| National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | |
| Type: | defunct |
| Founded: | 1910 |
| Ended: | 1999 |
| City: | Various |
| Country: | India |
The National Lawn Tennis Championships of India,[1] originally called the All India Championships,[2] or the All India Lawn Tennis Championships[2] and the Indian National Championships, was a combined (men's and women's) tennis tournament. It was played from 1910 until 1999.[3] It was held in various cities in, India and was played outdoor on multiple surfaces, but mainly grass courts.
Ramanathan Krishnan won most men's singles championships with eight titles overall,[4] and, during the pre-Open era Jenny Sandison and Leela Row won the most women's singles championships with seven titles each, while Nirupama Mankad won the most titles during the open era with five titles.
Lawn tennis in India can be traced back within the first decade of the establishment of the Wimbledon championships with early local championships being established in places like Punjab (1885) and Calcutta (1887).[2] However, there was no national championships, in 1910 colonial officers of the British Raj established the All India Lawn Tennis Championships in Allahabad[4] [2] which was 10 years before the All India Tennis Association was founded. The championships staged both men's and women's singles play and also doubles.[2] In 1946, the All-India Championships tournament was renamed the National Lawn Tennis Championships of India by the India Lawn Tennis Association.[5] After World War 2 until the start of the open era, the event was often held over Christmas and new year and on a few occasions two events were held in a single year in January and December (sometimes winners are described as winning in a year in which an event started in late December, other times in the year the event finished in early January).
The tournament was hosted at different cities around India and was also played on different surfaces, such as grass courts (1910–59, 1964–66, 1969, 1970, 1973), hard courts (1967) and clay courts (1960–61, 1974–79). This tournament was also held in conjunction with the Northern India Championships for the years 1962 to 1967. In the open era the event became a minor event for Indian players.
Incomplete roll included:[6] [7] [8]
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| All India Championships | |||
| 1910[9] |  Edmund Atkinson | 7–5, 7–5, 7–5 | |
| 1911[10] | H. W. Davies | John Rendall | ? |
| 1912[11] | H. W. Davies (2) | H. Nelson-Wright | 6–0, 6–3, 2–6, 4–6, 6–1(2) |
| 1913[12] | Edmund Atkinson |  ? | ? |
| 1914[13] | Edmund Atkinson (2) | ? | ? |
| 1915 | ? | ? | ? |
| 1916 | Udupi Diggavi Ranga Rao | 6–2, 6–1 | |
| 1917–18 | Not held | ||
| 1919 | Mr.Nagu | ? | ? |
| 1921[14] | ? | ? | |
| 1922[15] | Mohammed Sleem (2) | 8–6, 6–1, 6–1 | |
| 1923[16] | S.K. Mukerji | Sandford Wilson Bobb | 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 1924[17] | 8–6, 7–5, 7–5 | ||
| 1925[18] | Eric Burn Andreae (2) | 6–4, 6–3, 6–8, 6–4 | |
| 1926[19] | Edward Vivian Bobb (2) | Sri-Krishna Prasada | 6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2, 7–5 |
| 1927[20] | Edward Vivian Bobb (3) | 5–7, 7–5, 8–6, 6–3 | |
