| National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | |
| Type: | defunct |
| Founded: | 1910 |
| Ended: | 1999 |
| City: | Various |
| Country: | India |
The National Lawn Tennis Championships of India,[1] originally called the All India Championships,[2] or the All India Lawn Tennis Championships[2] and the Indian National Championships, was a combined (men's and women's) tennis tournament. It was played from 1910 until 1999.[3] It was held in various cities in, India and was played outdoor on multiple surfaces, but mainly grass courts.
Ramanathan Krishnan won most men's singles championships with eight titles overall,[4] and, during the pre-Open era Jenny Sandison and Leela Row won the most women's singles championships with seven titles each, while Nirupama Mankad won the most titles during the open era with five titles.
Lawn tennis in India can be traced back within the first decade of the establishment of the Wimbledon championships with early local championships being established in places like Punjab (1885) and Calcutta (1887).[2] However, there was no national championships, in 1910 colonial officers of the British Raj established the All India Lawn Tennis Championships in Allahabad[4] [2] which was 10 years before the All India Tennis Association was founded. The championships staged both men's and women's singles play and also doubles.[2] In 1946, the All-India Championships tournament was renamed the National Lawn Tennis Championships of India by the India Lawn Tennis Association.[5]
The tournament was hosted at different cities around India and was also played on different surfaces, such as grass courts (1910–59, 1964–66, 1969, 1970, 1973), hard courts (1967) and clay courts (1960–61, 1974–79). This tournament was also held in conjunction with the Northern India Championships for the years 1961 to 1967.
Incomplete roll included:[6] [7] [8]
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| All India Championships | |||
| 1910[9] |  Edmund Atkinson | 7–5, 7–5, 7–5 | |
| 1911[10] | H. W. Davies | John Rendall | ? |
| 1912[11] | H. W. Davies (2) | H. Nelson-Wright | 6–0, 6–3, 2–6, 4–6, 6–1(2) |
| 1913[12] | Edmund Atkinson |  ? | ? |
| 1914[13] | Edmund Atkinson (2) | ? | ? |
| 1915 | ? | ? | ? |
| 1916 | Udupi Diggavi Ranga Rao | 6–2, 6–1 | |
| 1917–18 | Not held | ||
| 1919 | Mr.Nagu | ? | ? |
| 1921[14] | ? | ? | |
| 1922[15] | Mohammed Sleem (2) | 8–6, 6–1, 6–1 | |
| 1923[16] | S.K. Mukerji | Sandford Wilson Bobb | 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 1924[17] | Eric Burn Andreae | Sri-Krishna Prasada | 8–6, 7–5, 7–5 |
| 1925[18] | Eric Burn Andreae (2) | Jagat Mohan Lal | 6–4, 6–3, 6–8, 6–4 |
| 1926[19] | Edward Vivian Bobb (2) | Sri-Krishna Prasada | 6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2, 7–5 |
| 1927[20] | Edward Vivian Bobb (3) | Dip Narain Kapoor | 5–7, 7–5, 8–6, 6–3 |
| 1928–29 | Not held | ||
| 1930[21] | Edward Vivian Bobb (4) | Dip Narain Kapoor | 6–4, 5–7, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1931[22] | Dip Narain Kapoor | Ahad Hussain | 3–6, 7–5, 5–7, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1932[23] | Dip Narain Kapoor (2) | Ahad Hussain | 6–0, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1933[24] [25] | Edward Vivian Bobb (5) | Sohan Lal | 5–7, 3–6, 6–3, 6–1, 10–8 |
| 1934[26] | Sohan Lal | 6–2, 3–6, 6–1, 6–8, 6–2 | |
| 1935[27] | Franjo Kukuljević | 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–2 | |
| 1936[28] | 6–2, 7–5, 5–5 ret. | ||
| 1937[29] | Edward Vivian Bobb (6) | Dip Narain Kapoor | 6–4, 7–5, 6–3 |
| 1938[30] | Dip Narain Kapoor (3) | Islam Ahmad | 8–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1939 | Tenkasi K. Ramanathan | 6–1, 6–2 | |
| 1940[31] | Yudishtra Singh | 11-9. 6–4, 7–5 | |
| 1941 | 6–0, 6–3, 7–5 | ||
| 1942 | Subba L.R. Sawhney | Prem Lal Pandhi | 6–1, 6–1, 6–0 |
| 1943 | Ghaus M. Khan (2) | Iftikhar Ahmed Khan | 6–2, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 1944 |  Hal Surface | 6–2, 6–4, 6–0 | |
