North of England Hard Court Championships

Tennis tournament From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The North of England Hard Court Championships^[1] and later known as the Wilson North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships for sponsorship reasons was a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament established in 1913 and ran until 1988.^[2]

Founded1913; 113 years ago

Abolished1988; 38 years ago

LocationScarborough, North Yorkshire (1913–55)
Southport, Merseyside
(1956–88)

VenueYorkshire Lawn Tennis Club
Southport Argyle Lawn Tennis Club

Quick facts Defunct tennis tournament, Founded ...

North of England Hard Court Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded	1913; 113 years ago (1913)
Abolished	1988; 38 years ago (1988)
Location	Scarborough, North Yorkshire (1913–55) Southport, Merseyside (1956–88)
Venue	Yorkshire Lawn Tennis Club Southport Argyle Lawn Tennis Club
Surface	Clay

History

The North of England Hard Court Championships was a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament first established in 1913 at the Yorkshire Lawn Tennis Club. Scarborough, Yorkshire, England.^[3] In 1956 the tournament changed location to the Argyle Lawn Tennis Club, Southport,^[4] England for the duration of its run until 1988.^[5]

In 1941 the Argyle Lawn Tennis Club established the Southport Easter Open tournament,^[6] and from 1956 that tournament was incorporated jointly with the North of England Hard Court Championships.^[7] From 1981 to 1984 the championships were sponsored by the paint company 'Weatherall' and was known as the Weatherall North of England Hard Court Championships.^[8] In 1985 the company Wilson Sporting Goods took over sponsorship of the event and was known as the Wilson North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships until 1988 then was discontinued.^[9]

Finals

Men's singles

(Incomplete roll)^[10]

More information Year, Champion ...

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
North of England Hard Court Championships
1920	Mark Hick	Ralph Douglas Watson	6–2, 7–5, 6–4
1922	Ernest Bisseker	Jack Hillyard	6–3, 5–7, 6–8, 6–2, 6-3
1931	Arthur W. Hill	Lionel Antrobus	6-1, 6-4
1933	John Colin Gregory	Donald MacPhail	6-4, 7-5
1934	Vernon Kirby	Alan Martin Wedd	6-3, 6-4
1935	Raymond Tuckey	Pat Sherwood	6-3, 6-3
1936	Raymond Tuckey (2)	Pat Sherwood	6-4, 8-6
1937	Raymond Tuckey (3)	Ronald Alfred Shayes	6–4, 2–6, 6–3
1938	Murray Deloford	Harold Hare^[11]	6–3, 4–6, 6–1
1939	George Godsell	Pat Sherwood	6-2, 6-2
1940/1945	Not held (due to world war two)
1946^[12]	Ignacy Tłoczyński	Jack Harper	8–6, 3–6, 6–1
1947^[13]	Ignacy Tłoczyński (2)	Tony Mottram	6-4, 6-3
1948	Ignacy Tłoczyński (3)	George Godsell	7-5, 6-0
1949	Ignacy Tłoczyński (4)	Bobby Meredith	6-0, 6-0
1950	Ignacy Tłoczyński (5)	Derrick Leyland^[14]	6-0, 6-1
1951	Czeslaw Spychala	Donald Butler	6–4, 4–6, 7–5
1952	Staffan Stockenberg	Czeslaw Spychala	6-4, 6-4
1953	John Barrett	Ignacy Tłoczyński	6-4, 6-4
1954	Ignacy Tłoczyński (6)	Matthew Farhang Mohtadi	6–3, 3–6, 6–1
1955	Ivor Warwick	Ian A. Macdonald^[15]	6-2, 6-3
1956	John Horn	Mike Hann	7–5, 4–6, 6–4
1957	Robert Bédard	Alan Mills	6-2, 6-3
1959	Alan Mills	Malcolm Gracie^[16]	6-1, 6-2
1960	Lew Gerrard	Alan Mills	4–6, 6–2, 6–4
1961	Tony Pickard	Mike Hann	6-4, 6-3
1962	Jimmy Tattersall	Trevor Adamson^[17]	4–6, 6–2, 6–1
North of England Hard Court Lawn Tennis Championships
1963	Jimmy Tattersall (2)	Malcolm Gracie	8-6, 6-2
1964	Clay Iles^[18]	Mark Cox	7-5, 6-2
1965	G.B. Jones	Geoff Stubbs	7-6, 6-2
1966	Billy Knight	John Roderick Mcdonald^[19]	6-1, 6-2
1967	Billy Knight (2)	John Roderick Mcdonald	6-3, 6-4
Open era
North of England Hard Court Open Championships
1968	Geoff Stubbs^[20]	David Gunson^[21]	6-3, 6-3
1969	Clay Iles (2)	Robert G. Clarke	6-4, 6-3
1970	Allan McDonald	Ken Weatherley	6–2, 4–6, 6–4
1972	Robert G. Clarke	John Howarth^[22]
1973	John Marnoch	Robert Armytage	6-4, 6-1
1974	Geoffrey Paish	Willem Prinsloo	6–1, 6–7, 7–5
1976	Roger Webb	Antony Fawley	7-6, 6-4
1977^[23]	Neil Rayner	Nigel Sears	6–2, 1–6, 6–2
1978	Andrew Jarrett	Trevor Heath	6-1, 6-0
1979	Harvey Becker	Kevin Harris	0–6, 7–6, 6–2
1980	Keith Gilbert	Nigel Sears	6-0, 6-2
Weatherall North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships
1981	Nick Brown	Simon Ickringill^[24]
1982	Michael Appleton	Neil Rayner	6-3, 7-6
1983	Neil Rayner	Harvey Becker	6–4, 4–6, 6–1

