Hull Open

Hull Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded	1884; 141 years ago (1884)
Abolished	1956; 69 years ago (1956)
Location	Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England
Venue	Westbourne Avenue Grounds (1884–90) Ferens Recretation Grounds (1921–1959)
Surface	Grass

The Hull Open was annual men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded as the Hull Westbourne Avenue Open Tournament in 1884.^[1] From 1905 to 1914 the tournament was co-branded as the East Yorkshire Championships. The tournament was organised by the Hull Lawn Tennis Club, Kingston-Upon-Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The tournament ran until 1956.

History

In 1884 the Hull Westbourne Avenue Open Tournament^[2] was organised by the Hull Lawn Tennis Club (f.1880),^[3] and played at the Westbourne Avenue Grounds. In 1891 that tournament was renamed as the Hull Open Tournament a grass court tennis event. In 1905 the tournament was co-branded as the East Yorkshire Championships,^[4] a county level event that lasted until 1914. Following World War I the tournament resumed under the name of the Hull Open.^[5] Despite being discontinued because of World War II it resumed thereafter through till at least 1956.^[6]

The men's event though consisting of mainly British Isles players, did attract international players, the women's event started to attract international players after the Second World War. Senior tour tennis ceased to be staged in Kingston-Upon-Hull until 2002 when an event for women was established called the Hull Indoor Tournament that ran until 2006.

Finals

Men's Singles

Incomplete Roll included^[7][8][9]

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
Hull Westbourne Avenue Open Tournament
1884	W.S. Wright	William Francis Wells-Cole	w.o.
1885	William Henry Mahon	Gilbert Mahon	w.o.
1886	William Henry Mahon (2)	L. Harrison	6–1, 6–2, 6–2
1887	Frederick T. Bradbury	L. Harrison	2–6, 8–6, 6–2
1890	William Henry Mahon (3)	Geoffrey Heathcote-Hacker	9–7, 6–3
Hull Open Tournament
1891	H.L. Winter	E.M. Samson	w.o.
also valid as East Yorkshire Championships
1905	Ernest Watson	Sidney Watson	6–2, 6–3
1906	Ernest Watson (2)	Sidney Watson	7–5, 2–6, 6–4
1908	Ernest Watson (3)	Alec Smith	6–2, 6–0
1909	Les Poidevin	Sidney Watson	6–3, 6–4
1910	George Simond	Mark Day Hick	6–2, 6–1, 6–2
1915/1918	(Not held due to world war one)
Hull Open
1935	Clayton Lee (Teddy) Burwell[10]	Dave N. Jones	6–1, 6–4
1936	Ronald Shayes	Hans van Swol	6–3, 6–0
1937	Hans van Swol	Edmund John David	6–3, 9–7
1938	Jimmy Jones	Murray Deloford	6–3, 6–1
1939	Constantin Tanacescu	Jimmy Jones	6–2, 4–6, 6–2
1940/1946	(Not held due to world war two)
1947	Ghaus Mohammed Khan	K.L. Ahmed	6–4, 8–10, 6–4
1948	John B. Griffith	Teddy Tinling	6–4, 7–5
1949	George Godsell	Teddy Tinling	6–3, 6–2
1950	Geoff Brown	Brian W. Rooke	7–5, 6–0
1951	Nigel Cockburn	Peter Cawthorn	6–4, 6–1
1952	Peter Cawthorn	Steven Deaderick Potts[11]	6–2, 7–5
1953	Robert J. (Bob) Lee	Anthony Starte	7–5, 3–6, 6–3
1954	Jeffrey Ellis Robson	Islam Ahmad	6–3, 9–7
1955	Ivor Warwick	Arthur R. Gubb	6–4, 6–1
1956	Matt Rainey	J.S. Fluck	6–1, 8–6
	Tournament ends

