# Asian Championships (tennis)

The Asian Championships also known as the Asian International Championships or Asian Lawn Tennis Championships was an open international men's and women's grass and clay court tennis tournament founded in 1949 as the International Championships of Asia. The tournament was one of eight official championships of the International Lawn Tennis Federation. It was first played at the Calcutta South Club, Calcutta, India. The international tournament was played at other locations until September 1972 when it was discontinued as part of the ILTF Independent Tour.
In December 1972 the format for the open event was changed to a closed event (Asian players only) and played as team only competition called the Asian Amateur Championships whereby a country sends teams of players to compete in singles, doubles and mixed doubles events. Unlike the Davis Cup its not a round robin tournament. It was first played at Kings Park, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The tournament was played at other locations until 1973 when it was discontinued as part of the ILTF Independent Tour.

## History

On 22 December 1949 the International Championships of Asia were inaugurated at the Calcutta South Club, Calcutta, India. The tournament was concluded on 1 January 1950 the first winners of the singles events were Indian player Dilip Kumar Bose, and American player Patricia Canning Todd. In 1968 the men's edition was held in Calcutta, the women's in Bangalore. The open Asian Championships ran annually until 1972 when it was last held in Poona, India, that year two editions of the tournament were held the normal winter edition, and a one off summer event called the Asian Championships Invitation. The final winners of open international winter edition in the singles events were the Indian player Jaidip Mukerjea (men's), the Indian player Kiran Peshawaria (women's).
The summer edition of this tournament was played in Singapore. The winner of the men's singles in the invitation event was Ramanathan Krishnan. This tournament was then discontinued from the ILTF Independent Tour. The championships were held in the following locations throughout its run in Bangalore, Calcutta, Colombo, Lahore, Manila, New Delhi, Poona and Singapore. The ILTF Independent Tour, a series of worldwide tournaments not part of the men's Grand Prix Circuit or women's the WTA Tour
In July 1971 at an annual general meeting of the ILTF it was decided to change the format of the open international championships and make it a closed Asian only team event. The ILTF provided the finances to stage the event that was to be held from 20 to 26 February 1972 at King's Park, Kowloon in then what was British Hong Kong. Thirteen countries were invited to send teams including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ian, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Asian Amateur Championships were held only once the winner of the men's singles event was won by Japan's Toshiro Sakai (men's), and the doubles event was won by Japan's Toshiro Sakai and Jun Kamiwazumi.

## Asian International Championships (open)
### Finals
#### Men's singles (winter)

(incomplete roll)
Asian Championships :
| Year | Location | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
| 1949 | Calcutta | Dilip Kumar Bose | Sumant 'tiny' Misra | 6–1, 6–2, 8–6. |
| 1950 | Lahore | Jaroslav Drobný | Fred Kovaleski | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4. |
| 1952 | Colombo | Frank Sedgman | Tony Mottram | 6–4, 4–6, 7–5, 6–3. |
| 1954 | Manila | Lennart Bergelin | Felicisimo Ampon | 6–3, 5–7, 6–2, 6–0. |
| 1955 | Calcutta | Kurt Nielsen | Jack Arkinstall | 6–2, 6–4, 6–1. |
| 1957 | Colombo | Jaroslav Drobný | Warren Woodcock | 6–1, 6–2, 6–4. |
| 1958 | Lahore | Torben Ulrich | Robert Haillet | 6–4, 6–2, 6–2. |
| 1959 | Calcutta | Ramanathan Krishnan | Barry MacKay (tennis) | 7–5, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3. |
| 1962 | Calcutta | Roy Emerson | Ramanathan Krishnan | 7–5, 6–4, 6–3. |
| 1963 | Calcutta | Ramanathan Krishnan (2) | Jaidip Mukerjea | 6–4, 6–2, 6–4. |
| 1964 | Calcutta | Ramanathan Krishnan (3) | Jaidip Mukerjea | 6–4, 6–3, 6–2. |
| 1965 | Calcutta | Ramanathan Krishnan (4) | Bob Hewitt | 6–2, 6–1, 6–4. |
| 1966 | Calcutta | Jaidip Mukerjea | Ramanathan Krishnan | 6–4, 6–3, 6–2. |
| 1967 | Calcutta | Alexander Metreveli | Ismail El Shafei | 6–3, 8–6, 6–4. |
| 1968 | Calcutta | Alexander Metreveli (2) | Ion Țiriac | 8–6, 6–3, 6–4. |
| ↓ Open era ↓ |||||
| 1969 | Calcutta | Jaidip Mukerjea (2) | Bill Tym | 6–2, 6–1, 6–0. |
| 1970 | New Delhi | Alexander Metreveli (3) | Premjit Lall | 6–3, 6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3. |
| 1972 | Poona | Jaidip Mukerjea (2) | Vijay Amritraj | 1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4. |

