1931 in tennis
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Details | |
---|---|
Duration | December 24, 1930 – December 18, 1931 |
Tournaments | 160 |
Categories | Grand Slam (4) Pro Majors (3) National championships (20) International championships (135) Team events (20) Pro Tour (10) |
Achievements (singles) | |
Most tournament titles | Ellsworth Vines (10) Cilly Aussem (9) |
Most tournament finals | George Lyttleton-Rogers (14) Cilly Aussem (11) |
← 1930 1932 → |
The year 1931 in tennis was a complex mixture of mainly amateur tournaments composed of international, invitational, national, exhibition, team (city leagues, country leagues, international knock-out tournaments) events and joined by an up-and-coming Pro Tour both on competitive and exhibitional levels.
At the end of the pro season the champion title was awarded. Bill Tilden held the title at the end of the year. He also ran his own pro organization called the Tilden Tennis Tours and toured the world with a series of pro exhibition-like matches. The European professionals of Germany, France, Britain, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland founded the International Federation of Professionists and Professionals headed by Roman Najuch to represent their interest against the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF). There were a few occasional professionals against amateur challenges as well held in team competition format. The amateur events were almost all co-educated thus the majority included a mixed title contest. Irishman George Lyttleton-Rogers dominated the European scene winning eight singles titles, all of which were confined to French and Italian championships. Ellsworth Vines was the dominant male player on the North American tour. The women's most successful players were Miss Elizabeth Ryan in North America and Cilly Aussem in Europe and in South America. Australian tennis life was figureheaded by Jack Crawford.
The most prestigious team cups were the Wightman Cup for ladies and the Davis Cup (called the International Lawn Tennis Challenge) for men. The 1931 Wightman Cup was its 9th edition and was organized by the United States Tennis Association between the teams of Great Britain and the United States. The 1931 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was its 26th edition and was organized by the ILTF. The Americas Zone was split into the North/Central American Zone and the South American Zone. The winner of each sub-zone would play to determine who moved to the Inter-Zonal round. 22 teams entered the Europe Zone, while 7 participated in the Americas Zone. The United States defeated Argentina in the American Zone, but would then lose to Great Britain in the Inter-Zonal play-off. France defeated Great Britain in the Challenge Round, giving France their fifth straight title. The final was played at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, on 24–26 July.
Legend
[edit]Pro Majors |
National championships |
International championships |
Team events |
Pro tour |
Key
[edit]- Q = Qualifier
- WC = Wild card
- LL = Lucky loser
- Alt = Alternate
- SE = Special exempt
- PR = Protected ranking
- ITF = ITF entry
- JE = Junior exempt
- w/o = Walkover
- r = Retired
- d = Defaulted
- SR = Special ranking
This list includes men and women international tournaments (where at least several different nations were represented), main (annual) national championships, professional tour events and the Davis Cup
Pre-tournament season
[edit]- Italy beat Monaco and the team of São Paulo in international team challenges four to one in both matches.
- In the Paris – Stockholm club competition, the French troupe led by Jacques Brugnon and Christian Boussus beat the Swedish squadron four to one.
- The Czechoslovakian professionals headed by Karel Koželuh and Pavel Macenauer toured South Africa where they scored two draws against the home team twice in Durban and Port Elizabeth.[2]
- Vincent Richards retired and dropped his World Pro title as of the start of the year to handle his business affairs, although he came back to playing during the season.[2][3]
- Emmett Paré turned professional and later joined the Tilden Tennis Tours.[4]
January
[edit]- Bill Tilden turned professional as of this season after violating the amateur rules by signing a three-picture contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer and thus was expelled from the ILTF.[3]
- Frank Hunter turned professional in mid-January.[3]
- Harry Hopman wins all three titles at the Sydney Metropolitan Championship.
