# Wolverhampton Open

The Wolverhampton Open was a combined men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1897 as the Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament. The first tournament was staged at Parkdale, Wolverhampton from 1897 to 1900 before it was discontinued in 1900. In 1903 a second tournament was revived and played in Newbridge, in Wolverhampton, where it ran until 1974.

## History

The Wolverhampton Open was established as the Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament in 1897, under auspices of the Albert Lawn Tennis Club, Parkdale, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, Midlands - before it was discontinued in 1900. In 1903 a second Wolverhampton tournament was revived by Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Club, in Newbridge. In 1931 the tournament was renamed as the Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament. By the 1950s it was branded as the Wolverhampton Open and ran until 1974. In 1970 the event was marketed under the brand name the Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open as part of the Bio-Strath Circuit, it remained part of that tour through till 1971.
Notable winners of the men's singles title included; Sydney Howard Smith, Cam Malfroy, George Lyttleton-Rogers, Claude Lister, Tony Pickard, Bill Hoogs Jr., Frew McMillan, and Andrew Pattison. Winners of the women's singles title included; Phoebe Holcroft Watson, Dorothy Holman, Rita Bentley, Angela Mortimer, Ann Haydon Jones, Faye Toyne, Mary Habicht, Kerry Melville and Valerie Ziegenfuss.

## Venues

The Albert Lawn Tennis Club was founded at Parkdale, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire around 1894. It staged the first Wolverhampton tennis tournament until 1900. In 1903 a second Wolverhampton tournament was revived by the Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Club (f. 1885), in Newbridge, Wolverhampton.

## Finals
### Men's singles

(incomplete roll)
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Score |
| ↓ LTA Circuit ↓ ||||
| Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament ||||
| 1897 | Sydney Howard Smith | Charles Henry Ridding | 6–0, ret. |
| 1898 | Sydney Howard Smith (2) | Wilberforce Eaves | 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2. |
| 1900 | Wilberforce Eaves | John Mycroft Boucher | 7–5, 7–5, 6–3. |
| Wolverhampton Tennis Tournament ||||
| 1905 | Edward Roy Allen | Alfred Beamish | 4–6, 2–6, 6–3, 8–6, 6–4. |
| 1910 | Edward Joseph Sampson | Xenophon Kasdaglis | 6–2, 8–6. |
| ↓ ILTF Circuit ↓ ||||
| 1915/1919 | Not held (due to World War I) | Not held (due to World War I) | Not held (due to World War I) |
| 1924 | Hassan Ali Fyzee | Edward (Teddy) Higgs | 3-2 sets. |
| 1929 | Donald Greig | George Meredith | 6–2, 7–5. |
| Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament ||||
| 1930 | George Meredith | Thomas Slater | 6–4, 3–6, 6–3. |
| 1934 | Cam Malfroy | Ryuki Miki | 6–2, 6–1. |
| 1935 | George Lyttleton Rogers | Umberto De Morpurgo | 6–3, 8–6. |
| 1939 | Jack Moore | Claude Lister | 2–6, 6–1, 7–5. |
| 1940/1946 | Not held (due to World War II) | Not held (due to World War II) | Not held (due to World War II) |
| 1947 | Claude Lister | Jack Moore | 4–6, 7–5, 9–7. |
| 1948 | Claude Lister (2) | John B. Griffith | 8–6, 9–7. |
| 1949 | Claude Lister (3) | John B. Griffith | 6–4, 6–3. |
| Wolverhampton Open ||||
| 1950 | W.P.W. Anderson | George Godsell | 6–3, 2–6, 6–2. |
| 1951 | N.E. Hooper | J.B. Payne | 6–1, 6–1. |
| 1952 | Rex H. Hack | John C. Upton | 6–4, 6–3. |
| 1953 | J.C. Upton | K.G. Jones | 6–4, 6–1. |
| 1954 | Claude Lister (4) | K.G. Jones | 6–2, 8–6. |
| 1955 | M.A. Harris | L.M. Kilby | 6–2, 7–5. |
| 1956 | M.L. Booth | L.M. Kilby | 6–4, 6–2. |
| 1957 | K.G. Jones | P.G. Wainwright | 4–6, 6–1, 6–2. |
| 1959 | Robin Sanders | John Maloney | 4–6, 6–4, 6–1. |
| 1960 | Tony Pickard | David Samaai | 6–2, 5–7, 6–3. |
| 1961 | Will Coghlan | Roger Taylor | 6–4, 6–1. |
| 1962 | Frew McMillan | John B. Hillebrand | 6–4, 6–4. |
| 1963 | Frew McMillan (2) | Roy W. Dixon | 6–4, 4–6, 7–5 |
| 1964 | Billy Knight | Frew McMillan | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4. |
| 1965 | Billy Knight (2) | Patricio Cornejo | 9–7, 6–3. |
| 1966 | Bill Hoogs Jr. | Onny Parun | 6–4, 8–6. |
| 1967 | Jaroslav Drobný | Billy Knight | 6–8, 6–4, 6–3. |
| 1968 | Keith Carpenter | Graydon Garner | 6–4, 7–5. |
| ↓ Open era ↓ ||||
| Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open ||||
| 1970 | Frew McMillan (3) | Hank Irvine | 6–4, 4–6, 6–4. |
| 1971 | Andrew Pattison | Peter Doerner | 6–3, 6–2. |
| Wolverhampton Open ||||
| 1974 | Alvin Gardiner | Roger Webb | 6–2, 6–2. |

