Eastern Clay Court Championships

Eastern Clay Court Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
TourUSLTA
Founded1927
Abolished1971
Editions39
LocationJackson Heights, Queens, N.Y. (1927-48)
Travers Island (1949)
Rye, N.Y, U.S. (1950–51)
Hackensack, N.J. (1954-69)
Port Washington, N.Y., New York City (1970-71)
VenueJackson Heights Tennis Club
NY Athletic Club
Westchester Country Club
Oritani Field Club
Port Washington Park
Surfaceclay

The Eastern Clay Court Championships[1][2] was a combined men's and women's international tennis tournament on clay courts founded in 1927 by the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association of the USLTA. The championships were held in various locations in the New York City area, U.S. until 1971.

History

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The Eastern Clay Court Championships were founded in 1927 under the aegis of the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association (the New York City regional chapter of the USLTA).[3][4] That same year of 1927, the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association also inaugurated the Eastern Grass Court Championships, usually played in August. The list of champions and runners-up for the two tournaments contained many names common to both events.

The Eastern Clay Court tournaments were usually played in late June and early July, often conflicting with the Wimbledon Championships schedule for player participation and news coverage.

The early editions were played in New York City at the Jackson Heights Tennis Club, Queens N.Y..[5][6]

The Eastern Clay Court Championships were later held in different locations in the New York City area including such venues as the Westchester Country Club (currently HarTru clay courts) in the early 1950s.[7] The Westchester Country Club had also hosted the Eastern Grass Court Championships tennis tournament from 1927 until 1945.[8]

In the 1954-1969 period the location was the Oritani Field Club in Hackensack, N.J.[9] The Hackensack clay court traditions are currently being revived.[10] The final venue in the early 1970s was in Port Washington, New York City.

The title was won by such champions as Herbert Bowman, Gregory Mangin, Berkeley Bell, J. Gilbert Hall, Bobby Riggs, Pancho Segura, Frank Parker (who won the title four times), Bill Talbert, Dick Savitt, Sidney Schwartz, Eddie Moylan, J. Allen Morris, Ron Holmberg, Robert Bédard, Arthur Ashe, Frank Froehling, and Antonio Palafox.

Other notable players who participated without winning the singles title but finishing as runner-up included Julius Seligson, Frank Bowden, Clifford Sutter, Sidney Wood, Don McNeill (runner-up in both 1937 and 1950), Frank Shields, Frank Kovacs, Ted Schroeder, Gene Mako, Gardnar Mulloy, Tony Vincent, and Gene Scott all of whom were strong clay court players.

Frank Parker holds the record for most titles (4). The 1969 champion, Peter Fishbach, was the son of the 1938 runner-up, Joe Fishbach.

