The Eckerd Open is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated women's tennis tournament founded in 1953 as a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament called the Masters Invitational tournament in St Augustine, Florida. In 1954 that event moved to Jacksonville, Florida until 1959. In 1960 the event moved to St Petersburg. It remained at the former location until 1974. After the combined event the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational finished in 1970. The women's event continued under various brand names and various locations in the Tampa Bay Area until it was abolished in 1990.

Eckerd Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Event name1953–1965 Masters Invitational (1953–65)
St Petersburg Masters (1966–70)
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg (1971–72)
St Petersburg Masters Invitational (1973)
Barnett Bank Masters (1974)
1977–1985 Florida Federal Open (1977–85)
Eckerd Open
TourWTA Tour (1977–90)
Founded1953; 71 years ago (1953)
Abolished1990; 34 years ago (1990)
LocationTampa Bay Area, Florida, U.S.
SurfaceClay (1971–74)
Hard (1977–86)
Clay (1987–90)

History

edit

In 1953 Masters Invitational tournament was established at the St Augustine Tennis Club, St Augustine, Florida and played on outdoor clay courts. In 1954 the Masters event was moved to Jacksonville, Florida through till 1959. In 1959 it changed location to St Petersburg, Florida, where it remained under that brand name until 1965. In 1966 the tournament's name was changed to the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational until 1970 when the women's event became known as the Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg, the men's tournament continued under the same name until 1971 when it was discontinued. The tournament was part South Florida-Caribbean Circuit which was a major feature of the international tennis scene in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The women's event continued under brand name VS Masters of St Petersburg until 1973 when it was rebranded as the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational In 1974 a new sponsor was found and the event became known as the Barnett Bank Masters until 1974 when it was discontinued. In 1977 the tournament was revived as the Florida Federal Open until 1985, and in 1986 becoming the Eckerd Open until it was abolished. The tournament was played on outdoor clay courts from 1953 to 1974 and from 1987 to 1990. It was played on outdoor hard courts from 1977 to 1986.

The holding of men's tournaments in the Tampa Bay Area were not as consistent as the women's event in 1974 the former St Petersburg Masters Invitational was revived as the St. Petersburg WCT from 1974 to 1975 before that was discontinued. In 1981 a Tampa Open men's tournament held in Tampa, Florida through till 1983.

Locations

edit

Played from 1953 to 1990 in various locations in the Tampa Bay Area, Florida in the United States. St Augustine, Florida from 1953 to 1954, then Jacksonville, Florida from 1955 to 1959, then it was held in St. Petersburg, Florida from 1960 to 1974, Palm Harbor, Florida in 1977, in Clearwater, Florida in 1978 and in Tampa, Florida from 1979 to 1990.

Event names

edit
  • 1953–1965 Masters Invitational
  • 1966–1970 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
  • 1971–1972 Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
  • 1973 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
  • 1974 Barnett Bank Masters
  • 1977–1985 Florida Federal Open
  • 1986–1990 Eckerd Open

Results

edit

Singles

edit
For previous winners of this event see St. Petersburg Masters Invitational
Year Champion Runner-up Score
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971   Chris Evert   Julie Heldman 6–1, 6–2
1972   Nancy Gunter   Chris Evert 6–3, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973   Chris Evert   Evonne Goolagong 6–2, 0–6, 6–4
Barnett Bank Masters
1974   Chris Evert   Kerry Reid 6–0, 6–1
1975/1976 Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977   Virginia Ruzici   Laura duPont 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
1978   Virginia Wade   Anna-Maria Fernandez 6–4, 7–6(7–1)
1979   Evonne Goolagong Cawley   Virginia Wade 6–0, 6–3
1980   Andrea Jaeger   Tracy Austin Walkover
1981   Martina Navratilova   Bettina Bunge 5–7, 6–2, 6–0
1982   Chris Evert-Lloyd   Andrea Jaeger 3–6, 6–1, 6–4
1983   Martina Navratilova   Pam Shriver 6–3, 6–2
1984   Michelle Torres   Carling Bassett 6–1, 7–6
1985   Stephanie Rehe   Gabriela Sabatini 6–4, 6–7, 7–5
Eckerd Open
1986   Lori McNeil   Zina Garrison 2–6, 7–5, 6–2
1987   Chris Evert-Lloyd   Kate Gompert 6–3, 6–2
1988   Chris Evert   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 7–6, 6–4
1989   Conchita Martínez   Gabriela Sabatini 6–3, 6–2
1990   Monica Seles   Katerina Maleeva 6–1, 6–0

Doubles

edit
Year Champion Runner-up Score
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971   Françoise Dürr
  Ann Haydon-Jones
  Judy Tegart
  Julie Heldman
7–6, 3–6, 6–3
1972   Karen Krantzcke
  Wendy Overton
  Judy Tegart
  Françoise Dürr
7–5, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973   Chris Evert
  Jeanne Evert
  Evonne Goolagong
  Janet Young
6–2, 7–6
Barnett Bank Masters
1974   Olga Morozova
  Betty Stöve
  Chris Evert
  Evonne Goolagong
6–4, 6–2
1975/1976 Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977   Delina Ann Boshoff
  Ilana Kloss
  Brigitte Cuypers
  Marise Kruger
6–7, 6–2, 6–2
1978   Martina Navratilova
  Anne Smith
  Kerry Reid
  Wendy Turnbull
7–6(7–4), 6–3
1979   Virginia Ruzici
  Anne Smith
  Ilana Kloss
  Betty Ann Grubb Stuart
7–5, 4–6, 7–5
1980   Rosemary Casals
  Candy Reynolds
  Anne Smith
  Paula Smith
7–6, 7–5
1981   Rosemary Casals
  Wendy Turnbull
  Martina Navratilova
  Renáta Tomanová
6–3, 6–4
1982   Ann Kiyomura
  Paula Smith
  Mary-Lou Piatek
  Wendy White
6–2, 6–4
1983   Martina Navratilova
  Pam Shriver
  Bonnie Gadusek
  Wendy White
6–0, 6–1
1984   Carling Bassett
  Elizabeth Sayers
  Mary-Lou Piatek
  Wendy White
6–4, 6–3
1985   Carling Bassett
  Gabriela Sabatini
  Lisa Bonder
  Laura Arraya
6–0, 6–0
Eckerd Open
1986   Elise Burgin
  Rosalyn Fairbank
  Gigi Fernández
  Kim Sands
7–5, 6–2
1987   Chris Evert-Lloyd
  Wendy Turnbull
  Elise Burgin
  Rosalyn Fairbank
6–4, 6–3
1988   Terry Phelps
  Raffaella Reggi
  Cammy MacGregor
  Cynthia MacGregor
6–2, 6–4
1989   Brenda Schultz
  Andrea Temesvári
  Elise Burgin
  Rosalyn Fairbank
7–6, 6–4
1990   Mercedes Paz
  Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
  Sandra Cecchini
  Laura Gildemeister
6–2, 6–0

See also

edit

References

edit