Women's singles

Incomplete Roll

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
Hull Westbourne Avenue Open Tournament
1886	Constance Hodgson	Miss Alfrey	6–3, 6–2
1887	Constance Hodgson (2)	Angel Smith	3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1889	Katherine Grey	Miss Barber	6–3, 6–1
1890	Katherine Grey (2)	E. Lee-Smith	6–1, 5–7, 9–7
Hull Open Tournament
1891	Catherine Crosby	G. Harrison	w.o.
1892	Helen Jackson	Beatrice Draffen	6–0, 6–0
1901	Miss Robinson	Bertha Holder	6–1, 1–6, 6–3
also valid as East Yorkshire Championships
1906	Marion Crosby Morton	Mrs J.B. Perrett	2–6, 6–4, 6–2
1908	Bertha Holder	Eleanor Rose	6–1, 6–2
1910	Helen Aitchison	Bertha Holder	6–1, 6–4
1911	Eleanor Rose	Mrs F. Robinson	6–2, 6–2
1912	Eleanor Rose (2)	Kathleen Aitchison	7–5, 9–11, 6–2
1913	Eleanor Rose (3)	Kathleen Aitchison	1–6, 6–2 6–4
1914	Mrs J. Billyeald	Susannah Cadman Wilford	6–3, 6–2
1915/1920	(Not held due to world war one)
Hull Open
1921	Kathleen Aitchison	Norah Fosdick Middleton	6–2, 6–2
1922	Kathleen Aitchison (2)	Joan Austin	4–6, 8–6, 6–2
1923	Joan Austin	Eleanor Rose	6–3, 6–2
1924	Kathleen Aitchison (3)	Elsie Goodlass Holtby	6–3, 6–1
1925	Elsie Goodlass Holtby	Norah Fosdick Middleton	6–3, 6–3
1926	Betty Dix	Norah Fosdick Middleton	6–3, 6–2
1927	Dorothy Shaw	Kate Anningson	6–1, 6–0
1928	Betty Dix (2)	Kate Anningson	6–2, 6–3
1929	Dorothy Shaw Jameson	Betty Dix	6–1, 6–4
1930	Betty Dix (3)	Joan Reid-Thomas Strawson	6–4, 6–2
1931	Joan Reid-Thomas Strawson	Betty Dix	6–2, 6–2
1932	Edie Rudd	Nancy Hellewell	3–6, 6–1, 8–6
1933	Barbara Stampe	Gladys Clarke-Jervoise	1–6, 6–3, 6–4
1934	Edie Rudd Luxton (2)	Freda Scott	6–1, 6–2
1935	A. Sargent	Patricia Owen	6–4, 6–3
1936	Gladys Southwell	Gertruid Terwindt	6–4, 7–5
1937	Gertruid Terwindt	Ruth Armstrong Kirk	6–2, 6–3
1938	Ruth Armstrong Kirk	Mary Lincoln	6–3, 6–4
1939	Ruth Armstrong Kirk (2)	Mary Lincoln	w.o.
1940/1946	(Not held due to world war two)
1947	Mrs Dowling	M. Dickenson	8–6, 7–5
1948	Mrs B. Scholten	S. Tickler	5–7, 7–5, 6–4
1949	Georgie Woodgate	Billie Woodgate	6–4, 6–4
1950	Sheila Speight	Mrs G. Brown	6–1, 6–3
1951	Jean Trower	Valerie Lewis	5–7, 7–5, 6–4
1952	Shirley Bloomer	Valerie Lewis	4–6, 6–4, 6–2
1953	Shirley Bloomer (2)	Valerie Lewis	6–1, 6–3
1954	Shirley Bloomer (3)	Jean Petchell	7–5, 6–2
1955	Valerie Lewis	Anthea Gibb	6–4, 6–1
1956	Mrs C. Dunn	Mrs M. Beecroft	7–5, 2–6, 6–2
	Tournament ends

References

1. "EAST YORKSHIRE CHAMPS/HULL OPEN TOURNAMENT: Rain was always in the air at Hull yesterday, but despite occasional showers good progress was made in the 28th annual open former Westbourne tournament of the Hull lawn Tennis Club". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. Leeds, Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 21 July 1911. p. 10.
2. "LAWN TENNIS. HULL WESTBOURNE OPEN TOURNAMENT. FIRST DAY. With everything in its favour, the sixth annual tournament Hull Lawn Tennis Club was commenced on the Westbourne Avenue grounds yesterday afternoon. Prizes to be offered in the seven events to be played". Hull Daily Mail. Hull, Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 12 July 1889. p. 3.
3. Lowerson, John (1993). Sport and the English Middle Classes, 1870–1914. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-7190-4651-3.
4. "Yorkshire Doubles Champions: The Brothers Watson, the Yorkshire Doubles Champion, and the holders the new East Yorkshire championship, were both engaged in play at the Hull Tennis Club grounds yesterday". Hull Daily Mail. Hull, Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 8 August 1906. p. 3.
5. "LAWN TENNIS: HULL OPEN – SUCCESSFUL MEETING CONCLUDED. Despite it being St. Swithin's, Hull was favoured with light though dull weather for the finals in one of the most successful tournaments ever held in the city". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. Hull, Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 17 July 1922. p. 14.
6. "HULL OPEN TENNIS TOURNEY BE SAVED. The Lawn tennis tourney in the balance for the Hull tennis club. The committee meet the chairman today, it may be decided to curtail event to something a semi-local nature". Hull Daily Mail. Hull, Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 22 October 1955. p. 6.
7. "Tournament – Hull Westbourne Avenue". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
8. "Tournament – Hull". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
9. "Tournament – East Yorkshire Championships". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
10. Patterson, Michael Robert (8 January 2023). "Clayton Lee "Teddy" Burwell – Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy Government Official, Lawyer, Tennis Player". arlingtoncemetery.net. Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
11. "Obituaries in Nashville, TN : Stephen Deaderick Potts". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee USA.: Gannett. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2023.