Westgate-on-Sea Tournament

Westgate-on-Sea Tournament
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded	1881
Abolished	1938
Location	St. Mildred's Courts, St. Mildreds Bay, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, England.
Venue	Westgate-on-Sea LTC
Surface	Hard (asphalt)

The Westgate-on-Sea Tournament also known as the St. Mildred's Tournament was a men's and women's hard asphalt court tennis tournament founded in 1881 at the Westgate-on-Sea Lawn Tennis Club, St. Mildred's Courts, St. Mildreds Bay, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, England.^[1] The tournament ran annually until 1938 before the start of World War II.

History

The Westgate-on-Sea Tournament was a men's and women's annual tennis tournament founded in 1881 that continued to stage events through until 1938. The winner of the inaugural tournament was held from 9 to 13 September that year with men's singles being won by Mr. G. G. Dineley.^[2] The men's doubles was won by Mr. T. Sopwith and Mr. S. Winkley.^[3] In 1938 the final edition of this tournament was played from 22 to 27 August. The final men's singles event was by John Olliff.

Finals

The image right taken in 2008 is St Mildred's Bay. The built up area center right is St. Mildred's Gardens, and slightly to the upper left of center, you can see the Westgate-on-Sea tennis courts site of the old St. Mildred's courts, the courts today are made from hard cement with a tarmac surface.

Men's Singles

Incomplete Roll

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
1881.[4]	G. G. Dineley	T. Sopwith	?
1905.	Philip Rufford Hewlett	Henry Biddle	6–4, 6–4
1908.	Henry Biddle	A.P. Twigg	6–8, 7–5, 6–3
1921.	Hugh Cyril Eltringham	Norman Dicks	6–4, 1–6, 6–4, 6–1
1922.	Gerald Sherwell	Basil Henty	6–2, 6–4, 7–5
1923.	Gerald Sherwell	Hugh Cyril Eltringham	6–3, 3–6, 9–7
1932.[5]	Henry Billington		?
1933.[6]	Patrick Sherwood	Guy I. Pettigrew	?
1935.	Patrick Sherwood	H.D. Nicholson	6–2, 6–1
1936.	Patrick Sherwood	John A.S. Collins	6–4, 3–6, 8–6
1937.	John Olliff	John A.S. Collins	3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1938.	John Olliff	Algernon Kingscote	7–5, 6–3

Men's Doubles

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
1881.[7]	T. Sopwith S. Winkley	G.G. Dineley E. Warren	def.

Women's singles (spring)

Incomplete Roll

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
1927	Mrs Morison	Peggy Ingram Bouverie	6-4, 8-6
1928	F B Hensman	Mrs A M B Foreshew	6-2, 6-1
1929	Madeleine Pearson	Agnes Steer-Watkins	6–3, 6-3
1930	Aurea Edgington	Joan Ingram	6-1, 6-0
1932	Betty Holly	Alexandra McOstrich	6-3, 3–6, 6-3

Women's Singles (Summer)

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
1922	Mrs Fletcher	M E Pilcher	4–6, 6–1, 6–0
1923	Joan Austin	Joan Reid-Thomas	8–6, 7–5
1924	Joan Reid-Thomas	M Coles	6–1, 6–4
1925	E. Kelsey	Betty Nuthall	1–6, 8–6, 6–2
1926	Dorothy Holman	Peggy Ingram Bouverie	6–1, 6–3
1927	Nancy Lyle	Mrs MacLeod	6–4, 2–6, 6–3
1928	Joan Ridley	Nancy Lyle	6–4, 6–1
1929	Nancy Lyle	Alida Klemantaski	6–0, 6–4
1930[8]	Joan Ingram	Agnes Steer-Watkins	6–1, 6–2
1931	Jeanette Morfey	Alida Klemantaski	6–4, 6–2
1932	Madge Valantine List	Olga Greenwood	6–4, 6–4
1933	Sheila Chuter	W E Murphy	7–5, 6–2
1935	Gladys Southwell	J M Notley	3–6, 6–4, 6–2
1937	G F Mathias	Alida Taylor	6–1, 6–3
1938	Barbara Costerton	G F Mathias	6–4, 6–3

Mix Doubles

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
1881.[9]	T. Sopwith Miss A. Townsend	Mr. C. Leigh Clare Miss. I. Bouverie	def.

Notes

This tournament in some other sources is known as the St. Mildreds Tournament Westgate on Sea.

References

1. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) Lawn Tennis in 1881. George Routledge and Son. London. p.72.
2. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)
3. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)
4. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)
5. Thanet Advertiser (8 September 1933). p.167.
6. "Westgate Tennis Finals. The annual open tournament of Westgate-on-Sea Lawn Tennis Club was held the club courts* Canterbury-road, last week. P. V. V. Sherwood, the holder of the men's singles championship, retained his title by beating G. I. Pettigrew". Thanet Advertiser. Thanet, Kent, England. 8 September 1933. p. 167.
7. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)
8. "Tennis Westgate Finals. The Westgate on Sea tennis tournament concluded at the St. Mildred's courts Saturday". Thanet Advertiser. Thanet , Kent, England. 17 April 1930. p. 3.
9. Routledges Sporting Annual (1882)

Sources

• Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) George Routledge and Son. London.
• Thanet Advertiser. (17 April 1930) Thanet, Kent, England.
• Thanet Advertiser. (8 September 1933) Thanet, Kent, England.