U.S. Women's Clay Court Championships

U.S. Women's Clay Court Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Event nameU.S. Open Clay Courts
TourGrand Prix (1971–1972)
WTA Tour (1973–1986)
Founded1912
Abolished1986
Editions55
LocationVarious
United States
SurfaceClay

The U.S. Open Clay Courts, known formally as the U.S. Clay Court Championships, was a national tennis championship for women that was sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association. The first edition was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1912, two years after the first men's championships, and was won by May Sutton.[1][2] The final edition was held in 1986 and won by Steffi Graf. The tournament was not held in 1913, 1924–1939 and 1942. The doubles event was first held in 1914.[2]

Nancy Richey and Chris Evert won more singles titles (6) at this tournament than any other woman. Linda Tuero holds the record for runners-up in singles (3).

Locations

  • 1912: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • 1913: Not held
  • 1914: Cincinnati, Ohio (Cincinnati Tennis Club)
  • 1915: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh Athletic Association)
  • 1916: Cleveland, Ohio (Lakewood Tennis Club)
  • 1917: Cincinnati, Ohio (Cincinnati Tennis Club)
  • 1918–19: Chicago, Illinois (South Side Tennis Club)
  • 1920: Detroit, Michigan (Detroit Tennis Club)
  • 1921–23: Buffalo, New York (Park Club)
  • 1924–39: Not held
  • 1940–41: River Forest, Illinois (River Forest Tennis Club)
  • 1942: Not held
  • 1943–44: Detroit, Michigan (Detroit Tennis Club)
  • 1947: Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake Tennis Club)
  • 1948–54: River Forest, Illinois (River Forest Tennis Club)
  • 1955: Atlanta, Georgia (Bryan M. Grant, Jr. Tennis Center)
  • 1956–65: River Forest, Illinois (River Forest Tennis Club)
  • 1966–68: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Town Club)
  • 1969–86: Indianapolis, Indiana (Indianapolis Racquet Club)

Finals

Singles

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1912 May Sutton Mary Browne 6–4, 6–2
1913 Not held
1914 Mary Browne Louise Riddell Williams 6–1, 3–6, 6–2
1915 Molla Bjurstedt Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman 3–6, 6–1, 6–3
1916 Molla Bjurstedt Martha Guthrie 8–6, 6–3
1917 Ruth Sanders W. E. Ellis 6–1, 6–3
1918 Carrie Neely Adelaide Yager 6–4, 6–2
1919 Corinne Gould Carrie Neely 6–4, 6–2
1920 Marion Zinderstein Corinne Gould 6–0, 6–1
1921 Ann Sheafe Cole Anna Godfrey 6–0, 6–3
1922 Lois Moyes Bickle Leslie Bancroft 3–6, 6–1, 7–5
1923 Mayme McDonald Lilian Scharman 7–5, 1–6, 6–4
1924 –
1939
Not held
1940 Alice Marble Gracyn Wheeler 7–5, 6–0
1941 Pauline Betz Mary Arnold 6–3, 6–1
1942 Not held
1943 Pauline Betz Nancy Corbett 6–1, 6–0
1944 Dorothy Bundy Mary Arnold 7–5, 6–4
1945 Sarah Palfrey Cooke Pauline Betz 6–3, 7–5
1946 Barbara Krase Virginia Kovacs 10–8, 6–4
1947 Mary Arnold Prentiss Dorothy Head 6–1, 6–1
1948 Magda Rurac Dorothy Head 6–2, 6–0
1949 Magda Rurac Beverly Baker 2–6, 9–7, 6–3
1950 Doris Hart Shirley Fry 6–1, 6–3
1951 Dorothy Head Patricia Canning Todd 4–6, 6–2, 6–2
1952 Anita Kanter Lucille Davidson 6–4, 6–3
1953 Maureen Connolly Althea Gibson 6–4, 6–4
1954 Maureen Connolly Doris Hart 6–3, 6–1
1955 Dorothy Head Knode Barbara Breit 6–4, 6–3
1956 Shirley Fry Althea Gibson 7–5, 6–1
1957 Althea Gibson Darlene Hard 6–2, 6–3
1958 Dorothy Head Knode[3] Karol Fageros 6–3, 6–8, 6–2
1959 Sally Moore Sandra Reynolds 6–2, 2–6, 6–3
1960 Dorothy Head Knode Gwyneth Thomas 6–3, 6–4
1961 Edda Buding Karen Hantze 6–4, 2–6, 6–4
1962 Donna Floyd Carole Caldwell 6–3, 6–1
1963 Nancy Richey Victoria Palmer 6–1, 6–1
1964 Nancy Richey Carole Caldwell Graebner 6–2, 6–1
1965 Nancy Richey Julie Heldman 5–7, 6–3, 9–7
1966 Nancy Richey Stephanie DeFina 6–2, 6–2
1967 Nancy Richey Rosemary Casals 6–2, 6–3
1968 Nancy Richey Linda Tuero 6–3, 6–3
1969 Gail Sherriff Chanfreau Linda Tuero 6–2, 6–2
1970 Linda Tuero Gail Sherriff Chanfreau 7–5, 6–1
1971 Billie Jean King Linda Tuero 6–4, 7–5
1972 Chris Evert Evonne Goolagong 7–6(5–2), 6–1
1973 Chris Evert Veronica Burton 6–4, 6–3
1974 Chris Evert Gail Sherriff Chanfreau 6–0, 6–0
1975 Chris Evert Dianne Fromholtz 6–3, 6–4
1976 Kathy May Brigitte Cuypers 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
1977 Laura DuPont Nancy Richey 6–4, 6–3
1978 Dana Gilbert Viviana González 6–2, 6–3
1979 Chris Evert Evonne Goolagong Cawley 6–4, 6–3
1980 Chris Evert Andrea Jaeger 6–4, 6–3
1981 Andrea Jaeger Virginia Ruzici 6–1, 6–0
1982 Virginia Ruzici Helena Suková 6–2, 6–0
1983 Andrea Temesvári Zina Garrison 6–2, 6–2
1984 Manuela Maleeva Lisa Bonder 6–4, 6–3
1985 Andrea Temesvári Zina Garrison 7–6, 6–3
1986 Steffi Graf Gabriela Sabatini 2–6, 7–6, 6–4

