Western India Championships

Western India Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded1888; 136 years ago (1888)
Abolished1980; 44 years ago (1980)
LocationBombay, Maharashtra, India
VenueBombay Gymkhana Club
SurfaceGrass/Clay

The Western India Championships[1] also known as the Western India Tennis Championships,[2] was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament founded in 1888 as the Bombay Gymkhana Club Tournament. The championships were played at the Gymkhana Club grounds, in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. The championships ran until 1980 before they were discontinued.

History

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Tennis was introduced to India in the 1880s by British Army and Civilian Officers.[3] In 1888 the Western India Championships were founded as the Bombay Gymkhana Club Tournament and played at the Bombay Gymkhana Club, Bombay, Maharashtra, India. In 1900 the tournament became known as the Western India Tournament, and in 1912 it was officially named the West India Championships.[4] The championships were staged until 1980 when they were abolished.

In 1947, 1955 and 1959 this tournament was held in conjunction with the All India Hard Court Championships. It was also held jointly with the Cricket Club of India tournament for 1970 and 1975.

Finals

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Men's singles

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(incomplete roll).[5]

Year Champions Runners-up Score
Bombay Gymkhana Club Tournament
1888 England Francis Reid Ward United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland T.C. Sangster 2–6, 6–5, 6–3
1889 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Alfred Bruce Sangster India Arthur Knapp Oliver 6–1, 5–6, 6–4
1890 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Eustace Ferrers Nicholson England Arthur Elliott Barton 6–5, 6–5, 6–4
1891 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Eustace Ferrers Nicholson (2) England Arthur Elliott Barton 6–4, 3–5, 6–2, 6–1
1892 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Captain C.S. Smith United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Pelham George von Donop 8–6, 6–4, 6–1
1894 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Captain C.S. Smith (2) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Robert Montagu Poore 6–3, 6–2, 6–1
1897 England Herbert E. Cheetham United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Captain John Glennie Greig 6-5, 6-2
1898 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Captain John Glennie Greig England Herbert E. Cheetham 6-5, 6-3
1899 England Arthur Cyril Ransome Scotland Percy F. Fisher 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–1
Western India Tournament
1900 Scotland Percy F. Fisher Scotland W. Reid 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
1902 England Francis J. Marshall Scotland W. Reid 6–5, 6–4, 6–3
1903 Scotland W. Reid England Herbert E. Cheetham 6–1, 6–3, 6–0
1904 Scotland W. Reid (2) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Ralph Kidd 6–0, 3–6, 6–3
1905 England Herbert E. Cheetham (2) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Ralph Kidd ?
1906 England John C. S. Rendall England Herbert E. Cheetham 6-3, 6-1
1907 Scotland W. Reid (3) England T.C. Lucas 6-4, 6-3
1909 Scotland J. Stuart Milne United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland A.H. Glendenning 6-5, 6-3
1910 France Richard Dubourdieu Scotland W. Reid ?
1911 Scotland F.R.R. Brooke Scotland J. Stuart Milne 6-3, 6-3
Western India Championships
1912 India Hassan Ali Fyzee India Captain J.T. Lucas 7-5, 6-4
1913 France Richard Dubourdieu (2) India Udupi D. Ranga Rao 6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 6–1
1914 India Hassan Ali Fyzee India Udupi D. Ranga Rao 6–4, 2–6, 6–2, 6–3
1915 India Udupi D. Ranga Rao India N.F. Naoroji 6-3, 6-2
