Gulf State Championships Explained

Gulf State Championships
Type:Defunct
Tour:USNLTA Circuit (1892-1923)
ILTF Circuit (1923-68)
Venue:Tampa Bay LTC (1892-94)
New Orleans LTC (1902-16)
Surface:Grass
Hard

The Gulf State Championships[1] was a men's and women's tennis tournament founded in 1892 as the Gulf Coast Championships.[2] It was first played at the Tampa Bay Lawn Tennis Club, Tampa Bay Hotel, Tampa, Florida, United States in 1892. In 1968 the final edition was played at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after which when it was downgraded from the main worldwide ILTF Circuit.[3]

History

In 1892 the first Gulf Coast Championships (also known as the Tampa Bay Championships) were held in at the Tampa Bay Lawn Tennis Club, Tampa Bay Hotel, Tampa, Florida, United States and was played on outdoor hard cement courts.[3] The first winner of the men's singles title was Albert Empie Wright,[3] he defeated a former top 4 ranked English tennis player,[4] Charles Walder Grinstead in the final, who was touring America at this time.[5] The first gulf tournament ran until 1894 when it was discontinued. In 1901 the tournament was revived under the new name the Gulf State Championships held at the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club, New Orleans, Louisiana.[6] The tournament continued to be held there until 1914.[7] In 1968 the tournament was downgraded from the main worldwide ILTF Circuit and became a USLTA regional event.[3]

Finals

Men's singles

(incomplete roll)

YearLocationChampionsRunners-upScore
Gulf Coast Championships
1892Tampa Albert Empie Wright6–2, 8–6, 6–1.
1893[8] Tampa Albert Empie Wright6-2, 6–2, 6–2.
1894Tampa Gregory Seeley Bryan Bob Wrennw.o.
Gulf State Championships
1901[9] New Orleans R.G. Hunt ??
1911New Orleans Wallace F. Johnson Nat Thornton6–3, 7–5, 6–2.
1912New Orleans Wallace F. Johnson (2) Frank Richard Woodbury6–2, 6–0, 6-–2.
1933Shreveport Arthur Hodges Hendrix Hudson Russell Hamm Jr.6–2, 6–0 6–2.
1951New Orleans Jack Tuero Ham Richardson2–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–1.
1957Baton Rouge Tommy Robinson Ron Fisher4–6, 11–9, 7–5.
1958Baton Rouge Larry Caton Don Caton7–5, 6–1, 1–6, 9–11, 6–4.
1959Baton Rouge Ron Fisher James G. Schmidt Sr 6–2, 6–8, 6–4.
1960Baton Rouge Andy Lloyd Tom Falkenburg6–3, 6–3.
1961Baton Rouge Jerry Walters Clint Nettleton5–7, 6–3, 6–2.
1962Baton Rouge Jerry Walters (2) Clint Nettleton6–4, 4–6, 6–0.
1963Baton Rouge Upton Giles III6–1, 6–3.
1966Baton Rouge Robert Ecuyer6–3, 6–4.

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

YearLocationChampionsRunners-upScore
Gulf Coast Championships
1893Tampa Miss Valentine Hobart Miss Constance Talmage6–4, 6–3, 6–3.
1894Tampa Miss Valentine Hobart Miss Elizabeth Stroud6–4, 3–6, 6–2
Gulf State Championships
1903New Orleans Mrs. R. C. Montgomery May Logan6–4, 6–4
1906New Orleans May Logan ?.?
1914New Orleans Ethelyn Legendre May Logan3–6, 6–2 6–2
1916New Orleans Mrs Irving Murphy Ethelyn Legendre6–1, 6–2
1933Shreveport Charlotte MacQuiston LaVerne Stages4–6, 6–1, 6–2
1934[10] Shreveport Charlotte MacQuiston (2) ??
1957Baton Rouge Carolyn Rogers Sue Zigerbein6–0, 6–2
1958Baton Rouge Carolyn Rogers (2) Sylvia Bradley6–3, 6–2
1961[11] Baton Rouge Carolyn Rogers (3) Kitty Moody6–4, 6–1
1963Baton Rouge Patsy Lowdon Putsy Trice4–6, 8–6, 6–3

Notes and References

  1. Book: Aiello . Thomas . New Orleans Sports: Playing Hard in the Big Easy . 2019 . University of Arkansas Press . Fayetteville, AR . 978-1-68226-100-2 . 54 . en.
  2. News: Tennis Cracks Now Playing in Florida . 26 August 2023 . . The Wikipedia Library: Newspapers.Com . 29 Mar 1892 . Boston . 10. subscription.
  3. Web site: Tournaments: Gulf Coast - State Championships. The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. August 26, 2023. subscription. May 15, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230515071923/https://thetennisbase.com/tournaments/. dead.
  4. News: Champion of the Gulf Coast . 26 August 2023 . Evening star . The Wikipedia Library: Newspapers.Com . 2 Apr 1892 . Washington. District of Columbia . 8. subscription.
  5. News: Lawn Tennis Tournament . 26 August 2023 . The Morning Journal-Courier . The Wikipedia Library: Newspapers.Com . 14 Jun 1892 . New Haven, Connecticut . 2. subscription.
  6. News: Tennis Tournament New Orleans . 26 August 2023 . The Macon Telegraph . The Wikipedia Library: Newspapers.Com . 24 Jun 1902 . Macon . 1. subscription.
  7. Aiello
  8. News: Tennis Tournament Ended: Wrenn Wins Gulf Coast Championship from Wright . 26 August 2023 . . The Wikipedia Library: Newspapers.Com . 26 Mar 1893 . Boston . 2. subscription.
  9. News: Tennis Tournament New Orleans . 26 August 2023 . The Macon Telegraph . The Wikipedia Library: Newspapers.Com . 24 Jun 1902 . Macon . 1. subscription.
  10. News: Netters of Three States Enter Centennial Finals . 26 August 2023 . . The Wikipedia Library: Newspapers.Com . 30 Jun 1935 . Lubbock, Texas . 20. subscription.
  11. News: Shreveport Woman Wins Gulf Tennis . 26 August 2023 . The Shreveport Journal . The Wikipedia Library: Newspapers.Com . 21 Aug 1961 . Shreveport . 31. subscription.