Midland Counties Championships Explained

Midland Counties Championships
Type:	defunct
Event Name:	Midland Counties Championships
Tour:	Pre open era
Founded:	1882
Ended:	1977
Editions:	72
Venue:	Edgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club
Location:	Edgbaston Birmingham Great Britain

The Midland Counties Championships ^[1] also known as the Midland International was a grass court tennis tournament held at Edgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, Edgbaston, Great Britain from 1882 to 1977.

History

The first unofficial championship was established in 1881 at the Edgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, Edgbaston near Birmingham, England as part of the Edgbaston Open Tournament. In 1882 the Midland Counties Challenge Cup became a separate event and ran for seventy two editions until 1977. The event featured both men's and women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions ^[1] and was classified as an open tournament.^[2]

The men' event was succeeded by the Birmingham Open in 1978 a $125k event as part of ITF Grand Prix Circuit that year, it was staged only once, it was later revived in 1991 as an indoor tournament for that season only.

The women's was succeeded five years later by a new event called the Edgbaston Cup a Toyota International Series event on the Toyota Series Circuit.

Finals

Notes: 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) ^[3] in some tournaments not all.

Men's singles

Included:^{[4] [5]} (Incomplete roll) Notes: * This edition was part of the Edgbaston Open Tournament.

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
Midland Counties Challenge Cup
1881 *	Walter Chamberlain	F.S. Goodwin	6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Midland Counties Championship
1882	R. W. Smith	George Reston Brewerton	2 sets to 1
1884	Walter Chamberlain (2)		6-3, 2-6, 10-8, 6-1
1885	Conway J Morgan		6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-2, 9-7
1886		Conway J Morgan	6-4, 6-2, 6-4
1887^[6]			6-4, 6-4, 6-2
1888^[7]			6-2, 6-0, 9-7
1889^[8]	John Redfern Deykin (2)	Harold Weston Carlton	2-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
1890	John Redfern Deykin (3)		0-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
1891	James Baldwin		6-3, 7-9, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
1892			6-4, 6-1
1893		Henry Guy Nadin	6-3, 6-1, 6-3
1894	George Hillyard (2)	R A Bennett	6-4, 6-2, 6-1
1895	George Hillyard (3)		6-4, 8-6, 4-6, 6-1
1896			6-3, 8-6
1897	Sydney Howard Smith (2)		6-2, 6-3, 8-6
1898	Sydney Howard Smith (3)		4-6, 9-7, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
1899			8-6, 6-2
1900	Sydney Howard Smith (4)		6-2, 6-3, 7-5
1901	Sydney Howard Smith (5)		6-3, 6-1
1902	Sydney Howard Smith (6)		6-4, 6-3, 6-4
1903	Sydney Howard Smith (7)		5-7, 7-5, 7-5, 6-2
1904	Sydney Howard Smith (8)		6-4, 6-3, 6-2
1905	Sydney Howard Smith (9)		15-13, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
1906			6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
1907	John Mycroft Boucher (2)		6-2, 8-10, 6-3, 9-7
1908	John Mycroft Boucher (3)		6-2, 6-3, 6-2
1909			6-2, 6-0
1910			9-7, 6-3, 6-2
1911			2-6, 6-3, 6-2
1912	Stanley Doust (2)	Charles L Wilmslow	6-4, 6-0, 6-1
1913	Stanley Doust (3)		6-1, 6-3
1914		William L Clements	6-1, 9-7, 2-6, 6-0
1915/1918	men's event not held due to World War I
1919			6-4, 6-4
1920		Chales L Wilmslow	6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
1921			8-6, 6-0, 6-0
1922		N M Greeg	6-2 6-2 6-2
1923			6-2 6-4
1924			6-4, 7-5, 6-4
1925			4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
1926			6-1, 9-7, 5-7, 6-1
1927			6-1, 6-3
1928			4-6, 6-1, 6-0, 6-0
1929	William Henry Powell		6-1, 6-2
1930			6-3, 6-3
1931			7-5, 6-4
1932			1-6, 6-4, 2-0, retired.
1933			6-4, 6-2
1934	Keats Lester (2)		4-6, 6-3, 6-3
1935			8-6, 6-2
1936			WEA
1937			6-4, 6-3
1938			6-3, 2-6, 7-5
1939			3-3, unfinished
1940/1945	men's event not held due to World War II
1946			6-2, 1-6, 6-3
1947	Constantin Tănăsescu		6-1, 8-6, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3
1948			6-2, 6-3
1949			6-3, 9-7
1950			6-2, 6-2
1951			6-4, 6-2
1952	Owen Gordon Williams		6-4, 6-2
1953	William Russell Seymour		8-6, 7-5
1954	Jaroslav Drobný (2)		6-0, 6-3
1955	Jaroslav Drobný (3)		7-5, 4-6, 6-4
1956			7-5, 6-3, 6-4
1957			7-5, 3-6, 6-1
1959	K F Buswell	Robert M Powell	7-5, 8-6
1960		Ivo Ribeiro	6-0, 6-2
1962			6-3, 3-6, 6-3
1963			4-6, 6-3, 7-5
1964			3-6, 6-3, 6-2
1965			7-5, 6-3
1966^[9]		Keith Bland	6-2, 6-3
1967^[10]	Roy W. Dixon (2)	Keith Bland	6-4, 4-6, 7-5
1968	Roy W. Dixon (3)		3-6, 6-3, 6-2
↓  Open era  ↓
Bio-Strath Edgbaston
1970 ^[11]			6-4, 6-4
Midland Counties Championship
1973	Roy W. Dixon (4)	Martin Ladbrooke	7-6, 6-2
1974	Peter R. Breed	Alan G. Purnell	7-6, 6-4
1975	Hugh Thomson	Ricardo Ycaza	7-6, 6-3
1976		Nimish Desai	6-2, 6-4
1977			6-0, 6-4

