1884 women's tennis season
The 1884 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 33 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in March in Brooklyn , United States , and ended in December in Melbourne , Australia .[ 1]
Season summary
Prior to the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913 the Wimbledon Championships , the U.S. National Championships , the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and the Northern Championships were considered by players and historians as the four most important tennis tournaments to win.[ 2] [ 3] [ 4]
1884 sees a slight expansion in the number women's singles events being held as the tennis circuit continues to grow.[ 5] 23rd Regiment Armory in Brooklyn is the first indoor wood court tournament for women held in the United States, the event is won by Bessie Hazard.
In May 1884 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships [ 6] Dublin , Ireland. In the women's singles final holder Ireland's May Langrishe is defeated by England's Maud Watson . Watson also claims the mixed doubles title with William Renshaw against Ireland's Connie Butler and Scotlands John Galbraith Horn .[ 1] West of England Championships was the largest tournament of the year with a draw of 46 across three events.
In June 1884 at the second major tournament of the year the Northern Championships in Liverpool England's Edith Davies achieves a clean sweep winning singles title against Margaret Bracewell, she also picks up the doubles title with Miss Eckersley defeating sisters Annie and Lottie Dod ,[ 1] Ernest Browne .[ 1] South Africa the first major women's tournament the Natal Championships is played in Pietermaritzburg , and in South East Asia the Singapore Cricket Club establishes a ladies lawn tennis club who stage a tournament later in December.[ 7]
At the 1884 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament women's championships events are staged for the first time, in the singles competition Maud Watson defeats her sister Lilian Watson to claim the very first ladies championship event.[ 8] U.S. National Championships there was still no women's championship events held.
In Australasia the first singles tournaments for women are held. In October the Carisbrook tournament in Dunedin , New Zealand is staged for the first time. In December the first Victorian Championships for women is held in Melbourne, Australia and played on asphalt courts.
In 1913 the International Lawn Tennis Federation was created, that consisted of national member associations. The ILTF through its associated members then became responsible for supervising women's tour events.
Results
Notes 1: Challenge Round: the final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921),[ 9]
* Indicates challenge round final
Key
Singles
Results included:.[ 14]
Tournaments (30)
#
Date end
Tournament
Location
Surface
Winner
Finalist
Score
1.
6-Mar-1884
23d Regiment Armory Indoors
Brooklyn Wood (i)
6–3, 5–6, 6–4
2.
24-May-1884[ 14]
Irish Championships Dublin Grass
Maud Watson May Langrishe 6–3, 6–2, 6–2
3.
24-May-1884[ 14]
Whitehouse Open Edinburgh Grass
Jane Meikle 10–8, 6–2
4.
31-May-1884[ 14]
West of England Championships Bath Grass
Lilian Cole 6–4, 6–4
5.
10-Jun-1884[ 14]
Waterloo Tournament Liverpool Grass
Margaret Bracewell 6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–1
6.
14-Jun-1884[ 14]
East Gloucestershire Championships Cheltenham Grass
Louisa Martin 3–6, 6–5, 6–3
7.
19-Jun-1884[ 14]
Northern Championships Liverpool Grass
Margaret Bracewell 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
8.
21-Jun-1884[ 14]
London Athletic Club Tournament Stamford Bridge Grass
Maud Watson Edith Cole 6–4, 6–2, 2–6, 6–1
9.
26-Jun-1884[ 14]
Ealing LTC Championship Ealing Grass
Charlotte Cooper 6–4, 4–6, 6–5
10.
1-Jul-1884[ 14]
Kilkenny County and City Tournament Kilkenny Grass
Mabel Cahill May Langrishe 6–4, 6–4
11.
5-Jul-1884
Natal Championships Pietermaritzburg Grass
6–0, 6–0, 3–6, 7–5
12.
18-Jul-1884[ 14]
Hull Westbourne Avenue Tournament Hull Grass
Mabel Boulton 6–0, 7–5
13.
19-Jul-1884[ 15]
Wimbledon Championships London Grass
Maud Watson Lilian Watson 6–8, 6–3, 6–3
14.
25-Jul-1884[ 14]
Midland Counties Championships Edgbaston Grass
3–6, 8–6, 6–3
15.
2-Aug-1884[ 14]
Chiswick Park Tournament Chiswick Park Grass
Blanche Bingley 6–3, 6–3
16.
9-Aug-1884[ 14]
Exmouth Open Exmouth Grass
Maud Watson 6–1, 7–5, 6–3
17.
16-Aug-1884[ 14]
North Yorkshire Tournament Scarborough Grass
Beatrice Wood 7–5, 6–3
18.
16-Aug-1884[ 14]
East Grinstead Open East Grinstead Grass
6–1, 6–4
19.
21-Aug-1884[ 14]
Saxmundham Lawn Tennis Tournament Saxmundham Grass
6–1, 6–1
20.
23-Aug-1884[ 14]
Derbyshire Championships Buxton Grass
6–1, 6–2
21.
