LA Women's Tennis Championships

The LA Women's Tennis Championships was a Premier-level tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Carson, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The tournament was played on outdoor hard courts and a part of the US Open Series.

LA Women's Tennis Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded1971
Abolished2009
Editions36
LocationLong Beach, California
Los Angeles, California
Manhattan Beach, California
Carson, California
United States
VenueHome Depot Center
CategoryPremier
SurfaceHard / outdoors
Draw56S / 32SQ / 16D
Prize moneyUS$700,000 (2009)

The tournament started out on the inaugural Virginia Slims Tour in Long Beach, California in 1971 by Jerry Diamond, one of the tour's organizers. In 1973, it moved to Los Angeles. The event was off the tour calendar for three years (1974–1976) when the season-ending championships were played in Los Angeles. The tournament was an indoor event until 1983, when it switched to outdoor hard courts in Manhattan Beach where it stayed for 20 years. IMG bought the event from Diamond in 1996.[1] The event was moved to its present location in Carson in 2003. It was acquired by its new landlord, AEG, in 2004.[2]

In 2009 AEG and USTA sold the tournament to Octagon, who moved the event to Carlsbad, California. It was renamed the Mercury Insurance Open.[3]

Past finals

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Martina Navratilova a "Tennis Champion"
  • Martina Navratilova was the most successful player winning 8 singles titles.

Singles

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Year Location Champion Runner-up Score Name
1971   Long Beach   Billie Jean King   Rosemary Casals 6–1, 6–2 Billie Jean King Invitational
1972     Rosemary Casals   Françoise Dürr 6–2, 6–7(4–5), 6–3 Independent Press-Telegram's
Women's Tennis Championships
1973 Los Angeles   Margaret Court   Nancy Gunter 7–5, 6–7(1–5), 7–5 British Motor Cars Tournament
1974–76 Not held
1977     Chris Evert   Martina Navratilova 6–2, 2–6, 6–1 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles
1978   Martina Navratilova   Rosemary Casals 6–3, 6–2
1979   Chris Evert (2)   Martina Navratilova 6–3, 6–4 Avon Championships of Los Angeles
1980   Martina Navratilova (2)   Tracy Austin 6–2, 6–0
1981   Martina Navratilova (3)   Andrea Jaeger 6–4, 6–0
1982   Mima Jaušovec   Sylvia Hanika 6–2, 7–6(7–4)
1983 Manhattan Beach   Martina Navratilova (4)   Chris Evert 6–1, 6–3 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles (II)
1984   Chris Evert (3)   Wendy Turnbull 6–2, 6–3
1985   Claudia Kohde-Kilsch   Pam Shriver 6–2, 6–4
1986   Martina Navratilova (5)   Chris Evert 7–6(7–5), 6–3
1987   Steffi Graf   Chris Evert 6–3, 6–4
1988   Chris Evert (4)   Gabriela Sabatini 2–6, 6–1, 6–1
1989   Martina Navratilova (6)   Gabriela Sabatini 6–0, 6–2
1990   Monica Seleš   Martina Navratilova 6–4, 3–6, 7–6(8–6)
1991   Monica Seleš (2)   Kimiko Date 6–3, 6–1
1992   Martina Navratilova (7)   Monica Seleš 6–4, 6–2
1993   Martina Navratilova (8)   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 7–5, 7–6(7–4)
1994   Amy Frazier   Ann Grossman 6–1, 6–3
1995     Conchita Martínez   Chanda Rubin 4–6, 6–1, 6–3 Acura Classic
1996   Lindsay Davenport   Anke Huber 6–2, 6–3
1997   Monica Seles (3)   Lindsay Davenport 5–7, 7–5, 6–4
1998   Lindsay Davenport (2)   Martina Hingis 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
1999   Serena Williams   Julie Halard-Decugis 6–1, 6–4
2000     Serena Williams (2)   Lindsay Davenport 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–1) estyle.com Classic
2001   Lindsay Davenport (3)   Monica Seleš 6–3, 7–5
2002     Chanda Rubin   Lindsay Davenport 5–7, 7–6(7–5), 6–3 JPMorgan Chase Open
2003 Carson   Kim Clijsters   Lindsay Davenport 6–1, 3–6, 6–1
2004   Lindsay Davenport (4)   Serena Williams 6–1, 6–3
2005   Kim Clijsters (2)   Daniela Hantuchová 6–4, 6–1
2006   Elena Dementieva   Jelena Janković 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
2007   Ana Ivanovic   Nadia Petrova 7–5, 6–4 East West Bank Classic 
2008   Dinara Safina   Flavia Pennetta 6–4, 6–2
2009   Flavia Pennetta    Samantha Stosur 6–4, 6–3 LA Women's Tennis Championships
2010 Not Held moved to San Diego