Women's singles

(Incomplete roll)

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
Midland Counties Championships
1881		Lilian Watson	?
1882		Miss Heaton	6-2, 6-1
1883	Miss Hutton	L. Sanders	6-5,8-6
1884	Edith Noon	Miss Richardson	6-3, 8-6, 6-3
1885			6-3, 6-2
1886		Lilian Watson	6-0, 6-2
1887	Margaret Bracewell (2)		6-0, 4-6, 7-5
1888	Margaret Bracewell (3)	Florence Mardall	7-5, 6-1
1889	event not held
1890	L. Johnstone	Ethel Taylor Valentin	6-2, 5-6, 6-4
1891		Mrs Wills	6-1, 6-3
1892		Winifred Longhurst	divided prizes
1893	D. Morgan	Blanche Bingley Hillyard	12-10, retd.
1894	women's event handicap only
1895	Winifred Longhurst	C. Jones	4-6, 6-4, 7-5
1896		Katherine Grey	6-4, 6-2
1897			8-6, 3-6, 6-3
1898			6-3, 6-1
1899		Ruth Dyas Durlacher	3-6, 6-4, 8-6
1900		Constance Hill	6-3, 2-6, 6-3
1901	Ruth Dyas Durlacher (2)		6-4, 6-4
1902	Winifred Longhurst (2)		7-5, 7-5
1903		Gertrude Provis Houselander	6-4, 6-2
1904	Connie Wilson		6-3, 6-3
1905	Connie Wilson (2)		7-5, 6-4
1906	Connie Wilson (3)		6-1, 3-6, 6-4
1907			6-3,9-7
1908	Charlotte Cooper Sterry (2)		6-3, 6-0
1909			6-2, 4-6, 6-3
1910		Helen Aitchison	7-5, 7-5
1911		Dora Boothby	6-4, 2-6, 7-5
1912	Edith Hannam (2)		2-6, 6-4, 7-5
1913	Edith Hannam (3)		6-4, 6-0
1914			4-6, 6-3, 9-7
1915/1918	women's event not held due to World War I
1919			4-6, 6-2, 7-5
1920	Dorothy Shepherd		8-6, 7-5
1921			8-6, 6-2
1922	Geraldine Beamish (2)	M. Fergus	6-1, 6-1
1923		Dorothy Shepherd Barron	10-8, 2-6, 6-4
1924	Elizabeth Ryan		6-2, 6-4
1925	Phyllis Satterthwaite	Gwen Sterry	6-1, 6-0
1926	Ermyntrude Harvey		2-6, 6-4, 6-3
1927	Jessie Russell Colegate (2)		6-2, 6-1
1928			3-6, 9-7, 9-7
1929			6-1, 6-4
1930	Naomi Trentham (2)		6-1, 1-6, 7-5
1931	Lolette Payot		6-4, 4-6, 6-4
1932	Marie-Louise Horn		6-2, 6-3
1933		Marie-Louise Horn	6-4, 6-4
1934	Countess Gabriela Szapary	E. Woodhall	6-3, 4-6, 6-1
1935	Jadwiga Jędrzejowska	Anita Lizana	3-6, 6-3, 6-2
1936	Jadwiga Jędrzejowska (2)		6-3 6-3
1937	Mary Heeley	Anita Lizana	0-6, 6-4, 6-3
1938		Simonne Mathieu	7-5, 6-1
1939	Freda James Hammersley	Simonne Mathieu	divided prizes
1940/1945	women's event not held due to World War II
1946	Joan Curry		7-5 6-3
1947	Joan Curry (2)	Elsie Hamilton Phillips	6-3, 6-0
1948			7-5, 6-0
1949	Mary Terán de Weiss		9-7, 6-3
1950			6-0, 6-2
1951	Doris Hart	Shirley Fry	4-6, 6-2, 7-5
1952	Doris Hart (2)	Shirley Fry	7-5, 3-6, 9-7
1953	Heather Nicholls Brewer		6-4, 6-1
1954	Heather Nicholls Brewer (2)		6-3, 3-6, 6-4
1955	Hazel Redick-Smith	Beryl Penrose	11-9, 2-6, 11-9
1956		Jenny Staley Hoad	6-2, 4-6, 6-0
1957	Angela Mortimer (2)	Maria Helena Amorim	6-1, 6-1
1958	women's event cancelled
1959		Miss Bishop	6-4, 8-6
1960	Angela Mortimer (3)	Margaret Hellyer	6-0, 6-1
1961		Jennifer Gail Morris	6-0, 6-3
1962			divided title
1963			8-6, 6-4
1964	Jan Lehane		7-5, 6-1
1965	Margaret Smith		6-3, 4-6, 7-5
1968		Hazel Cheadle	6-4, 6-3
↓  Open era  ↓
1969	Janice MacFarlane	Kate Tillin	6-2, 6-4
Bio-Strath Edgbaston
1970	Sandra Walsham	Beatriz Araujo	1-6, 7-5, 6-1
Midland Counties Championships
1973	Hazel Cheadle	Mrs P. Reynolds	3-6, 6-2, 7-5
1974	C. Aitken		7-6, 6-3
1975	Ann Haydon Jones	Inge Korsten	6-0, 6-1
1976	Inge Korsten		4-6, 6-1, 6-3
1977	Ann Haydon Jones (2)		6-4, 6-4
For the successor women's event see Edgbaston Cup

