The Austrian Open was a WTA Tour affiliated women's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1896 as the Championships of Austria a combined men's and women's tournament.[1] Following World War II it was known as the Austrian International Championships up to the open era.[2]

Austrian Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded1896; 128 years ago (1896)
Abolished2015
LocationVarious, Austria
VenueVarious
SurfaceClay / outdoor

The women's tournament was discontinued in 2015, the men's ATP event the Austrian Open Kitzbühel is still being held.

History

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The men's tournament the Championships of Austria was established in 1894,[3] with the women's event following two years later in 1896.[4] It was originally held in Prague in what was then (Bohemia) up until World War One; then in Vienna from 1921 to 1951, '54 '55 '57 '64, then moved to Salzburg in '1952, then held in Portschach in 1954 '58 '60 '63? '66 '68, it was held for year Linz in 1956, then in Kitzbühel in '59 '61 '65 .[5] Following World War II the event was known as the.[6][7]

In the Open Era, seven locations hosted the event: Pörtschach in 1968 and 1999; Kitzbühel from 1969 to 1983 and from 1990 to 1993; Vienna in 1979 and from 2001 to 2004; Bregenz from 1985 to 1986; Maria Lankowitz from 1994 to 1998, Klagenfurt in 2000 and Bad Gastein from 2007 to 2015 where it took place as Nürnberger Gastein Ladies. The tournament which is held on outdoor clay courts was not contested in 1984, 1987 to 1989 and from 2005 to 2006.

Four Austrians won the singles event: Judith Wiesner in 1995, Barbara Paulus in 1996, Barbara Schett in 1997 and 1999 and Yvonne Meusberger in 2013. Two Austrians were victorious in the doubles event: Petra Huber in 1986 partnering West German Petra Keppeler, Patricia Wartusch in 2002 partnering Hungarian Petra Mandula along with Sandra Klemenschits in 2013, partnering Slovenian Andreja Klepač. Romanian Virginia Ruzici holds the Open Era record for singles titles, with three victories in 1980, 1982 and 1985.

Nürnberger Gastein Ladies was a tennis tournament held in Bad Gastein, Austria between 2007 and 2015. It was an International event on the WTA Tour with total prize-money of $250,000 and was played on red clay. In 2016, a new addition to the 2016 calendar was announced on March 11, the Ladies Championship Gstaad, Switzerland, which replaced the Nurnberger Gastein Ladies International tournament, held in Bad Gastein since 2007.

In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the WTA announced the Carinthian Ladies Open, a WTA 125K tournament, to be held in Austria on clay courts. The tournament will be held during the same week as the 2020 US Open, and will allow players affected by the cancellation of US Open qualifying to compete.[8][9] However, the tournament was cancelled just days after the announcement due to the pandemic.

Finals

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Singles

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(incomplete list)

