Western India Championships

Western India Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded1888 (1888)
Abolished1980 (1980)
LocationBombay, Maharashtra, India
VenueBombay Gymkhana Club
SurfaceGrass/Clay

The Western India Championships[1] also known as the Western India Tennis Championships,[2] was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament founded in 1888 as the Bombay Gymkhana Club Open Tournament. The championships were played at the Gymkhana Club grounds, in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. The championships ran until 1980 before they were discontinued.

History

Tennis was introduced to India in the 1880s by British Army and Civilian Officers.[3] In 1888 the Western India Championships were founded as the Bombay Gymkhana Club Tournament and played at the Bombay Gymkhana Club, Bombay, Maharashtra, India. In 1900 the tournament became known as the Western India Tournament, and in 1912 it was officially named the West India Championships.[4] The championships were staged until 1980 when they were abolished.

In 1947, 1955 and 1959 this tournament was held in conjunction with the All India Hard Court Championships. It was also held jointly with the Cricket Club of India tournament for 1970 and 1975.

Finals

Men's singles

(incomplete roll).[5]

Year Champions Runners-up Score
Bombay Gymkhana Club Tournament
1888 Francis Reid Ward T.C. Sangster 2–6, 6–5, 6–3
1889 Alfred Bruce Sangster Arthur Knapp Oliver 6–1, 5–6, 6–4
1890 Eustace Ferrers Nicholson Arthur Elliott Barton 6–5, 6–5, 6–4
1891 Eustace Ferrers Nicholson (2) Arthur Elliott Barton 6–4, 3–5, 6–2, 6–1
1892 Captain C.S. Smith Pelham George von Donop 8–6, 6–4, 6–1
1894 Captain C.S. Smith (2) Robert Montagu Poore 6–3, 6–2, 6–1
1897 Herbert E. Cheetham Captain John Glennie Greig 6-5, 6-2
1898 Captain John Glennie Greig Herbert E. Cheetham 6-5, 6-3
1899 Arthur Cyril Ransome Percy F. Fisher 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–1
Western India Tournament
1900 Percy F. Fisher W. Reid 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
1902 Francis J. Marshall W. Reid 6–5, 6–4, 6–3
1903 W. Reid Herbert E. Cheetham 6–1, 6–3, 6–0
1904 W. Reid (2) Ralph Kidd 6–0, 3–6, 6–3
1905 Herbert E. Cheetham (2) Ralph Kidd ?
1906 John C. S. Rendall Herbert E. Cheetham 6-3, 6-1
1907 W. Reid (3) T.C. Lucas 6-4, 6-3
1909 J. Stuart Milne A.H. Glendenning 6-5, 6-3
1910 Richard Dubourdieu W. Reid ?
1911 F.R.R. Brooke J. Stuart Milne 6-3, 6-3
Western India Championships
1912 Hassan Ali Fyzee Captain J.T. Lucas 7-5, 6-4
1913 Richard Dubourdieu (2) Udupi D. Ranga Rao 6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 6–1
1914 Hassan Ali Fyzee Udupi D. Ranga Rao 6–4, 2–6, 6–2, 6–3
1915 Udupi D. Ranga Rao N.F. Naoroji 6-3, 6-2
1916 Udupi D. Ranga Rao (2) Zenzo Shimidzu 0–6, 6–0, 6–1
1917 Udupi D. Ranga Rao (3) Hassan Ali Fyzee 6-3, 6-0
1918 Zenzo Shimidzu Udupi D. Ranga Rao 6-4, 6-1