### Women's singles

(incomplete roll)
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Score |
| ↓ ILTF Circuit ↓ ||||
| Wolverhampton Tennis Tournament ||||
| 1920 | Marie Hazel | Mrs South | 6–1, 6–2 |
| 1921 | Marie Hazel (2) | Mrs Bellord | 6–3, 6–0 |
| 1922 | Marie Hazel (3) | Miss Wynne | 6–1, 6–0 |
| 1923 | Marie Hazel (4) | Phoebe Holcroft | 6–4, 7–5 |
| 1924 | Jessie Russell Colegate | Marie Hazel | 6–0, 6–2 |
| 1925 | Irene Maltby | Kathleen Lidderdale Bridge | 6–4, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 1926 | M. Wynne | Irene Maltby | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1927 | Marie Hazel (5) | Irene Maltby | 6–1, 6–8, 8–6 |
| 1928 | Dorothy Round | Marie Hazel | 8–6, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 1930 | Dorothy Round (2) | Marie Hazel | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament ||||
| 1931 | Phoebe Holcroft Watson | Jackie McAlpine | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1932 | Dorothy Round (3) | Mrs H. Page | 6–1, 6–2 |
| 1933 | Mie Johnstone | Mrs H. Page | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1934 | Dorothy Round (4) | Grace Vaughton | 6–1, 6–2 |
| 1935 | Christabel Wheatcroft | Gladys Southwell | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1936 | Christabel Wheatcroft (2) | Barbara Freisenbruch | 6–0, 6–2 |
| 1937 | Mrs H. Page | Isobel Cooke | 7–5, 6–1 |
| 1939 | Elsie Hamilton | Mary Norman | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1940/1946 | Not held (due to World War II) | Not held (due to World War II) | Not held (due to World War II) |
| 1947 | Sally Stoney Lister | Elsie Hamilton Phillips | 6–1, 6–4 |
| 1948 | Sally Stoney Lister (2) | Isabel Follows | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1949 | Elsie Hamilton Phillips | Patricia Cowney | 8–6, 6–3 |
| Wolverhampton Open ||||
| 1950 | Patricia Cowney | Gillian Gittings Worrall | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1951 | Elsie Hamilton Phillips (2) | Molly Wadlow Stone | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1952 | Elsie Hamilton Phillips (3) | Molly Wadlow Stone | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1953 | Y. Toyne | L. Bishop | 6–4, 0–6, 6–4 |
| 1954 | Sally Stoney Lister (3) | Jane Godfrey | 7–5, 6–3 |
| 1955 | Molly Wadlow Stone | Jane Godfrey | 12–10, 3–6, 7–5 |
| 1956 | Valerie Pitt | Molly Wadlow Stone | 6–4, 6–1 |
| 1957 | Mrs R. Worrall | Mrs L. Newman | 3–6, 6–0, 6–1 |
| 1958 | Rita Bentley | Hazel Austin Cheadle | 8–6, 6–2 |
| 1959 | Angela Mortimer | Ann Haydon | 6–1, 6–4 |
| 1960 | Angela Mortimer (2) | Rita Bentley | 8–6, 9–7 |
| 1961 | Ann Haydon | Lynn Hutchings | 6–0, 6-1 |
| 1962 | Hazel Cheadle | Eleanor O'Neill | 6–1, 1–6, 6–3 |
| 1963 | Ann Haydon Jones (2) | Renée Schuurman | 9–7, 1–6, 6–4 |
| 1964 | Faye Toyne | Alison Stroud | 6–1, 6–3 |
| 1965 | Mary Habicht | Jean Haskew | 4–6, 6–4, 6–1 |
| 1966 | Susan Tutt | Jean Haskew | 6–1, 6–1 |
| 1968 | Valerie Ziegenfuss | Janice Townsend | divided title |
| ↓ Open era ↓ ||||
| Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open ||||
| 1970 | Kerry Melville | Sue Alexander | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1971 | Janice Townsend Wainwright | Maria Guzman | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Wolverhampton Open ||||
| 1974 | Jenny Dimond | Jenny Helliar | 2–6, 6–1, 6–1 |

## Event Names

* Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament (1897-1900)
* Wolverhampton Tennis Tournament (1903-30)
* Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament (1931-49)
* Wolverhampton Open (1950-69)
* Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open (1970-71)
* Wolverhampton Open (1972-74)