| National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | |||
| 1946[32] | 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 | ||
| 1947 |  Lennart Bergelin | ? | ? |
| 1948 | Dilip Bose | Sohan Lal | 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 |
| 1949 | Felicisimo Ampon | ? | ? |
| 1950 | Sven Davidson | 6–3, 6–3, 7–5 | |
| 1951 | Sven Davidson (3) | Jaroslav Drobný | 6–3, 6–3 7–5 |
| 1952 | Sumant Misra (2) | 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 | |
| 1953 | 6–8, 2–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–3 | ||
| 1954 |  Jack Arkinstall | Ramanathan Krishnan | 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1955 | Sven Davidson (3) | Kurt Nielsen | 6–4, 6–1, 15–17, 6–4 |
| 1956 | Ramanathan Krishnan (2) | 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 1957 | Ulf Schmidt | Ramanathan Krishnan | 6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 1958 | Ramanathan Krishnan (3) | ? | ? |
| 1959 | Ramanathan Krishnan (4) | 6–2, 6–2, 6–1 | |
| 1960 | Ramanathan Krishnan (5) | Ulf Schmidt | 6–3, 6–3, 6–1 |
| India National and Northern India Championships | |||
| 1961 | Roy Emerson | Ramanathan Krishnan | 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1962 | Ramanathan Krishnan (6) | ? | ? |
| 1963 | Ramanathan Krishnan (7) | ? | ? |
| 1964 | Ramanathan Krishnan (8) | 6–1, 6–3, 6–4 | |
| 1965 | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–0 | ||
| 1966 | ? | ? | |
| 1967 | Premjit Lall (2) | ? | ? |
| National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | |||
| 1968 | ? | ? | |
| 1969[33] | Premjit Lall[34] (3) | ? | ? |
| Open era | |||
| 1970 | Jaidip Mukerjea (2) | 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 | |
| 1971 | Gaurav Misra | ? | ? |
| 1972 | Vijay Amritraj | ? | |
| 1973 | Vijay Amritraj (2) | ? | ? |
| 1974 | ? | ? | |
| 1975 | Vijay Amritraj (3) | ? | ? |
| 1976 | Tom Gorman | ? | ? |
| 1977 | Ramesh Krishnan | ? | ? |
| 1978 | Ramesh Krishnan (2) | ? | ? |
| 1979 | Bidyut Goswami[35] | ? | ? |
| 1980 | Sashi Menon | ? | ? |
| 1981 | Sashi Menon (2) | ? | ? |
| 1982 | Srinivasan Vasudevan | Jay Royappa | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1983[36] | Nandan Bal | ? | ? |
| 1984[37] | Nandan Bal (2) | ? | ? |
| 1985 | Nandan Bal (3) | ? | ? |
| 1986[38] | ? | ? | |
| 1987 | Zeeshan Ali (2) | ? | ? |
| 1988 | Zeeshan Ali (3) | ? | ? |
| 1989 | Zeeshan Ali (4) | ? | ? |
| 1990 | Leander Paes | ? | ? |
| 1991 | Zeeshan Ali (5) | ? | ? |
| 1992 | ? | ? | |
| 1993 | ? | ? | |
| 1994 | ? | ? | |
| 1995 | Mahesh Bhupathi (2) | ? | ? |
| 1996 | ? | ? | |
| 1997 | ? | ? | |
| 1998 | Marcus Hilpert (2) | ? | ? |
| 1999 | ? | ? | |
| Year | Champion | Runner up | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All India Championships | ||||
| 1910 | Mrs Kendall | Mrs Hutchinson | 6–3, 6–3 | |
| 1911 | Miss Warburton | Miss Latham | (score?) | |
| 1912 | Mrs Adams | Mrs Leslie-Jones | 6–0, 6–3 | |
| 1913 | Miss Warburton | Mrs Leslie-Jones | 6–4, 6–3 | |
| 1914 | Mrs Leslie-Jones | Mrs Fremantle | 6–2, 6–0 | |
| 1915–18 | No event WW1 | |||
| 1919 | Mrs Dickens | Mrs Simpson | 6–1, 6–3 | |
| 1920 | Mrs Kellie [39] | ? | 6–3, 9-11, 6–1 | |
| 1921 | Mrs Kemble | ? | ? | |
| 1922 | 6–3, 7–5 * | |||
| 1923 | Winifred MacClellan Keays | Mrs O'Neill | 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 1924 | Mrs T. Horn | 6–3, 6–3 | ||
| 1925 | 6–2, 6–4 | |||
| 1926 | Lena McKenna (2) | Miss Holden | 6–3, 1–6, 6–1 | |
| 1927 | Jenny Sandison | Lena McKenna | 8–6, 6–4 | |
| 1928 | Abandoned | |||
| 1929 [40] | Jenny Sandison (2) | Elizabeth Ryan | ? | |
| 1930 | Jenny Sandison (3) | Lena McKenna | 6–3, 6–0 | |
| 1931 | Lena McKenna | 6–1, 6–1 | ||
| 1932 | Jenny Sandison (4) | 7–5, 6–3 | ||
| 1933 | Jenny Sandison(5) | 3–6, 6–2, 6–1 | ||
