Essex County Cricket Club Tournament (tennis)

The Essex County Cricket Club Tournament was an early men's and women's grass court tennis tournament held initially at Knighton, Essex in England in 1879 and finally at Leyton in 1888.

Essex County Cricket Club Tournament
Defunct tennis tournament
Event nameEssex County Cricket Club Tournament
TourPre open era
Founded1879
Abolished1889
Editions10
LocationLeyton, Essex
Great Britain
VenueVarious

History edit

The Essex County Cricket Club Tennis Tournament was an early grass court tennis tournament held initially at Knighton in England in 1879. It was part of the men's tennis tour. In 1887 the tournament was held in Leyton. In 1888 the event was staged in Chingford. In 1889 it returned to Leyton for the last time before being abolished.

Finals edit

The challenge round is the final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion (who plays only that one match). The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921), but only in some tournaments (not all).[1]

Men's singles edit

Included:[2]

Year Winners Runners-up Score
1879 [a]   Nalton Womersley   Dale Womersley 6-4, 6-5 [3]
1880 [b]   Dale Womersley   R.C. Ball 2 sets to 0.[4]
1887[c]   Ernest Meers   Alfred E. Walker 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 [5][6]
1888[d]   Ernest Meers   Edward Henry Christy 6-1, 6-0 [7][8]
1889[e]   Edward Henry Christy   Ernest Meers w.o.[9]

Women's singles edit

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1887[f]   Brenda James   May Jacks 6-8, 6-0, 6-3.[10]

Notes edit

  1. ^ 1879 edition held from 19–26 July
  2. ^ 1880 edition ended 26 June
  3. ^ 1887 edition held from 25–39 July
  4. ^ 1888 edition held from 12–17 September
  5. ^ 1889 edition held from 26–31 August it also included a challenge round with the right to play Meers as the defending champion the playoff final E. H. Christy and W.H. Edmunds
  6. ^ 1887 edition held from 25–39 July

References edit

  1. ^ "Abolition of Challenge Rounds". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. EVENING POST, VOLUME CIII, ISSUE 65, 20 MARCH 1922. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  2. ^ Nieuwland, Alex (2017). "Tournament – Essex County Cricket Club". www.tennisarchives.com. Harlingen, Netherlands: Idzznew BV. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  3. ^ Ryan, Mark (2017). "Edition – Essex County Cricket Club 1879". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  4. ^ Nieuwland, Alex. "Edition – Essex County Cricket Club 1880". www.tennisarchives.com. Idzznew BV. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  5. ^ Nieuwland, Alex (2017). "Edition – Essex County Cricket Club 1887". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  6. ^ Baily's Monthly Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, and Racing Register, A.H. Baily & Company of Cornhill. London. England. July 1887
  7. ^ "Edition – Essex County Cricket Club 1888". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  8. ^ Baily's Monthly Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, and Racing Register, A.H. Baily & Company of Cornhill. London. England. September 1888
  9. ^ "Edition – Essex County Cricket Club 1889". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  10. ^ Baily's Monthly Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, and Racing Register, A.H. Baily & Company of Cornhill. London. England. July 1887

Sources edit

  • Abolition of Challenge Rounds". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. EVENING POST, VOLUME CIII, ISSUE 65, 20 MARCH 1922.
  • Nieuwland, Alex (2017). "Tournament – Essex County Cricket Club". www.tennisarchives.com. Harlingen, Netherlands: Idzznew BV
  • Baily's Monthly Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, and Racing Register, A.H. Baily & Company of Cornhill. London. England. 1860 to 1889.

Further reading edit

  • Ayre's Lawn Tennis Almanack And Tournament Guide, 1908 to 1938, A. Wallis Myers.
  • British Lawn Tennis and Squash Magazine, 1948 to 1967, British Lawn Tennis Ltd, UK.
  • Dunlop Lawn Tennis Almanack And Tournament Guide, G.P. Hughes, 1939 to 1958, Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd, UK
  • Lawn tennis and Badminton Magazine, 1906 to 1973, UK.
  • Lowe's Lawn Tennis Annuals and Compendia, Lowe, Sir F. Gordon, Eyre & Spottiswoode
  • Spalding's Lawn Tennis Annuals from 1885 to 1922, American Sports Pub. Co, USA.
  • The World of Tennis Annuals , Barrett John, 1970 to 2001.

External links edit