Bristol Open Explained

Bristol Open should not be confused with Bristol Cup.

West of England Championships Bristol Open
Type:	defunct
Tour:	LTA Circuit (1888-1912) ILTF Circuit (1913–70, 72-79) WCT (1971) Grand Prix circuit (1980–89) WTA Tour (1971–72)
Founded:	1881
Ended:	1989
Editions:	81
Location:	Bath, Bristol, England

The Bristol Open, originally known as the West of England Championships^[1] and the West of England Lawn Tennis Championships^[2] is a defunct tennis tournament that was originally hosted in Bath, Somerset, England, from 1881^[3] till 1895. It was staged briefly in Bristol, England, in 1896, then from 1920 onwards was hosted again in Bristol annually until the tournament ceased in 1989. The tournament was played on grass courts in the weeks preceding the Wimbledon Championships usually June.

History

The West of England Championships were originally held in Bath^[3] from 1881 until 1895; the tournament then transferred to Bristol in 1896. In 1897 the event ceased for period of 24 years. It was reinstated in 1920 and was played in Bristol for the remainder of its run. At the start of the Open Era the tournament was part of the independent tour circuit. In 1971 the event was renamed the Bristol Open; the men's event became part of the World Championship Tennis tour and the women's was part of the International Grand Prix. The women's event stopped in 1973 and was not held again. Although the men's tournament also stopped in 1973, it was reinstated in 1980 and became part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit until 1989.

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),^[4] in some tournaments not all.

Men's singles

West of England Championships
Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1881		C. K. Wood	6–4, 6–2, 6–4
1882		Alexander K. Butterworth	6–4, 6–4
1883	Ernest Browne (2)	Wilfred Milne	6–3, 6–2, 6–3
1884^[5]		John C. Kay	5–6, 6–5, 6–3
1885	Ernest Browne (3)		6–3, 6–1, 6–4
1886			6–4, 6–3, 6–4
1887			3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–2
1888		James Baldwin	6–4, 6–3, 8–10, 3–6, 8–6
1889			7–5, 6–4, 6–4
1890	Harry S. Barlow (2)	James Baldwin	7–5, 6–3, 6–2
1891	Harry S. Barlow (3)	James Baldwin	2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4
1895		George Ball-Greene	14–12, 6–4, 7–5
1896^[6]			6–3, 6–3, 6–2
1897–1919	Not held (tournament is not staged for 24 years re-emerges after WW1)
1920			5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–2
1921			9–7, 6–2, 4–6, 6–0
1922			6–3, 6–3
1923	Patrick Wheatley		6–4, 6–3, 6–2
1924	Jack Condon		7–5, 6–2, 8–6
1925		J. G. Hogan	6–3, 6–4
1927		A. E. Browne	6–3 6–2
1928	Dennis O'Callaghan		9–7, 5–7, 6–3
1929^[7]		E. B. N. Taylor	6–1, 6–2
1930	George Lyttleton-Rogers (2)		6–3, 3–6, 6–4
1931	George Lyttleton-Rogers (3		6–2, 6–1, 7–5
1933			6–2, 7–9, 6–4, 6–4
1934		Brian J. Sturgeon	6–4, 0–6, 6–3, 6–4
1935			8-,6 11–9, 9–7
1936		Robert Tinkler	4–6, 6–0, 6–4, 6–4
1937			6–1, 1–6, 6–4
1938	Jimmy Mehta		6–2, 6–3
1939^[8]			6–4, 6–3, 1–6, 5–7, 8–6
1940–1945	Not held (partly due to World War II)
1946^[9]			6–4; 6–4
1947		Madan Atri Mohan	6–4, 4–6, 6–2
1948			6–4, 2–6, 6–2, 6–4
1949			6–1, 6–2, 6–1
1950			6–3, 10–8
1951			9–7, 3–6, 5–7, 6–1, 7–5
1952	Jaroslav Drobný (2)		7–5, 6–1
1953^[10]			6–3, 6–1, 8–6
1954	Jaroslav Drobný (3)		walkover
1955			2–6, 10–8, 6–2, 6–2
1956			6–2, 8–10, 6–4
1957			6–2, 6–3, 6–0
1958			6–1, 6–4, 7–9, 6–4
1959			11–9, 6–0
1960			6–3, 6–4
1961			6–3, 6–2, 6–4
1962^[11]			6–3, 6–4
1963	Fred Stolle (2)		6–3, 6–4
1964^[12]			6–4, 6–4, 6–2
1965			6–2 6–2
1966			6–1, 6–3
1967			6–2, 5–7, 8–6
1968			6–4, 6–3
↓  Open era  ↓
West of England Open Championships
1969			8–10, 6–3, 6–1
1970			6–3, 1–6, 6–3
1971			w.o.
Bristol Open
			6–4, 6–3
1973–80	Not held
			6–3, 5–7, 6–4
			6–3, 6–4
			7–6, 7–5
1984	Johan Kriek (2)		6–7, 7–6, 6–4
1985^[13]			4–6, 6–3, 7–5
1986^[14]			7–6, 1–6, 8–6
			6–4, 7–6
			6–4, 2–6, 6–2
			6–4, 3–6, 7–5

