# Blue Gray Championships

The Blue Gray Championships was a men's and women's open international tennis tournament was founded in 1949. Also known as the Blue Gray Invitation the tournament was first played at the Montgomery Country Club, Montgomery, Alabama, United States. It was played annually until 1978 as an individual competition when it was discontinued. In 1984 it was revived as team only competition called the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic that is still active.

## History

The tournament was conceived by Jack Bushman the President of the Southern Lawn Tennis Association. In 1949 he established the event was based upon the Sugar Bowl Tennis Championships. This tournament was to be played before the Blue–Gray Football Classic was being held and first occurred in 1950. The main difference between this event and the Sugar Bowl tennis event, it was to be an open international tournament for college (university) players rather than junior players. The inaugural winners of the singles events were Jack Tuero (men) and Elinor Shaw (women). The tournament also featured doubles events.
The championships were held at the Montgomery Country Club from inception until 1968. In 1969 he moved location to Huntingdon College but was not held that year. In 1973 it moved the Lagoon Park Tennis Center before moving to the O’Connor Tennis Center during the last few editions all of were in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1978 the event was discontinued as an individual competition, however exhibition events under the brand name the Blue Gray Invitation continued to held. In 1983 the format for the tournament was a changed to become team only competition to be played as a lead up event to the NCAA Championships. In 1984 the first edition of the rebranded Blue Gray National Tennis Classic was held.

## Finals

Notes: Where a runner up is not shown or the score sections have been blanked.

### Men's singles

| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Score |
| 1949 | Jack Tuero | Herbert "Buddy" Behrens | 6–0, 6–2, 7–9, 9–11, 6–1. |
| 1950 | Ricardo Balbiers | Wade Herren | 6–4, 6–1, 6–2. |
| 1951 | Jack Tuero (2) | Tony Trabert | 9–7, 9–7, 0–6, 5–7, 6–1. |
| 1952 | Don Kaiser | Wade Herren | 6–3, 1–6, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5 |
| 1953 | Ham Richardson | Don Kaiser | 6–1, 6–2, 6–3. |
| 1954 | Allen Morris | José Agüero Umatino | 9–7, 6–4, 0–6, 6–4. |
| 1955 | Eddie Moylan | Allen Morris | 3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 15–13. |
| 1956 | Wade Herren | Johann Kupferburger | 4–6, 7–5, 6–0. |
| 1957 | William Quillian | Barry MacKay (tennis) | 6–4, 6–4, 6–4. |
| 1958 | Gustavo Palafox | Ronald Holmberg | 6–4, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6, 6–4. |
| 1959 | Ronald Holmberg | Gerald Moss | 6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–4. |
| 1960 | Crawford Henry | Henry "Hank" Jungle | 7–5 6–4. |
| 1961 | Myron Franks | Billy Lenoir | 6–1, 8–6, 6–2. |
| 1962 | Mike Belkin | Norm Perry | 8–6, 4–6, 6–4. |
| 1963 | Billy Lenoir | Andrew Lloyd | 6–1, 2–6, 6–2. |
| 1964 | Andrew Lloyd | Robert Brien | 1–6, 6–3, 6–1. |
| 1965 | J. W. Bitsy Harrison | Bill Tym | 11–9, 6–2. |
| 1966 | Tom Edlefsen | Cliff Buchholz | 6–2, 6–3. |
| 1967 | Mike Belkin (2) | Herb Fitzgibbon | 9–11, 7–5, 6–2. |
| 1968 | Joaquín Loyo-Mayo | Vicente Zarazúa | 6–1, 6–1. |
| ↓ Open era ↓ ||||
| 1970 | Peter van Lingen | Paul Gerken | 11–9 4–6 6–3. |
| 1971 | Humphrey Hose | Mike Belkin | 7–5 6–0 7–6. |
| 1972 | Humphrey Hose (2) | Fred McNair | 7–6, 6–7, 6–3. |
| 1973 | Raz Reid | Sashi Menon | 6–3, 7–6. |
| 1974 | Victor Amaya | Tim Vann | 7–6, 5–7, 7–7. |
| 1975 | Butch Walts | Fred DeJesus | 6–4, 6–4. |
| 1976 | Terry Moor | Nick Saviano | 6–4, 6–4. |
| 1977 | Terry Moor (2) | Marcelo Lara | 6–2, 6–3. |
| 1978 | Warren Eber | Eddie Edwards | 4–6, 7–6, 6–3. |
| For the team event see Blue Gray National Tennis Classic ||||

### Women's singles

(incomplete roll)
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Score |
| 1949 | Elinor Shaw | Ewing McAllester | 6–4, 8–6 |
| 1950 | Suzanne Herr | Lucy Masterson | 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1953 | Jean Clarke | Laura Lou Kunnen | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1954 | Jean Clarke (2) | Pat Stewart | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1955 | Yola Ramirez | Jean Clarke | 7–9, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1956 | Karol Fageros | Yola Ramirez | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1957 | Owen McHaney | Raymonde Veber Jones | 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 1958 | Owen McHaney (2) | Marta Hernández | 8–6, 6–4 |
| 1959 | Carol Hanks | Marie Martin | 6–4, 7–5 |
| 1960 | Susan Butt | Linda Vail | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1961 | Roberta Alison | Mary Habicht | 6–4, 2–6, 6–1 |
| 1962 | Roberta Alison (2) | Mary Habicht | 6–0, 6–3 |
| 1963 | Justina Bricka | Stephanie DeFina | 3–6, 8–6, 6–2 |
| 1964 | Roberta Alison (3) | Becky Vest | 6–0, 6–4 |
| 1965 | Roberta Alison (4) | Stephanie DeFina | 3–6, 7–5, 6–0 |
| 1966 | Becky Vest | Linda Tuero | 6–3, 2–6, 6–2 |
| 1968 | Linda Tuero | Emilie Burrer | 6–0, 6–4 |
| ↓ Open era ↓ ||||
| 1970 | Laura duPont | Kathy Kraft | 6–1, 6–2 |
| 1972 | Pat Bostrom | Beverly Barger | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1973 | Betsy Butler | Susan Vinton | 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 1974 | Linda Rupert | Betsy Butler | 6–1, 6–4 |
| 1975 | Beth Norton | Candy Reynolds | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1977 | Kate Latham | Kathy Kuykendall | 7–6, 6–2 |
| For the team event see Blue Gray National Tennis Classic ||||