Darlington Open Explained

Darlington Open
Type:defunct
Founded:1881
Ended:1933
Location:Darlington, County Durham, England
Venue:Feethams Cricket Ground
Surface:Grass

The Darlington Open.[1] also known as the Darlington Association Tournament[2] was a late Victorian era men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1881. It was organised by the Darlington Outdoor's Sports Association and held at the Feethams Cricket Ground Darlington, County Durham, England.[3] The tournament ran annually until 1933.[4]

History

Darlington Open Tournament was founded in 1881 by the Darlington Outdoor's Sports Association,[5] and held at the Feethams Cricket Ground Darlington, County Durham, England until 1893. The inaugural was held from 1 August to 6 August 1881. The winner of the men's singles was Mr. Mark Fenwick who defeated Mr. Arthur Richard Springett. The women's singles was won by Miss Ethel Surtees who defeated Miss Alice Cheese.

A local newspaper report of the event that concluded on early August 1882:

The final edition concluded on 12 August 1893 the winner of men's singles was Mr. Harold Mahony and the winner of the women's singles was Miss Charlotte Cooper.

Other notable winners of this title in the men's singles include Herbert William Wrangham Wilberforce (1883, 1887, 1888) and Patrick Bowes-Lyon (1884–1886). Whilst former women's singles winners included Helen Jackson (1887) and Lottie Dod (1888). Of note the ladies singles tournament was not played at every edition. The tournament ran annually until 1933 when it was dropped by the County Durham Lawn Tennis Association along with the following Norton Open and Ryton Open.[6]

Finals

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),[7] in some tournaments not all.

Men's Singles

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
1881.[8] Mark Fenwick G. H. Evans6–0, 4–6, 6–2
1882.[9] Arthur Hallward * Minden Fenwick6–1, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3
1883. Herbert Wilberforce * Arthur Hallward6-2, 6-1, 6-1
1884. Patrick Bowes-Lyon * Herbert Wilberforce7-9, 6-2, 6-1, ret.
1885. Patrick Bowes-Lyon (2) Kenneth Ramsden Marley *6–0, 6–1, 6–3
1886. Patrick Bowes-Lyon (3) Arthur Godfrey Pease *?
1887. Herbert Wilberforce (2) John Galbraith Horn6–0, 6–0, 6–1
1888. Herbert Wilberforce (3) Herbert Bowes-Lyon *6–2, 6–2, ret.
1889. Frank Noon George Richmond Mewburn6-4, 7-5, 6-2
1890. Frank Noon (2) Henry Johnston Carson3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–1
1891. George Ball-Greene Harold Weston Carlton6–4, 6–3, 1–6, 6–2
1892. Grainger Chaytor * George Ball-Greene7–5, 6–3, 7–5
1893. Harold Mahony * Grainger Chaytorw.o.

Women's Single's

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
1881.[11] Miss. Ethel Surtees Miss. Alice Cheese3–6, 6–3, 6–1
1882.[12] Miss. Ethel Surtees (2) Miss. Alice Cheese3–6, 6–3, 6–1
1887. Constance Smith Anthea Turner6–3, 6–0
1893. Charlotte Cooper Miss. Shaw6–0, 6–1

Mixed Doubles

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
1881.[14] Sir James Blackhouse Dale
Miss. Alice Cheese
Percival Clennell Fenwick
Miss. Winnifred Fenwick
9–7, 6–3
1882.[15] [16] J.W. Fowler
Miss. E. Cheese
Percival Clennell Fenwick
Miss. Winnifred Fenwick
7–5, 8–6
1893. Harold Mahony
Miss. Charlotte Cooper
Henry Gervas Stobart
Miss. Shaw
6–1, 6–4

Notes

The Minden family were closely associated with this tournament, who within a couple of years had emigrated to New Zealand. Percival Clennell Fenwick won the inaugural New Zealand Lawn Tennis Championships in 1886 and again in 1887, 1888.[17] His brother Minden Fenwick won the title in 1889–1890.[18]

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Routledges Sporting Annual (1883). Principal Meetings of 1882. George Routledge and Son. London. p.116.
  2. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882). Lawn Tennis in 1881. George Routledge and Son. London. p.68.
  3. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)
  4. News: APPEAL FOR SUPPORT:An appeal for support of the Sunderland Open Tournament has been issued, which is held annually during the first week in July. Now that the tournaments at Norton, Ryton, and Darlington have been dropped, said Vice-Admiral George R. B. Blount Chairman of the Sunderland LTA, ours event at Ashbrooke is the only open tournament left standing. . 17 April 2023 . Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette . British Newspaper Archive . 22 September 1934 . Durham, England . 9. subscription.
  5. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)
  6. Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette (1934) p.9.
  7. Web site: Abolition of Challenge Rounds. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. The Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 65, 20 March 1922. 27 November 2022. Dublin, Ireland.
  8. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)
  9. The Northern Echo
  10. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) Lawn Tennis in 1881. George Routledge and Son. London. p.69.
  11. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)
  12. The Northern Echo
  13. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)
  14. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)
  15. Routledges Sporting Annual (1883)
  16. The Northern Echo
  17. Web site: Alexander Hare McLintock. New Zealand Championships . An encyclopaedia of New Zealand. 1966 . Ministry of Culture and Heritage . 28 November 2022 . en.
  18. Web site: Tennis New Zealand Roll of Honour: :National Champions. . tennis.kiwi . Tennis New Zealand . 28 November 2022 . 13 . 2012.