| 1885 Women's tennis season | |
| Duration: | 4 May – 6 November |
| Edition: | 10th |
| Tournaments: | 60 (Amateur) |
| Categories: | Important (3) National (0) Provincial/Regional/State (7) County (7) Regular (13) |
| Most Tournament Titles: | Maud Watson (5) |
| Most Tournament Finals: | Blanche Bingley (6) |
| Previous: | 1884 |
| Next: | 1886 |
The 1885 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 60 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in May in Sydney, Australia and ended in November in New Haven, United States.[1]
Prior to the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913 the Wimbledon Championships, the U.S. National Championships, the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and the Northern Championships were considered by players and historians as the four most important tennis tournaments to win.[2] [3] [4]
1885 sees a large expansion in the overall number of combined women's events being held as the tennis circuit continues to grow.[5] At the beginning of may the first Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament (later known as the New South Wales Championships) is held in Sydney, Australia and is won by Annie Lamb.[6]
In late May 1884 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships[7] in Dublin, Ireland. In the women's singles final England's Maud Watson retains the title defeating Irleland's Louisa Martin. Watson also claims the doubles title with her sister Lilian Watson defeating the Irish sisters Adela Langrishe and May Langrishe. In the mixed doubles Watson retains the title with William Renshaw against Ireland's Connie Butler and Ireland's Ernest Browne.[1] and completes a clean sweep of all possible events, singles, doubles and mixed doubles.[1]
In June 1884 at the second major tournament of the year the Northern Championships in Manchester England's Maud Watson wins her second major singles title against Edith Davies. The women's doubles title is won by Ann Dod and Lottie Dod who defeated Margaret Bracewell and Beatrice Langrishe.[1] In the mixed doubles event Maud Watson wins a second title paired with William Renshaw beating England's Margaret Bracewell and America's James Dwight.[1]
At the 1885 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament in the singles competition Maud Watson defeats Blanche Bingley to claim a second ladies championship title.[8] At the U.S. National Championships there was still no women's championship events held.
In Australasia in October the Victorian Championships held in Melbourne, Australia and played on asphalt courts is won by Mabel Shaw. In November the season ended in the United States at the New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament at that was by Adeline Robinson. In 1913 the International Lawn Tennis Federation was created, and consisted of 13 national member associations. The ILTF through its associated members then became responsible for supervising women's tour events.
Notes 1: Challenge Round: the final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921),[9] in some tournaments not all.
Key
| Main events.[10] [11] [12] [13] | |
| National events | |
| Provincial/State/Regional events | |
| County events | |
| Regular events |
Results included:.[14]
| Date ended | Tournament | Location | Surface | Winner | Finalist | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 7-May-1885[15] | Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament | Sydney | Grass |  Annie Lamb | Miss Gordon | 6–5, 6–4, 6–1, 6–1 |
| 2. | 26-May-1885 | Irish Championships | Dublin | Grass | Maud Watson | 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 | |
| 3. | 30-May-1885 | Grass | Gertrude Gibbs | Edith Davies | 2–6, 6–4, 6–0 | ||
| 4. | 6-Jun-1885 | East Gloucestershire Championships | Cheltenham | Grass |  Connie Butler | 6–3, 6–1 | |
| 5. | 13-Jun-1885 | Kilkenny County and City Tournament | Archersfield | Grass | May Langrishe | Miss Neville | 6–1, 6–8 |
| 6. | 13-Jun-1885 | Stamford Bridge | Grass | Maud Watson | 6–2, 6–3 | ||
| 7. | 17-Jun-1885 | Acton Vale LTC Open | East Acton | Grass | Miss Day | 6–0, 6–2 | |
| 8. | 19-Jun-1885 | Waterloo Tournament | Liverpool | Grass | Margaret Bracewell | 6–4, 6–2 | |
| 9. | 20-Jun-1885 | Brincliffe Lawn Tennis Club Open Tournament | Sheffield | Grass | Beatrice Wood | Florence Mardall | 6–1, 6–0 |
| 10. | 27-Jun-1885 | Northern Championships * | Manchester | Grass | Edith Davies | 6–3, 6–3 | |
| 11. | 3-Jul-1885 | Edgbaston | Grass | Margaret Bracewell | Mary Steedman | 6–3, 6–2 | |
