Sussex Championships

{{Infobox tennis tournament

|name =Sussex Championships

|type = defunct

|tour =LTA Circuit (1889-1912)
ILTF World Circuit (1913-1968)
ILTF Independent Circuit (1970-1980)

|founded =1889

|editions =78

|ended =1980

|location=Brighton, East Sussex, England (1889-1926)
West Worthing, West Sussex, England (1972-1980)

|surface =Grass

|website =

}}

The Sussex Championships or Sussex County Championships was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament that were first staged in 1889. By 1972 it was known as the Sussex Tennis Open Championships.{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=Ralph Henry |title=Scene in Sussex: a fresh look at the county |date=1972 |publisher=Research Pub. Co |location=London |isbn=9780705000154 |page=75}} The championships were first held in Brighton, East Sussex, England then moved to West Worthing, West Sussex, England and ran only until 1980.

The tournament is no longer a senior level international tour event, but is still staged today as a closed county tournament to British players only.{{cite web |title=Sussex County Championships Archives |url=https://www.tennissussex.com/tag/sussex-county-championships/ |website=Tennis Sussex |access-date=6 October 2022}}

History

A Sussex County Lawn Tennis Tournament was a brief tennis tournament consisting of a spring tournament usually held in April and another held in autumn usually September.{{cite web |last1=Teague |first1=Bryan |title=History of the Club |url=http://sussexcountycroquetclub.org.uk/articles.php?lng=en&pg=1390&prt=1 |website=sussexcountycroquetclub.org.uk |publisher=Sussex County Croquet Club |date=20 November 2016}} It was originally played on outdoor asphalt courts at Brighton and Hove Rink, England with the exception of the 1884 event that was played on grass courts. In 1882 the organisers staged the spring event. also played on asphalt courts, but for only two editions. there was just four editions of this event but did feature two future Wimbledon Men's singles champions the Renshaw twins it ran until 1885 then was abolished. In 1889 the event was revived as a grass court tournament called the Sussex Championships that was held at Hove County Cricket Ground.

The Sussex Championships was a very successful tournament in the years up to World War I, and was the second largest of the South of England meetings.{{cite book |last1=Myers |first1=Arthur Wallis |title=Lawn Tennis at Home and Abroad |date=1903 |publisher=Scribner's sons |location=London |page=85 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/lawntennisathom00myergoog/page/n105/mode/2up |language=English |chapter=Other Meetings}} The September tournament (otherwise called the Autumn Tournament), even when held in August, just before the South of England Championships was the main draw event on the Sussex calendar for many years.Teague (2016) In 1911 it became a two-week competition. Many of the leading players of the day took part in the championships. Following the First World War for some unknown reason, the event failed to gain the longevity it needed to keep the success going, unlike the South of England tournament, rescheduling of the event may have been the cause of its early demise.

Following the start of the open era the Sussex Championships were revived, but this time played at a new location in West Worthing. By 1972 it was known as the Sussex Tennis Open Championships.Henry (1972). The championships continued as a two-week tournament until 1978. The tournament continued up to 1980 when it was abolished for the final time as a senior tour level event. It was a featured county level event on the Mens Amateur Tour (1877-1912), the Women Amateur Tour (1877-1912), the ILTF Mens Amateur Tour (1913-1967) and the ILTF Women's Amateur Tour (1913-1967).

Finals

=Men's singles=

: Incomplete Roll:{{cite web |last1=Nieuwland |first1=Alex |title=Tournament – Sussex Championships. |url=https://www.tennisarchives.com/tournament/?t=264&n=Sussex%20Championships |website=www.tennisarchives.com |publisher=Tennis Archives |access-date=7 October 2022 |location=Netherlands}}

