Eastern Grass Court Championships Explained

Eastern Grass Court Championships
Type:	defunct
Founded:	1927
Ended:	1969
Editions:	43
Venue:
Tour:	USLTA

The Eastern Grass Court Championships was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament held on outdoor grass courts in the New York City area from 1927 to 1969. It was founded by the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association of the USLTA, and in 1939, became the first tennis competition to be televised in the United States.^[1]

History

The Eastern Grass Court Championships were founded in 1927 under the aegis of the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association (the New York City regional chapter of the USLTA).^[2] Also in 1927 the Eastern Clay Court Championships began under the direction of the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association.

The first edition was held in 1927 at the Westchester Country Club, in Rye, New York. In 1946 the tournament relocated to the Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange, New Jersey.^[3] The tournament was played on outdoor grass courts and was usually held in August.^{[4] [5]} In 1970 the tournament was renamed the Marlboro Open,^[6] which continued until 1983.

Finals

Men's singles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1927			6–3, 6–3, 9–7 ^[7]
1928			7–5, 8–6, 6–1
1929			6–2, 6–2, 10-8
1930			4–6, 8–6, 7–5, 4–6, 6–1
1931			4–6, 8–6, 7–5, 4–6, 6–1
1932	Clifford Sutter (2)		6–4, 4–6, 6–3, 6–0
1933			6–1, 6–4, 6–4
1934			3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 8–6
1935			3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–9, 6–4
1936			6–8, 6–2, 6–4, 6–3
1937			6–3, 7–5, 7–5
1938	Bobby Riggs (2)		6–4, 6–3, 3–6, 10-8
1939	Bobby Riggs (3)		1–6, 6–4, 6–4, 7–5
1940	Bobby Riggs (4)		6–2, 3–6, 7–5, 6–4
1941			7–5, 6–4, 6–2
1942			w.o.
1943			6–4, 6–1, 6–3
1944			9–7, 6–4, 6–4
1945	Bill Talbert (2)		4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 5–7, 6–0
1946			3–6, 4–6, 12–10, 7–5, 6–3
1947	Ted Schroeder (2)		6–1, 7–5, 6–3
1948	Frank Parker (2)		6–2, 9–7, 6–2
1949			5–7, 1–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2
1950			6–3, 6–3, 6–3
1951	Bill Talbert (3)		6–4, 6–4, 6–2
1952			6–3, 6–4
1953			7–5, 6–4, 6–1
1954	Lew Hoad (2)		6–3, 6–4, 6–3
1955			6–2, 3–6, 11–9, 9–7
1956			6–3, 6–2, 6–2
1957			6–4, 6–4, 1–6, 8–6
1958			6–3, 6–4, 6–8, 13–15, 6–4
1959			6–4, 3–6, 6–0, 6–2
1960			6–1, 10–8, 6–4
1961			6–3, 6–3, 6–2
1962			8–6, 14–16, 6–3, 6–4
1963			6–4, 6–4, 6–4
1964			4–6, 8–6, 6–4, 6–3
1965	Fred Stolle (2)		6–3, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
1966			6–4, 6–4, 6–3
1967			18–16, 6–2, 6–1
↓  Open Era  ↓
1968			3–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4
1969			6–1, 6–4, 6–4

Women's singles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1927			2–6, 6–2, 7–5
1928		Charlotte Hosmer Chapin	4–6, 7–5, 6–4
1929			6–1, 6–3
1930			7–5, 4–6, 8–6
1931			shared
1932	Elsie Goldsack Pittman (2)	Joan Ridley	6–8, 6–1, 6–2
1933			6–2, 6–4
1934			6–4, 3–6, 6–4
1935		Mary Greef	4–6, 8–6, 6–3
1936			5–7, 6–2, 6–2
1937			7–5, 6–4
1938			7–5, 6–0
1939	Alice Marble (2)	Sarah Palfrey Fabyan	6–4, 6–4
1940	Alice Marble (3)		6–1, 6–0
1941		Sarah Palfrey Fabyan	2–6, 8–6, 7–5
1942		Pauline Betz	6–3, 7–5
1943			6–2, 6–4
1944	Louise Brough (2)	Pauline Betz	6–3, 6–1
1945		Pauline Betz	5–7, 6–3, 6–3
1946			6–4, 9–7
1947	Margaret Osborne (2)	Louise Brough	6–3, 4–6, 9–7
1948	Louise Brough (3)		6–3, 8–6
1949		Shirley Fry	6–3, 6–4
1950	Doris Hart (2)	Louise Brough	6–4, 9–7
1951			3–6, 6–4, 6–2
1952	Doris Hart (3)	Shirley Fry	6–1, 6–3
1953	Doris Hart (4)	Shirley Fry	6–3, 2–6, 6–2
1954	Louise Brough (4)		8–6, 6–2
1955			6–4, 1–6, 6–1
1956		Louise Brough	6–1, 6–3
1957			7–5, 6–2
1958	Althea Gibson (2)		9–7, 6–2
1959			6–4, 1–6, 6–1
1960			6–1, 6–3
1961	Karen Hantze (2)		6–2, 6–4
1962		Karen Hantze Susman	6–3, 6–4
1963	Margaret Smith (2)		6–1, 6–1
1964		Nancy Richey	7–5, 3–6, 8–6
1965	Billie Jean Moffitt (2)		7–5, 6–3
1966			5–7, 6–3, 6–0

See also

• Eastern Clay Court Championships
• Eastern Indoor Championships
• South Orange Open

External links

• Orange Lawn Tennis Club 1880–1980 part 1
• Orange Lawn Tennis Club 1880–1980 part 2
• Orange Lawn Tennis Club 1880–1980 part 3
• Orange Lawn Tennis Club 1880–1980 part 4

Notes and References

1. Book: Deninger, Dennis . 2012 . Sport on Television: The How and Why Behind What You See . New York . Routlegde . 978-0415896757 . 11.
2. Book: Kimball, Warren F. . The United States Tennis Association: Raising the Game . December 2017. U of Nebraska Press . 978-1-4962-0462-2 . en.
3. News: April 8, 1946 . Orange Gets Classic . limited . The Daily Record . . 12 . The annual Eastern Grass Court Championships for men and women will be held at the Orange Lawn Tennis Club, South Orange, N. J., August 3 through 11. [...] The playoffs were held last year at the Westchester Country Club, Rye, N. Y. . Newspapers.com.
4. Book: Robertson, Max. Max Robertson

   . Max Robertson. The Encyclopedia of Tennis. 1974. Allen & Unwin. London. 9780047960420. 235–236.

5. News: Eastern Tennis to be Played at Rye. Scarsdale Inquirer. July 28, 1933. 1–2. HRVH Historical Newspapers.
6. News: . August 27, 1970 . Russell Extends Lead . limited . The Bayonne Times . AP . 100 . 202 . . 15 . Newspapers.com.
7. Web site: Eastern Grass Court Championships: Tournament Roll of Honour. thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. 19 November 2017.