| 12. | 9-Jul-1885 | Ealing Lawn Tennis Tournament | Ealing | Grass | Edith Gurney | 6–4, 6–4 | |
| 13. | 9-Jul-1885[16] | Natal Championships | Durban | Grass | Mabel Grant | L. Button | 18–8 games |
| 14. | 17-Jul-1885 | London | Grass | Maud Watson | Blanche Bingley | 6–1, 7–5 | |
| 15. | 25-Jul-1885 | Chiswick Park Tournament | Chiswick Park | Grass | Edith Gurney | Blanche Bingley | 1–6, 7–5, 6–0 |
| 16. | 25-Jul-1885 | Leicester Open Lawn Tennis Tournament | Leicester | Grass | Margaret Bracewell | Agnes Watts | 6–2, 8–6 |
| 17. | 6-Aug-1885 | Darlington Association Tournament | Darlington | Grass | Florence Stanuell | Connie Butler | 6–0, 7–5 |
| 18. | 8-Aug-1885 | West of Ireland Championships | Sligo | Grass | C. McClintock | Maude Scovell | 0–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 19. | 14-Aug-1885 | East Grinstead Lawn Tennis Tournament | East Grinstead | Grass | Blanche Bingley | Edith Davies | 6–2, 5–7, 6–3 |
| 20. | 17-Aug-1885 | Charleville Ladies' Tournament | Charleville | Grass | Miss Crookbain | Won | |
| 21. | 18-Aug-1885 | Bournemouth Lawn Tennis Club Tournament | Bournemouth | Grass | Mrs Surman | Mrs Hornby | drew |
| 22. | 20-Aug-1885 | Augusta Tournament | Grass |  Miss Haynes | Katie Baldwin | 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 23. | 22-Aug-1885 | Scarborough | Grass |  Beatrice Wood | 6–2, 6–2 | ||
| 24. | 22-Aug-1885 | South of Scotland Championships | Moffat | Grass | Ann Dod | J. Forrest | 6–0, 6–0 |
| 25. | 29-Aug-1885 | Buxton | Grass | Blanche Bingley | 6–3, 6–3 | ||
| 26. | 17-Sep-1885 | South of England Championships | Eastbourne | Grass | Ada Strapp | 6–1, 6–0 | |
| 27. | 26-Sep-1885 | Sussex County Lawn Tennis Tournament | Brighton | Asphalt | EF Hudson | 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 28. | 26-Sep-1885 | Orange LTC Open | Montrose | Grass | Adeline Robinson | Grace Roosevelt | 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 29. | 5-Oct-1885 | Camp Washington Ladies Lawn Tennis Tournament | Grass | Miss Lesley | Miss Austin | 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 30. | 10-Oct-1885 | Melbourne | Asphalt | Mabel Shaw | Miss Patterson | 13–7 games | |
| 31. | 6-Nov-1885 | New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament | New Haven | Grass | Adeline Robinson | Emma Leavitt-Morgan | 6–2, 6–3 |
This is list of winners sorted by number of singles titles (# and main titles in bold)
Adeline Robinson (2) Montrose, New Haven May Langrishe (1) Archersfield Miss Haynes (1) Augusta Miss Crookbain (1) Charleville Florence Stanuell (1) Darlington Miss Lesley (1) Livingston Mabel Shaw (1) Melbourne Mabel Boulton (1) Scarborough C. McClintock (1) Sligo Annie Lamb (1) SydneyThis is list of winners sorted by number of doubles titles (# and main titles in bold)
Note: Ann Dod and Connie Butler won titles with two different partners.
Connie Butler & Louisa Martin/ Miss Marley (3) Cheltenham, Darlington, Newcastle Connie Butler (2) Darlington, Newcastle Beatrice Langrishe/ Edith Gurney (2) Brighton, East Grinstead May Langrishe & Miss Neville (1) Archersfield.[14] Margaret Bracewell & Agnes Watts (1) Buxton.[14] Louisa Martin & Connie Butler (1) Cheltenham.[14] Beatrice Langrishe & Blanche Bingley (1) East Grinstead.[14] Bertha Steedman & Mary Steedman (1) Edgbaston.[14] Miss Lesley & Miss Miller (1) Livingston Miss Lydiard & Miss Wilson (1) MelbourneThis is list of winners sorted by number of mixed doubles titles (# and main titles in bold)
Margaret Bracewell & William Renshaw/ Walter Chamberlain (5) Buxton, Cheltenham, Edgbaston, Leicester, Scarborough.[1] Connie Butler & C Liddel/ Patrick Bowes-Lyon (3) Darlington, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Mabel Cahill & Francis R. Swayne (1) Archersfield.[1] Miss Cuppage & George Archibald Tisdall (1) Athboy Miss Carpenter & Donald Stewart (1) Bath.[1] Mrs Ravenhill & Captain H.T. Ravenhill (1) Denbigh.[1] Captain M.R. Bethune (1) Eggesford.[1]
Rose Tanner & J. W. Begg (1) Farndon Park.[1] Miss Palmer & R.H. Pickering (1) Langley Marish.[1] Mrs Clarke & John Charles Kay (1) Leamington.[1] D. Fitzgerald (1) Les Diablerets.[1] John Edmondson (1) Liverpool.[1] Kitty Smith & Robert Livingston Beeckman (1) Livingston.[1] Miss Henry & A.D. Johns (1) Portrush.[1]
Miss Soltau-Symons & Saint John Halford Coventry (1) Plymouth.[1] C. McClintock & Willoughby Hamilton (1) Sligo.[1] Annie Lamb & Charles Cropper (1) Sydney.[1] Connie Butler (3) Connie Butler (5) Margaret Bracewell (5) Margaret Bracewell (7)