The Eastern Clay Court Championships[1][2] was a combined men's and women's international tennis tournament on clay courts founded in 1927 by the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association of the USLTA. The championships were held in various locations in the New York City area, U.S. until 1971.
| Eastern Clay Court Championships | |
|---|---|
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Tour | USLTA |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Abolished | 1971 |
| Editions | 39 |
| Location | Jackson Heights, Queens, N.Y. (1927-48) Travers Island (1949) Rye, N.Y, U.S. (1950–51) Hackensack, N.J. (1954-69) Port Washington, N.Y., New York City (1970-71) |
| Venue | Jackson Heights Tennis Club NY Athletic Club Westchester Country Club Oritani Field Club Port Washington Park |
| Surface | clay |
History edit
The Eastern Clay Court Championships were founded in 1927 under the aegis of the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association (the New York City regional chapter of the USLTA).[3][4] That same year of 1927, the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association also inaugurated the Eastern Grass Court Championships, usually played in August. The list of champions and runners-up for the two tournaments contained many names common to both events.
The Eastern Clay Court tournaments were usually played in late June and early July, often conflicting with the Wimbledon Championships schedule for player participation and news coverage.
The early editions were played in New York City at the Jackson Heights Tennis Club, Queens N.Y..[5][6]
The Eastern Clay Court Championships were later held in different locations in the New York City area including such venues as the Westchester Country Club (currently HarTru clay courts) in the early 1950s.[7] The Westchester Country Club had also hosted the Eastern Grass Court Championships tennis tournament from 1927 until 1945.[8]
In the 1954-1969 period the location was the Oritani Field Club in Hackensack, N.J.[9] The Hackensack clay court traditions are currently being revived.[10] The final venue in the early 1970s was in Port Washington, New York City.
The title was won by such champions as Herbert Bowman, Gregory Mangin, Berkeley Bell, J. Gilbert Hall, Bobby Riggs, Pancho Segura, Frank Parker (who won the title four times), Bill Talbert, Dick Savitt, Sidney Schwartz, Eddie Moylan, J. Allen Morris, Ron Holmberg, Robert Bédard, Arthur Ashe, Frank Froehling, and Antonio Palafox.
Other notable players who participated without winning the singles title but finishing as runner-up included Julius Seligson, Frank Bowden, Clifford Sutter, Sidney Wood, Don McNeill (runner-up in both 1937 and 1950), Frank Shields, Frank Kovacs, Ted Schroeder, Gene Mako, Gardnar Mulloy, Tony Vincent, and Gene Scott all of whom were strong clay court players.
Frank Parker holds the record for most titles (4). The 1969 champion, Peter Fishbach, was the son of the 1938 runner-up, Joe Fishbach.
Finals edit
Men's singles edit
| Year | Location | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Queens |  Herbert Bowman |
Julius Seligson |
6–4, 5–7, 6–1, 9–7 |
| 1928 | Gregory Mangin |
Herbert Bowman |
6–1, 6–2, 1–6, 6–3 | |
| 1929 | Herbert Bowman (2) |
Edgar Dawson |
6–1, 6–4, 6–1 | |
| 1930 | Herbert Bowman (3) |
Frank Bowden |
6–3, 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 1931 | Samuel Gilpin |
Ralph De Mott |
7–5, 6–2, 6–1 | |
| 1932 | Berkeley Bell |
Lawrence Kurzrok |
4–6, 7–5, 8–6, 6–4 | |
| 1933 | J. Gilbert Hall |
Frank Shields |
6–2, 7–5, 6–4 | |
| 1934 | J. Gilbert Hall (2) |
Clifford Sutter |
6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 | |
| 1935 | Berkeley Bell (2) |
Leonard Hartman |
8–6, 7–5, 6–2 | |
| 1936 | Bobby Riggs |
John Richard Law |
6–3, 6–0, 6–4 | |
| 1937 | John McDiarmid |
Don McNeill |
6–3, 1–6, 6–4, 0–6, 6–3 | |
| 1938 | Jeff Podesta |
Joseph Fishbach |
6–3, 6–2, 2–6, 6–1 | |
| 1939 | Jeff Podesta (2) |
Marvin Wachman |
6–4, 7–5, 6–2 | |
| 1940 | Frank Parker |
Frank Kovacs |