Women's singles

(Incomplete roll)

More information Year, Champion ...

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
North of England Hard Court Championships
1913	Mary Gray Welsh	Jessie Green	6-1, 6-1
1914	Mrs E. Wilkinson	Mary Gray Welsh	6–3, 3–6, 6–2
1915/1918	Not held (due to world war one)
1919	Phyllis Satterthwaite	Mrs A. Wilkinson	6-1, 6-2
1920	Elsie Goodlass Holtby	Mrs Hobson	2–6, 6–2, 6–2
1921	Elsie Goodlass Holtby (2)	Mrs Hobson	6–4, 6–3
1922	Phyllis Satterthwaite (2)	Joan Austin	6-1, 6-3
1923	Norah Fosdick Middleton	Mary Gray Welsh	6–2, 5–7, 7–5
1924	Ruth Watson	Lesley Cadle	6–4, 7–9, 6–4
1925	Ruth Watson (2)	Elsie Goodlass Holtby	6-2, 6-1
1926	Ruth Watson (3)	Mrs Wormald	6–1, 5–7, 6–1
1927	Aurea Edgington	Eileen Connell	6-4, 6-2
1928	Elsie Goldsack	Aurea Edgington	6-3, 6-4
1929	Elsie Goldsack (2)	Dorothy Anderson	6-3, 8-6
1930	Dorothy Anderson	Janet Lawson	6-1, 6-2
1931	Dorothy Anderson (2)	R. Bray	6-2, 7-5
1932	Freda James	Janet Lawson Walker	6-2, 7-5
1933	Freda James (2)	Edie Rudd Luxton	6-3, 6-4
1934	Doris Bullock	Nancy Kidson	2–6, 6–2, 6–3
1935	Joan Hartigan	Rosemary Smith	6-2, 6-2
1936	Nina Brown	Rosemary Smith	3–6, 6–2, 6–2
1937	Thelma Jarvis	Denise Huntbach	6-3, 6-2
1938	Gladys Southwell	Nina Brown	6-4, 4-0 ret.
1939	Suzy Kormoczy	Nora Maingay	6-3, 6-2
1940/1945	Not held (due to world war two)
1946	Jean Quertier	Sheila Barraclough	6-1, 7-5
1947	Joan Curry	Joy Gannon	6-3, 6-2
1948	Joan Curry (2)	Peggy Dawson-Scott	6-0, 6-1
1949	Joan Curry (3)	Lesley Hunter Fulton	6-0, 6-1
1950	Thelma Coyne Long	Jean Quertier	6-4, 7-5
1951	Susan Partridge	Helen Fletcher	6-3, 3–6, 10-8
1952	Jean Petchell	Valerie Lewis	6-3, 7-5
1953	Pat Harrison	Jean Petchell	6-3, 6-2
1954	Barbara Knapp	Jean Petchell	7-5, 6-3
1955	Georgie Woodgate	Barbara Knapp	6-1, 6-3
1956	Angela Buxton	Elaine Watson	6-0, 6-1
1958	Angela Buxton (2)	Margaret R. O'Donnell	6-2, 6-3
1959	Shirley Bloomer	Margaret H. O'Donnell	6-3, 6-3
1960	Shirley Bloomer Brasher (3)	Elaine Shenton	6-3, 6-1
1961	Shirley Bloomer Brasher (4)	Margaret R. O'Donnell	7-5, 6-2
1962	Margaret Cooper	E. Smith	6-1, 6-4
North of England Hard Court Lawn Tennis Championships
1963	Margaret R. O'Donnell	E. Smith	4–6, 6–2, 6–4
1964	Nell Truman	Heather Allen	2–6, 6–2, 6–1
1965	Margaret R. O'Donnell (2)	J. Hope	7-5, 6-3
1966	Margaret R. O'Donnell (3)	Alex McAlpine	6–1, 5–7, 6–0
1967	Rita Bentley	Jitka Volavková	9-7, 6-3
Open era
North of England Hard Court Open Championships
1968	Janice Townsend	C. Penn	divided title
1969	Shirley Bloomer Brasher (5)	Janice Townsend	6–1, 3–6, 6–0
1970	Evonne Goolagong	Joyce Barclay Williams	6-2, 6-3
1972	Veronica Burton	Shirley Bloomer Brasher	6-1, 6-3
1973	R. Allen	A. Morris	4–6, 6–0, 6–3
1974	Lindsey Beaven	Corinne Molesworth	6-0, 6-4
1976	Michelle Tyler	Corinne Molesworth	6-1, 6-1
1977^[25]	Anthea Cooper	Debbie Jevans	6–4, 3–6, 6–2
1978	Corinne Molesworth	Annette Coe	6–7, 7–6, 6–3
1979	Cathy Drury	Jane Plackett	7-5, 7-6
1980	Belinda Thompson	Joy Tacon	2–6, 6–1, 6–0
Weatherall North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships
1981	Lisa Pennington	Denise Parnell	6-1, 6-2
1982	Michelle Tyler (2)	Kate Brasher	3–6, 6–4, 6–2
1983	Kate Brasher	Sara Gomer	6–3, 2–6, 6–4