| 1928–29 | Not held | ||
| 1930[21] | Edward Vivian Bobb (4) | 6–4, 5–7, 6–3, 6–2 | |
| 1931[22] | 3–6, 7–5, 5–7, 6–2, 6–1 | ||
| 1932[23] | Dip Narain Kapoor (2) | Ahad Hussain | 6–0, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1933[24] [25] | Edward Vivian Bobb (5) | Sohan Lal | 5–7, 3–6, 6–3, 6–1, 10–8 |
| 1934[26] | 6–2, 3–6, 6–1, 6–8, 6–2 | ||
| 1935[27] | 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–2 | ||
| 1936[28] | 2–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–1, 5–5 ret. | ||
| 1937[29] | Edward Vivian Bobb (6) | Dip Narain Kapoor | 6–4, 7–5, 6–3 |
| 1938[30] | Dip Narain Kapoor (3) | Islam Ahmad | 8–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1939[31] | Tenkasi K. Ramanathan | 6–1, 6–2 | |
| 1940[32] | 11-9. 6–4, 7–5 | ||
| 1941[33] | Ghaus Mohammad (2) | 6–0, 6–3, 7–5 | |
| 1942[34] | Prem Lal Pandhi | 6–1, 6–1, 6–0 | |
| 1943[35] | Ghaus Mohammad (3) | Iftikhar Ahmed Khan | 6–2, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 1944[36] | 6–2, 6–4, 6–0 | ||
| 1945[37] | B.R. Kapinipathy | 9–7, 9–7, 5–7, 6–0 | |
| 1946[38] | Ghaus Mohammad (4) | 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 | |
| 1947[39] | Sumant Misra (2) | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–0 | |
| National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | |||
| 1948[40] |  Lennart Bergelin | Sumant Misra | 8–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 1949[41] | Dilip Bose | Sumant Misra | 3–6, 6–3, 6–3, 8–6 |
| 1950[42] | Felicisimo Ampon |  Pedro Masip | 5–7, 8–6, 8–6, 6–1 |
| 1951[43] | Sven Davidson | Jaroslav Drobný | 6–3, 6–3 7–5 |
| 1952[44] | Sven Davidson (2) |  Khan-Iftikhar Ahmed | 6–3, 6–4, 8–6 |
| 1953 | Sumant Misra[45] (3) | Naresh Kumar | 6–8, 2–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–3 |
| 1954[46] | Ramanathan Krishnan |  Jack Arkinstall | 6–2, 6–3, 7–5 |
| 1955[47] | Jack Arkinstall | Ramanathan Krishnan | 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1956[48] | Sven Davidson | Kurt Nielsen | 6–4, 6–1, 15–17, 6–4 |
| 1957[49] | Ramanathan Krishnan (2) | Naresh Kumar | 6–4, 6–0, 8–6 |
| 1958[50] | Ulf Schmidt | Ramanathan Krishnan | 6–2, 6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 1959[51] | Ramanathan Krishnan (3) | Naresh Kumar | 6–2, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1960[52] | Ramanathan Krishnan (4) | Ulf Schmidt | 6–3, 6–3 6–1 |
| 1961[53] | Ramanathan Krishnan (5) |  Carlos Fernandes | 6–2, 6–2, 3–6, 7–5 |
| India National and Northern India Championships | |||
| 1962[54] | Roy Emerson | Ramanathan Krishnan | 6–4, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1963[55] | Ramanathan Krishnan (6) | Jaidip Mukerjea | 6–4, 6–0, 6–3 |
| 1964[56] | Ramanathan Krishnan (7) | Alan Mills | 6–1, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1965[57] | Ramanathan Krishnan (8) | Martin Mulligan | w.o. |
| 1966[58] | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–0 | ||
| 1967[59] [60] | Premjit Lall | Ramanathan Krishnan | 3–6, 7–5, 5–7, 2–1 rtd. |
| National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | |||
| 1968 | Premjit Lall (2) | ||
| Open era | |||