| 1934 | Jenny Sandison (6) | Hyacinth Harvey-Johnston | 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 1935 | Jenny Sandison (7) | Margaret Parrott | 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 1936 | Leela Row (2) | Rosie Gibson | 6–1, 6–0 | |
| 1937 | Leela Row (3) | 2–6, 9–7, 6–2 | ||
| 1938 | Leela Row (4) | Meher Dubash | 6–1, 6–2 | |
| 1939 | Gaby Curtis | Laura Woodbridge | 6–2, 6–8, 9–7 | |
| 1940 | Leela Row (5) | Laura Woodbridge | 6–3, 6–2 | |
| 1941 | Leela Row (6) | Meher Dubash | 6–4, 6–1 | |
| 1942 | Mrs. Massey | Leela Row | 2–6, 7–5, 6–2 | |
| 1943 | Leela Row (7) | Meher Dubash | ||
| 1944 | Laura Woodbridge | Miss Maguire | 6–1, 6–1 | |
| 1945 | Laura Woodbridge (2) | 3–6, 6–2, 6–0 | ||
| National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | ||||
| 1946 | Sarah Mody | 6–1, 10–12, 6–0 | ||
| 1947 | Khanum Haji Singh | Laura Woodbridge | w.o. | |
| 1948 | Khanum Haji Singh (2) | Promilla Khanna | 6–4, 6–4 | |
| 1949 | Khanum Haji Singh (3) | Promilla Khanna | 3–6, 9–7, 6–3 | |
| 1950 | 6–2, 6–2 | |||
| 1951 | 6–3, 4–6, 6–3 | |||
| 1952 | Urmila Thapar | Laura Woodbridge | 6–0, 4–6, 7–5 | |
| 1953[41] | Rita Davar | Joy Mottram | 6–2, 6–1 | |
| 1954[42] | Rita Davar (2) | Urmila Thapar | 0–6, 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 1955 | Rita Davar (3) | Urmila Thapar | 6–4, 6–1 | |
| 1956 | Althea Gibson[43] |  Saichiko Kamo | 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 1957 | Khanum Haji Singh (4) | Promilla Khanna Singh | 7–5, 7–5 | |
| 1958 | Promilla Khanna Singh | Leela Panjabi | 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 1959 | Dechu Appaiah | Khanum Haji Singh | 2–6, 7–5, 6–2 | |
| 1960 | 4–6, 7–5, 6–0 | |||
| 1961 | Margaret Hellyer (2) | Dechu Appaiah | 6–4, 6–2 | |
| India National and Northern India Championships | ||||
| 1962 | 6–1, 6–3 | |||
| 1963 | Rattan Thadani | Cherri Chettyanna | 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 1964 | Jill Rook Mills | Lakshmi Mahadevan | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4 | |
| 1965 | Nirupama Vasant | 6–4, 6–4 | ||
| 1966 |  Tiiu Soome | 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 | ||
| National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | ||||
| 1967 | Aleksandra Ivanova | 6–4, 6–0 | ||
| Open era | ||||
| 1968 | Aleksandra Ivanova | Nina Turkheli | 6–1, 6–2 | |
| 1969 | 6–2, 6–1 | |||
| 1970 | Aleksandra Ivanova (2) | Irena Škulj | 6–1, 6–3 | |
| 1971 | Kiran Peshawaria | 4–6, 6–1, 6–1 | ||
| 1972 | 6–4, 6–2 | |||
| 1973 | Kiran Peshawaria Bedi | 6–2, 7–5 | ||
| 1974 | Susan Das[44] | (score?) | ||
| 1975 | Nirupama Mankad (2) | 7–5, 6–4 | ||
| 1976 | Nirupama Mankad (3) | Susan Das | 6–4, 6–3 | |
| 1977 | Nirupama Mankad (4) | Susan Das | 6–4, 6–3 | |
| 1978 | Nirupama Mankad (5) | Amreeta Ahluwalia | 3–6, 6–1, 8–6 | |
| 1979 | Amreeta Ahluwalia | Anu Peshawaria | 6–4, 6–0 | |
| 1980 | Amreeta Ahluwalia (2) | Anu Peshawaria | 6–0, 6–3 | |
| 1981 | Amreeta Ahluwalia (3) | Anu Peshawaria | 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 1982 | Anu Peshawaria (4) | Namratha Appa Rao | 6–4, 6–3 |
The tournament was staged in different cities for the duration of its run they included:[45]
| Host city | years staged | |
|---|---|---|
| Allahabad[46] | 1910–1938, 1944, 1946–1949, 1950–1951 | |
| 1939, 1974, 1977, 1979 | ||
| Calcutta[47] | 1940, 1952–1953, 1955, 1957–1959, 1963 1964–1965, 1967, 1975, 1978 | |
| 1941 | ||
| 1942 | ||
| 1943 | ||
| Madras[48] | 1944, 1945, 1954 | |
| New Delhi | 1956, 1960–1962, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1980, 1982 | |
| Bangalore | 1976 | |
| Pune | 1981 |
Included:[49]
Ramanathan Krishnan (8 titles)[4] Ramanathan Krishnan (10 finals) Edward Vivian Bobb (3 titles) (1927–27, 1930) Ramanathan Krishnan, (4 finals) (1957–60) Vijay Amritraj (26) Vijay Amritraj (24) Edward Vivian Bobb (13) Premjit Lall (11) Edward Vivian Bobb, 92.8%, (pre-open era) Vijay Amritraj, 92.3%, (open era) Jack Arkinstall, 34y 7m & 26d (1954) Ramanathan Krishnan, 16y 8m & 17d (1954) Jenny Sandison/ Leela Row (7) Nirupama Mankad (5)