Mashonaland Championships

The Mashonaland Championships was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament founded in 1949 as the Mashonaland Lawn Tennis Championships.[1] The tournament was played Salisbury, Mashonaland, Rhodesia,[2] and ran annually until 1979 when it was discontinued as part of the ILTF Independent Circuit.[1]

Mashonaland Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
TourILTF World Circuit (1950–1972)
ILTF Independent Circuit (1973–1979)
Founded1949; 75 years ago (1949)
Abolished1979; 45 years ago (1979)
LocationSalisbury, Rhodesia
SurfaceClay / outdoor

History

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In 1949 the first Mashonaland Championships were founded.[1] The tournament was organised by the Mashonaland Lawn Tennis Board and affiliated to the Rhodesia Lawn Tennis Association.[3] The event was played annually on outdoor clay courts. It initially ran annually as part of the ILTF African Circuit,[4] a regional sub circuit of the ILTF World Circuit from 1949 to 1969 for men, then 1972 for women before it then became part of the ILTF Independent Circuit (those events not part of the men's ILTF Grand Prix Circuit or women's Virginia Slims Circuit until 1979 when it was abolished.[1]

Finals

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Men's singles

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(incomplete roll)

Year Champions Runners-up Score
↓ ILTF World Circuit ↓
1959   Don Black   Yashvin Shretta[5] 6–4, 6–3.[1]
1964   Don Black (2)   Cliff Drysdale 6–4, 3–6, 6–2.[1]
1967   Jim McManus   Ramanathan Krishnan 6–4, 3–6, 6–4.[1]
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969   Andrew Pattison   Hank Irvine 6–3, 5–7, 6–4.[1]
↓ ILTF Independent Circuit ↓
1970   Hank Irvine   Adrian Bey 6–4, 6–4.[1]
1971   Andrew Pattison   Richard Russell 6–2, 6–2.[1]

Women's singles

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(incomplete roll)

Year Champions Runners-up Score
↓ ILTF World Circuit ↓
1966   Pat Walkden   Gertruida Walhof 6–4, 4–6, 7–5
1967   Pat Walkden (2)   Frances Maclennan 6–1, 6–0
1969   Deidre Allan   Beverley Billington 6–3, 6–3
↓  Open Era  ↓
1970   Deidre Allan (2)   Jenny Waggott 6–2, 4–6, 6–4
1971   Karen Irvine   Maryna Godwin 6–4, 1–6, 6–2
1972   Marianna Brummer   Sally Hudson-Beck 7–5, 4–6, 6–2
↓ ILTF Independent Circuit ↓
1973   Sally Hudson-Beck   Deidre Paterson 6–3, 2–6, 6–3

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Tournaments: Mashonaland Championships". The Tennis Base. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  2. ^ The Age (1952)
  3. ^ Council, Salisbury (Zimbabwe) City (1957). The City of Salisbury: Official Guide. Salisbury. Rhodesia: R. Beerman. p. 102.
  4. ^ "World Tennis Circuit 1971: 20 new tournaments to be added to the world circuit next year, those added, would be selected from the British and European, African, South American, Australasia, and Asian circuits". The Scotsman. Midlothian, Scotland: British Newspaper Archive. 24 February 1970. p. 20. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Biography: Yashvin Shretta". Olympics. IOC. Retrieved 4 November 2023.