# Hoylake Open Championships

The Hoylake Open Championships also known as the Rothman's Hoylake Open Championships (for sponsorship reasons) was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1930 as the Hoylake and West Kirby Open. The event was staged annually at Ashton Park, West Kirby, Cheshire, England until 1974.

## History

On 25 August 1930 the Hoylake and West Kirby Open lawn tennis tournament was established. The tournament was unique in that it was played on public tennis courts at the Ashton Park, West Kirby, Cheshire. It began mainly as a local British event for the first couple of decades It then began to attract international players from the 1950s onward. The tournament continued under same the brand name until 1966. In 1967 the newspaper company the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Ltd took over sponsorship of the event, and it was rebraded as Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Hoylake Open. In 1970 the tobacco company Rothmans International took over sponsorship of the tournament. It became a major stop on the ILTF Circuit in July just after Wimbledon until its demise in the mid-1970s.
In 1960 and from 1967 the tournament was also valid as North of England Championships with the winners succeeding to both titles. The tournament was predominantly played on grass courts except for the 1974 edition that was played on clay courts.

## Finals
### Men's Singles

Incomplete roll includes:
Hoylake and West Kirby Open :
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Score |
| 1949 | W. Devine | G.J. Chibbett | 3-6, 9–7, 6-2 |
| 1950 | T.A. Cowdy | G.J. Chibbett | 4-6, 7–5, 6-4 |
| 1951 | David Samaai | Chew Bee Ong | 6-2, 9-7 |
| 1952 | Koon Hung Ip | Ignacy Tloczynski | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 1953 | Gerry Oakley | Ignacy Tloczynski | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 1954 | Gerry Oakley (2) | Koon Hung Ip | 6-2, 7-5 |
| 1955 | Gerry Oakley (3) | Colin Hannam | 7-5, 5–7, 6-3 |
| 1956 | John O'Brien | Don Black | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 1957 | Peter Frankland | Don Black | 6-3, 9–7, 6-2 |
| 1958 | Isaías Pimentel | Roy Stillwell | 10-8, 6-2 |
| 1959 | Ramanathan Krishnan | Premjit Lall | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1960 | Bertie Gaertner | David Samaai | 6-1, 2–6, 6-4 |
| 1961 | John Hillebrand | Martin Mulligan | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1962 | Roger Becker | Billy Knight | 6-3, 2–6, 6-4 |
| 1963 | Bob Howe | Martin Mulligan | 6-4, 8-6 |
| 1964 | John Hillebrand (2) | Fred Stolle | divided title |
| 1965 | Mike Sangster | Bob Hewitt | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1966 | Mike Sangster (2) | Bob Hewitt | 6-1, 6-1 |
| Hoylake Open ||||
| 1967 | John Newcombe | Roger Taylor | 7-5, 3–6, 6-3 |
| 1968 | Mike Sangster (3) | Herb Fitzgibbon | 2-6, 6–4, 12-10 |
| Open era ||||
| 1969 | Ray Ruffels | Brian Fairlie | 6-3, 6-3 |
| Hoylake Open Championships ||||
| 1970 | John Newcombe (2) | Owen Davidson | 4-6, 9–7, 6-4 |
| 1971 | Andrew Pattison | Jaidip Mukerjea | 6-2, 5–7, 6-2 |
| 1972 | Douglas Irvine | Ray Keldie | divided title |
| 1973 | Bob Giltinan | Owen Davidson | 1-6, 6–3, 6-2 |
| 1974 | Bernie Mitton | John Yuill | 6-4, 6-4 |

### Women's singles

Incomplete roll includes.
Hoylake and West Kirby Open :
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Score |
| 1949 | Mrs B. Dixon | Mrs P. Williams | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 1950 | Ann Layfield | Peggy Astill Knight | 6-3, 1–6, 6-2 |
| 1951 | Ann Layfield (2) | Elsie Hamilton Phillips | 7-5, 1–6, 6-2 |
| 1952 | Rosemary Walsh | Georgie Woodgate | 2-6, 6–2, 6-3 |
| 1953 | Mary Harris | Evelyn Attwood | 7-5, 5–7, 6-4 |
| 1954 | Joan Curry | Georgie Woodgate | 10-8, 6-1 |
| 1955 | Shirley Bloomer | Rita Bentley | 6-3, 6-0 |
| 1956 | Shirley Bloomer (2) | Georgie Woodgate | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 1957 | Margaret R. O'Donnell | Kay Newcombe | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1958 | Margaret R. O'Donnell (2) | Sonia Cox | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 1959 | Sheila Armstrong | Deidre Catt | 5-7, 7–5, 6-2 |
| 1960 | Renée Schuurman | Sheila Armstrong | 6-3, 7-5 |
| 1961 | Margaret R. O'Donnell (3) | Louise Grundy | 6-0, 6-0 |
| 1962 | Angela Mortimer | Jill Blackman | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1963 | Ann Haydon Jones | Jill Blackman | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1964 | Rita Bentley | Madonna Schacht | divided the title |
| 1965 | Margaret Smith | Judy Tegart | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1966 | Margaret Smith (2) | Annette Van Zyl | 3-6, 6–1, 6-4 |
| Hoylake Open ||||
| 1967 | Virginia Wade | Judy Tegart | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1968 | Margaret Smith Court (3) | Virginia Wade | 6-2, 6-4 |
| Open era ||||
| 1969 | Virginia Wade (2) | Christine Truman Janes | 0-6, 6–4, 8-6 |
| Hoylake Open Championships ||||
| 1970 | Evonne Goolagong | Kerry Melville | 2-6, 6–2, 6-1 |
| 1971 | Billie Jean Moffitt King | Rosie Casals | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1972 | Evonne Goolagong (2) | Betty Stöve | divided the title |
| 1973 | Patti Hogan | Sharon Walsh | 11-9, 4–6, 6-4 |
| 1974 | Jackie Fayter | Patti Hogan | 6-0, 7-5 |

## Event names

* Hoylake and West Kirby Open (1930-1966)
* Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Hoylake Open (1967-1969)
* Rothman's Hoylake Open Championships (1970-1974)

## Tournament records
### Men's singles

* Most Men's Titles: Gerry Oakley & Mike Sangster (3)
* Most Men's Finals: Gerry Oakley & Mike Sangster (3)

### Women's singles

* Most Women's Titles: Margaret O'Donnell & Margaret Smith Court (3)
* Most Women's Finals: Georgie Woodgate & Margaret O'Donnell & Margaret Smith Court (3)