- The simultaneous use of two racquets by one player was officially banned as of this season.[5]
- Jean Schopfer, the second ever champion of the French Championships, died.[6]
- In the Berlin – Paris city club competition on 10 and 11 January, the French team led by Borotra, Boussous and Brugnon beat the German team led by Von Cramm, Kleinschroth and Prenn by eleven to two.[7]
- A British team led by Bunny Austin and John Olliff toured British India.[8]
Week | Event | Men | Women | Mixed | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Champions | Runner-up | Champions | Runner-up | Champions | Runner-up | ||
22–28 Dec[1] | L.T.C. Juan-les-Pins Championship Juan-les-Pins, France | Charles Aeschlimann 6–4, 6–2, 6–1 | Erik Worm | Muriel Thomas 6–2, 6–1 | Elizabeth Ryan | Aeschlimann Thomas 6–0, 6–2 | Hunter Ryan |
24 Dec[9]-1 Jan | New Zealand Lawn Tennis Championships[10][11] Christchurch,[9] New Zealand | Alan Stedman 7–5, 6–1, 6–3 | H.A. Barnett | May Dykes 6–1, 9–7 | Marjorie Macfarlane | ||
Charles Angas Ivan Seay 6–3, 6–3, 6–3 | France / France | Melody May Myers N/A | N/A | Ivan Seay May Andrew 7–5, 3–6, 7–5 | Thomson / Wilson | ||
29 Dec – 4 Jan[1] | Beausite – L. T. C. de Cannes Championship Cannes, France | George Lyttleton-Rogers 8–6, 6–1, 3–6, 7–5 | Charles Aeschlimann | Elizabeth Ryan 4–6, 8–6, 6–1 | Phyllis Satterthwaite | ||
Aeschlimann Erik Worm 6–3, 9–7, 6–2 | Rogers Hillyard | Thomas Taunay 8–10, 6–2, 6–2 | Satterthwaite Ryan | Aeschlimann Thomas 4–6, 6–3, 6–3 | Rogers Ryan | ||
5–11 Jan[1] | Métropole Club de Cannes Beausite Cannes, France | George Lyttleton-Rogers 8–10, 7–5, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 | Paul Féret | Hélène Contostavlos 6–2, 6–3 | Phyllis Satterthwaite | ||
Hillyard Landau 7–5, 6–4, 6–8, 2–6, 4–6 | Rogers Féret | Satterthwaite Ryan 6–1, 6–2[12] | Thomas Taunay | Rogers Ryan 6–3, 6–3 | Worm Satterthwaite | ||
10–17 Jan | Bristol Cup[13] Menton, France | Karel Koželuh 6–1, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4 | Albert Burke | ||||
Burke Plaa 6–2, 3–6, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3 | Koželuh Najuch | ||||||
12–19 Jan | Italian Riviera championships Sanremo, Italy | Jean Lesueur 8–6, 7–5, 1–6, 3–6, 6–2 | Benny Berthet | Phyllis Satterthwaite 5–7, 6–2, 6–2 [14] | Lucia Valerio | ||
de Martino Lesueur 6–0, 7–5, 6–0[15] | Serventi de Minerbi | Valerio Soames 6–3, 2–6, 6–3[16] | Riboli Meunier | Aeschlimann Ryan 6–3, 2–6, 6–1 [14] | de Stefani Valerio | ||
12–19 Jan | Nice L.T.C. Championships Nice, France | George Lyttleton-Rogers 6–4, 6–4, 8–6 | Edmond Lotan | Rosie Berthet 6–3, 7–5 | P. Marjollet | ||
Rogers Lotan 7–5, 6–3, 6–4 | Capt. Price Poligny | Rogers Berthet 6–1, 6–0 | J. Franks Sumarokov[14] | ||||
19–25 Jan[1] | New Courts L.T.C. de Cannes Cannes, France | Max Ellmer 6–3, 7–5 | Brame Hillyard | Muriel Thomas 6–1, 6–0 | Cosette St. Omer Roy | ||
Hillyard Minchin 6–4, 6–2 | Ellmer Natason | Thomas Natason 6–3, 6–4 | Ellmer Omer Roy | ||||
Jan | Mannheim International Covered Courts tournament Mannheim, Weimar Republic | Cilly Aussem 6–2, 6–4 | Ilse Friedleben | Aussem Nourney 12–10, 8–6 | Friedleben Buss | ||
Coupe de Noël Paris, France[17] | René de Buzelet 6–1, 6–3 | André Merlin | Simone Barbier 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 | Arlette Neufeld | |||