Women's singles

West of England Championships
Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1881	Gertrude Gibbs	Annie Layard	6–0, 7–5
1882	Fanny Morris	Gertrude Gibbs	6–4, 6–4
1883		N. Pope	6–1, 6–2
1884	Edith Davies		6–4, 6–4
1885	Gertrude Gibbs (2)	Edith Davies	2–6, 6–4, 6–0
1886			7–5, 6–4
1887	Lottie Dod (2)		7–5, 6–4
1888	Lottie Dod (3)	N. Pope	6–3, 6–0
1889			4–6, 6–1, 6–2
1890	Louisa Martin (2)	N. Pope	6–3, 8–6
1891	N. Pope	Mary Agg	6–0, 7–5
1892–94	Not held
1895			6–1, 6–1
1896			4–6, 7–5, 6–3
1899–1919	Not held (then due to World War I)
1920		Doris Covell Craddock	9–7, 6–8, 6–4
1921		Doris Covell Craddock	10–8, 6–2
1922	Doris Covell Craddock		6–1, 6–1
1923		Doris Covell Craddock	8–6, 6–3
1924	Phyllis Howkins Covell (2)		6–4, 6–3
1925	Kathleen Lidderdale Bridge	Doris Covell Craddock	6–4, 1–6, 6–3
1926	Not held
1927			6–1, 6–1
1928	Phyllis Howkins Covell (3)	Betty Dix	7–5, 6–1
1929	Gethyn Harry	Mrs Helen Boucher	4–6, 6–1, 6–1
1930	Kathleen Lidderdale Bridge	Freda Scott	6–1, 8–6
1931	Doris Eastley	Vera Montgomery	3–6, 7–5, 6–3
1932	Not held
1933		Andrée Lucas	6–2, 6–2
1934	Andrée Lucas	Gethyn Harry	6–2, 6–2
1935	Gethyn Harry (2)	Mona Riddell	6–4, 4–6, 6–3
1936		Daphne White Birch	6–2, 6–2
1937^[15]			?
1938	Mona Riddell		1–6, 6–3, 6–4
1939	Diana Wood		6–2, 8–10, 6–2
1940			8–10, 6–3, 6–3
1941–45	Not held (partly due to World War II)
1946	Joy Marriott Hibbert	Miss Moss	3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1947		Pam Seaton Bocquet	6–4, 6–0
1948	Joan Curry (2)	Pam Seaton Bocquet	6–2, 6–3
1949	Joan Curry (3)	Peggy McCorkindale	3–6, 6–3, 9–7
1950			6–3, 6–1
1951			6–3; 6–3
1952	Patricia Canning Todd		7–5, 6–2
1953	Doris Hart		7–5, 6–3
1954			divided title
1955	Doris Hart (2)		6–1, 6–3
1956			6–2 10–8
1957			7–5, 6–0
1958			6–0, 6–3
1959	Maria Bueno (2)		6–4, 6–3
1960			7–5, 7–5
1961			7–5, 10–8
1962			6–1, 3–6, 6–2
1963			9–7, 6–3
1964			6–8, 6–3, 6–3
1965			7–5, 6–2
1966			6–3, 7–5
1967			0–6, 6–4, 6–3
1968			6–0, 6–1
↓  Open era  ↓
West of England Open Championships
1969	Margaret Smith Court (2)		6–3, 6–3
1970	Margaret Smith Court (3)		6–1, 6–1
1971	Not held
Bristol Open
1972			6–3, 6–2
1973–80	Not held (women's tournament ends)

Men's doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1972			6–3, 6–2
1973–80	Not held
1981			6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1982			6–4, 7–6
1983			7–5, 6–4
1984			6–4, 5–7, 9–7
1985			6–4, 7–6
1986			6–7, 7–6, 12–10
1987	Not available
1988			2–6, 6–4, 7–5
1989			7–6, 6–4

See also

• Bristol and Clifton Open (1882–1897) tennis tournament held in Clifton, Bristol.

External links

• http://www.tennisarchives.com/West of England Championships Men's Singles Roll of Honour
• ITF Search (search Bristol)

Notes and References

1. News: McKinley to Finals. The Victoria Advocate. 13 June 1964. 14 October 2016.
2. News: Miss Susman Disappointed. The Glasgow Herald. 10 June 1964. 14 October 2016.
3. Book: John. Nauright. Charles. Parrish. Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice. 2012. ABC-CLIO. Santa Barbara, California. 9781598843002.
4. Web site: Abolition of Challenge rounds. Papers Past. EVENING POST. CIII. 65. 20 March 1922. 6 October 2016.
5. Book: Bancroft . James W. . The Early Years of the FA Cup: How the British Army Helped Establish the World's First Football Tournament . 8 December 2021 . Frontline Books . Barnsley, England . 978-1-3990-9994-3 . 69 .
6. Web site: West of England Championships 1896. tennisarchives.com. 14 October 2016.
7. Web site: Steadmans Success Defeat of Irish Giant. Papers Past. EVENING POST. CXVI. 48. 25 August 1933. 14 October 2016.
8. Web site: Overseas Tennis Championship Finals. Papers Past. NEW ZEALAND HERALD. LXXVI. 23376. 19 June 1939. 14 October 2016.
9. Web site: West of England Championships 1946. tennisarchives.com. 14 October 2016.
10. Web site: West of England Championships 1953. tennisarchives.com. 14 October 2016.
11. Web site: Wimbledon Stars Upset. 14 October 2016.
12. Web site: West of England Championships 1964. tennisarchives.com. 14 October 2016.
13. Web site: Layendecker Net Winner. 14 October 2016.
14. Web site: Sports Roundup. 14 October 2016.
15. Web site: Play in England. Papers Past. EVENING POST. CXXIII. 139. 14 June 1937. 14 October 2016.