| Torquay Open | |
| Type: | defunct |
| Founded: | 1879 |
| Ended: | 1974 |
| Location: | Torquay, Devon, England |
| Venue: | Torquay Lawn Tennis Club |
| Surface: | Grass |
The Torquay Open[1] was grass court tennis event founded in 1879. In 1881 it was known as the Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament.[2] that was held at the Winter Garden, Torquay, Devon, England. It continued under that name until after World War II when it was known as the Torquay Open In 1971 the tobacco company Rothmans International took over sponsorship of the event and it was branded as the Rothmans Torquay Tournament until 1974 when their sponsorship ended.
This tournament though no longer part of the international tour is still being staged today as the Torbay Open Tennis Tournament.[3]
A Torquay Tennis Tournament was founded as early as 1879.[4] In 1881 the event was known as the Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament and played at the Winter Garden, Torquay, Devon, England.[5] In 1887 it became an open event for the women to play for the first time. The tournament was held annually, with the exception of world war's one and two. Following the second world war the tournament known by then as the Torquay Open Lawn Tennis Tournament at least up to 1960.[6] [7] In 1971 Rothmans International took over sponsorship of the event and it was renamed as the Rothmans Torquay Tournament until 1974, when Rothman's pulled out of sports sponsorship and this tournament ended as part international world wide tour. It is still being staged today as the Torbay Open Tennis Tournament.[8]
Incomplete roll included:[9]
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament | |||
| 1880 |  Ernest W. S. K. Maconchy | C. Hughes | 6-0, 6-0 |
| 1881 | Ernest W. S. K. Maconchy (2) |  Thomas Arembery Tombe | 6-1, 6-0 |
| 1887 | Ernest Wool Lewis | Wilfred Milne | 7-5, 6-2, 7-5 |
| 1888 | Ernest Wool Lewis (2) | Herbert Chipp | 3-6, 0-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-0 |
| 1889 | Ernest Wool Lewis (3) | 1-6, 6-5, 6-3 | |
| 1890 | Ernest Wool Lewis (4) | Edward James Avory | 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 |
| 1905 | Harold Michelmore (2) | George Alan Thomas | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1907 | Harold Michelmore (2) | J.S. Talbot | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1908 | Harold Michelmore (3) |  Les Poidevin | w.o. |
| 1914/1918 | Not held (due to world war one) | ||
| 1923 | Philip Robert Broadway | Sydney Ford | 6-1, 6-1, 6-4 |
| 1930 |  Jiro Satoh | A.C.D. Campbell | 6-0, 6-2 |
| 1934 | Jack Lysaght | 10-12, 6-3, 6-4 | |
| 1935 | Don Butler (2) | John Temple Bouverie Leader | 7-5, 6-2 |
| 1936 | Charles Haree | Frank Wilde | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1937 | Eric Filby | 6-1, 9-11, 6-1 | |
| 1938 | Eric Filby (2) | Kho Sin-Kie | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1939 | Eric Filby (3) |  Ernest Wittman | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 1940/1945 | Not held (due to world war two) | ||
| Torquay Open | |||
| 1946 | Henry Billington | Ignacy Tloczynski | 7-5, 6-0 |
| 1947 |  John Barry | Jeff Robson | 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1948 | Tim Lewis | David Anderton | 6-0, 6-2 |
| 1949 | Tony Mottram | Paddy Roberts | 9-7, 7-5 |
| 1950 | Gerry Oakley | 6-4, 6-4 | |
| 1951 | Paddy Roberts | Ignacy Tloczynski | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 1952 |  Jaroslav Drobný | Ian Ayre | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 1953 | Ian Ayre | Colin Hannam | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1954 | Jaroslav Drobný (2) | Jack Arkinstall | 6-0, 6-3 |
| 1959 | Julian L. P. Coni | 9-7, 6-4 | |
| Open era | |||
| Rothmans Torquay Tournmament | |||
| 1971 | Ken Weatherley | 6-4, 7-5 | |
| 1974 | Graeme Thomson | Martin Cornish | 6-4, 6-4 |
(Incomplete roll)
Notes: In 1924 and 1925 there were two versions of the tournament held in August on grass courts and October on clay courts.
