National Lawn Tennis Championships of India

The National Lawn Tennis Championships of India,[1] originally called the All India Championships,[2] or the All India Lawn Tennis Championships[2] and the Indian National Championships, was a combined (men's and women's) tennis tournament. It was played from 1910 until 1999.[3] It was held in various cities in, India and was played outdoor on multiple surfaces, but mainly grass courts.

National Lawn Tennis Championships of India
Defunct tennis tournament
TourGrand Prix circuit
Founded1910
Abolished1999
LocationVarious
India
SurfaceClay, Grass, Hard

Ramanathan Krishnan won most men's singles championships with eight titles overall,[4] and, during the pre-Open era Jenny Sandison and Leela Row won the most women's singles championships with seven titles each, while Nirupama Mankad won the most titles during the open era with five titles.

History edit

Lawn tennis in India can be traced back within the first decade of the establishment of the Wimbledon championships with early local championships being established in places like Punjab (1885) and Calcutta (1887).[2] However, there was no national championships, in 1910 colonial officers of the British Raj established the All India Lawn Tennis Championships in Allahabad[4][2] which was 10 years before the All India Tennis Association was founded. The championships staged both men's and women's singles play and also doubles.[2] In 1946, the All-India Championships tournament was renamed the National Lawn Tennis Championships of India by the India Lawn Tennis Association.[5]

The tournament was hosted at different cities around India and was also played on different surfaces, such as grass courts (1910–59, 1964–66, 1969, 1970, 1973), hard courts (1967) and clay courts (1960–61, 1974–79). This tournament was also held in conjunction with the Northern India Championships for the years 1961 to 1967.

Finals edit

Incomplete roll included:[6][7][8]

