Hoylake Open Championships

The Hoylake Open Championships[1] also known as the Rothman's Hoylake Open Championships[2] (for sponsorship reasons) was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1930 as the Hoylake and West Kirby Open.[3] The event was staged annually at Ashton Park, West Kirby, Cheshire, England until 1974.

Hoylake Open Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
TourILTF Circuit
Founded1930; 94 years ago (1930)
Abolished1974; 50 years ago (1974)
LocationWest Kirby, Cheshire, England
VenueAshton Park
SurfaceGrass/Clay

History

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On 25 August 1930 the Hoylake and West Kirby Open lawn tennis tournament was established.[4] The tournament was unique in that it was played on public tennis courts at the Ashton Park, West Kirby, Cheshire.[2] It began mainly as a local British event for the first couple of decades[2] It then began to attract international players from the 1950s onward. The tournament continued under same the brand name until 1966. In 1967 the newspaper company the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Ltd took over sponsorship of the event, and it was rebraded as Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Hoylake Open.[5] In 1970 the tobacco company Rothmans International took over sponsorship of the tournament.[6] It became a major stop on the ILTF Circuit in July just after Wimbledon until its demise in the mid-1970s.

In 1960 and from 1967 the tournament was also valid as North of England Championships with the winners succeeding to both titles.[7] The tournament was predominantly played on grass courts except for the 1974 edition that was played on clay courts.

Finals

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Men's Singles

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Incomplete roll includes:[8]

Hoylake and West Kirby Open
Year Winners Runners-up Score
1949[2]   W. Devine   G.J. Chibbett 3-6, 9–7, 6-2
1950[2]   T.A. Cowdy   G.J. Chibbett 4-6, 7–5, 6-4
1951[2]   David Samaai   Chew Bee Ong 6-2, 9-7
1952[2]   Koon Hung Ip   Ignacy Tloczynski 6-2, 6-3
1953[2]   Gerry Oakley   Ignacy Tloczynski 6-4, 7-5
1954[2]   Gerry Oakley (2)   Koon Hung Ip 6-2, 7-5
1955[2]   Gerry Oakley (3)   Colin Hannam[9] 7-5, 5–7, 6-3
1956[2]   John O'Brien   Don Black 6-2, 6-4
1957[2]   Peter Frankland   Don Black 6-3, 9–7, 6-2
1958[2]   Isaías Pimentel   Roy Stillwell[10] 10-8, 6-2
1959[2]   Ramanathan Krishnan   Premjit Lall 6-2, 6-1
1960[2]   Bertie Gaertner   David Samaai 6-1, 2–6, 6-4
1961[2]   John Hillebrand   Martin Mulligan 6-3, 6-4
1962[2]   Roger Becker   Billy Knight 6-3, 2–6, 6-4
1963[2]   Bob Howe   Martin Mulligan 6-4, 8-6
1964[2]   John Hillebrand (2)   Fred Stolle divided title
1965[2]   Mike Sangster   Bob Hewitt 6-4, 6-3
1966[2]   Mike Sangster (2)   Bob Hewitt 6-1, 6-1
Hoylake Open
1967[2]   John Newcombe   Roger Taylor 7-5, 3–6, 6-3
1968[2]   Mike Sangster (3)   Herb Fitzgibbon 2-6, 6–4, 12-10
Open era
1969[2]   Ray Ruffels   Brian Fairlie 6-3, 6-3
Hoylake Open Championships
1970[2]   John Newcombe (2)   Owen Davidson 4-6, 9–7, 6-4
1971[2]   Andrew Pattison   Jaidip Mukerjea 6-2, 5–7, 6-2
1972[2]   Douglas Irvine[11]   Ray Keldie divided title
1973[2]   Bob Giltinan   Owen Davidson 1-6, 6–3, 6-2
1974   Bernie Mitton   John Yuill 6-4, 6-4

Women's singles

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Incomplete roll includes.