Year Location Champion Finalist(s) Score
1968   Winnie Shaw   Elena Subirats 6–1, 7–5
1969   Judy Tegart   Pat Walkden 8–6, 6–2
1970   Helga Niessen   Evonne Goolagong 7–5, 6–3
1971   Billie Jean King   Laura Rossouw 6–2, 4–6, 7–5
1972   Katja Ebbinghaus   Marijke Schaar 7–5, 6–3
1973   Evonne Goolagong
  Olga Morozova
not completed
1974   Mirka Koželuhová   Mima Jaušovec 6–3, 6–0
1975   Sue Barker   Pam Teeguarden 6–4, 6–4
1976   Wendy Turnbull   Virginia Ruzici 6–4, 5–7, 6–2
1977   Renáta Tomanová   Katja Ebbinghaus 6–3, 7–5
1978   Virginia Ruzici   Sylvia Hanika 6–4, 6–3
1979   Chris Evert   Caroline Stoll 6–1, 6–1
1979   Hana Mandlíková   Sylvia Hanika 2–6, 7–5, 6–3
1980   Virginia Ruzici   Hana Mandlíková 3–6, 6–1, ret.
1981   Claudia Kohde-Kilsch   Sylvia Hanika 7–5, 7–6
1982   Virginia Ruzici   Lea Plchová 6–2, 6–2
1983   Pascale Paradis   Petra Huber 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1984   Helena Suková   Virginia Ruzici 6–2, 6–2
1985   Virginia Ruzici   Mima Jaušovec 6–2, 6–3
1986   Sandra Cecchini   Mariana Pérez-Roldán 6–4, 6–0
1987 not held
1988 not held
1989 not held
1990   Claudia Kohde-Kilsch   Rachel McQuillan 7–6, 6–4
1991   Conchita Martínez   Judith Wiesner 6–1, 2–6, 6–3
1992   Conchita Martínez   Manuela Maleeva-Fragnière 6–0, 3–6, 6–2
1993   Anke Huber   Judith Wiesner 6–4, 6–1
1994   Anke Huber   Judith Wiesner 6–3, 6–3
1995   Judith Wiesner   Ruxandra Dragomir 7–6, 6–3
1996   Barbara Paulus   Sandra Cecchini w/o
1997   Barbara Schett   Henrieta Nagyová 3–6, 6–2, 6–3
1998   Patty Schnyder   Gala León García 6–2, 4–6, 6–3
1999   Karina Habšudová   Silvija Talaja 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
2000   Barbara Schett   Patty Schnyder 5–7, 6–4, 6–4
2001   Iroda Tulyaganova   Patty Schnyder 6–3, 6–2
2002   Anna Smashnova   Iroda Tulyaganova 6–4, 6–1
2003   Paola Suárez   Karolina Šprem 7–6, 2–6, 6–4
2004   Anna Smashnova   Alicia Molik 6–2, 3–6, 6–2
2005 not held
2006 not held
2007   Francesca Schiavone   Yvonne Meusburger 6–1, 6–4
2008   Pauline Parmentier   Lucie Hradecká 6–4, 6–4
2009   Andrea Petkovic   Ioana Raluca Olaru 6–2, 6–3
2010   Julia Görges   Timea Bacsinszky 6–1, 6–4
2011   María José Martínez Sánchez   Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 6–0, 7–5
2012   Alizé Cornet   Yanina Wickmayer 7–5, 7–6(7–1)
2013   Yvonne Meusburger   Andrea Hlaváčková 7–5, 6–2
2014   Andrea Petkovic (2)   Shelby Rogers 6–3, 6–3
2015   Samantha Stosur   Karin Knapp 3–6, 7–6(7–3), 6–2
2016–2019 replaced by the WTA Swiss Open