Finals

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Men's singles

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Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1927 Queens United States Herbert Bowman United States Julius Seligson 6–4, 5–7, 6–1, 9–7
1928 United States Gregory Mangin United States Herbert Bowman 6–1, 6–2, 1–6, 6–3
1929 United States Herbert Bowman (2) United States Edgar Dawson 6–1, 6–4, 6–1
1930 United States Herbert Bowman (3) United States Frank Bowden 6–3, 6–2, 6–2
1931 United States Samuel Gilpin United States Ralph De Mott 7–5, 6–2, 6–1
1932 United States Berkeley Bell United States Lawrence Kurzrok 4–6, 7–5, 8–6, 6–4
1933 United States J. Gilbert Hall United States Frank Shields 6–2, 7–5, 6–4
1934 United States J. Gilbert Hall (2) United States Clifford Sutter 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1935 United States Berkeley Bell (2) United States Leonard Hartman 8–6, 7–5, 6–2
1936 United States Bobby Riggs United States John Richard Law 6–3, 6–0, 6–4
1937 United States John McDiarmid United States Don McNeill 6–3, 1–6, 6–4, 0–6, 6–3
1938 United States Jeff Podesta United States Joseph Fishbach 6–3, 6–2, 2–6, 6–1
1939 United States Jeff Podesta (2) United States Marvin Wachman 6–4, 7–5, 6–2
1940 United States Frank Parker United States Frank Kovacs 6–2, 7–5, 6–1
1941 United States Frank Parker (2) United States Gene Mako 6–2, 6–2, 6–0
1942 Ecuador Pancho Segura United States Ted Schroeder 7–5, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3
1943 Not held
1944 Not held
1945 United States Elwood Cooke United States Sidney Wood 8–6, 6–4, 7–5
1946 United States Frank Parker (3) United States Gardnar Mulloy 6–2, 7–5, 6–1
1947 Czech Republic Ladislav Hecht United States Dick Savitt 6–4, 4–6, 6–0, 7–5
1948 United States Frank Parker (4) United States Billy Talbert 6–3, 8–6, 6–2
1949 New Rochelle United States Billy Talbert United States Eddie Moylan 4–6, 11-9, 2–6, 6–1, 6–2
1950 Rye United States Dick Savitt United States Don McNeill 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1951 United States Sidney Schwartz United States George Ball 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
1952 Not held
1953 Not held
1954 Hackensack United States Eddie Moylan United States Jerry DeWitts 6–0, 6–2, 6–4
1955 United States Eddie Moylan (2) United States Ron Holmberg 6–3, 6–2, 6–0
1956 United States Eddie Moylan (3) United States Sidney Schwartz 6–0, 3–6, 6–0, 8–6
1957 United States Ron Holmberg United States Tony Vincent 1–6, 8–6, 6–1, 6–3
1958 United States Gerald Moss United States Sidney Schwartz 3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–2
1959 United States J. Allen Morris United States Don Rubell 6–0, 5–7, 6–2, 6–2
1960 Canada Robert Bédard United States Gene Scott 1–6, 14-12, 2–6, 6–4, 6–2
1961 United States Arthur Ashe[11] United States Bob Barker 6–3, 2–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1962 United States Sidney Schwartz (2) United States Herb Fitzgibbon 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
1963 United States Lex Wood United States Dick Raskind 7–5, 6–2, 6–2
1964 United States Herb Fitzgibbon United States David George Sanderlin 8–6, 6–1, 6–4
1965 Not held
1966 United States Frank Froehling United States Herb Fitzgibbon 3–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4
1967 Not held
1968 United States Ed Austin United States Steve Siegel 6–4, 6–4, 6–2
1969 United States Peter Fishbach United States Don Rubell 4–6, 6–0, 9–7, 2-1 ret.
1970 Port Washington Mexico Antonio Palafox Czech RepublicOtokar Merunka 6–4, 9–7, 6–0
1971 Mexico Antonio Palafox (2) United States Steve Ross 6–2, 7–5, 6–1

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "ASHE TURNS BACK CLAY COURT RIVAL; Advances With Schwartz in Eastern Title Tennis (Published 1962)". 1962-06-28. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  2. ^ "TENNIS EVENTS". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  3. ^ Kimball, Warren F. (December 2017). The United States Tennis Association: Raising the Game. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-4962-0462-2.
  4. ^ "Find Your USTA Eastern Region". www.usta.com. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  5. ^ "Podesta and Buxby Gain as Eastern Clay-Court Play Opens With Record Field; TWO NET MATCHES TAKEN BY PODESTA He Prevails Against De Lord and Rogers in Title Event at Jackson Heights BUXBY TRIUMPHS EASILY Puts Out Voorhees in Second Round--Eastern Fixture Draws List of 188 (Published 1939)". 1939-07-16. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  6. ^ "A History of Jackson Heights – JHBG". Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  7. ^ "Tennis - Westchester Country Club". www.westchestercc.org. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  8. ^ Robertson, Max (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. pp. 235–236. ISBN 9780047960420.
  9. ^ "ASHE TURNS BACK CLAY COURT RIVAL; Advances With Schwartz in Eastern Title Tennis (Published 1962)". 1962-06-28. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  10. ^ "Largest RedClay U.S. Tennis Club Coming to Hackensack This Fall". Retrieved 2023-08-14. "The tennis club will feature eight indoor and six outdoor courts featuring new maintenance-free red clay court technology imported from Germany, according to a press release."
  11. ^ George Ball to be Inducted into El Paso Hall of Fame. https://www.elpasohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/El_Paso_Herald_Post_Sat__Mar_28__1970_.jpg