Sources

• "Abolition of Challenge Rounds". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. EVENING POST, VOLUME CIII, ISSUE 65, 20 MARCH 1922.
• Cole, Matt. (2012) "At The Heart of the Game: The History of Edgbaston Priory Club" (PDF). edgbastonpriory.com. Edgbaston Priory Club.
• Myers, A. Wallis (1903). "Edgabston". Lawn Tennis at Home and Abroad. New York, USA: Scribner's sons.
• Nieuwland, Alex (2017). "Tournament – Midland Counties Championships". www.tennisarchives.com. Friesland, Netherlands: Tennis Archives.

Further reading

• Ayre's Lawn Tennis Almanack And Tournament Guide, 1908 to 1938, A. Wallis Myers.
• British Lawn Tennis and Squash Magazine, 1948 to 1967, British Lawn Tennis Ltd, UK.
• Dunlop Lawn Tennis Almanack And Tournament Guide, G. P. Hughes, 1939 to 1958, Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd, UK
• Lawn tennis and Badminton Magazine, 1906 to 1973, UK.
• Lowe's Lawn Tennis Annuals and Compendia, Lowe, Sir F. Gordon, Eyre & Spottiswoode
• Spalding's Lawn Tennis Annuals from 1885 to 1922, American Sports Pub. Co, USA.
• The World of Tennis Annuals, Barrett John, 1970 to 2001.

External links

• http://www.tennisarchives.com/tournament/midland counties championships

Notes and References

1. Book: Myers . A. Wallis . Lawn Tennis at Home and Abroad . 1903 . Scribner's sons . New York, USA . 66–68 . https://archive.org/stream/lawntennisathom00myergoog#page/n87 . Edgabston.
2. Web site: Cole. Matt. At The Heart of the Game: The History of Edgbaston Priory Club. edgbastonpriory.com. Edgbaston Priory Club. 10 August 2016.
3. Web site: Abolition of Challenge Rounds. Papers Past. EVENING POST. CIII. 65. 20 March 1922. 29 July 2018.
4. Web site: Nieuwland . Alex . Tournament – Midland Counties Championships . www.tennisarchives.com . Tennis Archives . 30 July 2018 . Friesland, Netherlands . 2017.
5. Web site: Morris . James . Hegedus . Tomas . 1877 to 2012 Finals Results . www.stevegtennis.com . stevegtennis . 30 July 2018 . 2013.
6. News: LAWN TENNIS NOTES: J. R. Deykin became the holder of the Midland Counties Championship for the third time and the second year in succession. . 11 May 2023 . Sheffield Independent . British Newspaper Archive . 3 July 1890 . Yorkshire, England . 6. subscription.
7. Sheffield Independent (1890) p.6.
8. Sheffield Independent (1890) p.6.
9. News: TENNIS FINAL: The Warwickshire tennis champion. Roy Dixon, will meet his county colleague, Keith Bland, in a repeat of last year's men's singles fnal he won last year in the Midland Counties championships at Edgbaston today. . 11 May 2023 . Coventry Evening Telegraph . British Newspaper Archive . 15 July 1967 . Warwickshire, England . 39. subscription.
10. News: LAWN TENNIS: Two Midland events for Roy Dixon: Roy Dixon (Warwickshirel won two events in the Midland Counties championships at Edfbaston. In the men's singles final he beat his county colleague Keith Bland 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.. 11 May 2023 . Birmingham Daily Post . British Newspaper Archive . Warwickshire, England . 21. subscription.
11. Barrett, John (1971) World of Tennis 1971 : a BP yearbook pp.260-271