Seabright Invitational Tournament

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{Infobox tennis tournament

| name =Seabright Invitational Tournament

| type = defunct

| founded = {{start date and age|1884}}

| ended = {{end date and age|1950}}

| editions =

| event name =

| location = Rumson, New Jersey, United States

| venue = Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club

| tour =ILTF World Circuit

| surface = Grass

}}

The Seabright Invitational Tournament{{cite book |last1=Gems |first1=Gerald R. |last2=Borish |first2=Linda J. |last3=Pfister |first3=Gertrud |title=Sports in American History: From Colonization to Globalization |date=April 10, 2017 |publisher=Human Kinetics |location=Champaign, Illinois, United States. |isbn=978-1-4925-8614-2 |page=273 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zPF6DwAAQBAJ&dq=seabright+invitational%2C+tennis&pg=PA173 |language=en}} also known as the Seabright Invitation {{cite web|title=Tournaments: Seabright Invitation|url=https://thetennisbase.com/tournaments/ |website=The Tennis Base |publisher=Tennismem SL |access-date=July 30, 2023|url-access=subscription}} was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament staged annually at the Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club, Rumson, New Jersey, United States from 1884 to 1950.[https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/91000883_text National Historic Landmark Nomination: Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club], National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. pp. 16, 19–21.

History

The Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club is a historic private sports club in Rumson, Monmouth County, New Jersey in the United States. It was founded in 1877 and incorporated officially in 1886. In 1884, the club held its first Seabright Invitational Tournament,Gems, Borish and Pfister. (2017) p.173.{{cite news |title=INVITATION TENNIS TOURNAMENT Well-known Players Competing SEABRIGHT (New Jersey), July 21. Many well-known lawn tennis Players figure in the 54th invitation tournament. |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003221/19410723/205/0014 |access-date=March 11, 2023 |work=Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) |publisher=British Newspaper Archive |date=July 23, 1941 |location=Lahore, Pakistan |page=14|url-access=subscription}} the men's singles was won Joseph Sill Clark Sr. The tournament continued to be staged annually until 1889 when it was discontinued.

In 1894 the tournament was reestablished, and in 1920 a permanent women's event was finally added to the schedule. The event was suspended from 1943 to 1945 because of World War II. It resumed in 1946 and continued to be held until 1949. In 1950, the organizing committee of Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club voted to discontinue the event, due to ongoing cost of the maintenance of the grass courts, and the budget needed to build new permanent spectator seating made it untenable. Contrary to official sources the other reason the tournament was ended was not because of funding, but because the members grew tired of the fuss of organizing the event.[https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,858933,00.html "Sport: Too Much Fuss"], Time, August 14, 1950. Accessed March 12, 2023.

Finals

=Men's singles=

(Incomplete roll)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:98%;"
style="width:60px;"|Year

! style="width:230px;"|Winners

! style="width:230px;"|Runners-up

! style="width:200px;"|Score

1886{{Flagicon|USA}} H.W. Bucknall{{Flagicon|USA}} Richard W. Stevens6–2, 6–1, 6–1.
1888{{Flagicon|USA}} H. Alexander{{Flagicon|USA}} W. Ward6–2, 6–4.
1891{{Flagicon|USA}} Richard W. Stevens{{Flagicon|USA}} A.W. Post2–6, 1–6, 6–0, 6–3, 6–2
1892{{Flagicon|USA}} Richard W. Stevens{{Flagicon|USA}} S.M. Allen6–2, 6–1, 6–1.
1895{{Flagicon|USA}} Bill Larned{{Flagicon|USA}} John Howland7–5, 4–6, 6–1, 6–2.
1919{{Flagicon|USA}} Bill Larned (2){{Flagicon|USA}} Leonard Beekman6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–1.
1920{{Flagicon|USA}} Watson Washburn{{Flagicon|USA}} Willis Davis1–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–3.
1921{{Flagicon|USA}} Bill Johnston{{Flagicon|USA}} Dick Williams6–0, 6–4, 6–2.
1922{{Flagicon|USA}} Bill Johnston (2){{Flagicon|USA}} Dick Williams6–0, 6–2, 6–3.
1923{{Flagicon|USA}} Bill Johnston (3){{Flagicon|USA}} Dick Williams?
1924{{Flagicon|USA}} Howard Kinsey{{Flagicon|USA}} Bill Johnston?
1925{{Flagicon|USA}} Vinnie Richards{{Flagicon|USA}} James Anderson6–1, 4–6, 6–0, 6–0.
1926{{Flagicon|USA}} Vinnie Richards (2){{Flagicon|ESP}} Manuel Alonso Areizaga6–2, 10–8.
1927{{Flagicon|USA}} Bill Tilden II{{Flagicon|USA}} Francis Hunter6–4, 6–1, 8–6.
1928{{Flagicon|USA}} John Van Ryn{{Flagicon|USA}} Wilmer Allison6–8, 6–1, 6–4, 4–6, 10–10, ret.
1929{{Flagicon|USA}} John Doeg{{Flagicon|USA}} Dick Williams6–3, 7–5, 8–6.
1930{{Flagicon|USA}} Sidney Wood{{Flagicon|USA}} Ellsworth Vines6–2, 6–2, 6–0.
1931{{Flagicon|USA}} Ellsworth Vines{{Flagicon|USA}} John Doeg10–12, 6–8, 6–3, 8–6, 6–1.
1932{{Flagicon|USA}} Sidney Wood (2){{Flagicon|USA}} Gregory Mangin1–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–4
1933{{Flagicon|USA}} Frank Shields{{Flagicon|USA}} Gregory Mangin6–1, 6–3, 6–1
1934{{Flagicon|USA}} Berkeley Bell{{Flagicon|USA}} Bryan Grant5–7 6–1 6–3 2–6 6–4.
1935{{Flagicon|USA}} Gregory Mangin{{Flagicon|USA}} Wilmer Hines6–8, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 7–5.
1936{{Flagicon|USA}} John McDiarmid{{Flagicon|USA}} Joe Hunt9–7, 6–2, 6–2.
1937{{Flagicon|USA}} Bobby Riggs{{Flagicon|USA}} Wilmer Allisonw.o.
1938{{Flagicon|USA}} Bobby Riggs (2){{Flagicon|USA}} Elwood Thomas Cooke6–1, 6–3, 6–1.
1939{{Flagicon|USA}} Frank Parker{{Flagicon|USA}} Don McNeill6–3, 8–6, 6–0.
1940{{Flagicon|USA}} Bobby Riggs (3){{Flagicon|USA}} Frank Kovacs2–6, 0–6, 6–3, 11–9, 10–8.
1941{{Flagicon|USA}} Bobby Riggs (4){{Flagicon|USA}} Ted Schroeder6–4, 6–4, 6–0.
1942/1943colspan=4 align=center |Not held (due to World War I)
1945{{Flagicon|USA}} Bill Talbert{{Flagicon|USA}} Gardnar Mulloy6–2, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4.
1946{{Flagicon|USA}} Jack Kramer{{Flagicon|USA}} Gardnar Mulloy6–4, 6–4, 6–4.
1947{{Flagicon|USA}} Gardnar Mulloy{{Flagicon|USA}} Frank Parkerw.o.
1948{{Flagicon|USA}} Earl Cochell{{Flagicon|USA}} Bill Talbert9–7, 8–6, 6–4.
1949{{Flagicon|USA}} Earl Cochell (2){{Flagicon|ITA}} Gianni Cucelli6–2, 2–6, 6–0, 6–1.