1916 India Udupi D. Ranga Rao (2) Japan Zenzo Shimidzu 0–6, 6–0, 6–1
1917 India Udupi D. Ranga Rao (3) India Hassan Ali Fyzee 6-3, 6-0
1918 Japan Zenzo Shimidzu India Udupi D. Ranga Rao 6-4, 6-1
1919 England John C. S. Rendall Japan Zenzo Shimidzu 10–8, 4–6, 6–2, 9–7
1920 India Udupi D. Ranga Rao (4) India Lewis Seymour Deane 6-4, 6-2
1921 India N.B. Bhagwat Japan Tawara Tsumoru (Tsumio) Takeshi 6–4, 2–6, 6–1
1922 India Udupi D. Ranga Rao (5) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Ernest Taylor Annett 6-3, 6-2
1923 Japan Sunao Okamoto India Udupi D. Ranga Rao 6-1, 6-1
1924 India Mr. Chunilal United Kingdom R.A. Wagle 6-0, 6-2
1925 Japan Sunao Okamoto (2) United Kingdom Thomas William Brough 6-0, 6-3
1926 India Syed Mohammad Hadi India Udupi D. Ranga Rao 2-6, 7-5 6-1
1927 India Alexander Maurice Dudley Pitt India R.S. Raya Iyer 8–6, 5–7, 6–1
1928 India Alexander Maurice Dudley Pitt (2) United Kingdom Morley Fox 6-4, 6-2
1929 India Alexander Maurice Dudley Pitt (3) United Kingdom Morley Fox 6-4, 6-2
1930 New Zealand Buster Andrews India M. Kamruddin 6-4, 6-3
1931 India N.R. Suvarna India B.H. Khardekar 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
1932 Japan Jiro Satoh India Edward Vivian Bobb 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1933 Italy Giorgio de Stefani India Edward Vivian Bobb 6-4, 6-3
1934 India Edward Vivian Bobb United Kingdom John Edward Tew 7-5, 7-5
1935 Kingdom of Yugoslavia Josip Palada Kingdom of Yugoslavia Franjo Punčec 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1936 France Roderich Menzel Czechoslovakia Ladislav Hecht 6-1, 6-1
1937 France Antoine Gentien New Zealand Alan Stedman 7-5, 6-2
1938 India Subba L.R. Sawhney India Bernard Thomas Blake 6–4, 2–6, 6–4
1939 India Edward Vivian Bobb (2) India Syed Abdul Azim 3–6, 6–1, 6–3
1940 India Edward Vivian Bobb (3) India Syed Abdul Azim 2–6, 6–1, 6–2
1941 Denmark Finn Bekkevold[6] India Charles William Barker 7-5, 6-2
1942 India Ghaus Mohammed Khan India Prem Lal Pandhi 6-2, 7-5
1943 India S.S. Indulkar India R.N. Pandit 6–3, 2–6, 6–2
1944/1945 Not held (due to World War II)
1946 India Narendra Nath India/United States Jimmy Mehta 6-3, 6-3
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1947 India Narendra Nath (2) India Khan-Iftikhar Ahmed[7] 6-4 6-4 6-3
Western India Championships
1948 Sweden Torsten Johansson Sweden Lennart Bergelin 6-4 ret.
1950 France Robert Abdesselam Belgium Philippe Washer 6–2, 9–7, 6–2
1952 United States Louis Straight Clark Poland Władysław Skonecki 8–6, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6, 6–2
1953 India Narendra Nath (3) India Ramanathan Krishnan 6–4, 7–5, 6–0
1954 Australia Jack Arkinstall India Sumant Misra 6–4, 1–6, 6–4
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1955 India Ramanathan Krishnan Australia Jack Arkinstall 6–2, 0–6, 3–6, 6–1, 6–3
Western India Championships
1956 India Ramanathan Krishnan (2) Australia Jack Arkinstall 5–7, 7–5, 6–0 ret.
1957 Egypt Jaroslav Drobný Australia Jack Arkinstall 6–4, 6–3, 6–3
1958 India Ramanathan Krishnan (3) United Kingdom Billy Knight 6–1, 6–2, 6–4
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1959 India Ramanathan Krishnan (4) Italy Giuseppe Merlo 6–4, 6–3, 6–4
Western India Championships
1960 India Ramanathan Krishnan (5) Australia Warren Woodcock 6–2, 6–3, 6–3
1962 India Ramanathan Krishnan (6) United Kingdom Billy Knight 8–6, 6–3, 6–1
1965 India Shyam Minotra India Ravi Venkatesan 13–11, 9–7, 6-2
1966 India Premjit Lall Japan Osamu Ishiguro 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 8–6
1967 India Jaidip Mukerjea Australia Bob Carmichael 5–7, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 6-3
1968 India Shiv Prakash Misra India Premjit Lall 1–6, 8–6, 9–7, 4–6, 6–3
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969 India Shyam Minotra Poland Mieczysław Rybarczyk 6-1, 7-5