Glasser Borotra 6–3, 6–1, 6–4 | Gentien Féret | Guillier Gallay 6–4, 7–5 | Charnelet Gallay | Lesueur Noel 6–4, 2–6, 8–6 | Maier Adamoff | ||
Sydney Metropolitan Club Championship Sydney, Australia | Harry Hopman 6–2, 3–6, 6–0 | Jack Crawford | |||||
Hopman Crawford 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 | Dunlop Sproule | Hopman Eleanor Mary Hall 6–2, 6–4 | Crawford Crawford | ||||
26–31 Jan [18] | Canadian Covered Court Championships[19] Montreal, Quebec, Canada | George Lott 6–2, 5–7, 1–6, 6–3 [20] | John Van Ryn[20] | ||||
Lott Van Ryn 18–16, 6–3, 6–1 | Gilbert Hall Ch. W. Leslie | ||||||
24–31 Jan[21][22] | New South Wales Championships[22] Sydney, Australia | Jack Crawford 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 | Harry Hopman | Marjorie Cox Crawford 7–5, 6–2 | Ula Valkenburg | ||
Crawford Hopman 6–2, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 | Willard Thompson | Crawford Cozens 6–1, 8–6 | Valkenburg Dingle | Willard Pinckerton 6–4, 6–2 | Crawford Crawford | ||
19–26 Jan | New Court Lawn Tennis Club II. Cannes, France | George Lyttleton-Rogers 6–0, 6–4, 6–4[23] | Benny Berthet | Phyllis Satterthwaite 6–3, 10–8 [23] | Lucia Valerio | ||
Lyttleton-Rogers Hillyard 2–6, 6–2, 6–2, 3–6, 8–6 | Berthet Hecht | Ryan Satterthwaite 6–1, 6–2 | Valerio Mrs. Taunay | Aeschlimann Thomas w/o | Lyttleton-Rogers Ryan[24] | ||
-31 Jan [25] | All-India national championships Allahabad, India | Dip Narain Kapoor[26] | Leila Row N/A | Lena McKenna | |||
E. Vivian Bobb Ahad Hussain N/A, N/A, 6–3 | Edwards Michelmore | Bobb Miss Roberts Sandison 10–8, N/A, N/A | Ahad Hussain Leila Row |
February
[edit]- Dutch player Hendrik Timmer was hit by a disease and missed the season. Two Dutch female players announced their engagements and subsequently their retirement from professional sports. Netherlands' number one Kea Bouman married in Almelo and moved to Java while second ranked Margaretha Dros-Canters married and decided to dedicate herself solely to her marriage after the season.[27]
- The strike of the German tennis players continued from last month and caused a major setback on the indoor tournaments. Thus the German International Covered Courts tournament field was dominated by foreign and senior players such as World War I French veteran Eugene Broquedis who reached the semifinal of the singles and the final of the doubles competition despite being 45 years old and having his right shoulder and two fingers paralyzed in the war.[27]
- Newcomer young German tennis player Harry Schwenker shocked the tennis world by defeating Italian champion Umberto De Morpurgo in the semifinals of the Berlin Covered Court Championships. He went on to defeat Austrian champion Hermann Artens in the final of his debut tournament. The match lasted until midnight.[28][29]
- Jack Crawford won his first Australian Championships singles and mixed doubles title (partnering his wife Marjorie Cox Crawford). He defeated last year's runner-up Harry Hopman for the singles title and teamed up with him for the doubles. He didn't succeed in defending his doubles title losing to Donohoe/Dunlap in the final.
- The team of England played Denmark in Copenhagen as part of their North Europe indoors exhibition tour and drew 4–4.[30]
- Takeichi Harada announced he will skip the Davis Cup due to his business affairs.[27]
- Jacques Brugnon swept all possible titles at the Gallia L. T. C. de Cannes.