| 1969[61] | Ilie Năstase | Premjit Lall | 6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 6–4 |
| 1970[62] | Premjit Lall (3) | Alex Metreveli | 9–7, 6–0, 5–7 6–3 |
| 1971 | Jaidip Mukerjea (2) | 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 | |
| 1972 | Gaurav Misra | Ramanathan Krishnan | 4–6, 6–4, 8–10, 7–5, 6–2 |
| 1973 | Vijay Amritraj | ? | |
| 1974 | ? | ? | |
| 1975 | Vijay Amritraj (2) | ? | ? |
| 1976 |  Tom Gorman | ? | ? |
| 1977 | Ramesh Krishnan | ? | ? |
| 1978 | Ramesh Krishnan (2) | ? | ? |
| 1979 | Bidyut Goswami[63] | ? | ? |
| 1980 | Sashi Menon | ? | ? |
| 1981 | Sashi Menon (2) | ? | ? |
| 1982 | Srinivasan Vasudevan | Jay Royappa | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1983[64] | Nandan Bal | ? | ? |
| 1984[65] | Nandan Bal (2) | ? | ? |
| 1985 | Nandan Bal (3) | ? | ? |
| 1986[66] | ? | ? | |
| 1987 | Zeeshan Ali (2) | ? | ? |
| 1988 | Zeeshan Ali (3) | ? | ? |
| 1989 | Zeeshan Ali (4) | ? | ? |
| 1990 | Leander Paes | ? | ? |
| 1991 | Zeeshan Ali (5) | ? | ? |
| 1992 | ? | ? | |
| 1993 | ? | ? | |
| 1994 | ? | ? | |
| 1995 | Mahesh Bhupathi (2) | ? | ? |
| 1996 | ? | ? | |
| 1997 | ? | ? | |
| 1998 | Marcus Hilpert (2) | ? | ? |
| 1999 | ? | ? | |
| Year | Champion | Runner up | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All India Championships | ||||
| 1910 | Mrs Kendall | Mrs Hutchinson | 6–3, 6–3 | |
| 1911 | Miss Warburton | Miss Latham | (score?) | |
| 1912 | Mrs Adams | Mrs Leslie-Jones | 6–0, 6–3 | |
| 1913 | Miss Warburton | Mrs Leslie-Jones | 6–4, 6–3 | |
| 1914 | Mrs Leslie-Jones | Mrs Fremantle | 6–2, 6–0 | |
| 1915–18 | No event WW1 | |||
| 1919 | Mrs Dickens | Mrs Simpson | 6–1, 6–3 | |
| 1920 | Mrs Kellie [67] | ? | 6–3, 9-11, 6–1 | |
| 1921 | Mrs Kemble | ? | ? | |
| 1922 | 6–3, 7–5 * | |||
| 1923 | Winifred MacClellan Keays | Mrs O'Neill | 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 1924 | Mrs T. Horn | 6–3, 6–3 | ||
| 1925 | 6–2, 6–4 | |||
| 1926 | Lena McKenna (2) | Miss Holden | 6–3, 1–6, 6–1 | |
| 1927 | Jenny Sandison | Lena McKenna | 8–6, 6–4 | |
| 1928 | Abandoned | |||
| 1929 [68] | Jenny Sandison (2) | Elizabeth Ryan | ? | |
| 1930 | Jenny Sandison (3) | Lena McKenna | 6–3, 6–0 | |
| 1931 | Lena McKenna | 6–1, 6–1 | ||
| 1932 | Jenny Sandison (4) | 7–5, 6–3 | ||
| 1933 | Jenny Sandison(5) | 3–6, 6–2, 6–1 | ||
| 1934 | Jenny Sandison (6) | Hyacinth Harvey-Johnston | 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 1935 | Jenny Sandison (7) | Margaret Parrott | 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 1936 | Leela Row (2) | Rosie Gibson | 6–1, 6–0 | |
| 1937 | Leela Row (3) | 2–6, 9–7, 6–2 | ||
| 1938 | Leela Row (4) | Meher Dubash | 6–1, 6–2 | |
| 1939 | Gaby Curtis | Laura Woodbridge | 6–2, 6–8, 9–7 | |
| 1940 | Leela Row (5) | Laura Woodbridge | 6–3, 6–2 | |
| 1941 | Leela Row (6) | Meher Dubash | 6–4, 6–1 | |
| 1942 | Mrs. Massey | Leela Row | 2–6, 7–5, 6–2 | |
| 1943 | Leela Row (7) | Meher Dubash | ||
| 1944 | Laura Woodbridge | Miss Maguire | 6–1, 6–1 | |
| 1945 | Laura Woodbridge (2) | 3–6, 6–2, 6–0 | ||
| 1946 | Sarah Mody | 6–1, 10–12, 6–0 | ||
| 1947 | Khanum Haji Singh | Laura Woodbridge | w.o. | |
| National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | ||||
