The Indian Open was a men's tennis tournament founded as the India International Championships in 1923. It was played from 1923 until 1979 and the men's event was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit, 1973 to 1979. From 1947 to 1972 it was known as the Indian National Championships (though open to international competitors). It was held in various cities across India and was played outdoor on multiple surfaces.
History Tennis was introduced to India in 1880s by British Army and Civilian Officers. In 1923 the India International ChampionshipsBéla Kehrling, ed. (January 28, 1931). "Külföldi hírek" [International news] (PDF). Tennisz és Golf (in Hungarian). Vol. III, no. 2. Budapest, Hungary. p. 41. were established and played at the Calcutta South Club, Calcutta, West Bengal, India.
In 1973, the Indian championships with international competitors diverged from the national championships. By the late 1970s the national championships was a minor event for Indian born players. The international event was renamed as the Indian Open in 1973.
Locations and venues The Calcutta South Club was founded in 1920, and also organised the Calcutta Lawn Tennis Championships.That tournament later became known as the East India Lawn Tennis Championships. Its current facilities consist of the six original grass courts, In 1985 the Club built six new clay courts, and in 2004 it added five asphalt-based rubberized hard courts.
After the war until the start of the open era, the India International Championships were predominantly staged in Calcutta, under the tournament name the Indian National Championships. The event was often held over Christmas and new year and on a few occasions two events were held in a single year in January and December (sometimes winners are described as winning in a year in which an event started in late December, other times in the year the event finished in early January). In a few years, the event was also held in other cities such as New Delhi and Allahabad.
Finals Men's singles YearLocationWinnerRunner-upScoreIndia International Championships1923Calcutta Sunao Okamoto 1924Calcutta Sunao Okamoto (2) 1925Calcutta Syed Anwar Yusoof 1926Calcutta J. Robson 1927Calcutta Sunao Okamoto (3) Pershotam Lal Mehta5–7, 6–4, 6–41928Calcutta Atri-Madan Mohan Pershotam Lal Mehta3–6, 6–3, 6–1, 8–61929Calcutta Edward Vivian Bobb Mohammed Sleem3–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 1930Calcutta Bunny Austin Eskell 'Buster' Andrews 6–2, 7–5, 6–11931Calcutta Jiro Fujikura Ryuki Miki3–6, 3–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–01932Calcutta Giorgio de Stefani Dip Narain Kapoor7–5, 6–4, 6–21933Calcutta Atri-Madan Mohan (2) Edward Vivian Bobb10–8, 6–3, 6–3 1934Calcutta Josip Palada Franjo Punčec9–7, 6–4, 6–3All India Championships1935Allahabad Josip Palada (2) Franjo Punčec 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–21936Calcutta Ladislav Hecht Roderich Menzel 2–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–1, 5–5 ret.1937Allahabad Edward Vivian Bobb (2) Dip Narain Kapoor 6–4, 7–5, 6–31938Allahabad Dip Narain Kapoor Islam Ahmad 8–6, 6–4, 6–41939Bombay Ghaus Mohammad Tenkasi K. Ramanathan 6–1, 6–21940Calcutta Franjo Punčec Yudishtra Singh 11-9. 