March
[edit]- The city of London wins the 16th annual London-Paris tennis club competition (14–7).[42]
- Béla von Kehrling repeated his 1929 feat by winning the triple crown again in the French Riviera Championships.[36]
- George Lott won the Canadian Championships for the fourth time of his career.[19]
- The team of Bremen defeated the players of Amsterdam by 10 to 7.[19]
- The Fédération Française de Tennis issued legal proceedings against Henri Cochet because of a suspected breach of amateur tennis regulations.[49]
- The legal proceedings against German Daniel Prenn ended with the conclusion that the accusations were misled by the confusion of similar family names.[49]
- Nineteen-year-old national junior champion György Drjetomszky won his first Men's trophy at the Hungarian Covered Courts tournament and thus was invited to the Hungary Davis Cup team and to their first round match against Italy.[19][49]
- Hamburg defeated Rhine Valley 6–5 in Hamburg.[49]
- En route to Europe the Japanese Davis Cup team, headed by Jiro Sato and Hyotaro Sato, played exhibition matches in Singapore.[50]
- The team of England defeated Sweden in their North Europe indoors exhibition tour 5–1, and Norway 9–0 two times in a row.[49]
- René Lacoste and his doubles partner Jacques Brugnon both had appendicitis surgeries and subsequently missed the upcoming tournaments.[49]
- Colin Gregory and Harry Lee announced they will miss the Davis Cup first round rubbers due to their business affairs.[49]
- Iwao Aoki won a triple crown in the Surrey Grass Court Championships.[49]
- Harry Hopman was victorious at the singles, doubles and mixed doubles event at the South Australian Championship.[51]
- On 20 March in the assembly of the International Tennis Federation in Paris the Norges Tennisforbund (Norway Tennis Association) was granted membership into the ITF.[42]
- The team of France defeated the United States team 3–2 in a five–match indoors competition played at the Seventh Regiment Armory in New York from March 23 through March 25.[52]
April
[edit]- A British-only 16–men and 16 women trials was held at the Queen's Club by the Lawn Tennis Association to decide who was about to represent the Great Britain Davis Cup team in the 1931 Davis Cup. The final was played by Bunny Austin and Fred Perry. Bunny Austin won the contest three sets to two (3–6, 4–6, 8–6, 6–1, 7–5). Both went on to be selected in the upcoming Davis Cup rubbers.[63] : 10
- France won the friendly Davis Cup preparation match against the United States three to two.[42]
- In an internationals tennis club challenge FC Lyon beats Uhlenhorster Klipper (4:3).[42]
- Berlin overcame Prague in the two cities' tennis challenge (8–1).[64]
- Ohye and Spier won the men's and women's singles title at the Java Championships.[65]
- Japan beat Austria in a friendly Davis Cup match.[64]
- Heinz Landmann missed Germany's Davis Cup first round because of his office duties.[64]
- Hyotaro Sato won all three titles in the St. Raphaël T.C. Championships.[64]
Month | Event | Men | Women | Mixed | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Champions | Runner-up | Champions | Runner-up | Champions | Runner-up | ||
27 March – 4 April[66] | Mid-Pacific Invitation Tennis Championships Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Wilmer Allison 6–4, 6–2, 6–2 | Gilbert Hall | ||||
Allison Hall 6–2, 0–6, 6–2, 6–4 | Kuwabara Akimoto | ||||||
30 March – 5 April[1] | St. Raphaël T.C. Championships Saint-Raphaël, France | Hyotaro Sato 6–3, 8–6, 6–4 | Ludwig Haensch | Ida Adamoff 6–3, 6–0 | Korotvickova | ||
Sato Sato 6–2, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 | Menzel Haensch | Ryan Thomas 6–4, 6–4 | Nicolopoulo Adamoff | Sato Thomas 9–7, 4–6, 6–4 | Aeschlimann Ryan | ||
5 April | Swedish Indoors Championships[67] Stockholm, Sweden | Curt Östberg 3 sets to 1 | Ingvar Garell | Eyvor Aquilon 2 sets to 1 | Sigrid Fick | ||
Östberg Ramberg 3 sets to 1 | A. Thorén Garell | Fick Aquilon 2 sets to 0 | Ehrnfelt Cederholm | Östberg Fick 2 sets to 0 | Ramberg Ramberg | ||
2–4 April | Davis Cup South America Semifinals Buenos Aires, Argentina Not held | Semifinals winners Argentina 5–0Chile | Semifinals losers UruguayBrazil | ||||
30 March – 5 April | New Orleans Country Club Invitational Tournament[68] New Orleans, United States | George Lott 6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 1–6, 6–4 | Clifford Sutter | ||||
Sutter Vines 6–3, 6–1, 4–6. 4–6, 6–3 | Van Ryn Lott | ||||||
6–12 April[1] | Beausoleil Cup Monte Carlo, Monaco | Jiro Sato 6–4, 6–2, 6–2 | Alain Bernard | Cilly Aussem 6–1, 6–4 | Lilí de Álvarez | ||
Gentien Lesueur 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 | Sato Sato | Satterthwaite Henrotin 6–4, 0–6, 6–1 | Neufeld Adamoff | Lesueur Mathieu 2–6, 6–1, 6–3 | Satterthwaite Hillyard | ||
6–13 April | River Oaks Invitational Tournament[69] Houston, United States | Ellsworth Vines 6–3, 6–4, 7–5 | Bruce Barnes | ||||
Lott Coen 7–5, 6–1, 6–1 | Barnes Taylor | ||||||
April | Tripolis L. T. C. International Championships[70] Tripoli, Italian Tripolitania |
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