6–2, 7–5, 6–1 | |
| 1941 | Frank Parker (2) |
Gene Mako |
6–2, 6–2, 6–0 | |
| 1942 |  Pancho Segura |
Ted Schroeder |
7–5, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3 | |
| 1943 | Not held | |||
| 1944 | Not held | |||
| 1945 | Elwood Cooke |
Sidney Wood |
8–6, 6–4, 7–5 | |
| 1946 | Frank Parker (3) |
Gardnar Mulloy |
6–2, 7–5, 6–1 | |
| 1947 |  Ladislav Hecht |
Dick Savitt |
6–4, 4–6, 6–0, 7–5 | |
| 1948 | Frank Parker (4) |
Billy Talbert |
6–3, 8–6, 6–2 | |
| 1949 | New Rochelle | Billy Talbert |
Eddie Moylan |
4–6, 11-9, 2–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
| 1950 | Rye | Dick Savitt |
Don McNeill |
6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1951 | Sidney Schwartz |
George Ball |
6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 | |
| 1952 | Not held | |||
| 1953 | Not held | |||
| 1954 | Hackensack | Eddie Moylan |
Jerry DeWitts |
6–0, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1955 | Eddie Moylan (2) |
Ron Holmberg |
6–3, 6–2, 6–0 | |
| 1956 | Eddie Moylan (3) |
Sidney Schwartz |
6–0, 3–6, 6–0, 8–6 | |
| 1957 | Ron Holmberg |
Tony Vincent |
1–6, 8–6, 6–1, 6–3 | |
| 1958 | Gerald Moss |
Sidney Schwartz |
3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 1959 | J. Allen Morris |
Don Rubell |
6–0, 5–7, 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 1960 |  Robert Bédard |
 Gene Scott |
1–6, 14-12, 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 | |
| 1961 |  Arthur Ashe[11] |
Bob Barker |
6–3, 2–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4 | |
| 1962 | Sidney Schwartz (2) |
Herb Fitzgibbon |
6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3 | |
| 1963 | Lex Wood |
Dick Raskind |
7–5, 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 1964 | Herb Fitzgibbon |
David George Sanderlin |
8–6, 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 1965 | Not held | |||
| 1966 | Frank Froehling |
Herb Fitzgibbon |
3–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 1967 | Not held | |||
| 1968 | Ed Austin |
Steve Siegel |
6–4, 6–4, 6–2 | |
| 1969 | Peter Fishbach |
Don Rubell |
4–6, 6–0, 9–7, 2-1 ret. | |
| 1970 | Port Washington |  Antonio Palafox |
Otokar Merunka |
6–4, 9–7, 6–0 |
| 1971 | Antonio Palafox (2) |
Steve Ross |
6–2, 7–5, 6–1 | |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "ASHE TURNS BACK CLAY COURT RIVAL; Advances With Schwartz in Eastern Title Tennis (Published 1962)". 1962-06-28. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "TENNIS EVENTS". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Kimball, Warren F. (December 2017). The United States Tennis Association: Raising the Game. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-4962-0462-2.
- ^ "Find Your USTA Eastern Region". www.usta.com. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "Podesta and Buxby Gain as Eastern Clay-Court Play Opens With Record Field; TWO NET MATCHES TAKEN BY PODESTA He Prevails Against De Lord and Rogers in Title Event at Jackson Heights BUXBY TRIUMPHS EASILY Puts Out Voorhees in Second Round--Eastern Fixture Draws List of 188 (Published 1939)". 1939-07-16. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "A History of Jackson Heights – JHBG". Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "Tennis - Westchester Country Club". www.westchestercc.org. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Robertson, Max (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. pp. 235–236. ISBN 9780047960420.
- ^ "ASHE TURNS BACK CLAY COURT RIVAL; Advances With Schwartz in Eastern Title Tennis (Published 1962)". 1962-06-28. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "Largest RedClay U.S. Tennis Club Coming to Hackensack This Fall". Retrieved 2023-08-14. "The tennis club will feature eight indoor and six outdoor courts featuring new maintenance-free red clay court technology imported from Germany, according to a press release."
- ^ George Ball to be Inducted into El Paso Hall of Fame. https://www.elpasohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/El_Paso_Herald_Post_Sat__Mar_28__1970_.jpg