class="wikitable"
style="width:60px;"|Year

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

! style="width:200px;"|Runners-up

! style="width:160px;"|Score

colspan=10 align=center |Sussex Championships (Brighton)
1889{{flagicon|ENG}} Horace Chapman{{flagicon|GBR}} Wilberforce Eaves6-3, 6–3, 8–6.
1890{{flagicon|ENG}} Wilfred Baddeley{{flagicon|ENG}} Horace Chapman6-4, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5.
1891{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} Grainger Chaytor{{flagicon|ENG}} Wilfred Baddeleyw.o.
1892{{flagicon|GBR}} Wilberforce Eaves{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} Grainger Chaytorw.o.
1893{{flagicon|ENG}} Wilfred Baddeley (2){{flagicon|GBR}} Wilberforce Eaves6-1, 1–6, 8–6, 6-2
1894{{flagicon|ENG}} Wilfred Baddeley (3){{flagicon|ENG}} Harry Sibthorpe Barlow6-1, 6–0, 2–6, 7-5
1895{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} Grainger Chaytor (2){{flagicon|ENG}} Wilfred Baddeleyw.o.
1896{{flagicon|ENG}} Wilfred Baddeley (4){{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} Grainger Chaytorw.o.
1897{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} George Ball-Greene{{flagicon|ENG}} Wilfred Baddeleyw.o.
1898{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} Grainger Chaytor (3){{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} George Ball-Greene6-1, 6–1, 2–6, 8-6
1899{{flagicon|GBR}} Sydney Howard Smith{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} Grainger Chaytor6-4, 6–3, 6-2
1900{{flagicon|GBR}} Sydney Howard Smith (2){{flagicon|GBR}} George Whiteside Hillyard6-2, 4–6, 6–4, 6-2
1901{{flagicon|GBR}} Sydney Howard Smith (3){{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} Joshua Pim6-1, 6–3, 5–7, 6-2
1902{{flagicon|GBR}} Sydney Howard Smith (4){{flagicon|GBR}} Frank Riseley5-7, 6–4, 2–6, 6-4 ret.
1903{{flagicon|USA}} Robert Leroy{{flagicon|USA}} Wylie Grant8-6, 6–1, 1–6, 1–6, 6-2
1904{{flagicon|GBR}} Sydney Howard Smith (5){{flagicon|GBR}} Frank Riseley6-4. 5–7. 3-3 ret.
1905{{flagicon|GBR}} Sydney Howard Smith (6){{flagicon|GBR}} Frank Riseleyw.o.
1906{{flagicon|GBR}} Arthur Gore{{flagicon|GBR}} Major Josiah Ritchie6-2, 6–3, 6-3
1907{{flagicon|GBR}} George Whiteside Hillyard{{flagicon|GBR}} Alfred Bentley6-3, 1–6, 6-4
1908{{flagicon|GBR}} Walter Cecil Crawley{{flagicon|GBR}} John Frederick Stokes6-2, 6–2, 6-3
1909{{flagicon|CAN}} Robert Branks Powell{{flagicon|GBR}} William Alfred Ingram6-2, 6-2
1910{{flagicon|GBR}} James Zimmermann{{flagicon|GBR}} Walter Cecil Crawleyw.o.
1914/1919colspan=3 align=center |Not held (due to world war one)
1920{{flagicon|GBR}} Alfred Beamish{{flagicon|GBR}} Monty Temple3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1
1921{{flagicon|India|British}} Mohammed Sleem{{flagicon|India|British}} Cotah Ramaswami6-4, 6-3, 6-0
1922{{flagicon|GBR}} F. R. Leighton Crawford{{flagicon|GBR}} Charles Tuckey6-0, 6-1
1924{{flagicon|GBR}} Jack Hillyard{{flagicon|GBR}} F. R. Leighton Crawford1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5
colspan=4 align=center |↓  Open era  ↓
1970Barrett, John. Tingay, Lance. West, Peter. (1971) World of Tennis 1971 : a BP yearbook. Queen Anne Press. London. {{ISBN|978-0-362-00091-7}}. p.271.{{flagicon|GBR}} Max Franklin{{flagicon|IND}} Jay Royappa9-7, 6-2
colspan=4 align=center |Sussex Tennis Open Championships (West Worthing)
1977{{flagicon|GBR}} Clive Rothwell{{flagicon|GBR}} Jasper Cooper6-4, 6-2
1978{{flagicon|GBR}} Willie Davies{{flagicon|GBR}} Tony Lloyd7-5, 6-4
1979{{flagicon|GBR}} Chris WellsRobert Booth6-1, 6-0

=Women's singles=

: Incomplete Roll:

