Dorchester Kingston Park Tournament
Tennis tournament
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dorchester Kingston Park Tournament a late Victorian era grass court tennis tournament staged first staged in August 1879.[1][2] The tournament was organised by the Kingston Park Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, and held on the cricket grounds, Kingston Park, Kingston Maurward House, Dorchester, Dorset, England.[3] The tournament was held to at least 1885.[4]
| Dorchester Kingston Park Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Abolished | 1885 |
| Location | Kingston Park, Dorchester, Dorset, England |
| Venue | Kingston Maurward House |
| Surface | Grass |
History
(Kingston Maurward House and grounds, in 2008 the location of this tournament)
In August 1879 the Kingston Park Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club held a lawn tennis tournament on the cricket grounds of Kingston Park, Kingston Maurward House, Dorchester, Dorset, England.[5] The club continued to hold a number of annual tournaments in the spring,[6] summer, and autumn,[7] through till 1885.[8] The inaugural gentleman's singles was won by Montague Hankey, who competed at the 1877 and 1880 Wimbledon Championships.[9]
Although this tournament was abolished the Kingston Park Lawn Tennis Club reestablished a new tennis event during the 1920s called the Kingston Park Invitation Open Tennis Tournament. In 1928 Prince George of Greece and Denmark played in the tournament that year.[10] It was still being held till the mid 1930s.[11]
In 1937 Kingston Park Lawn Tennis Club hosted the Dorset County Tennis Championships.[12]