1919 John C. S. Rendall Zenzo Shimidzu 10–8, 4–6, 6–2, 9–7
1920 Udupi D. Ranga Rao (4) Lewis Seymour Deane 6-4, 6-2
1921 N.B. Bhagwat Tawara Tsumoru (Tsumio) Takeshi 6–4, 2–6, 6–1
1922 Udupi D. Ranga Rao (5) Ernest Taylor Annett 6-3, 6-2
1923 Sunao Okamoto Udupi D. Ranga Rao 6-1, 6-1
1924 Mr. Chunilal R.A. Wagle 6-0, 6-2
1925 Sunao Okamoto (2) Thomas William Brough 6-0, 6-3
1926 Syed Mohammad Hadi Udupi D. Ranga Rao 2-6, 7-5 6-1
1927 Alexander Maurice Dudley Pitt R.S. Raya Iyer 8–6, 5–7, 6–1
1928 Alexander Maurice Dudley Pitt (2) Morley Fox 6-4, 6-2
1929 Alexander Maurice Dudley Pitt (3) Morley Fox 6-4, 6-2
1930 Buster Andrews M. Kamruddin 6-4, 6-3
1931 N.R. Suvarna B.H. Khardekar 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
1932 Jiro Satoh Edward Vivian Bobb 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1933 Giorgio de Stefani Edward Vivian Bobb 6-4, 6-3
1934 Edward Vivian Bobb John Edward Tew 7-5, 7-5
1935 Josip Palada Franjo Punčec 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1936 Roderich Menzel Ladislav Hecht 6-1, 6-1
1937 Antoine Gentien Alan Stedman 7-5, 6-2
1938 Subba L.R. Sawhney Bernard Thomas Blake 6–4, 2–6, 6–4
1939 Edward Vivian Bobb (2) Syed Abdul Azim 3–6, 6–1, 6–3
1940 Edward Vivian Bobb (3) Syed Abdul Azim 2–6, 6–1, 6–2
1941 Finn Bekkevold[6] Charles William Barker 7-5, 6-2
1942 Ghaus Mohammed Khan Prem Lal Pandhi 6-2, 7-5
1943 S.S. Indulkar R.N. Pandit 6–3, 2–6, 6–2
1944/1945 Not held (due to World War II)
1946 Narendra Nath / Jimmy Mehta 6-3, 6-3
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1947 Narendra Nath (2) Khan-Iftikhar Ahmed[7] 6-4 6-4 6-3
Western India Championships
1948 Torsten Johansson Lennart Bergelin 6-4 ret.
1950 Robert Abdesselam Philippe Washer 6–2, 9–7, 6–2
1952 Louis Straight Clark Władysław Skonecki 8–6, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6, 6–2
1953 Narendra Nath (3) Ramanathan Krishnan 6–4, 7–5, 6–0
1954 Jack Arkinstall Sumant Misra 6–4, 1–6, 6–4
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1955 Ramanathan Krishnan Jack Arkinstall 6–2, 0–6, 3–6, 6–1, 6–3
Western India Championships
1956 Ramanathan Krishnan (2) Jack Arkinstall 5–7, 7–5, 6–0 ret.
1957 Jaroslav Drobný Jack Arkinstall 6–4, 6–3, 6–3
1958 Ramanathan Krishnan (3) Billy Knight 6–1, 6–2, 6–4
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1959 Ramanathan Krishnan (4) Giuseppe Merlo 6–4, 6–3, 6–4
Western India Championships
1960 Ramanathan Krishnan (5) Warren Woodcock 6–2, 6–3, 6–3
1962 Ramanathan Krishnan (6) Billy Knight 8–6, 6–3, 6–1
1965 Shyam Minotra Ravi Venkatesan 13–11, 9–7, 6-2
1966 Premjit Lall Osamu Ishiguro 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 8–6
1967 Jaidip Mukerjea Bob Carmichael 5–7, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 6-3
1968 Shiv Prakash Misra Premjit Lall 1–6, 8–6, 9–7, 4–6, 6–3
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969 Shyam Minotra Mieczysław Rybarczyk 6-1, 7-5

