Eastern Clay Court Championships

The Eastern Clay Court Championships[1][2] was a combined men's and women's international tennis tournament on clay courts founded in 1927 by the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association of the USLTA. The championships were held in various locations in the New York City area, U.S. until 1971.

Eastern Clay Court Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
TourUSLTA
Founded1927
Abolished1971
Editions39
LocationJackson Heights, Queens, N.Y. (1927-48)
Travers Island (1949)
Rye, N.Y, U.S. (1950–51)
Hackensack, N.J. (1954-69)
Port Washington, N.Y., New York City (1970-71)
VenueJackson Heights Tennis Club
NY Athletic Club
Westchester Country Club
Oritani Field Club
Port Washington Park
Surfaceclay

History

The Eastern Clay Court Championships were founded in 1927 under the aegis of the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association (the New York City regional chapter of the USLTA).[3][4] That same year of 1927, the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association also inaugurated the Eastern Grass Court Championships, usually played in August. The list of champions and runners-up for the two tournaments contained many names common to both events.

The Eastern Clay Court tournaments were usually played in late June and early July, often conflicting with the Wimbledon Championships schedule for player participation and news coverage.

The early editions were played in New York City at the Jackson Heights Tennis Club, Queens N.Y..[5][6]

The Eastern Clay Court Championships were later held in different locations in the New York City area including such venues as the Westchester Country Club (currently HarTru clay courts) in the early 1950s.[7] The Westchester Country Club had also hosted the Eastern Grass Court Championships tennis tournament from 1927 until 1945.[8]

In the 1954-1969 period the location was the Oritani Field Club in Hackensack, N.J.[9] The Hackensack clay court traditions are currently being revived.[10] The final venue in the early 1970s was in Port Washington, New York City.

The title was won by such champions as Herbert Bowman, Gregory Mangin, Berkeley Bell, J. Gilbert Hall, Bobby Riggs, Pancho Segura, Frank Parker (who won the title four times), Bill Talbert, Dick Savitt, Sidney Schwartz, Eddie Moylan, J. Allen Morris, Ron Holmberg, Robert Bédard, Arthur Ashe, Frank Froehling, and Antonio Palafox.

Other notable players who participated without winning the singles title but finishing as runner-up included Julius Seligson, Frank Bowden, Clifford Sutter, Sidney Wood, Don McNeill (runner-up in both 1937 and 1950), Frank Shields, Frank Kovacs, Ted Schroeder, Gene Mako, Gardnar Mulloy, Tony Vincent, and Gene Scott all of whom were strong clay court players.

Frank Parker holds the record for most titles (4). The 1969 champion, Peter Fishbach, was the son of the 1938 runner-up, Joe Fishbach.

Finals

Men's singles
Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1927Queens Herbert Bowman Julius Seligson6–4, 5–7, 6–1, 9–7
1928 Gregory Mangin Herbert Bowman6–1, 6–2, 1–6, 6–3
1929 Herbert Bowman (2) Edgar Dawson6–1, 6–4, 6–1
1930 Herbert Bowman (3) Frank Bowden6–3, 6–2, 6–2
1931 Samuel Gilpin Ralph De Mott7–5, 6–2, 6–1
1932 Berkeley Bell Lawrence Kurzrok4–6, 7–5, 8–6, 6–4
1933 J. Gilbert Hall Frank Shields6–2, 7–5, 6–4
1934 J. Gilbert Hall (2) Clifford Sutter6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1935 Berkeley Bell (2) Leonard Hartman8–6, 7–5, 6–2
1936 Bobby Riggs John Richard Law6–3, 6–0, 6–4
1937 John McDiarmid Don McNeill6–3, 1–6, 6–4, 0–6, 6–3
1938 Jeff Podesta Joseph Fishbach6–3, 6–2, 2–6, 6–1
1939 Jeff Podesta (2) Marvin Wachman6–4, 7–5, 6–2
1940 Frank Parker Frank Kovacs6–2, 7–5, 6–1
1941 Frank Parker (2) Gene Mako6–2, 6–2, 6–0
1942 Pancho Segura Ted Schroeder7–5, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3
1943Not held
1944Not held
1945 Elwood Cooke Sidney Wood8–6, 6–4, 7–5
1946 Frank Parker (3) Gardnar Mulloy6–2, 7–5, 6–1
1947 Ladislav Hecht Dick Savitt6–4, 4–6, 6–0, 7–5
1948 Frank Parker (4) Billy Talbert6–3, 8–6, 6–2
1949New Rochelle Billy Talbert Eddie Moylan4–6, 11-9, 2–6, 6–1, 6–2
1950Rye Dick Savitt Don McNeill6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1951 Sidney Schwartz George Ball6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
1952Not held
1953Not held
1954Hackensack Eddie Moylan Jerry DeWitts6–0, 6–2, 6–4
1955 Eddie Moylan (2) Ron Holmberg6–3, 6–2, 6–0
1956 Eddie Moylan (3) Sidney Schwartz6–0, 3–6, 6–0, 8–6
1957 Ron Holmberg Tony Vincent1–6, 8–6, 6–1, 6–3
1958 Gerald Moss Sidney Schwartz3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–2
1959 J. Allen Morris Don Rubell6–0, 5–7, 6–2, 6–2
1960 Robert Bédard Gene Scott1–6, 14-12, 2–6, 6–4, 6–2
1961 Arthur Ashe[11] Bob Barker6–3, 2–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1962 Sidney Schwartz (2) Herb Fitzgibbon6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
1963 Lex Wood Dick Raskind7–5, 6–2, 6–2
1964 Herb Fitzgibbon David George Sanderlin8–6, 6–1, 6–4
1965Not held
1966 Frank Froehling Herb Fitzgibbon3–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4
1967Not held
1968 Ed Austin Steve Siegel6–4, 6–4, 6–2
1969 Peter Fishbach Don Rubell4–6, 6–0, 9–7, 2-1 ret.
1970Port Washington Antonio PalafoxOtokar Merunka6–4, 9–7, 6–0
1971 Antonio Palafox (2) Steve Ross6–2, 7–5, 6–1

See also

References
  1. "ASHE TURNS BACK CLAY COURT RIVAL; Advances With Schwartz in Eastern Title Tennis (Published 1962)". 1962-06-28. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  2. "TENNIS EVENTS". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  3. Kimball, Warren F. (December 2017). The United States Tennis Association: Raising the Game. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-4962-0462-2.
  4. "Find Your USTA Eastern Region". www.usta.com. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  5. "Podesta and Buxby Gain as Eastern Clay-Court Play Opens With Record Field; TWO NET MATCHES TAKEN BY PODESTA He Prevails Against De Lord and Rogers in Title Event at Jackson Heights BUXBY TRIUMPHS EASILY Puts Out Voorhees in Second Round--Eastern Fixture Draws List of 188 (Published 1939)". 1939-07-16. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  6. "A History of Jackson Heights – JHBG". Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  7. "Tennis - Westchester Country Club". www.westchestercc.org. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  8. Robertson, Max (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. pp. 235–236. ISBN 9780047960420.
  9. "ASHE TURNS BACK CLAY COURT RIVAL; Advances With Schwartz in Eastern Title Tennis (Published 1962)". 1962-06-28. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  10. "Largest RedClay U.S. Tennis Club Coming to Hackensack This Fall". Retrieved 2023-08-14. "The tennis club will feature eight indoor and six outdoor courts featuring new maintenance-free red clay court technology imported from Germany, according to a press release."
  11. George Ball to be Inducted into El Paso Hall of Fame. https://www.elpasohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/El_Paso_Herald_Post_Sat__Mar_28__1970_.jpg
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.