Doubles

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Year Location Champion Runner-up Score Name
1971 Long Beach   Rosemary Casals
  Billie Jean King
  Françoise Dürr
  Ann Haydon-Jones
7–5, 6–3 Billie Jean King Invitational
1972   Rosemary Casals (2)
  Virginia Wade
  Helen Gourlay
  Karen Krantzcke
6–4, 5–7, 7–5 Independent Press-Telegram's
Women's Tennis Championships
1973 Los Angeles   Rosemary Casals (3)
  Julie Heldman
  Margaret Court
  Lesley Hunt
walkover British Motor Cars Tournament
1974–76 Not held
1977   Rosemary Casals (4)
  Chris Evert
  Martina Navratilova
  Betty Stöve
6–2, 6–4 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles
1978   Betty Stöve
  Virginia Wade (2)
  Greer Stevens
  Pam Teeguarden
6–3, 6–2
1979   Rosemary Casals (5)
  Chris Evert (2)
  Martina Navratilova
  Anne Smith
6–4, 1–6, 6–3 Avon Championships of Los Angeles
1980   Rosemary Casals (6)
  Martina Navratilova
  Kathy Jordan
  Anne Smith
7–6, 6–2
1981   Sue Barker
  Ann Kiyomura
  Marita Redondo
  Peanut Louie
6–1, 4–6, 6–1
1982   Kathy Jordan
  Anne Smith
  Barbara Potter
  Sharon Walsh
6–3, 7–5
1983 Manhattan Beach   Martina Navratilova (2)
  Pam Shriver
  Betsy Nagelsen
  Virginia Ruzici
6–1, 6–0 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles (II)
1984   Chris Evert Lloyd (3)
  Wendy Turnbull
  Bettina Bunge
  Eva Pfaff
6–2, 6–4
1985   Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
  Helena Suková
  Hana Mandlíková
  Wendy Turnbull
6–4, 6–2
1986   Martina Navratilova (3)
  Pam Shriver (2)
  Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
  Helena Suková
6–4, 6–3
1987   Martina Navratilova (4)
  Pam Shriver (3)
  Zina Garrison
  Lori McNeil
6–3, 6–4
1988   Patty Fendick
  Jill Hetherington
  Gigi Fernández
  Robin White
7–6(7–2), 5–7, 6–4
1989   Martina Navratilova (5)
  Wendy Turnbull (2)
  Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
  Mary Joe Fernández
5-2 retired
1990   Gigi Fernández
  Jana Novotná
  Mercedes Paz
  Gabriela Sabatini
6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1991   Larisa Savchenko
  Natalia Zvereva
  Gretchen Rush Magers
  Robin White
6–1, 2–6, 6–2
1992   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
  Helena Suková (2)
  Zina Garrison
  Pam Shriver
6–4, 6–2
1993   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (2)
  Helena Suková (3)
  Gigi Fernández
  Natalia Zvereva
7–6(7–3), 6–3
1994   Julie Halard
  Nathalie Tauziat
  Jana Novotná
  Lisa Raymond
6–1, 0–6, 6–1
1995   Gigi Fernández (2)
  Natasha Zvereva (2)
  Gabriela Sabatini
  Larisa Savchenko Neiland
7–5, 6–7(2–7), 7–5 Acura Classic
1996   Lindsay Davenport
  Natasha Zvereva (3)
  Amy Frazier
  Kimberly Po
6–1, 6–4
1997   Yayuk Basuki
  Caroline Vis
  Larisa Savchenko Neiland
  Helena Suková
7–6(9–7), 6–3
1998   Martina Hingis
  Natasha Zvereva (4)
  Tamarine Tanasugarn
  Elena Tatarkova
6–4, 6–2
1999   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (3)
  Larisa Savchenko Neiland
  Lisa Raymond
  Rennae Stubbs
6–2, 6–7(5–7), 6–0
2000   Els Callens
  Dominique Monami Van Roost
  Kimberly Po
  Anne-Gaëlle Sidot
6–2, 7–5 estyle.com Classic
2001   Kimberly Po-Messerli
  Nathalie Tauziat (2)
  Nicole Arendt
  Caroline Vis
6–3, 7–5
2002    Kim Clijsters
  Jelena Dokić
  Daniela Hantuchová
  Ai Sugiyama
6–2, 6–3 JPMorgan Chase Open
2003 Carson   Mary Pierce
  Rennae Stubbs
  Elena Bovina
  Els Callens
6–3, 6–3
2004   Nadia Petrova
  Meghann Shaughnessy
  Conchita Martínez
  Virginia Ruano Pascual
6–7(2–7), 6–4, 6–3
2005   Elena Dementieva
  Flavia Pennetta
  Angela Haynes
  Bethanie Mattek
6–2, 6–4
2006   Virginia Ruano Pascual
  Paola Suárez
  Daniela Hantuchová
  Ai Sugiyama
6–3, 6–4
2007   Květa Hrdličková Peschke
  Rennae Stubbs (2)
  Alicia Molik
  Mara Santangelo
6–0, 6–1 East West Bank Classic
2008   Yung-jan Chan
  Chia-Jung Chuang
  Eva Hrdinová
  Vladimíra Uhlířová
2–6, 7–5, (10-4)
2009   Chia-Jung Chuang (2)
  Yan Zi
  Maria Kirilenko
  Agnieszka Radwańska
6–0, 4–6, 10–7 LA Women's Tennis Championships
2010 Not Held moved to San Diego

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Estyle breaks tennis barrier". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  2. ^ Lisa Dillman (January 23, 2004). "AEG buys Carson event". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ Bill Dwyre (September 3, 2009). "Women's tennis tournament is moving away from Carson". Los Angeles Times.