Asian Championships (tennis)

The Asian Championships[1] also known as the Asian International Championships[1] or Asian Lawn Tennis Championships was an open international men's and women's grass and clay court tennis tournament founded in 1949 as the International Championships of Asia.[2] The tournament was one of eight official championships of the International Lawn Tennis Federation.[3] It was first played at the Calcutta South Club, Calcutta, India.[4] The international tournament was played at other locations until September 1972 when it was discontinued as part of the ILTF Independent Tour.

Asian Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
TourILTF World Circuit (1949–72)
ILTF Independent Tour (1970-73) men (1971-73) women
Founded1949; 75 years ago (1949)
Abolished1973; 51 years ago (1973)
LocationBangalore
Calcutta
Colombo
Hong Kong
Lahore
Manila
New Delhi
Poona
Singapore
VenueVarious
SurfaceClay
Grass

In December 1972 the format for the open event was changed to a closed event (Asian players only) and played as team only competition called the Asian Amateur Championships whereby a country sends teams of players to compete in singles, doubles and mixed doubles events. Unlike the Davis Cup its not a round robin tournament. It was first played at Kings Park, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The tournament was played at other locations until 1973 when it was discontinued as part of the ILTF Independent Tour.[1]

History

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On 22 December 1949 the International Championships of Asia were inaugurated at the Calcutta South Club, Calcutta, India.[3] The tournament was concluded on 1 January 1950 the first winners of the singles events were Indian player Dilip Kumar Bose,[1] and American player Patricia Canning Todd. In 1968 the men's edition was held in Calcutta, the women's in Bangalore. The open Asian Championships ran annually until 1972 when it was last held in Poona, India, that year two editions of the tournament were held the normal winter edition, and a one off summer event called the Asian Championships Invitation.[1] The final winners of open international winter edition in the singles events were the Indian player Jaidip Mukerjea (men's),[1] the Indian player Kiran Peshawaria (women's).

The summer edition of this tournament was played in Singapore. The winner of the men's singles in the invitation event was Ramanathan Krishnan.[1] This tournament was then discontinued from the ILTF Independent Tour.[1] The championships were held in the following locations throughout its run in Bangalore, Calcutta, Colombo, Lahore, Manila, New Delhi, Poona and Singapore.[1] The ILTF Independent Tour,[1] a series of worldwide tournaments not part of the men's Grand Prix Circuit or women's the WTA Tour

In July 1971 at an annual general meeting of the ILTF it was decided to change the format of the open international championships and make it a closed Asian only team event.[3] The ILTF provided the finances to stage the event that was to be held from 20 to 26 February 1972 at King's Park, Kowloon in then what was British Hong Kong.[3] Thirteen countries were invited to send teams including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ian, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.[3]

The Asian Amateur Championships were held only once the winner of the men's singles event was won by Japan's Toshiro Sakai (men's),[1][3] and the doubles event was won by Japan's Toshiro Sakai and Jun Kamiwazumi.[3]

Asian International Championships (open)

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Finals

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Men's singles (winter)

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(incomplete roll)

Asian Championships
Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1949[5] Calcutta   Dilip Kumar Bose   Sumant 'tiny' Misra 6–1, 6–2, 8–6.[1]
1950 Lahore   Jaroslav Drobný   Fred Kovaleski 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4.[1]
1952 Colombo   Frank Sedgman   Tony Mottram 6–4, 4–6, 7–5, 6–3.[1]
1954 Manila   Lennart Bergelin   Felicisimo Ampon 6–3, 5–7, 6–2, 6–0.[1]
1955 Calcutta   Kurt Nielsen   Jack Arkinstall 6–2, 6–4, 6–1.[1]
1957 Colombo   Jaroslav Drobný   Warren Woodcock 6–1, 6–2, 6–4.[1]
1958 Lahore   Torben Ulrich   Robert Haillet 6–4, 6–2, 6–2.[1]
1959 Calcutta   Ramanathan Krishnan   Barry MacKay 7–5, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3.[1]
1962 Calcutta   Roy Emerson   Ramanathan Krishnan 7–5, 6–4, 6–3.[1]
1963 Calcutta   Ramanathan Krishnan (2)   Jaidip Mukerjea 6–4, 6–2, 6–4.[1]
1964 Calcutta   Ramanathan Krishnan (3)   Jaidip Mukerjea 6–4, 6–3, 6–2.[1]
1965 Calcutta   Ramanathan Krishnan (4)   Bob Hewitt 6–2, 6–1, 6–4.[1]
1966 Calcutta   Jaidip Mukerjea   Ramanathan Krishnan 6–4, 6–3, 6–2.[1]
1967 Calcutta   Alexander Metreveli   Ismail El Shafei 6–3, 8–6, 6–4.[1]
1968 Calcutta   Alexander Metreveli (2)   Ion Țiriac 8–6, 6–3, 6–4.[1]
↓  Open era  ↓
1969 Calcutta   Jaidip Mukerjea (2)   Bill Tym 6–2, 6–1, 6–0.[1]
1970 New Delhi   Alexander Metreveli (3)   Premjit Lall 6–3, 6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3.[1]
1972 Poona   Jaidip Mukerjea (2)   Vijay Amritraj 1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4.[1]