Event name

North of England Hard Court Championships (1913–1962)
North of England Hard Court Lawn Tennis Championships (1963–1967)
North of England Hard Court Open Championships (1968–1980)
Weatherall North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships (1981–1984)
Wilson North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships (1985–1988)

Locations and Venues

The championships were held at the Yorkshire Lawn Tennis Club. Scarborough, Yorkshire, England from 1913 to 1955.^[26] In 1956 event was transferred to the Southport Argyle Lawn Tennis Club, Southport, Merseyside until 1988.

Tournament records

Men's

Most Singles Titles: Ignacy Tłoczyński (6)
Most Singles Finals: Ignacy Tłoczyński (7)

Women's

Most Singles Titles: Shirley Bloomer Brasher (5)
Most Singles Finals: Shirley Bloomer Brasher (6)

References

[1]
"SPORT BY PERCY TEARE In spite of an early Easter, the annual North of England Hard Court Championships (incorporating the 37th Southport Easter Open Tournament), has again attracted a large entry with 100 players taking part". Liverpool Echo. Liverpool, Merseyside: The British Newspaper Archive. 22 March 1978.
[2]
"American is top seed at Southport: American is top seed at Southport The Wilson North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships take place at Southport Argyle all next week with finals on Saturday (April 2) and have attracted a high number of entries". Liverpool Echo. Liverpool, Merseyside: The British Newspaper Archive. 24 March 1988. p. 73.
[3]
Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament –North of England Hardcourts". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
[4]
"History". www.argyletennis.net. Southport Argyle Lawn Tennis Club. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[5]
Liverpool Echo, The British Newspaper Archive, 24 March 1988, p.73.
[6]
"SOUTHPORT TENNIS The North of England Hard Court Lawn Tennis Championships (incorporating the 25th Southport Easter Open tournament) started at the Argyle L.T.C., Southport yesterday". Liverpool Echo. Liverpool, Lancashire: The British Newspaper Archive. 6 April 1966. p. 24.
[7]
Liverpool Echo 6 April 1966. p.24.
[8]
"Lancs Tennis: After two days of junior events of the annual Weatherall North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships continue at Southport Argyle club today". Liverpool Echo. Liverpool, Merseyside: The British Newspaper Archive. 8 April 1982. p. 30.
[9]
Liverpool Echo, The British Newspaper Archive, 24 March 1988, p.73.
[10]
"Tournament – North of England Hardcourts". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[11]
"Harold Hare: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[12]
"Pole Retains British Title". The Advocate. Burnie, Tasmania, Australia: Trove National Library of Australia. 10 April 1947. p. 3. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
[13]
The Advocate
[14]
"Derrick Leyland: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[15]
"IAN Macdonald". www.itftennis.com. International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[16]
"Malcolm Gracie: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[17]
"Trevor Adamson: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[18]
"Clay Iles: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[19]
"McDONALD – Deaths Announcements – Telegraph Announcements". Daily Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media. 1 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[20]
"Geoff Stubbs: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[21]
"David Gunson: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[22]
"JOHN B Howarth". www.itftennis.com. International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[23]
Barrett, John; Tingay, Lance (1978). "British Tournaments: 1977 Results". World of Tennis 1978. London: Macdonald and James. p. 280. ISBN 0354090399.
[24]
"SIMON Ickringill". www.itftennis.com. International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
[25]
Barrett, John; Tingay, Lance (1978). "British Tournaments: 1977 Results". World of Tennis 1978. London: Macdonald and James. p. 280. ISBN 0354090399.
[26]
"SCARBOROUGH SPORT: SCARBOROUGH EASTER TENNIS TOURNAMENT APRIL 8-12. NORTH OF ENGLAND HARD COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS. YORKSHIRE LAWN TENNIS CLUB, FILEY ROAD. FRIDAY 2 p.m. SAT.. MON, TUES. 10 a.m.". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. Leeds, Yorkshire, England: The British Newspaper Archive. 9 April 1955. p. 6.