West Wales Championships Explained

West Wales Championships
Type:defunct
Location:Tenby, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
Venue:Tenby Lawn Lennis Club
Surface:Grass

The West Wales Championships originally founded as the Tenby Lawn Tennis Club Tournament was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament first held the Tenby Lawn Tennis Club, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, South Wales in 1876.[1] In 1881 it was renamed as the South Wales Championships[2] In 1900 it was renamed again to the West Wales Championships. The tournament was staged until the outbreak of World War Two in 1939.

History

In 1876 the Tenby Lawn Club Tennis Tournament was first staged at the Tenby Lawn Tennis Club, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, South Wales.[3] In 1881 the tournament changed its name to the South Wales Championships, and play was open to all residents who had resided for three months in all six southern counties of Wales.[4] The first winner of the 1881 men's singles was Britain's L.G. Campbell. In 1885 the latter tournament was renamed as the South Wales and Monmouthshire Championships until 1900 when the Welsh Lawn Tennis Association moved the championships to Newport, Monmouthshire, South Wales. This tournament at Tenby, Pembrokshire was then renamed as the West Wales Championships which ran until 1939. The men competed for the West Wales Challenge Cup.[3]

Venue

The original Tenby Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club was a former sports club situated on Heywood Lane, Tenby.[5] It opened in the late-nineteenth century.[6] The cricket club occupied land to the south side of Heywood Lane whilst the Tennis Club was located on the north side of Heywood Lane.[6] The Tennis club no longer exists and the land has been subsequently used for housing - this is the present Heywood Court. The cricket pitch still survives though.[6] In 2009 a new Tenby Tennis Club was reformed.[7]

Finals

Men's Singles

(incomplete roll) included:.[8]

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
Tenby Lawn Tennis Tournament
1879 ??
1880 ??
South Wales Championships
1881 L.G. Campbell Grismond Saunders Davies6-2, 6–5, 9-7
1882 P. J. Ashe L.G. Campbell6-4, 6-4, 6-2
1883.[9] Herbert Wilberforce P.J. Ashe6-2, 6–1, 6-1
1884. Herbert Wilberforce (2) William Sidney Nelson Heard6-4, 3–6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
South Wales and Monmouthshire Championships
1885 William Sidney Nelson Heard E.W. Evans 5-6 6-0 6-0 6-3
1886 William Sidney Nelson Heard (2) James Baldwin6-0, 6–1, 6-1
1887 William Sidney Nelson Heard (3) E.W. Davies6-2 6-4 6-1
1894.[10] F.D. Morris E.W. Evans ?
West Wales Championships
1909. W.S. Warburgh G. Kent6-3, 6–1, 6-3
1910 Algernon Kingscote T.A.Gibson6-3, 6–3, 6–1.
1915/1918Not held (due to World War One)
1919 Ivor Evans G.R. Mellor6-4, 6–4, 8-6
1920 Peter B.W. Freeman H.R. Lymbery6-0, 6–3, 6-0
1939 Ted Avory B. Williams6-1, 6-0
1940Tournament abolished (due to World War Two)

Women's Singles

(incomplete roll)

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
Tenby Lawn Tennis Tournament
1879 ??
1880 ??
South Wales Championships
1882 G. Milman Ruth Sparrow6-5, 6–5, 6-1
1883.[11] C. Jones E Fletcher6-2, 3–6, 6-4
South Wales and Monmouthshire Championships
1886 Katherine Hill Mary Agg6-4, 6-3
West Wales Championships
1909. Miss Douglas Miss Wards6-4, 6-4
1915/1918Not held (due to World War One)
1920 Gladys Lamplough6-2, 6-2
1924 Mary McIlquham Weeta Crawshay-Williams6-0, 6-4
1927 Mrs Burdon Mrs Parke 6-2, 7-5
1928 Mrs Dudley Mrs Congreve6-2, 6-2
1930 M Wynne Mrs D M Gimson 6-0, 6-2
1940Tournament abolished (due to World War Two)

Notes and References

  1. News: THE TENBY TENNIS TOURNAMENT.. 20 August 1909. The Pembroke County Guardian and Cardigan Reporter . Welsh Newspapers . 24 February 2023 . newspapers.library.wales . Tenby, Pembrokshire, Wales . 7 . en.
  2. News: TENBY LAWN TENNIS CLUB ANNUAL TOURNAMENT. Aug. 13 and following days. The Open LADIES' SINGLES. LADIES' DOUBLES. LADIES' and GENTLEMEN'S DOUBLES. GENTLEMEN'S SINGLES, AND GENTLEMEN'S DOUBLES. THE SOUTH WALES CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE CUP will be played for on the usual days.. 24 February 2023 . The Field . British Newspaper Archive . 4 August 1883 . London, England . 1 . Subscription.
  3. The Pembroke County Guardian and Cardigan Reporter
  4. News: NOTES OF THE WEEK. . 24 February 2023 . The Cambrian . Welsh Newspapers: National Library of Wales . 15 July 1881 . Aberystwyth, Wales . 8 . en.
  5. Web site: Coflein: Site Record: Tenby Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, Heywood Lane, Tenby. . coflein.gov.uk . National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW) . 24 February 2023.
  6. National Monuments Record of Wales
  7. Web site: Home . www.tenbytennisclub.co.uk . Tenby Tennis Club . 24 February 2023 . en.
  8. Web site: Tournaments: Tenby - South Wales . The Tennis Base . Tennismem SL . 24 May 2023 . Madrid. subscription.
  9. News: TENBY - LAWN TENNIS CLUB TOURNAMENT. . 24 February 2023 . The Tenby Observer Weekly List of Visitors and Directory . Welsh Newspapers: National Library of Wales . 23 August 1883 . Tenby, Pembrokshire, Wales . 6 . en.
  10. News: CRICKET AND GENERAL ATHLETIC NOTES. . 24 February 2023 . The Cambrian . Welsh Newspapers: National Library of Wales . 31 August 1894 . Aberystwyth, Wales . 3 . en.
  11. The Tenby Observer Weekly List of Visitors and Directory