Westchester County Championships

Westchester County Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Event nameWestchester Lawn Tennis Club (Invitation)
Westchester Invitation
Westchester Bowl Invitation
Westchester County Championships
TourUSNLTA Circuit (1885–1923)
ILTF World Circuit
(1924–69) men
(1924–72) women
ILTF Independent Circuit
(1970–74) men
(1973–74) women
Founded1885 (1885)
Abolished1974 (1974)
LocationArmonk
Briarcliff Manor
Hartsdale
Mount Vernon
Pelham Manor
Port Chester
Rye
White Plains
SurfaceGrass
Clay
Hard

The Westchester County Championships[1] was a tennis tournament founded in 1885 as the Westchester Lawn Tennis Club (Invitation) [2] and first played at the Westchester Lawn Tennis Club, Harrison, Westchester County, New York, United States on grass courts, later switching to clay courts, the finally hard courts. The tournament was played at various locations during its run until 1974.

History

In 1884 the Westchester Lawn Tennis Club was founded.[1] In September 1885 it staged the Westchester Invitation men's singles tennis tournament that event ran until 1895 when it was discontinued when the lawn tennis club was disbanded. In 1902 a new tournament was revived as a men's doubles event called the Westchester Invitation Round Robin.[3]

In 1911 a singles tournament called the Westchester County Championships was revived and was played at the Country Club of Westchester.[4][5][6] In 1912 the tournament moved to Mount Vernon, New York and was organized by the Westchester Lawn Tennis Association.[7] During the 1950s when played in Rye, New York the men's event was known as the Westchester Bowl Invitation.[8] The first winner of the men's singles was Robert Livingston Beeckman, and the final men's winner was Australian player Rod Brent.

Finals

Men's Singles

(Incomplete roll)

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1885 Robert Livingston Beeckman Howard Augustus Taylor 6–4, 6–4, 6–4.[1]
1886 Howard Augustus Taylor Henry Slocum 6–3, 6–3.[1]
1887 Henry Slocum Valentine Gill Hall 7–5, 6–3.[1]
1888 Oliver Samuel Campbell Robert Livingston Beeckman 6–8, 6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 6–3.[1]
1889 Howard Augustus Taylor Oliver Samuel Campbell 6–4, 6–2, 7–5.[1]
1890 Bob Huntington Percy Knapp 7–9, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–2.[1]
1891 Clarence Hobart Bob Huntington 7–9, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–2.[1]
1892 Richard Stevens Edward L. Hall 7–9, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–2.[1]
1912[9] Allen Toby Edgar F Leo 6–3, 1–6, 6–4
1919[10] George King ?
1920[11] Frank Hunter Harold Throckmorton 1–6, 2–6, 6–2, 8–6, 8–6.[1]
1922 George King Herbert Bowman 6–3, 6–4, 6–2.[1]
1931 Melvin H. Partridg Edward G. Tarangioli[12] 7–9, 6–0, 6–1, 6–2.[1]
1932 Eugene McCauliff Berkeley Bell 7–5, 6–3, 6–4.[1]
1954 William Tully Bob Greene 6–0, 6–1, 6–0.[1]
1955 Herb Flam Sidney Schwartz 6–3, 6–4.[1]
1958 Vic Seixas Ulf Schmidt 13–11, 6–2.[1]
1967 Dick Stockton Ken Abere 6–1, 6–2, 7–5.[1]
↓  Open era  ↓
1970[13] Dave Bonner John F. Mangan 6–1, 6–4.[1]
1974 Rod Brent Bailey Brown 7–6, 6–2.[1]

Women's Singles

(Incomplete roll)

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1914 Clare Cassell Eleanor Coward 6–4, 6–3
1918 Helen Gilleaudeau Madeline Lowerre 6–2, 6–2
1920 Molla Mallory Eleanor Goss 6–3, 3–6, 6–0
1931 Margaret Muhl Clara Greenspan 8–6, 3–6, 6–4
1932 Maud Levi Norma Taubele 6–2, 6–4
1958 Bonnie Mencher Joan Silbersher 6–4, 6–4
1959 Sally Wilson Laura Krieger 6–4, 6–1
1964 Yale Stockwell Adria Fisher Price 6–0, 6–0
1965 Diane Matzner Marilyn Aschner 4–6, 6–3, 1–1, retd.
1968 Pat Stewart Susan Tenney 6–2, 6–3
↓  Open era  ↓
1970[14] Louise Gonnerman Pat Stewart 0–6, 6–3, 6–4
1973 Marilyn Aschner Louise Gonnerman 6–4, 2–6, 6–2

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Tournaments: Westchester County Championships". The Tennis Base. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  2. ^ Hall, Valentine Gill (1889). "Index". Lawn Tennis in America: Biographical Sketches of All the Prominent Players ... Knotty Points, and All the Latest Rules and Directions Governing Handicaps, Umpires, and Rules for Playing. New York: D.W. Granbery & Company. p. 10.
  3. ^ "Westchester Tennis". New York Times. July 13, 1902. p. 12. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  4. ^ Alexander, F.B. (1911). "Westchester Invitation". Spalding's Tennis Annual. American Sports Publishing Company. p. 139.
  5. ^ Alexander, F.B. (1917). "Country Club of Westchester InvitationTournament". Spalding's Tennis Annual. American Sports Publishing Company. p. 90.
  6. ^ Spalding's Tennis Annual (PDF). New York: American Sports Publishing Company. 1922. p. 135.
  7. ^ "TENNIS". Brooklyn Life. Brooklyn, New York: newspapers.com. July 20, 1912. p. 3. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  8. ^ "Vic Sexias Wins Westchester Tennis". Waterloo Daily Courier. Waterloo, Iowa: Newspaper Archive. September 1, 1958. p. 18. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  9. ^ "ON LOCAL TENNIS COURTS". The New York Times. New York City, New York: newspapers.com. July 26, 1912. p. 10. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  10. ^ "ANNUAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT". The Daily Item. Port Chester, New York: newspapers.com. June 15, 1921. p. 4. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  11. ^ The Daily Item (Port Chester)
  12. ^ Bria, George (October 15, 1989). "80-Year-Old Tennis Star Entering Hall of Fame". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. p. 24. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  13. ^ "Bonner Begins Defense Of Title". Poughkeepsie Journal. Poughkeepsie, New York: newspapers.com. May 8, 1971. p. 10. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  14. ^ "Bonner, Louis Gonnerman Don County Tennis Crowns". Mount Vernon Argus. White Plains, New York: Wikipedia Library - Newspapers.Com. May 11, 1970. p. 34. Retrieved December 2, 2023.