class="wikitable"
style="width:60px;"|Year

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

! style="width:200px;"|Runners-up

! style="width:160px;"|Score

colspan=10 align=center |Sussex Championships (Brighton)
1889{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} May Langrishe{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} Beatrice Langrishe6-3, 6-3, 8-6
1890{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} May Langrishe (2){{flagicon|ENG}} Maud Shackle6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
1891{{flagicon|ENG}} Maud Shackle{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} May Langrishe6-4, 5-7, 6-2
1892{{flagicon|ENG}} Maud Shackle (2){{flagicon|GBR}} Bertha Steedman6-0, 8-6
1893{{flagicon|GBR}} Blanche Bingley Hillyard{{flagicon|GBR}} Maud Shackle6-1, 6-4
1894{{flagicon|GBR}} Blanche Bingley Hillyard (2){{flagicon|ENG}} Maud Shackle6-3, 6-0
1895{{flagicon|GBR}} Blanche Bingley Hillyard (3){{flagicon|GBR}} Helen Jackson6-2, 6-2
1896{{flagicon|GBR}} Blanche Bingley Hillyard (4){{flagicon|GBR}} Charlotte Cooper3-6, 6-4, 6-1
1897{{flagicon|GBR}} Charlotte Cooper{{flagicon|GBR}} Blanche Bingley Hillyard7-5, 7-5
1898{{flagicon|GBR}} Edith Austin{{flagicon|GBR}} Charlotte Cooper6-3, 6-2
1899{{flagicon|GBR}} Charlotte Cooper (2){{flagicon|GBR}} Edith Austin6-4, 6-4
1900{{flagicon|GBR}} Blanche Bingley Hillyard (5){{flagicon|GBR}} Hilda Lane6-3, 6-3
1901{{flagicon|GBR}} Charlotte Cooper Sterry (3){{flagicon|GBR}} Blanche Bingley Hillyard6-4, 6-2
1902{{flagicon|GBR}} Charlotte Cooper Sterry (4){{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothea Douglass6-2, 6-8, 6-3
1903{{flagicon|GBR}} Alice Greene{{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothea Douglass2-6, 8-6, 6-2
1904{{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothea Douglass{{flagicon|GBR}} Charlotte Cooper Sterry6-3, 6-3
1905{{flagicon|GBR}} Winifred Longhurst{{flagicon|GBR}} Connie Wilsondivided the prizes
1906{{flagicon|GBR}} Charlotte Cooper Sterry (5){{flagicon|GBR}} Violet Pinckney6-0, 6-0
1907{{flagicon|GBR}} Charlotte Cooper Sterry (6){{flagicon|GBR}} Ruth Winch6-0, 6-1
1908{{flagicon|GBR}} Charlotte Cooper Sterry (7){{flagicon|GBR}} Edith Boucher9-7, 6-4
1909{{flagicon|GBR}} Dora Boothby{{flagicon|ENG}} Hilda Lane6-1, 6-2
1910{{flagicon|GBR}} Ethel Thomson Larcombe{{flagicon|GBR}} Dora Boothby9-7. 6-4
1911{{flagicon|GBR}} Dora Boothby{{flagicon|GBR}} Agnes Daniell Tuckey4-6, 6-3, 6-4
1912{{flagicon|GBR}} Dora Boothby (2){{flagicon|GBR}} Annie Wix Cobb6-4, 6-2
1913{{flagicon|GBR}} Dora Boothby (3){{flagicon|GBR}} Minnie Dillon6-2, 4-6, 6-4
1914/1919colspan=3 align=center |Not held (due to world war one)
1920{{flagicon|USA}} Elizabeth Ryan{{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothy Holman6-2, 2-6 6-2
1921{{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothy Holman{{flagicon|GBR}} Louise Bull8-6, 6-2
1922{{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothy Holman (2){{flagicon|GBR}} Agnes Daniell Tuckeyw.o.
1923{{flagicon|USA}} Elizabeth Ryan (2){{flagicon|GBR}} Christine Tyrrell6-2, 6-0
1924{{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothy Holman (3){{flagicon|GBR}} Phoebe Holcroft6-4, 3–6, 6-3
1925{{flagicon|GBR}} Phoebe Holcroft Watson{{flagicon|GBR}} Joyce Brown6-2, 6-1
1926{{flagicon|GBR}} Phoebe Holcroft Watson (2){{flagicon|GBR}} Joyce Brown6-1, 6-1
colspan=4 align=center |↓  Open era  ↓
1970World of Tennis 1971{{flagicon|GBR}} Jenny Chamberlain{{flagicon|GBR}} H.B. Chamberlain6-2, 6-3
colspan=4 align=center |Sussex Tennis Open Championships (West Worthing)
1977{{flagicon|GBR}} Annette Coe{{flagicon|GBR}} Debra Parker6-4, 6-4
1978{{flagicon|GBR}} Debra Stewart{{flagicon|GBR}} Annette Coe2-6, 6–2, 6-1
1979{{flagicon|GBR}} Michele Tyler{{flagicon|GBR}} Lesley Charles1-6, 6–2, 7-5
1980{{flagicon|GBR}} Lesley Charles{{flagicon|GBR}} Elizabeth Jones6-4, 6-2

See also

References

{{Reflist|2}}

Sources

  • Lewis, Ralph Henry (1972). Scene in Sussex: a fresh look at the county,. London: Research Pub. {{ISBN|9780705000154}}.
  • Myers, Arthur Wallis (1903). Lawn Tennis at Home and Abroad. London: Scribner's sons.
  • Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament – Sussex Championships". www.tennisarchives.com. Netherlands: Tennis Archives.
  • Sussex County Championships Archives. Tennis Sussex. Tennis Sussex. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  • Teague, Bryan (20 November 2016). "History of the Club". sussexcountycroquetclub.org.uk. Sussex County Croquet Club.

{{Men's tennis seasons}}

Category:Grass court tennis tournaments

Category:Defunct tennis tournaments in the United Kingdom

Category:Tennis tournaments in England