The Rothmans Connaught Hard Court Championships[1] also known simply as the Connaught Hard Courts was a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1951.[2] The championships were organised by the Connaught Lawn Tennis Club, Chingford, Essex, England. The tournament ran until 1974.
History
The Connaught Hard Court Championships,[3] were established in 1951 as an open tournament held at the Connaught Lawn Tennis Club (f.1885),[4] Chingford, Essex, England. The tournament was continually staged until 1974. The tournament was sponsored by the tobacco company Rothmans International from 1971 to 1974.
Notable winners of the men's singles title included; Tony Mottram, Jack Arkinstall, Torben Ulrich, Sven Davidson, Lew Hoad,[5] Rod Laver,[6] Jaroslav Drobný,[7] and Owen Davidson.[8] Previous winners of women's singles title included; Doris Hart,[9] Angela Mortimer, Christine Truman, Norma Baylon, Ann Haydon Jones, Virginia Wade,[10] and Dianne Fromholtz.
Finals
Men's singles
(Incomplete roll)[11]
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ ILTF Circuit ↓ | |||
| 1951 |  Tony Mottram |
John Horn |
6-0, 6-3 |
| 1952 | Tony Mottram (2) |
 Ignacy Tloczynski |
2-6, 6-1, 6-3 |
| 1953 |  Jack Arkinstall |
 Don Black |
6-3, 6-0 |
| 1954 |  Torben Ulrich |
Bobby Wilson |
6-2, 1-6, 6-0 |
| 1955 |  Sven Davidson |
Mike Davies |
6-4, 6-1 |
| 1956 | Lew Hoad |
Bobby Wilson |
6-2, 6-1 |
| 1957 |  Jaroslav Drobný |
Mike Davies |
6-4, 6-3 |
| 1958 | Roger Becker |
Mike Davies |
4-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1959 | Roger Becker (2) |
Bobby Wilson |
7-5, 2-6, 6-4 |
| 1960 | Bobby Wilson |
Roger Becker |
6-4, 6-4 |
| 1961 | Bobby Wilson (2) |
Alan Mills |
8-6, 6-1 |
| 1962 | Rod Laver |
Martin Mulligan |
4-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1963 | Bobby Wilson (3) |
Mike Sangster |
8-6, 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1964 | Bobby Wilson (4) |
Mike Sangster |
6-2, 6-3 |
| 1965 | Bobby Wilson (5) |
Mark Cox |
6-2, 8-6 |
| 1966 | Bobby Wilson (6) |
Alan Mills |
6-2, 6-2 |
| 1967 | Birger Folke |
Lars Ölander |
6-3, 2-6, 14-12 |
| 1968 | Paul Hutchins |
Bobby Wilson |
6-2, 1-6, 6-1 |
| ↓ Open era ↓ | |||
| 1969 | Allan Stone |
John Cooper |
6-4, 6-2 |
| 1972 | Hank Irvine |
John Clifton |
6-2, 6-2 |
| 1973 | Owen Davidson |
Colin Dowdeswell |
3-6, 9-8, 6-1 |
Women's singles
(Incomplete roll)
Tournament records
- Most men's singles titles:
Bobby Wilson (6) - Most men's singles finals: Bobby Wilson (8)
- Most women's singles titles: Angela Mortimer (6)
- Most women's singles finals: Christine Truman (8)
References
- ^ "SWIRLING near-gale-force wind and rain hit the Rothman's Connaught Hard Court Championships at Chingford Essex yesterday, and flurries snow made play almost impossible". Birmingham Weekly Mercury. Birmingham, England: British Newspaper Archives. 28 May 1972. p. 40.
- ^ Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament–Connaught Hard Courts; Chingford". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Wilson, Bobby (1964). St. Paul's Bibliographies: My Side of the Net. Oxford: Oxford Polytechnic Press. p. 76.
- ^ "History". www.connaughtclub.co.uk. Chingford, England: Connaught Club. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Connaught Club
- ^ Connaught Club
- ^ Connaught Club
- ^ Tennis Archives
- ^ Connaught Club
- ^ Connaught Club
- ^ "Tournament – Connaught Hard Courts; Chingford". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
This page was last edited on 6 March 2024, at 07:26