Women's singles

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(incomplete roll)

Year Champions Runners-up Score
Western India Championships
1924 India Lena McKenna India Mrs T.E. Cunningham 6–8, 6–3, 6–3
1925 United Kingdom Gladys Tedman Bayley India Meherbai Bhabha Tata 6–1, 1–6, 6–1
1926 United Kingdom Phyllis Howkins Covell United Kingdom Annie Nepean Clayton 6-0, 6-0
1927 United Kingdom Phyllis Howkins Covell (2) India R. Wallis 6-4, 6-3
1928 United Kingdom Phyllis Howkins Covell (3) India G. Evans 6-4, 6-1
1929 India Mrs M.P. McDougall Australia Olive Stebbing 7-5, 6-1
1930 United Kingdom Phyllis Howkins Covell (4) India Leila Row 6-2, 6-1
1931 India Leila Row India Laura Woodbridge 6-0, 6-1
1932 India Laura Woodbridge India Esther Bonjour 6-4, 6-4
1933 Italy Lucia Valerio India Leila Row 6-4, 6-3
1934 India Leila Row (2) India Esther Bonjour 6-2, 6-1
1935 India Jenny Sandison India Leila Row 3–6, 6–2, 6–4
1936 India Jenny Sandison Boland (2) India Hyacinth Harvey-Johnston 6-3, 6-3
1937 India Leila Row (3) India Meher Dubash 6-1, 6-2
1938 India Lolita Simon Foottit India Mrs E.H. Edney 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
1939 India I.S. Hannay Williams India S. Emery 6-4, 6-0
1940 India Leila Row (4) India Khanum Haji 6-2, 6-2
1941 India Leila Row (5) India Khanum Haji 6-3, 6-3
1942 India Khanum Haji India Leila Row 6–8, 6–2, 9–7
1943 India Leila Row (6) India Laura Woodbridge 6-3, 6-4
1946 India Leela Row Dayal (7) India Laura Woodbridge 6-2, 6-0
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1947 India Leela Row Dayal (8) India Khanum Haji Singh 5–7, 6–2, 6–3
Western India Championships
1948 (Not held)
1949 India Khanum Haji Singh (2) India Laura Woodbridge 6-4, 6-4
1950 United Kingdom Gem Hoahing India Leela Row Dayal 6-0, 6-1
1952 United States Shirley Fry United States Doris Hart 2–6, 6–4, 6–2
1953 India Leela Row Dayal (9) India Laura Woodbridge 6–3, 7–9, 6–3
1954 India Urmila Thapar India Laura Woodbridge 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1955 India Rita Davar Denmark Bridget Zachariassen 6-3, 6-1
Western India Championships
1956 West Germany Totta Zehden West Germany Inge Reh Vogle 6–3, 2–6, 6–4
Western India & All India Hard Court Championships
1957 India Khanum Haji Singh (3) India Mrs Sarah Mody 6-2, 6-3
Western India Championships
1958 Denmark Bridget Zachariassen India Laura Woodbridge 6–4, 2–6, 8–6
1959 India Mrs Sarah Mody India Leela Punjabi 2–6, 9–7, 10-8
1960 United States Mimi Arnold Australia Margaret Hellyer 6–8, 6–3, 6–2
1961 Australia Margaret Hellyer India Dechu Appaiah 6-3, 6-4
1962 Denmark Pia Balling India Dechu Appaiah 6-1, 6-0
1965 India Lakshmi Mahedevan India Leela Punjabi 6-2, 10-8
1966 United States Carol-Ann Prosen India Nirupama Vasant 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
1968 India Nirupama Vasant India Rattan Thadani 6-2, 6-4
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969 India Nirupama Vasant (2) Romania Judith Dibar 8-6, 6-3
Western India Championships & Cricket Club of India Tournament
1970 (Feb) India Nirupama Vasant (3) Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Irena Škulj 3–6, 6–0, 6–3
1970 (Dec) India Nirupama Vasant (4) India Kiran Peshawaria 6-2, 6-3
Western India Championships
1971 (Not held)
1972 India Nirupama Vasant Mankad (5) Australia Marilyn Tesch 6-4, 6-1
1973 India Udaya Kumar India Susan Das 6-2, 6-4
1974 India Susan Das India Nirupama Vasant Mankad 6-2, 6-4
1975 India Nirupama Vasant Mankad (6) India Udaya Kumar 6-1, 6-1
1976 India Nirupama Vasant Mankad (7) India Lakshmi Mahedevan 6-1, 6-0
Western India Championships & Cricket Club of India Tournament
1977 India Nirupama Vasant Mankad (8) India Amreeta Ahluwalia 6–4, 6–0
Western India Championships
1978 India Amreeta Ahluwalia India Nirupama Vasant Mankad 5–7, 6–4, 8–6
1979 India Nirupama Vasant Mankad (9) India Amreeta Ahluwalia 6-3, 6-2
1980 India Nandini Rangaraja India Namratha Apparao 7-5, 6-0

Event names

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  • Bombay Gymkhana Club Tournament (1888–1899)
  • Western India Tournament (1900–1911)
  • Western India Championships (1912–1980)

References

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  1. ^ "The Illustrated Weekly of India". The Illustrated Weekly of India. 91. Published for the proprietors, Bennett, Coleman & Company, Limited, at the Times of India Press: 57. July 1970.
  2. ^ "Clark Triumphs in West India Net Play. Straight Clark of Los Angeles beat Vladislav Sckonecki exiled pole, in the men's singles final of the Western India Tennis Championships in Bombay". Long Beach Independent. Long Beach, California, United States: Newspaper Archives. 25 February 1952. p. 59.
  3. ^ "History". aitatennis. New Delhi, India: All India Tennis Association. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  4. ^ Datta, Pratip Kumar (2001). "Women's Tennis in India". A Century of Indian Tennis. New Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 79. ISBN 978-81-230-0783-0.
  5. ^ "Tournaments:Bombay – Western India Championships". The Tennis Base. Madrid: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Players: Finn Bekkevold". www.itftennis.com. International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Khan-Iftikhar Ahmed: Overview | ATP Tour | Tennis". ATP Tour. Association of Tennis Professionals. Retrieved 25 May 2023.