Men's singles edit

Year Champions Runners-up Score
All India Championships
1910[9]   Edmund Atkinson   Lewis Deane 7–5, 7–5, 7–5
1911[10]   H. W. Davies   John Rendall ?
1912[11]   H. W. Davies (2)   H. Nelson-Wright 6–0, 6–3, 2–6, 4–6, 6–1(2)
1913[12]   Edmund Atkinson   ? ?
1914[13]   Edmund Atkinson (2)    ? ?
1915    ?    ? ?
1916   Mohammed Sleem   Udupi Diggavi Ranga Rao 6–2, 6–1
1917–18 Not held
1919   Mr.Nagu    ? ?
1921[14]   Edward Vivian Bobb    ? ?
1922[15]   Mohammed Sleem (2)   Harry Lewis-Barclay 8–6, 6–1, 6–1
1923[16]   S.K. Mukerji   Sandford Wilson Bobb 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
1924[17]   Eric Burn Andreae   Sri-Krishna Prasada 8–6, 7–5, 7–5
1925[18]   Eric Burn Andreae (2)   Jagat Mohan Lal 6–4, 6–3, 6–8, 6–4
1926[19]   Edward Vivian Bobb (2)   Sri-Krishna Prasada 6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2, 7–5
1927[20]   Edward Vivian Bobb (3)   Dip Narain Kapoor 5–7, 7–5, 8–6, 6–3
1928–29 Not held
1930[21]   Edward Vivian Bobb (4)   Dip Narain Kapoor 6–4, 5–7, 6–3, 6–2
1931[22]   Dip Narain Kapoor   Ahad Hussain 3–6, 7–5, 5–7, 6–2, 6–1
1932[23]   Dip Narain Kapoor (2)   Ahad Hussain 6–0, 6–2, 6–2
1933[24][25]   Edward Vivian Bobb (5)   Sohan Lal 5–7, 3–6, 6–3, 6–1, 10–8
1934[26]   Sohan Lal   Edward Vivian Bobb 6–2, 3–6, 6–1, 6–8, 6–2
1935[27]   Josip Palada   Franjo Kukuljević 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–2
1936[28]   Roderich Menzel   Ladislav Hecht 6–2, 7–5, 5–5 ret.
1937[29]   Edward Vivian Bobb (6)   Dip Narain Kapoor 6–4, 7–5, 6–3
1938[30]   Dip Narain Kapoor (3)   Islam Ahmad 8–6, 6–4, 6–4
1939   Ghaus M. Khan   Tenkasi K. Ramanathan 6–1, 6–2
1940[31]   Franjo Punčec   Yudishtra Singh 11-9. 6–4, 7–5
1941   Ghaus M. Khan   Iftikhar Ahmed Khan 6–0, 6–3, 7–5
1942   Subba L.R. Sawhney   Prem Lal Pandhi 6–1, 6–1, 6–0
1943   Ghaus M. Khan (2)   Iftikhar Ahmed Khan 6–2, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3
1944   Hal Surface   Ghaus M. Khan 6–2, 6–4, 6–0
National Lawn Tennis Championships of India
1946[32]   Sumant Misra   Dilip Bose 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1947[32]   Lennart Bergelin ? ?
1948[32]   Dilip Bose[32]   Sohan Lal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0
1949   Felicisimo Ampon ? ?
1950   Sven Davidson   Jaroslav Drobný 6–3, 6–3, 7–5
1951   Sven Davidson (3)   Jaroslav Drobný 6–3, 6–3 7–5
1952[32]   Sumant Misra (2)   Dilip Bose 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1953[32]   Ramanathan Krishnan   Naresh Kumar 6–8, 2–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–3
1954   Jack Arkinstall   Ramanathan Krishnan 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3
1955   Sven Davidson (3)   Kurt Nielsen 6–4, 6–1, 15–17, 6–4
1956[32]   Ramanathan Krishnan (2)   Jack Arkinstall 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3
1957   Ulf Schmidt   Ramanathan Krishnan 6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 6–3
1958[32]   Ramanathan Krishnan (3) ? ?
1959[32]   Ramanathan Krishnan (4)   Naresh Kumar 6–2, 6–2, 6–1
1960[32]   Ramanathan Krishnan (5)   Ulf Schmidt 6–3, 6–3, 6–1
India National and Northern India Championships
1961[32]   Roy Emerson   Ramanathan Krishnan 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
1962   Ramanathan Krishnan (6) ? ?
1963   Ramanathan Krishnan (7) ? ?
1964[32]   Ramanathan Krishnan (8)   Alan Mills 6–1, 6–3, 6–4
1965   Jaidip Mukerjea   Premjit Lall 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–0
1966   Premjit Lall ? ?
1967   Premjit Lall (2) ? ?
National Lawn Tennis Championships of India
1968   Ilie Năstase ? ?
1969[33]   Premjit Lall[34](3) ? ?
Open era
1970[34]   Jaidip Mukerjea (2)   Premjit Lall 7-5, 6-3, 6-3
1971[34]   Gaurav Misra ? ?
1972   Vijay Amritraj[34]   Ramanathan Krishnan ?
1973 [34]   Vijay Amritraj (2) ? ?
1974 [34]   Anand Amritraj ? ?
1975   Vijay Amritraj (3) ? ?
1976   Tom Gorman ? ?
1977   Ramesh Krishnan ? ?
1978   Ramesh Krishnan (2) ? ?
1979   Bidyut Goswami[35] ? ?
1980   Sashi Menon ? ?
1981   Sashi Menon (2) ? ?
1982   Srinivasan Vasudevan   Jay Royappa 6-1, 6-1
1983[36]   Nandan Bal ? ?
1984[37]   Nandan Bal (2) ? ?
1985[37]   Nandan Bal (3) ? ?
1986[38]   Zeeshan Ali ? ?
1987[38]   Zeeshan Ali (2) ? ?
1988[38]   Zeeshan Ali (3) ? ?
1989[38]   Zeeshan Ali (4) ? ?
1990[38]   Leander Paes ? ?
1991[38]   Zeeshan Ali (5) ? ?
1992[38]   Gaurav Natekar ? ?
1993[38]   Asif Ismail ? ?
1994[38]   Mahesh Bhupathi ? ?
1995[38]   Mahesh Bhupathi (2) ? ?
1996[38]   Nitin Kirtane ? ?
1997[38]   Marcus Hilpert ? ?
1998[38]   Marcus Hilpert (2) ? ?
1999[38]   Syed Fazaluddin ? ?