Hoylake and West Kirby Open
Year Winners Runners-up Score
1949[2]   Mrs B. Dixon   Mrs P. Williams 6-4, 6-1
1950[2]   Ann Layfield   Peggy Astill Knight 6-3, 1–6, 6-2
1951[2]   Ann Layfield (2)   Elsie Hamilton Phillips 7-5, 1–6, 6-2
1952[2]   Rosemary Walsh   Georgie Woodgate 2-6, 6–2, 6-3
1953[2]   Mary Harris   Evelyn Attwood 7-5, 5–7, 6-4
1954[2]   Joan Curry   Georgie Woodgate 10-8, 6-1
1955[2]   Shirley Bloomer   Rita Bentley 6-3, 6-0
1956[2]   Shirley Bloomer (2)   Georgie Woodgate 6-0, 6-1
1957[2]   Margaret R. O'Donnell   Kay Newcombe 6-3, 6-4
1958[2]   Margaret R. O'Donnell (2)   Sonia Cox 6-1, 6-3
1959[2]   Sheila Armstrong   Deidre Catt 5-7, 7–5, 6-2
1960[2]   Renée Schuurman   Sheila Armstrong 6-3, 7-5
1961[2]   Margaret R. O'Donnell (3)   Louise Grundy 6-0, 6-0
1962[2]   Angela Mortimer   Jill Blackman 6-4, 6-4
1963[2]   Ann Haydon Jones   Jill Blackman 6-2, 6-1
1964[2]   Rita Bentley   Madonna Schacht divided the title
1965[2]   Margaret Smith   Judy Tegart 6-4, 6-4
1966[2]   Margaret Smith (2)   Annette Van Zyl 3-6, 6–1, 6-4
Hoylake Open
1967[2]   Virginia Wade   Judy Tegart 6-3, 6-4
1968[2]   Margaret Smith Court (3)   Virginia Wade 6-2, 6-4
Open era
1969[2]   Virginia Wade (2)   Christine Truman Janes 0-6, 6–4, 8-6
Hoylake Open Championships
1970[2]   Evonne Goolagong   Kerry Melville 2-6, 6–2, 6-1
1971[2]   Billie Jean Moffitt King   Rosie Casals 6-3, 6-3
1972[2]   Evonne Goolagong (2)   Betty Stöve divided the title
1973[2]   Patti Hogan   Sharon Walsh 11-9, 4–6, 6-4
1974[2]   Jackie Fayter   Patti Hogan 6-0, 7-5

Event names

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  • Hoylake and West Kirby Open (1930-1966)
  • Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Hoylake Open (1967-1969)
  • Rothman's Hoylake Open Championships (1970-1974)

Tournament records

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Men's singles

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Women's singles

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References

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  1. ^ "Rothman's pull out ... Rothman's are pulling out of two major tennis tournaments The British Hardcourt championship at Bournemouth and the Hoylake Open, which has developed over the years into the biggest crowd pulling tennis event in the North-West". Liverpool Echo. Lancashire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 8 November 1974. p. 38. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  2. ^ 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 ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb Robertson, Max (1974). The encyclopedia of tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. p. 261. ISBN 0047960426.
  3. ^ "HOYLAKE AND WEST KIRBY TOURNEY Play in the Hoylake and West Kirby open tennis tournament was continued today". Liverpool Echo. Lancashire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 28 August 1930. p. 8. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  4. ^ Liverpool Echo (28 August 1930) p.8.
  5. ^ "This year's annual Hoylake open tournament (sponsored by the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Ltd.) will be held on the West Kirby Park courts from July 17–22 and again the entry includes many of the world's top class players". Liverpool Echo. Lancashire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 24 June 1967. p. 19. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Hoylake Open attracts: a world-class With a total of over £7,000 available for prize money, it is no surprise that the third annual Rothmans Hoylake Open lawn tennis tournament, is to be held at West Kirby Park as usual". Liverpool Echo. Lancashire, England: British Newspaper Archive. p. 15. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Forced to fight for Hoylake win ... Patti Hogan, the sixth ranked American. now living in London and a member of the Wightman Cup team. won the women's singles title and a prize in the finals of the Rothman's Hoylake Open, North of England Tennis Championships". Liverpool Echo. Lancashire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 23 July 1973. p. 21. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Tournament – Hoylake & West Kirby". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Colin Hannam: Overview". ATP Tour. Association of Tennis Professionals. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Roy Stilwell : Overview". ATP Tour. Association of Tennis Professionals. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Douglas Irvine: Overview". ATP Tour. Association of Tennis Professionals. Retrieved 5 May 2023.