Men's singles (summer)

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Asian Championships Invitation
Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1972 Singapore   Ramanathan Krishnan   Eduardo 'Eddie' Cruz[6][7] 6–2, 11–9, 6–1.[1]

Women's singles

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(incomplete roll)

Asian Championships
Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1949 Calcutta   Patricia Canning Todd   Betty Hilton 6–4, 6–0
1950 Lahore   Dorothy Head   Joy Gannon Mottram 4–6, 6–2, 6–3
1952 Colombo   Doris Hart   Shirley Fry 6–4, 2–6, 6–1
1954 Manila   Sachiko Kamo   Desideria Ampon 6–2, 6–4
1956 Calcutta   Althea Gibson   Sachiko Kamo 6–3, 9–11, 6–2
1957 Colombo   Althea Gibson (2)   Patricia Ward 6–0, 13–11
1958 Lahore   Louise Snow   Parveen Ahmed 6–3, 6–4
1960 Calcutta   Margaret Hellyer   Mimi Arnold 3–6, 6–1, 7–5
1962 Calcutta   Lesley Turner   Madonna Schacht 8–6, 6–2
1963 Calcutta   Cherri Chettyanna   Rattan Thadani 6–1, 1–6, 6–3
1964 Calcutta   Lakshmi Mahadevan   Jill Rook Mills 6–3, 6–2
1965 Calcutta   Nirupama Vasant   Lakshmi Mahadevan 6–2, 6–4
1966 Calcutta   Tiiu Soome   Carol Ann Prosen 6–3, 1–6, 6–1
1967 Calcutta   Rena Abjandadze   Alla Ivanova 6–4, 6–0
1968 Bangalore   Alla Ivanova   Nina Tukherli 6–1, 6–2
↓  Open era  ↓
1969 Calcutta   Nirupama Vasant (2)   Alice Tym 6–1, 3–6, 6–3
1970 New Delhi   Rena Abjandadze (2)   Alla Ivanova 9–7, 6–3
1972 Poona   Kiran Peshawaria   Susan Das 6–2, 6–0

Asian Amateur Championships (closed)

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Finals

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Men's singles

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Asian Amateur Championships
Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1972[3] Hong Kong   Toshiro Sakai   Vijay Amritraj 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 5–7, 7–5 .[1]
1973 Manila   Toshiro Sakai (2)   Chiradip Mukerjea 4–6, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–3.[1]

Men's doubles

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Asian Amateur Championships
Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1972[3] Hong Kong   Toshiro Sakai
  Jun Kamiwazumi
  Anand Amritraj
  Vijay Amritraj
6–4, 4–6, 6–4 .[1]

Tournament records

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Men's singles

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Included:[1]

Women's singles

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah "Tournaments:Asian Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  2. ^ Robertson, Max; Kramer, Jack (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. p. 196. ISBN 0047960426.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Robertson & Kramer
  4. ^ Majumdar, Boria; Mangan, J. A. (2013). Sport in South Asian Society: Past and Present. Routledge. p. 122. ISBN 9781317998938. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  5. ^ Majumdar and Mangan
  6. ^ "Player Profile: Eduardo Cruz PHI". www.itftennis.com. ITF. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Eddie Cruz: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 29 September 2023.