Women's singles edit

Year Champion Runner up Score
All India Championships
1910   Mrs Kendall   Mrs Hutchinson 6–3, 6–3
1911   Miss Warburton   Miss Latham (score?)
1912   Mrs Adams   Mrs Leslie-Jones 6–0, 6–3
1913   Miss Warburton   Mrs Leslie-Jones 6–4, 6–3
1914   Mrs Leslie-Jones   Mrs Fremantle 6–2, 6–0
1915–18 No event WW1
1919   Mrs Dickens   Mrs Simpson 6–1, 6–3
1920   Mrs Kellie [39] ? 6–3, 9-11, 6–1
1921   Mrs Kemble ? ?
1922   Phyllis Howkins Covell   Dorothy Shepherd-Barron 6–3, 7–5 *
1923   Winifred MacClellan Keays   Mrs O'Neill 6–2, 6–3
1924   Yolande Mackinnon   Mrs T. Horn 6–3, 6–3
1925   Lena McKenna   Phyllis Cox Berthoud 6–2, 6–4
1926   Lena McKenna (2)   Miss Holden 6–3, 1–6, 6–1
1927   Jenny Sandison   Lena McKenna 8–6, 6–4
1928 Abandoned
1929 [40]   Jenny Sandison (2)   Elizabeth Ryan ?
1930   Jenny Sandison (3)  Lena McKenna 6–3, 6–0
1931   Leela Row   Lena McKenna 6–1, 6–1
1932   Jenny Sandison (4)   Leela Row 7–5, 6–3
1933   Jenny Sandison(5)   Leela Row 3–6, 6–2, 6–1
1934   Jenny Sandison (6)   Hyacinth Harvey-Johnston 6–2, 6–3
1935   Jenny Sandison (7)   Margaret Parrott 6–2, 6–3
1936   Leela Row (2)   Rosie Gibson 6–1, 6–0
1937   Leela Row (3)   Joan Fry Lakeman 2–6, 9–7, 6–2
1938   Leela Row (4)   Meher Dubash 6–1, 6–2
1939   Gaby Curtis   Laura Woodbridge 6–2, 6–8, 9–7
1940   Leela Row (5)   Laura Woodbridge 6–3, 6–2
1941   Leela Row (6)   Meher Dubash 6–4, 6–1
1942   Mrs. Massey   Leela Row 2–6, 7–5, 6–2
1943   Leela Row (7)   Meher Dubash
1944   Laura Woodbridge   Miss Maguire 6–1, 6–1
1945   Laura Woodbridge (2)   Doreen Sansoni 3–6, 6–2, 6–0
National Lawn Tennis Championships of India
1946   Doreen Sansoni   Sarah Mody 6–1, 10–12, 6–0
1947   Khanum Haji Singh[41]   Laura Woodbridge w.o.
1948   Khanum Haji Singh (2)   Promilla Khanna 6–4, 6–4
1949   Khanum Haji Singh (3)   Promilla Khanna 3–6, 9–7, 6–3
1950   Pat Canning Todd   Gussie Moran 6–2, 6–2
1951   Dorothy Head   Joy Mottram 6–3, 4–6, 6–3
1952   Urmila Thapar   Laura Woodbridge 6–0, 4–6, 7–5
1953[42]   Rita Davar   Joy Mottram 6–2, 6–1
1954[43]   Rita Davar (2)   Urmila Thapar 0–6, 6–2, 6–2
1955   Rita Davar (3)   Urmila Thapar 6–4, 6–1
1956   Althea Gibson[44]   Saichiko Kamo 6–2, 6–2
1957   Khanum Haji Singh (4)   Promilla Khanna Singh 7–5, 7–5
1958   Promilla Khanna Singh   Leela Panjabi 6–2, 6–3
1959   Dechu Appaiah   Khanum Haji Singh 2–6, 7–5, 6–2
1960   Margaret Hellyer   Mimi Arnold 4–6, 7–5, 6–0
1961   Margaret Hellyer (2)   Dechu Appaiah 6–4, 6–2
India National and Northern India Championships
1962   Lesley Turner   Madonna Schacht 6–1, 6–3
1963   Rattan Thadani   Cherri Chettyanna 6–2, 6–2
1964   Jill Rook Mills   Lakshmi Mahadevan 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1965   Marion Law   Nirupama Vasant 6–4, 6–4
1966   Tiiu Soome   Marion Law 6–2, 3–6, 6–4
National Lawn Tennis Championships of India
1967   Rena Abzhandadze   Aleksandra Ivanova 6–4, 6–0
Open era
1968   Aleksandra Ivanova   Nina Turkheli 6–1, 6–2
1969   Judith Dibar   Alice Luthy Tym 6–2, 6–1
1970   Aleksandra Ivanova (2)   Irena Škulj 6–1, 6–3
1971   Nirupama Mankad   Kiran Peshawaria 4–6, 6–1, 6–1
1972   Marilyn Tesch   Nirupama Mankad 6–4, 6–2
1973   Udaya Kumar   Kiran Peshawaria Bedi 6–2, 7–5
1974   Susan Das[45]   Nirupama Vasant Mankad (score?)
1975   Nirupama Mankad (2)   Susan Das 7–5, 6–4
1976   Nirupama Mankad (3)   Susan Das 6–4, 6–3
1977   Nirupama Mankad (4)  Susan Das 6–4, 6–3
1978   Nirupama Mankad (5)   Amreeta Ahluwalia 3–6, 6–1, 8–6
1979   Amreeta Ahluwalia   Anu Peshawaria 6–4, 6–0
1980   Amreeta Ahluwalia (2)   Anu Peshawaria 6–0, 6–3
1981   Amreeta Ahluwalia (3)   Anu Peshawaria 6–1, 6–4
1982   Anu Peshawaria (4)   Namratha Appa Rao 6–4, 6–3

Venues edit

The tournament was staged in different cities for the duration of its run they included:[46]

