Virginia Slims of Houston

Virginia Slims of Houston
Defunct tennis tournament
Event nameVirginia Slims of Houston (1970–78, 1983–94)
Avon Championships of Houston (1979–82)
Gallery Furniture Championships (1995)
TourWTA Tour (1970–95)
Founded1970
Abolished1995
SurfaceCarpet (1970–84)
Clay (1985–95)

The Virginia Slims of Houston is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated tennis tournament played from 1970 to 1995. It was held in Houston, Texas in the United States and played on indoor carpet courts from 1970 to 1984 and on outdoor clay courts from 1985 to 1995.

The event has the distinction of being the first-ever tournament on the professional women's circuit, which would eventually become the WTA Tour. In 1971, the event served as the series Championships of the inaugural Virginia Slims Tour.

Martina Navratilova was the most successful player at the tournament, winning the singles and doubles competitions six times each, partnering Dutchwomen Betty Stöve and Manon Bollegraf and Americans Janet Newberry, Pam Shriver, Elise Burgin and Kathy Jordan once each for her doubles successes.

Finals

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Singles

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Year Champions Runners-up Score
1970 United States Rosemary Casals Australia Judy Dalton 5–7, 6–1, 7–5
1971 United States Billie Jean King Australia Kerry Melville 6–4, 4–6, 6–1
1972 Not Held
1973 France Françoise Dürr United States Rosemary Casals 6–4, 1–6, 6–4
1974 United States Chris Evert United Kingdom Virginia Wade 6–3, 5–7, 6–1
1975 United States Chris Evert Australia Margaret Court 6–3, 6–2
1976 United States Martina Navratilova United States Chris Evert 6–3, 6–4
1977 United States Martina Navratilova United Kingdom Sue Barker 7–6(5–3), 7–5
1978 United States Martina Navratilova United States Billie Jean King 1–6, 6–2, 6–2
1979 United States Martina Navratilova United Kingdom Virginia Wade 6–3, 6–2
1980 United States Billie Jean King United States Martina Navratilova 6–1, 6–3
1981 Czechoslovakia Hana Mandlíková West Germany Bettina Bunge 6–4, 6–4
1982 West Germany Bettina Bunge United States Pam Shriver 6–2, 3–6, 6–2
1983 United States Martina Navratilova West Germany Sylvia Hanika 6–3, 7–6
1984 Czechoslovakia Hana Mandlíková Bulgaria Manuela Maleeva 6–4, 6–2
1985 United States Martina Navratilova United States Elise Burgin 6–4, 6–1
1986 United States Chris Evert-Lloyd United States Kathy Rinaldi 6–4, 2–6, 6–4
1987 United States Chris Evert United States Martina Navratilova 3–6, 6–1, 7–6
1988 United States Chris Evert United States Martina Navratilova 6–0, 6–4
1989 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles United States Chris Evert 3–6, 6–1, 6–4
1990 Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 6–1, 1–6, 6–4
1991 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles United States Mary Joe Fernández 6–4, 6–3
1992 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles United States Zina Garrison 6–1, 6–1
1993 Spain Conchita Martínez Germany Sabine Hack 6–3, 6–2
1994 Germany Sabine Hack France Mary Pierce 7–5, 6–4
1995 Germany Steffi Graf Sweden Åsa Carlsson 6–1, 6–1

Doubles

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Year Champions Runners-up Score
1970 Not Held
1971 United States Rosemary Casals
United States Billie Jean King
Australia Judy Dalton
France Françoise Dürr
6–3, 1–6, 6–4
1972 Not Held
1973 United States Mona Schallau
United States Pam Teeguarden
France Françoise Dürr
Netherlands Betty Stöve
6–3, 5–7, 6–4
1974 United States Janet Newberry
United States Wendy Overton
United States Sue Stap
United Kingdom Virginia Wade
4–6, 7–5, 6–2
1975 France Françoise Dürr
Netherlands Betty Stöve
Australia Evonne Goolagong
United Kingdom Virginia Wade
2–6, 6–3, 7–6
1976 France Françoise Dürr
United States Rosemary Casals
United States Chris Evert
United States Martina Navratilova
6–0, 7–5
1977 United States Martina Navratilova
Netherlands Betty Stöve
United Kingdom Sue Barker
United States Ann Kiyomura
4–6, 6–2, 6–1
1978 United States Billie Jean King
United States Martina Navratilova
South Africa Greer Stevens
United States Mona Guerrant
7–6(5–4), 4–6, 7–6(5–4)
1979 United States Martina Navratilova
United States Janet Newberry
United States Pam Shriver
Netherlands Betty Stöve
4–6, 6–4, 6–2
1980 United States Billie Jean King
South Africa Ilana Kloss
Netherlands Betty Stöve
Australia Wendy Turnbull
3–6, 6–1, 6–4
1981 United Kingdom Sue Barker
United States Ann Kiyomura
Czechoslovakia Regina Maršíková
United States Mary Lou Piatek
5–7, 6–4, 6–3
1982 United States Kathy Jordan
United States Pam Shriver
United Kingdom Sue Barker
United States Sharon Walsh
7–6, 6–2
1983 United States Martina Navratilova
United States Pam Shriver
United Kingdom Jo Durie
United States Barbara Potter
6–4, 6–3
1984 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mima Jaušovec
United States Anne White
United States Barbara Potter
United States Sharon Walsh
6–4, 3–6, 7–6
1985 United States Elise Burgin
United States Martina Navratilova
Bulgaria Manuela Maleeva
Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
6–1, 3–6, 6–3
1986 United States Chris Evert-Lloyd
Australia Wendy Turnbull
United States Elise Burgin
United States JoAnne Russell
6–2, 6–4
1987 United States Kathy Jordan
United States Martina Navratilova
United States Zina Garrison
United States Lori McNeil
6–2, 6–4
1988 United States Katrina Adams
United States Zina Garrison
United States Lori McNeil
United States Martina Navratilova
6–7, 6–2, 6–4
1989 United States Katrina Adams
United States Zina Garrison
United States Gigi Fernández
United States Lori McNeil
6–3, 6–4
1990 Not Completed
1991 Canada Jill Hetherington
United States Kathy Rinaldi
United States Patty Fendick
United States Mary Joe Fernández
6–1, 2–6, 6–1
1992 United States Patty Fendick
United States Gigi Fernández
Canada Jill Hetherington
United States Kathy Rinaldi
7–5, 6–4
1993 United States Katrina Adams
Netherlands Manon Bollegraf
Russia Eugenia Maniokova
Slovakia Radka Zrubáková
6–3, 5–7, 7–6(9–7)
1994 Netherlands Manon Bollegraf
United States Martina Navratilova
United States Katrina Adams
United States Zina Garrison
6–4, 6–2
1995 United States Nicole Arendt
Netherlands Manon Bollegraf
Germany Wiltrud Probst
Canada Rene Simpson
6–4, 6–2

References

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