Leamington Open Tournament

Tennis tournament

Leamington Open Tournament

Defunct tennis tournament
Tour| Amateur
Founded| 1882
Abolished| 1931
Editions| 49
Location| Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England
Venue| Leamington Lawn Tennis Club
Surface| outdoor (grass)

The Leamington Open Tournament, also known as the Leamington Lawn Tennis Club Tournament, was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament held at Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England from 1882 to 1931 as part of the pre-open era tennis tour.[1] It was founded on 1 August 1882[2] as the Royal Leamington Lawn Tennis Tournament.[3]

## History

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The Leamington Open Tournament was established on 1 August 1882,[4] and first staged at Jephson Gardens. At the same meeting held in August 1882, a dual tournament called the Warwickshire Championships (1882-1938) was staged.

At the inaugural event, the first men's all comers singles champion was England's Robert Wallace Braddell (son of Sir Thomas Braddell), who defeated Edward Lake Williams in 3 straight sets.[5][6] The all comers mixed doubles title was won by Erskine Gerald Watson and his sister Maud Watson.[7]

The tournament continued separately to that of the county championship until 1931. Formers men's winners of this event include Charles Walder Grinstead (1883) and Cotah Ramaswami (1920).

## Finals

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### Men's Singles

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Incomplete roll
Year  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Score

|
|
|

1882 |  Robert Wallace Braddell |  Teddy Williams | 7-5 6-2 6-3
1883 |  Charles Walder Grinstead |  Herbert Wilberforce | 8-6 3-6 6-3 3-6 6-3
1884 |  Teddy Williams |  Frank Seymour Noon | 6-3 6-2 6-2
1885 |  James Dwight |  Alfred Henry Betham | 6-1 6-3 6-0
1886 |  Alfred Henry Betham |  Harry Grove | 8-6 8-6 6-4
1889 |  Charles Gladstone Eames |  Francis Seymour Noon | 4–6, 6–1, 6–2, 3–6, 7–5
1909 |  Neville Gard Deed |  William Caleb Wood Curtis | 9-7, 6-2
1920 |  Cotah Ramaswami |  John Cecil F. Masterman | walkover
1931 |  Henry Woolf Standring |  R.L. Tower | 6-4, 6-2

### Mixed Doubles

[edit]

Incomplete roll
Year  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Score

|
|
|

1884 |  Frank Noon
Effie Noon |  Alfred Betham
Miss Exham | 6-2, 6-4, 6-1
1886 |  Charles Ross
Mrs Hornby |  Thomas Mellersh
Gertrude Mellersh | 6-2, 6-3

## References

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1. ^ Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament – Leamington". tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
2. ^ Routledges Sporting Annual (1883) Lawn Tennis Principle Meetings of 1882. George Routledge and Son. London. p.116.
3. ^ "THE LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT. The Seventh Royal Leamington Lawn Tennis Tournament, promoted by the Town Improvement Association, Alas passed off with remarkable success, at the Jephson Gardens, considering that the elements were militated very seriously against it". Leamington Spa Courier. Warwickshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 21 July 1888. p. 5. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
4. ^ Routledges Sporting Annual (1883) Lawn Tennis Principle Meetings of 1882.
5. ^ Routledges Sporting Annual (1883) Lawn Tennis Principle Meetings of 1882.
6. ^ Nieuwland, Alex. Tennis Archives.
7. ^ Routledges Sporting Annual (1883) Lawn Tennis Principle Meetings of 1882.

## Sources

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* Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament – Leamington. www.tennisarchives.com. A. Nieuwland.
* Routledges Sporting Annual (1883) George Routledge and Son. London.
* Warwickshire County Tennis Championships. Leamington Lawn Tennis & Squash Club". lltsc.co.uk.