=Women's singles=

(Incomplete roll)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:98%;"
style="width:60px;"|Year

! style="width:230px;"|Winners

! style="width:230px;"|Runners-up

! style="width:165px;"|Score

1888{{Flagicon|USA}} Miss Clarkson{{Flagicon|USA}} B. Lockwood6–2, 6–0.
1917{{Flagicon|USA}} Mary Browne{{Flagicon|USA}} Miss Grundy6–4, 1–6, 6–2.
1920{{Flagicon|USA}} Marion Zinderstein{{Flagicon|USA}} Eleanor Tennant6–4, 6–2
1921{{Flagicon|USA}} Molla Bjurstedt Mallory{{Flagicon|USA}} Eleanor Goss8–6, 6–3
1922{{Flagicon|USA}} Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (2){{Flagicon|USA}} Leslie Bancroft6–1, 6–2
1923{{Flagicon|USA}} Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (3){{Flagicon|GBR}} Mabel Davy Clayton6–2, 6–3
1924{{Flagicon|USA}} Mary Browne (2){{Flagicon|USA}} Mayme McDonald6–0, 6–1
1925{{Flagicon|USA}} Elizabeth Ryan{{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Wills6–3, 6–3
1926{{Flagicon|USA}} Elizabeth Ryan (2){{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Wills6–4, 6–1
1927{{Flagicon|USA}} Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (4){{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Jacobs6–2, 1–6, 6–1
1928{{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Jacobs{{Flagicon|USA}} Marjorie Gladman9–7, 6–3
1929{{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Jacobs (2){{Flagicon|USA}} Edith Cross6–1, 6–2
1930{{Flagicon|USA}} Anna McCune Harper{{Flagicon|USA}} Josephine Cruickshank6–4, 6–4
1931{{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Wills-Moody{{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Jacobs6–0, 6–0
1932{{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Jacobs (3){{Flagicon|USA}} Josephine Cruickshank6–4, 6–3
1933{{Flagicon|USA}} Sarah Palfrey{{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Jacobs6–1, 2–6, 7–5
1934{{Flagicon|USA}} Carolin Babcock{{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Jacobs6–4, 6–2
1935{{Flagicon|USA}} Ethel Burkhardt Arnold{{Flagicon|USA}} Gracyn Wheeler6–1, 6–0
1936{{Flagicon|USA}} Alice Marble{{Flagicon|USA}} Carolin Babcock6–0, 6–3
1937{{Flagicon|USA}} Alice Marble (2){{Flagicon|POL}} Jadwiga Jędrzejowska6–3, 5–7, 8–6
1938{{Flagicon|USA}} Alice Marble (3){{Flagicon|USA}} Dorothy Bundy6–2, 6–2
1939{{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Bernhard{{Flagicon|USA}} Dorothy Workman6–3, 7–5
1940{{Flagicon|USA}} Alice Marble (4){{Flagicon|GBR}} Mary Hardwick6–2, 6–0
1941{{Flagicon|USA}} Sarah Palfrey Cooke (2){{Flagicon|USA}} Helen Bernhard6–,8 6–2, 7–5
1942/1943colspan=4 align=center |Not held (due to World War I)
1944{{Flagicon|USA}} Pauline Betz{{Flagicon|USA}} Margaret Osborne6–2, 2–6, 6–3
1945{{Flagicon|USA}} Pauline Betz (2){{Flagicon|USA}} Louise Brough10–8, 6–3
1946{{Flagicon|USA}} Shirley Fry{{Flagicon|USA}} Mary Arnold Prentiss6–4, 3–6, 6–2
1947{{Flagicon|USA}} Dorothy Head{{Flagicon|USA}} Shirley Fry7–5 6–4
1948{{Flagicon|USA}} Gussie Moran{{Flagicon|USA}} Louise Snow Isaacs6–2, 6–2

Other tournaments

The club during the 1880s early 1890s also organised other tournaments usually as a one off events occasionally a couple of editions.

References