Host city years staged
Allahabad[47] 1910–1938, 1944, 1946–1949, 1950–1951
Bombay 1939, 1974, 1977, 1979
Calcutta[48] 1940, 1952–1953, 1955, 1957–1959, 1963 1964–1965, 1967, 1975, 1978
Baroda 1941
Lahore 1942
Indore 1943
Madras[49] 1944, 1945, 1954
New Delhi 1956, 1960–1962, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1980, 1982
Bangalore 1976
Pune 1981

Records edit

Included:[50]

Men's singles edit

Women's singles edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "History". aitatennis. New Delhi, India: All India Tennis Association. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Majumdar, Boria; Mangan, J. A. (2013). Sport in South Asian Society: Past and Present. Routledge. pp. 117–118. ISBN 9781317998945.
  3. ^ "As the Road to Wimbledon India rolls into Kolkata, Wimbledon.com looks back at the history of the famous Calcutta South Club". www.wimbledon.com. AELTC. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b c All India Tennis Association
  5. ^ "History". aitatennis. New Delhi, India.
  6. ^ "Tournament – All India Championships". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Tournament – National and Northern India Championships". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Tournament – India National Championships". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  9. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1910". Times of India 1910. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  10. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1911". Times of India 1911. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  11. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1912". Times of India 1912. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  12. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1913". Times of India 1913. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  13. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1914". Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  14. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1921". Times of India 1920. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  15. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1922". Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  16. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1923". Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  17. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1924". Ayre's Lawn Tennis Almanack and Tournament Guide 1924. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  18. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1925". Ayre's Lawn Tennis Almanack and Tournament Guide and Times of India 1925. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  19. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1926". Ayre's Lawn Tennis Almanack and Tournament Guide 1927. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  20. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1927". Ayre's Lawn Tennis Almanack and Tournament Guide 1928. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  21. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1930". Times of India 1930. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  22. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1931". Ayre's Lawn Tennis Almanack and Tournament Guide 1932. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  23. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1932". American Lawn Tennis 1932. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  24. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1933". Times of India 1933. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  25. ^ "LAWN TENNIS". The West Australian. Perth. 23 January 1934. p. 10. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  26. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1934". Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  27. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1935". Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  28. ^ "LAWN TENNIS ABROAD". Sydney Morning Herald. 1 April 1936. p. 17. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  29. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1937". Lawn tennis and badminton 1937. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  30. ^ Archives, Tennis. "All India Championships 1938". American Lawn Tennis 1938. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.tennisarchives.com.
  31. ^ "TENNIS". Cairns Post. Qld. 19 February 1940. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l All Indian Tennis Association
  33. ^ Robertson, Max (1974). The encyclopedia of tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. p. 264. ISBN 0047960426.
  34. ^ a b c d e f Robertson (1974)
  35. ^ Gani, Abdul (14 June 2019). "Indian Tennis Players Need To Be Physically Stronger, Says Legendary Coach Bidyut Goswami". Outlook. Outlook Publishing (India) Pvt. Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  36. ^ "Hold more tournaments: Nandan Bal". News18. 20 August 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  37. ^ a b News18.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n AELTC
  39. ^ "Indian Championships". Cairns Post. Qld. 16 February 1920. p. 8. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  40. ^ "A MAID IN MAYFAIR". Advertiser. Adelaide. 14 November 1929. p. 15. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  41. ^ Boria Majumdar, J. A. Mangan (2005), Sport in South Asian Society: Past and Present, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-35953-8, ... The first woman Champion was Khanum Singh (nee Haji) ...
  42. ^ Shukla, Dr Balraj (10 January 2019). "First Queens of Indian tennis and the reign of Rita Davar". thebridge.in. The Bridge. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  43. ^ Shukla, Dr Balraj (10 January 2019). "First Queens of Indian tennis and the reign of Rita Davar". thebridge.in. The Bridge. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  44. ^ Williams, Frances Clayton Gray, Yanick Rice Lamb ; foreword by Bill Cosby ; afterword by Venus (2004). Born to win : the authorized biography of Althea Gibson. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. p. 219. ISBN 9780471471653.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  45. ^ Trade, TI (10 January 2017). "The Assam Tribune Online". Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  46. ^ "All India Championships/Indian Open. Tournament Roll of Honour, Locations". thetennisbase.com. The Tennis Base. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  47. ^ "LAWN TENNIS". Daily Telegraph. Launceston, Tasmania. 21 February 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  48. ^ "Indian Tennis". Sunday Times. Perth. 30 December 1951. p. 20. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  49. ^ "Arkinstall Wins Indian Tennis". Advertiser. Adelaide. 4 February 1954. p. 16. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  50. ^ "Tournament Records:All India Championships/Indian Open". The Tennis Base. Retrieved 16 October 2017.

Sources edit