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torquay Lawn Tennis Tournmament | ||||
| 1887 | 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 | |||
| 1888 | Miss Mockler | Alice Foley | 6-4, 6-4 | |
| 1890 | Miss Wolfe | Miss Fisher | 7-5, 6-4 | |
| 1899 | K. Hughes | 6-2, 6-1 | ||
| 1900 | Winifred Longhurst (2) | Miss Smythe | 6-2, 6-2 | |
| 1901 | Winifred Longhurst (3) | Miss Collett | 6-1, 6-1 | |
| 1902 | 6-4, 6-1 | |||
| 1903 | M. Stonham | 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 | ||
| 1904 | Edith Boucher (2) | Miss Collett | 6-0, 6-4 | |
| 1905 | Charlotte Everard | 6-3, 6-1 | ||
| 1906 | Meriel Lucas (2) | M. Stonham | 6-2, 6-4 | |
| 1907 | Edith Boucher (2) | Meriel Lucas | 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 | |
| 1908 | Meriel Lucas (3) | 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 | ||
| 1909 | Evelyn de Vere Scott | 6-0, 6-1 | ||
| 1910 | M. Fergus | 6-4, 6-3 | ||
| 1911 | Nora Bawden | 6-3, 6-3 | ||
| 1912 | Nora Bawden | E. Miller | divided prizes | |
| 1913 | Nora Bawden | 6-2, 9-11, 7-5 | ||
| 1914/1918 | Not held (due to world war one) | |||
| 1920 | Miss Davies | 6-1, 6-1 | ||
| 1921 | G.M. Head | Nora Bawden | 6-3. 3-6, 6-4 | |
| 1922 | Edith Hannam (3) | Miss Robertson | 6-0, 7-5 | |
| 1923 | P. Robertson | 6-3, 6-4 | ||
| 1924 (Aug) | Mrs Hopper | A G Buckner | 6-2, 6-2 | |
| 1924 (Oct) |  Elizabeth Ryan | 6-4, 6-1 | ||
| 1925 (Aug) | Mrs R. Bruce May | Mrs Lawrence | 6-2, 6-1 | |
| 1925 (Oct) | 7-5, 6-4 | |||
| 1926 | 6-3, 6-2 | |||
| 1927 | Davina Gordon (2) | Katherine Lewis | divided prizes | |
| 1928 | Davina Gordon (3) | 6-3, 6-1 | ||
| 1929 | Andrée Lucas | 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 | ||
| 1930 | Elsa McAlpin Haylock (2) | Gethyn Harry | 6-4, 6-3 | |
| 1931 | Elsa McAlpin Haylock | 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 | ||
| 1932 | Andrée Lucas | 6-1, 6-1 | ||
| 1934 | 6-4, 6-3 | |||
| 1935 | Jean Saunders | Andrée Lucas | 6-2, 6-2 | |
| 1936 | Mary Whitmarsh | 6-0, 6-0 | ||
| 1937 | Irmgard Rost (2) | 8-6, 6-3 | ||
| 1938 | 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 | |||
| 1939 | Andrée Lucas (2) | Jean Saunders | 6-4, 5-7, 9-7 | |
| 1940/1945 | Not held (due to world war one) | |||
| Torquay Open | ||||
| 1946 | 8-6, 6-1 | |||
| 1947 | Joan Curry (2) | P. Merrix | 6-2, 6-2 | |
| 1948 | Joan Curry (3) | 6-2, 6-1 | ||
| 1949 | Joan Curry (4) | 6-3, 6-3 | ||
| 1950 | Elsie Hamilton Phillips | 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 | ||
| 1951 | 6-2, 6-1 | |||
| 1952 | Hilary Stebbings | 6-0, 7-5 | ||
| 1953 | Angela Mortimer (2) | 9-7, 8-6 | ||
| 1954 | Betsy Abbas | 6-0, 6-3 | ||
| 1956 | Sonia Cox | V. Martin | 6-4, 6-2 | |
| 1958 | Joan Curry (5) | 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 | ||
| 1959 | 11-9, 6-1 | |||
| 1960 | 6-4, 6-4 | |||
| 1961 | 6-2, 11-9 | |||
| 1962 | Elaine Watson Shenton (2) | 7-5, 8-10, 6-2 | ||
| Open era | ||||
| Rothmans Torquay Tournmament | ||||
| 1971 | Penny Hardgrave | 6-2, 6-1 | ||
| 1974 | 6-1, 6-1 |