6–4, 7–51941Baroda Ghaus Mohammad (2) Iftikhar Ahmed Khan 6–0, 6–3, 7–51942Lahore Subba L.R. Sawhney Prem Lal Pandhi 6–1, 6–1, 6–01943Indore Ghaus Mohammad (3) Iftikhar Ahmed Khan 6–2, 7–5, 4–6, 6–31944Allahabad Hal Surface Ghaus Mohammad 6–2, 6–4, 6–01945Madras Sumant Misra B.R. Kapinipathy 9–7, 9–7, 5–7, 6–01946Calcutta Ghaus Mohammad (4) Dilip Bose 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 India National Championships1947Calcutta Sumant Misra (2) Man-Mohan Bhandari4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–01948Calcutta Lennart Bergelin Sumant Misra8–6, 6–1, 6–41949Calcutta Dilip Bose Sumant Misra3–6, 6–3, 6–3, 8–61950Allahabad Felicisimo Ampon Pedro Masip5–7, 8–6, 8–6, 6–1 1951Calcutta Sven Davidson Jaroslav Drobný 6–3, 6–3 7–5 1952Calcutta Sven Davidson (2) Khan-Iftikhar Ahmed 6–3, 6–4, 8–61953Calcutta Sumant Misra (3) Naresh Kumar 6–8, 2–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–31954Calcutta Ramanathan Krishnan Jack Arkinstall6–2, 6–3, 7–51955Calcutta Jack Arkinstall Ramanathan Krishnan3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–31956New Delhi Sven Davidson (3) Kurt Nielsen6–4, 6–1, 15–17, 6–41957Calcutta Ramanathan Krishnan (2) Naresh Kumar 6–4, 6–0, 8–61958Calcutta Ulf Schmidt Ramanathan Krishnan 6–2, 6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 6–31959Calcutta Ramanathan Krishnan (3) Naresh Kumar6–2, 6–2, 6–11960New Delhi Ramanathan Krishnan (4) Ulf Schmidt 6–3, 6–3 6–11961Calcutta Ramanathan Krishnan (5) Carlos Fernandes 6–2, 6–2, 3–6, 7–5India National and Northern India Championships1962New Delhi Roy Emerson Ramanathan Krishnan6–4, 6–4, 6–31963New Delhi Ramanathan Krishnan (6) Jaidip Mukerjea6–4, 6–0, 6–31964New Delhi Ramanathan Krishnan (7) Alan Mills6–1, 6–3, 6–41965New Delhi Ramanathan Krishnan (8) Martin Mulliganw.o.1966New Delhi Jaidip Mukerjea Premjit Lall 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–01967New Delhi Premjit Lall Ramanathan Krishnan3–6, 7–5, 5–7, 2–1 rtd.India International Championships1968Calcutta Ion Țiriac Jaidip Mukerjea 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 5–7, 6–4 ↓ Open era ↓India National Championships1969New Delhi Ilie Năstase Premjit Lall 6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 6–4 1970Calcutta Premjit Lall (2) Alex Metreveli9–7, 6–0, 5–7 6–31971Calcutta Jaidip Mukerjea (2) Premjit Lall 7-5, 6-3, 6-31972Calcutta Gaurav Misra Ramanathan Krishnan4–6, 6–4, 8–10, 7–5, 6–2Indian Open1973New Delhi Vijay Amritraj Mal Anderson 6–4, 5–7, 7–9, 6–3, 11-91974Bombay Onny Parun Tony Roche 6–3, 6–3, 7–61975Calcutta Vijay Amritraj (2) Manuel Orantes 7–5, 6–31976Bangalore Kim Warwick Sashi Menon 6–1, 6–21977Bombay Vijay Amritraj (3) Terry Moor 7–6, 6–41978Calcutta Yannick Noah Pascal Portes 6–3, 6–21979Bombay Vijay Amritraj (4) Peter Elter 6–1, 7–5
Men's doubles YearChampionsRunners-upScore1973 Jim McManus Raúl Ramírez Anand Amritraj Vijay Amritraj 6–2, 6–41974 Anand Amritraj Vijay Amritraj Dick Crealy Onny Parun 6–4, 7–61975 Juan Gisbert Manuel Orantes Anand Amritraj Vijay Amritraj 1–6, 6–4, 6–31976 Bob Carmichael Ray Ruffels Chiradip Mukerjea Bhanu Nunna 6–2, 7–61977 Mike Cahill Terry Moor Marcello Lara Jasjit Singh 6–7, 6–4, 6–41978 Sashi Menon Sherwood Stewart Gilles Moretton Yannick Noah 7–6, 6–41979 Chris Delaney James Delaney Thomas Fürst Wolfgang Popp 7–6, 6–2
See also All India Hard Court Championships National Lawn Tennis Championships of India :Category:National and multi-national tennis tournaments
References
Sources
http://www.tennisarchives.com/All India Championships 1910–1956
External links ATP World Tour archive ITF – Indian Open. .