23-Aug-1884[ 14]
South of Scotland Championships Moffat Grass
Jane Meikle Lottie Paterson 6–3, 6–4
22.
23-Aug-1884[ 14]
Whitby Open Lawn Tennis Tournament Whitby Grass
6–3, 6–4
23.
30-Aug-1884
St. Paul Open Saint Paul Grass
2–1 sets
24.
5-Sep-1884[ 14]
Bournemouth Lawn Tennis Club Tournament Bournemouth Grass
3–6, 6–2, 6–5
25.
6-Sep-1884[ 14]
South of England Championships Eastbourne Grass
6–2, 6–4
26.
27-Sep-1884[ 14]
Sussex County Lawn Tennis Tournament Brighton Grass
def.?
27.
16-Oct-1884
Carisbrook Tournament
Dunedin Grass
Won
29.
19-Dec-1884
Victorian Championships Melbourne
Asphalt
10-4 (games)
30.[ 16]
Dec-1884
Singapore Ladies LTC Tournament
Singapore Grass
results unknown
ditto
ditto
Tournament winners
Singles
This is list of winners sorted by number of singles titles (major titles in bold ) Maud Watson (4) Exmouth, Irish Championships , Wimbledon Championships , Stamford Bridge.Edith Davies (3) Bath, Cheltenham, Northern Championships Jane Meikle (2) Edinburgh, MoffatMargaret Bracewell (1) LiverpoolMabel Cahill (1) KilkennyMabel Boulton (1) HullBlanche Bingley (1) Chiswick Park
Doubles
This is list of winners sorted by number of doubles titles (major titles in bold ) Davies, Eckersley, Mardall and Watts won titles with different partners. 4 ) Bath, Cheltenham, Edgbaston, Northern Championships .[ 14] 3 ) Bath, Cheltenham, Edgbaston2 ) Liverpool II, Northern Championships 2 ) Buxton, Exmouth.[ 14] May Langrishe (1 ) Irish Championships .[ 14] 1 ) Liverpool II.[ 14] Lilian Watson & Maud Watson (1 ) Edgbaston.[ 14] 1 ) Exmouth.[ 14] 1 ) Melbourne1 ) Scarborough.[ 14] 1 ) East Grinstead.[ 14] 1 ) Buxton.[ 14] 1 ) Saxmundham.[ 14] 1 ) Bournemouth.[ 14] Blanche Bingley & 1 ) Brighton.[ 14]
Mixed doubles
This is list of winners sorted by number of mixed doubles titles (major titles in bold )
Statistical summary
Singles
Doubles
Total Tournaments: (14 )
Most Titles: 4 )
Most Finals: 4 )
Mix Doubles
Total Tournaments: (20 )
Most Titles: Maud Watson (2 )
Most Finals: Maud Watson (2 )
References
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Garcia, Gabriel. "Season - 1884" The Tennis Base . Madrid: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 2 August 2023 . ^ Robertson, Max (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis . London: Allen & Unwin. pp. 266, 267. ISBN 9780047960420 ^ Meyers, A. Wallis (1903). Lawn Tennis at Home and Abroad . New York: Charles Scribner and Sons. p. 55. ^ Lake, Robert J. (2014). A Social History of Tennis in Britain ISBN 9781134445578 ^ Berry. David (2020). A people's history of tennis. (2) Feminists. Pluto Books London ISBN 978-0745339658. p.30.
^ Irish TV Documentary (4 Jul 2016). The True Tale Of The Irish Tennis Murderer. Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE). Dublin. Ireland. ^ "The Ladies Lawn Tennis Club is established - Singapore History" . eresources.nlb.gov.sg . Singapore: Government of Singapore. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2023 .^ "The Championships 1884 Ladies' Singles" (PDF) . Wimbledon . AELTC. Retrieved 3 August 2023 .^ "Abolition of Challenge Rounds" . paperspast.natlib.govt.nz . EVENING POST, VOLUME CIII, ISSUE 65, 20 March 1922. Retrieved 3 July 2022 .^ Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles (2012). Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice ISBN 9781598843002 ^ Gillmeister, Heiner (1998). Tennis:Cultural History ISBN 9780718501952 ^ Mazak, Karoly (2017). The Concise History of Tennis . Independently published. pp. 5– 36. ISBN 9781549746475 ^ Lake, Robert J. (2014). A Social History of Tennis in Britain: Volume 5 of Routledge Research in Sports History ISBN 9781134445578 ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai "Lawn Tennis Tournaments of 1884". Routledges Sporting Annual . London: George Routledge and Son. 1885. pp. 120– 124. ^ Barrett, John (2001). Wimbledon : The Official History of the Championships . London: CollinsWillow. pp. 28– 30. ISBN 0007117078 ^ Government of Singapore
Main events Provincial/State/Regional events County events Regular events
Women's tennis seasons
Seasons (1881-1912) ILTF Independent Circuit ILTF Grand Prix Circuit Virginia Slims Circuit Virginia Slims/Colgate Series Avon/Colgate Series Avon/Toyota Series Virginia Slims World Championship Series WTA Tour