#### Men's singles (summer)

Asian Championships Invitation :
| Year | Location | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
| 1972 | Singapore | Ramanathan Krishnan | Eduardo 'Eddie' Cruz | 6–2, 11–9, 6–1. |

#### Women's singles

(incomplete roll)
Asian Championships :
| Year | Location | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
| 1949 | Calcutta | Patricia Canning Todd | Betty Hilton | 6–4, 6–0 |
| 1950 | Lahore | Dorothy Head | Joy Gannon Mottram | 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1952 | Colombo | Doris Hart | Shirley Fry | 6–4, 2–6, 6–1 |
| 1954 | Manila | Sachiko Kamo | Desideria Ampon | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1956 | Calcutta | Althea Gibson | Sachiko Kamo | 6–3, 9–11, 6–2 |
| 1957 | Colombo | Althea Gibson (2) | Patricia Ward | 6–0, 13–11 |
| 1958 | Lahore | Louise Snow | Parveen Ahmed | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1960 | Calcutta | Margaret Hellyer | Mimi Arnold | 3–6, 6–1, 7–5 |
| 1962 | Calcutta | Lesley Turner | Madonna Schacht | 8–6, 6–2 |
| 1963 | Calcutta | Cherri Chettyanna | Rattan Thadani | 6–1, 1–6, 6–3 |
| 1964 | Calcutta | Lakshmi Mahadevan | Jill Rook Mills | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1965 | Calcutta | Nirupama Vasant | Lakshmi Mahadevan | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1966 | Calcutta | Tiiu Soome | Carol Ann Prosen | 6–3, 1–6, 6–1 |
| 1967 | Calcutta | Rena Abjandadze | Alla Ivanova | 6–4, 6–0 |
| 1968 | Bangalore | Alla Ivanova | Nina Tukherli | 6–1, 6–2 |
| ↓ Open era ↓ |||||
| 1969 | Calcutta | Nirupama Vasant (2) | Alice Tym | 6–1, 3–6, 6–3 |
| 1970 | New Delhi | Rena Abjandadze (2) | Alla Ivanova | 9–7, 6–3 |
| 1972 | Poona | Kiran Peshawaria | Susan Das | 6–2, 6–0 |

## Asian Amateur Championships (closed)
### Finals
#### Men's singles

Asian Amateur Championships :
| Year | Location | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
| 1972 | Hong Kong | Toshiro Sakai | Vijay Amritraj | 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 5–7, 7–5 . |
| 1973 | Manila | Toshiro Sakai (2) | Chiradip Mukerjea | 4–6, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–3. |

#### Men's doubles

Asian Amateur Championships :
| Year | Location | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
| 1972 | Hong Kong | Toshiro Sakai Jun Kamiwazumi | Anand Amritraj Vijay Amritraj | 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 . |

## Tournament records
### Men's singles

Included:
* Most Titles: Ramanathan Krishnan (5)
* Most Finals: Ramanathan Krishnan (7)
* Most Consecutive Titles: Ramanathan Krishnan (3)
* Most Consecutive Finals: Ramanathan Krishnan (4)

### Women's singles

* Most Titles: Althea Gibson & Nirupama Vasant & Rena Abjandadze (2)
* Most Finals: Althea Gibson & Nirupama Vasant & Rena Abjandadze (2)
* Most Consecutive Titles: Althea Gibson (2)
* Most Consecutive Finals: Althea Gibson (2)