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

Year Champions Runners-up Score
Western India Championships
1924 Lena McKenna Mrs T.E. Cunningham 6–8, 6–3, 6–3
1925 Gladys Tedman Bayley Meherbai Bhabha Tata 6–1, 1–6, 6–1
1926 Phyllis Howkins Covell Annie Nepean Clayton 6-0, 6-0
1927 Phyllis Howkins Covell (2) R. Wallis 6-4, 6-3
1928 Phyllis Howkins Covell (3) G. Evans 6-4, 6-1
1929 Mrs M.P. McDougall Olive Stebbing 7-5, 6-1
1930 Phyllis Howkins Covell (4) Leila Row 6-2, 6-1
1931 Leila Row Laura Woodbridge 6-0, 6-1
1932 Laura Woodbridge Esther Bonjour 6-4, 6-4
1933 Lucia Valerio Leila Row 6-4, 6-3
1934 Leila Row (2) Esther Bonjour 6-2, 6-1
1935 Jenny Sandison Leila Row 3–6, 6–2, 6–4
1936 Jenny Sandison Boland (2) Hyacinth Harvey-Johnston 6-3, 6-3
1937 Leila Row (3) Meher Dubash 6-1, 6-2
1938 Lolita Simon Foottit Mrs E.H. Edney 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
1939 I.S. Hannay Williams S. Emery 6-4, 6-0
1940 Leila Row (4) Khanum Haji 6-2, 6-2
1941 Leila Row (5) Khanum Haji 6-3, 6-3
1942 Khanum Haji Leila Row 6–8, 6–2, 9–7
1943 Leila Row (6) Laura Woodbridge 6-3, 6-4
1946 Leela Row Dayal (7) Laura Woodbridge 6-2, 6-0
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1947 Leela Row Dayal (8) Khanum Haji Singh 5–7, 6–2, 6–3
Western India Championships
1948 (Not held)
1949 Khanum Haji Singh (2) Laura Woodbridge 6-4, 6-4
1950 Gem Hoahing Leela Row Dayal 6-0, 6-1
1952 Shirley Fry Doris Hart 2–6, 6–4, 6–2
1953 Leela Row Dayal (9) Laura Woodbridge 6–3, 7–9, 6–3
1954 Urmila Thapar Laura Woodbridge 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1955 Rita Davar Bridget Zachariassen 6-3, 6-1
Western India Championships
1956 Totta Zehden Inge Reh Vogle 6–3, 2–6, 6–4
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1957 Khanum Haji Singh (3) Mrs Sarah Mody 6-2, 6-3
Western India Championships
1958 Bridget Zachariassen Laura Woodbridge 6–4, 2–6, 8–6
1959 Mrs Sarah Mody Leela Punjabi 2–6, 9–7, 10-8
1960 Mimi Arnold Margaret Hellyer 6–8, 6–3, 6–2
1961 Margaret Hellyer Dechu Appaiah 6-3, 6-4
1962 Pia Balling Dechu Appaiah 6-1, 6-0
1965 Lakshmi Mahedevan Leela Punjabi 6-2, 10-8
1966 Carol-Ann Prosen Nirupama Vasant 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
1968 Nirupama Vasant Rattan Thadani 6-2, 6-4
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969 Nirupama Vasant (2) Judith Dibar 8-6, 6-3
Western India Championships & Cricket Club of India Tournament
1970 (Feb) Nirupama Vasant (3) Irena Škulj 3–6, 6–0, 6–3
1970 (Dec) Nirupama Vasant (4) Kiran Peshawaria 6-2, 6-3
Western India Championships
1971 (Not held)
1972 Nirupama Vasant Mankad (5) Marilyn Tesch 6-4, 6-1
1973 Udaya Kumar Susan Das 6-2, 6-4
1974 Susan Das Nirupama Vasant Mankad 6-2, 6-4
1975 Nirupama Vasant Mankad (6) Udaya Kumar 6-1, 6-1
1976 Nirupama Vasant Mankad (7) Lakshmi Mahedevan 6-1, 6-0
Western India Championships & Cricket Club of India Tournament
1977 Nirupama Vasant Mankad (8) Amreeta Ahluwalia 6–4, 6–0
Western India Championships
1978 Amreeta Ahluwalia Nirupama Vasant Mankad 5–7, 6–4, 8–6
1979 Nirupama Vasant Mankad (9) Amreeta Ahluwalia 6-3, 6-2
1980 Nandini Rangaraja Namratha Apparao 7-5, 6-0

Event names

  • Bombay Gymkhana Club Tournament (1888–1899)
  • Western India Tournament (1900–1911)
  • Western India Championships (1912–1980)

References

  1. ^ "The Illustrated Weekly of India". The Illustrated Weekly of India. 91. Published for the proprietors, Bennett, Coleman & Company, Limited, at the Times of India Press: 57. July 1970.
  2. ^ "Clark Triumphs in West India Net Play. Straight Clark of Los Angeles beat Vladislav Sckonecki exiled pole, in the men's singles final of the Western India Tennis Championships in Bombay". Long Beach Independent. Long Beach, California, United States: Newspaper Archives. 25 February 1952. p. 59.
  3. ^ "History". aitatennis. New Delhi, India: All India Tennis Association. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  4. ^ Datta, Pratip Kumar (2001). "Women's Tennis in India". A Century of Indian Tennis. New Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 79. ISBN 978-81-230-0783-0.
  5. ^ "Tournaments:Bombay – Western India Championships". The Tennis Base. Madrid: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Players: Finn Bekkevold". www.itftennis.com. International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Khan-Iftikhar Ahmed: Overview | ATP Tour | Tennis". ATP Tour. Association of Tennis Professionals. Retrieved 25 May 2023.