Doubles

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Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1968 Pörtschach unavailable
1969 Kitzbühel   Judy Tegart
  Pat Walkden
  Marianna Brummer
  Anita Van Deventer
6–0, 6–3
1970 Kitzbühel   Brenda Kirk
  Annette Van Zyl
  Helga Niessen
  Winnie Shaw
6–4, 6–3
1971 Kitzbühel   Rosemary Casals
  Billie Jean King
  Helga Niessen
  Heide Orth
6–2, 6–4
1972 Kitzbühel   Katja Ebbinghaus
  Heide Orth
  Mandy Morgan
  Lucia Sarno
6–0, 6–1
1973 Kitzbühel   Aleksandra Ivanova
  Olga Morozova
  Evonne Goolagong
  Janet Young
2–6, 6–4, 6–2
1974 Kitzbühel   Beatrix Klein
  Éva Szabó
  Ana María Pinto Bravo
  Iris Riedel
6–1, 6–4
1975 Kitzbühel   Sue Barker
  Pam Teeguarden
  Fiorella Bonicelli
  Raquel Giscafré
6–4, 6–3
1976 Kitzbühel   Helena Anliot
  Mimmi Wikstedt
  Katja Ebbinghaus
  Heidi Eisterlehner
6–4, 2–6, 7–5
1977 Kitzbühel   Helen Gourlay-Cawley
  Rayni Fox
  Lesley Charles
  Jackie Fayter
6–1, 6–4
1978 Kitzbühel   Virginia Ruzici
  Renáta Tomanová
  Regina Maršíková
  Florența Mihai
7–5, 6–2
1979 Vienna   Dianne Fromholtz
  Marise Kruger
  Ilana Kloss
  Betty-Ann Stuart
3–6, 6–4, 6–1
1979 Kitzbühel   Helena Anliot
  Dianne Evers
  Virginia Ruzici
  Elly Vessies
6–0, 6–4
1980 Kitzbühel   Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
  Eva Pfaff
  Renáta Tomanová
  Hana Mandlíková
w/o
1981 Kitzbühel   Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
  Eva Pfaff
  Elizabeth Little
  Yvonne Vermaak
6–4, 6–3
1982 Kitzbühel   Yvona Brzáková
  Kateřina Skronská
  Jill Patterson
  Courtney Lord
6–1, 7–5
1983 Kitzbühel   Chris Newton
  Pam Whytcross
  Nathalie Herreman
  Pascale Paradis
2–6, 6–4, 7–6
1984 not held
1985 Bregenz   Mima Jaušovec
  Virginia Ruzici
  Andrea Holíková
  Kateřina Skronská
6–2, 6–3
1986 Bregenz   Petra Huber
  Petra Keppeler
  Sabrina Goleš
  Tine Scheuer-Larsen
6–2, 6–4
1987 not held
1988 not held
1989 not held
1990 Kitzbühel   Petra Langrová
  Radka Zrubáková
  Sandra Cecchini
  Patricia Tarabini
6–0, 6–4
1991 Kitzbühel   Bettina Fulco
  Nicole Muns-Jagerman
  Sandra Cecchini
  Patricia Tarabini
7–5, 6–4
1992 Kitzbühel   Florencia Labat
  Alexia Dechaume-Balleret
  Amanda Coetzer
  Wiltrud Probst
6–3, 6–3
1993 Kitzbühel   Fang Li
  Dominique Monami
  Maja Murić
  Pavlína Rajzlová
6–2, 6–1
1994 Maria Lankowitz   Sandra Cecchini
  Patricia Tarabini
  Alexandra Fusai
  Karina Habšudová
7–5, 7–5
1995 Maria Lankowitz   Silvia Farina
  Andrea Temesvári
  Alexandra Fusai
  Wiltrud Probst
6–2, 6–2
1996 Maria Lankowitz   Janette Husárová
  Natalia Medvedeva
  Lenka Cenková
  Kateřina Šišková
6–4, 7–5
1997 Maria Lankowitz   Eva Melicharová
  Helena Vildová
  Radka Bobková
  Wiltrud Probst
6–2, 6–2
1998 Maria Lankowitz   Laura Montalvo
  Paola Suárez
  Tina Križan
  Katarina Srebotnik
6–1, 6–2
1999 Pörtschach   Silvia Farina Elia
  Karina Habšudová
  Olga Lugina
  Laura Montalvo
6–4, 6–4
2000 Klagenfurt   Laura Montalvo
  Paola Suárez
  Barbara Schett
  Patty Schnyder
7–6, 6–1
2001 Vienna   Paola Suárez
  Patricia Tarabini
  Vanessa Henke
  Lenka Němečková
6–4, 6–2
2002 Vienna   Petra Mandula
  Patricia Wartusch
  Barbara Schwartz
  Jasmin Wöhr
6–2, 6–4
2003 Vienna   Ting Li
  Tiantian Sun
  Yan Zi
  Zheng Jie
6–3, 6–4
2004 Vienna   Martina Navratilova
  Lisa Raymond
  Cara Black
  Rennae Stubbs
6–2, 7–5
2005 not held
2006 not held
2007 Bad Gastein   Lucie Hradecká
  Renata Voráčová
  Ágnes Szávay
  Vladimíra Uhlířová
6–3, 7–5
2008 Bad Gastein   Andrea Hlaváčková
  Lucie Hradecká
  Sesil Karatantcheva
  Nataša Zorić
6–3, 6–3
2009 Bad Gastein   Andrea Hlaváčková
  Lucie Hradecká
  Tatjana Malek
  Andrea Petkovic
6–2, 6–4
2010 Bad Gastein   Lucie Hradecká
  Anabel Medina Garrigues
  Timea Bacsinszky
  Tathiana Garbin
6–7(2–7), 6–1, [10–5]
2011 Bad Gastein   Eva Birnerová
  Lucie Hradecká
  Jarmila Gajdošová
  Julia Görges
4–6, 6–2, [12–10]
2012 Bad Gastein   Jill Craybas
  Julia Görges
  Anna-Lena Grönefeld
  Petra Martić
6–7(4–7), 6–4, [11–9]
2013 Bad Gastein   Sandra Klemenschits
  Andreja Klepač
  Kristina Barrois
  Eleni Daniilidou
6–1, 6–4
2014 Bad Gastein   Karolína Plíšková
  Kristýna Plíšková
  Andreja Klepač
  María Teresa Torró Flor
4–6, 6–3, [10–6]
2015 Bad Gastein   Danka Kovinić
  Stephanie Vogt
  Lara Arruabarrena
  Lucie Hradecká
4–6, 6–4, [10–3]
2016–2019 replaced by the WTA Swiss Open

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Grasso, John (16 September 2011). Historical Dictionary of Tennis. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. pp. 29–30. ISBN 978-0-8108-7237-0.
  2. ^ Grasso (2011)
  3. ^ Grasso (2011)
  4. ^ Grasso (2011)
  5. ^ Grasso (2011)
  6. ^ Austrian International Championships
  7. ^ Grasso (2011)
  8. ^ WTA Announces Two $125k Events to Make up for US Open 2020 Qualifying
  9. ^ WTA Tour adds two $125K series events in Prague & Portschach to provisional calendar
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