Doubles

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1944 Pauline Betz
Doris Hart
1945 Pauline Betz
Doris Hart
1946 Shirley Fry
Mary Arnold Prentiss
Virginia Kovacs
Barbara Scofield
6–4, 6–1
1947 Gussie Moran
Mary Arnold Prentiss
Shirley Fry
Barbara Krase
6–4, 6–4
1948 Not held
1949 Not held
1950 Shirley Fry
Doris Hart
Beverly Baker
Magda Rurac
2–6, 6–4, 6–4
1951 Magda Rurac
Patricia Canning Todd
Dorothy Head
Anita Kanter
1952 Lucille Davidson
Doris Popple
Anita Kanter
Joan Merciadas
7–5, 6–4
1953 Anita Kanter
Thelma Coyne Long
Maureen Connolly
Julia Sampson
6–3, 6–0
1954 Maureen Connolly
Doris Hart
Althea Gibson
Ethel Norton
6–3, 6–2
1955 Dorothy Head Knode
Janet Hopps
Pat Shaffer
Barbara Breit
6–2, 3–6, 6–3
1956 Shirley Fry
Dorothy Head Knode
Martha Hernández
Yola Ramírez
6–2, 6–2
1957 Althea Gibson
Darlene Hard
Karol Fageros
Jeanne Arth
6–3, 6–0
1958 Karol Fageros
Dorothy Head Knode
1959 Sandra Reynolds
Renée Schuurman
Jeanne Arth
Janet Hopps
1960 Darlene Hard
Billie Jean Moffitt
Justina Bricka
Carol Hanks
6–3, 6–4
1961 Justina Bricka
Carol Hanks
1962 Darlene Hard
Susan Behlmar
1963 Maria Bueno
Darlene Hard
1964 Carole Graebner
Nancy Richey
1965 Carole Graebner
Nancy Richey
1966 Karen Krantzcke
Kerry Melville
Esmé Emmanuel
Maryna Godwin
1–6, 6–4, 6–4
1967 Karen Krantzcke
Kerry Melville
1968 Nancy Richey
Valerie Ziegenfuss
1969 Lesley Turner Bowrey
Gail Sherriff Chanfreau
Emilie Burrer
Linda Tuero
6–0, 10–8
1970 Rosemary Casals
Gail Sherriff Chanfreau
Helen Gourlay
Patricia Walkden
6–2, 6–2
1971 Judy Tegart Dalton
Billie Jean King
Julie Heldman
Linda Tuero
6–1, 6–2
1972 Evonne Goolagong
Lesley Hunt
Margaret Smith Court
Pam Teeguarden
6–2, 6–1
1973 Patti Hogan
Sharon Walsh
Fiorella Bonicelli
María-Isabel Fernández
6–4, 6–4
1974 Gail Sherriff Chanfreau
Julie Heldman
Chris Evert
Jeanne Evert
6–3, 6–1
1975 Fiorella Bonicelli
María-Isabel Fernández
Gail Sherriff Chanfreau
Julie Heldman
3–6, 7–5, 6–3
1976 Linky Boshoff
Ilana Kloss
Laura DuPont
Wendy Turnbull
6–2, 6–3
1977 Linky Boshoff
Ilana Kloss
Mary Carillo
Wendy Overton
5–7, 7–5, 6–3
1978 Helena Anliot
Helle Sparre-Viragh
Barbara Hallquist
Sheila McInerney
6–3, 6–1
1979 Kathy Jordan
Anne Smith
Penny Johnson
Paula Smith
6–1, 6–0
1980 Anne Smith
Paula Smith
Virginia Ruzici
Renáta Tomanová
6–4, 3–6, 6–4
1981 JoAnne Russell
Virginia Ruzici
Sue Barker
Paula Smith
6–2, 6–2
1982 Ivanna Madruga
Catherine Tanvier
JoAnne Russell
Virginia Ruzici
7–5, 7–6
1983 Kathleen Horvath
Virginia Ruzici
Gigi Fernández
Beth Herr
4–6, 7–6, 6–2
1984 Beverly Mould
Paula Smith
Elise Burgin
JoAnne Russell
6–2, 7–5
1985 Katerina Maleeva
Manuela Maleeva
Penny Barg
Paula Smith
3–6, 6–3, 6–4
1986 Steffi Graf
Gabriela Sabatini
Gigi Fernández
Robin White
6–2, 6–0

See also

References

  1. ^ "Norris Williams New Tennis Champ". The Pittsburgh Press. Jul 2, 1912.
  2. ^ a b Robertson, Max (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. pp. 337, 338. ISBN 9780047960420.
  3. ^ "Knode, Tut Give Foes Lessons". The Miami News. Jul 20, 1958.