica SelesBulgaria Katerina Maleeva6–1, 6–0

Doubles

Year Champion Runner-up Score
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971France Françoise Dürr
United Kingdom Ann Haydon-Jones
Australia Judy Tegart
United States Julie Heldman
7–6, 3–6, 6–3
1972Australia Karen Krantzcke
United States Wendy Overton
Australia Judy Tegart
France Françoise Dürr
7–5, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973Australia Chris Evert
United States Jeanne Evert
Australia Evonne Goolagong
Australia Janet Young
6–2, 7–6
Barnett Bank Masters
1974Soviet Union Olga Morozova
Netherlands Betty Stöve
United States Chris Evert
Australia Evonne Goolagong
6–4, 6–2
1975/1976Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977South Africa Delina Ann Boshoff
South Africa Ilana Kloss
South Africa Brigitte Cuypers
South Africa Marise Kruger
6–7, 6–2, 6–2
1978United States Martina Navratilova
United States Anne Smith
Australia Kerry Reid
Australia Wendy Turnbull
7–6(7–4), 6–3
1979Romania Virginia Ruzici
United States Anne Smith
South Africa Ilana Kloss
United States Betty Ann Grubb Stuart
7–5, 4–6, 7–5
1980United States Rosemary Casals
United States Candy Reynolds
United States Anne Smith
United States Paula Smith
7–6, 7–5
1981United States Rosemary Casals
Australia Wendy Turnbull
United States Martina Navratilova
Czechoslovakia Renáta Tomanová
6–3, 6–4
1982United States Ann Kiyomura
United States Paula Smith
United States Mary-Lou Piatek
United States Wendy White
6–2, 6–4
1983United States Martina Navratilova
United States Pam Shriver
United States Bonnie Gadusek
United States Wendy White
6–0, 6–1
1984Canada Carling Bassett
Australia Elizabeth Sayers
United States Mary-Lou Piatek
United States Wendy White
6–4, 6–3
1985Canada Carling Bassett
Argentina Gabriela Sabatini
United States Lisa Bonder
Peru Laura Arraya
6–0, 6–0
Eckerd Open
1986United States Elise Burgin
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
United States Gigi Fernández
United States Kim Sands
7–5, 6–2
1987United States Chris Evert-Lloyd
Australia Wendy Turnbull
United States Elise Burgin
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
6–4, 6–3
1988United States Terry Phelps
Italy Raffaella Reggi
United States Cammy MacGregor
United States Cynthia MacGregor
6–2, 6–4
1989Netherlands Brenda Schultz
Hungary Andrea Temesvári
United States Elise Burgin
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
7–6, 6–4
1990Argentina Mercedes Paz
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Italy Sandra Cecchini
Peru Laura Gildemeister
6–2, 6–0

See also

References

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