| 1948 | Khanum Haji Singh (2) | Promilla Khanna | 6–4, 6–4 | |
| 1949 | Khanum Haji Singh (3) | Promilla Khanna | 3–6, 9–7, 6–3 | |
| 1950 | 6–2, 6–2 | |||
| 1951 | 6–3, 4–6, 6–3 | |||
| 1952 | Urmila Thapar | Laura Woodbridge | 6–0, 4–6, 7–5 | |
| 1953[69] | Rita Davar | Joy Mottram | 6–2, 6–1 | |
| 1954[70] | Rita Davar (2) | Urmila Thapar | 0–6, 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 1955 | Rita Davar (3) | Urmila Thapar | 6–4, 6–1 | |
| 1956 | Althea Gibson[71] |  Saichiko Kamo | 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 1957 | Khanum Haji Singh (4) | Promilla Khanna Singh | 7–5, 7–5 | |
| 1958 | Promilla Khanna Singh | Leela Panjabi | 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 1959 | Dechu Appaiah | Khanum Haji Singh | 2–6, 7–5, 6–2 | |
| 1960 | 4–6, 7–5, 6–0 | |||
| 1961 | Margaret Hellyer (2) | Dechu Appaiah | 6–4, 6–2 | |
| India National and Northern India Championships | ||||
| 1962 | 6–1, 6–3 | |||
| 1963 | Rattan Thadani | Cherri Chettyanna | 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 1964 | Jill Rook Mills | Lakshmi Mahadevan | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4 | |
| 1965 | Nirupama Vasant | 6–4, 6–4 | ||
| 1966 |  Tiiu Soome | 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 | ||
| 1967 | Aleksandra Ivanova | 6–4, 6–0 | ||
| National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | ||||
| 1968 | Aleksandra Ivanova | Nina Turkheli | 6–1, 6–2 | |
| Open era | ||||
| 1969 | 6–2, 6–1 | |||
| 1970 | Aleksandra Ivanova (2) | Irena Škulj | 6–1, 6–3 | |
| 1971 | Kiran Peshawaria | 4–6, 6–1, 6–1 | ||
| 1972 | 6–4, 6–2 | |||
| 1973 | Kiran Peshawaria Bedi | 6–2, 7–5 | ||
| 1974 | Susan Das[72] | (score?) | ||
| 1975 | Nirupama Mankad (2) | 7–5, 6–4 | ||
| 1976 | Nirupama Mankad (3) | Susan Das | 6–4, 6–3 | |
| 1977 | Nirupama Mankad (4) | Susan Das | 6–4, 6–3 | |
| 1978 | Nirupama Mankad (5) | Amreeta Ahluwalia | 3–6, 6–1, 8–6 | |
| 1979 | Amreeta Ahluwalia | Anu Peshawaria | 6–4, 6–0 | |
| 1980 | Amreeta Ahluwalia (2) | Anu Peshawaria | 6–0, 6–3 | |
| 1981 | Amreeta Ahluwalia (3) | Anu Peshawaria | 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 1982 | Anu Peshawaria (4) | Namratha Appa Rao | 6–4, 6–3 |
The tournament was staged in different cities for the duration of its run they included:[73]
| Host city | years staged | |
|---|---|---|
| Allahabad[74] | 1910–1938, 1944, 1946–1949, 1950–1951 | |
| 1939, 1974, 1977, 1979 | ||
| Calcutta[75] | 1940, 1952–1953, 1955, 1957–1959, 1963 1964–1965, 1967, 1975, 1978 | |
| 1941 | ||
| 1942 | ||
| 1943 | ||
| Madras[76] | 1944, 1945, 1954 | |
| New Delhi | 1956, 1960–1962, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1980, 1982 | |
| Bangalore | 1976 | |
| Pune | 1981 |
Included:[77]
Ramanathan Krishnan (8 titles)[4] Ramanathan Krishnan (10 finals) Edward Vivian Bobb (3 titles) (1927–27, 1930) Ramanathan Krishnan, (4 finals) (1957–60) Vijay Amritraj (26) Vijay Amritraj (24) Edward Vivian Bobb (13) Premjit Lall (11) Edward Vivian Bobb, 92.8%, (pre-open era) Vijay Amritraj, 92.3%, (open era) Jack Arkinstall, 34y 7m & 26d (1954) Ramanathan Krishnan, 16y 8m & 17d (1954) Jenny Sandison/ Leela Row (7) Nirupama Mankad (5)