The Middle States Championships, also known as the Middle States Sectional Championships or Championship of the Middle States, was a regional level tennis tournament held at various locations from 1885 to 1968.

History The spring Championship of the Middle States were first staged at the St George's Cricket Club, Hoboken, New Jersey on 10–12 June 1885. The first winner of the men's singles event was Richard D. Sears. The tournament was classified as a regional championship by the United States Lawn Tennis Association until 1900 when they started to be referred to as sectional championships (a geographic, competitive term, but nothing to do with how they are governed.

Finals

Men's Singles YearLocationWinnerRunner-upScore↓  USNLTA Circuit  ↓1885 Hoboken Richard Sears Howard Taylor 6–4, 6–1, 6–31886 Hoboken Robert Livingston Beeckman William Edward Glyn1–6, 8–6, 6–2, 6–8, 6–1 1887 Hoboken Robert Livingston Beeckman (2) Howard Taylor 6–3, 8–6, 6–4 1888 Hoboken Edward Peale MacMullen Robert Livingston Beeckman6–0, 6–4, 0–6, 8–61889 Hoboken Howard Taylor Clarence Hobart5–7, 6–2, 6–2, 4–6, 6–1 1890 Rochester Howard Taylor (2) Albert Empie Wright5–7, 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 1891 Hoboken Charles Edward Sands Howard Taylor w.o. 1892 South Orange Richard W. Stevens Charles Edward Sands6–3, 6–3, 6–1 1893 Mountain Station Richard W. Stevens (2) Arthur Ellsworth Foote6–3, 6–3, 6–2 1894 Mountain Station Bill Larned Richard W. Stevens (3)6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 6–21895Mountain Station Bill Larned (2) John Howland15–13, 8–6, 6–4 1896 South Orange Clarence Hobart Bill Larnedw.o.1897Mountain Station Bill Larned (3) Clarence Hobartw.o. 1899South Orange Bill Larned (4) Malcolm Whitman6–1, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 1900 South Orange Malcolm Whitman (2) Dwight F. Davis3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–31901South Orange Bill Larned (5) Malcolm Whitmanw.o.1902South Orange Holcombe Ward Fred Larned ?1903 South Orange Stephen C. Millett Holcombe Ward ?1904 South Orange Clarence Hobart (2) Stephen C. Millett 6-2, 0-4, 7-5, 7-9, 7-51905 South Orange Fred Alexander Clarence Hobart 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 8-61906 South Orange Bill Larned (6)Fred Alexander8-6, 7-5, 6-31907South Orange Bill Larned (7) Raymond D. Little3–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 1908 South Orange Edward Larned Bill Larnedw.o.1909 South Orange Edward Larned (2) Wallace F. Johnson 6–2, 6–4, 7–5 1911Spalding's Tennis Annual. New York: New York, 1912 p. 66.South Orange Walter Merrill Hall Nathaniel Niles6–8, 5–4, default1918 South Orange Walter Merrill Hall (2) Roosevelt Pell 6–3, 6–2, 6–0 1919 South Orange Walter Merrill Hall (3) Leonard A. Beekman4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 6–2 1920 Philadelphia Wallace F. Johnson Kenneth D. Fisher6–4, 6–3, 6–1 1921 Philadelphia Carl Fischer Philip Bovier Hawk1–6, 6–4, 12–10, 0–6, 6–3 1922 Philadelphia Carl Fischer (2) ?? 1923 Philadelphia Wallace F. Johnson (2) Carl Fischer3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 ↓  ILTF Circuit  ↓1924 Philadelphia Wallace F. Johnson (3) Wallace Wendell Scott? 1925 Philadelphia Fritz Mercur Edward M. Mann7–5, 3–6, 8–6 1926 Philadelphia Bill Tilden Manuel Alonso de Areyzaga6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–41927 Philadelphia Manuel Alonso de Areyzaga Cranston William Holman7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 1935 Pittsburgh Gilbert A. Hunt Guy Cheng6–8, 6–0, 7–51936 Pittsburgh Barnie Walsh Arthur Hendrix3–6, 4–6, 8–6, 7–5, 6–1 1937 Philadelphia Julius Heldman Robert Harman6–3, 6–2, 1–6, 2–6, 6–2 1939 Bethesda Barnie Walsh (2) Hugh J. Lynch1–6, 6–1, 6–4, 6–3 1943 Philadelphia James Brink Gene Garrett6–1, 6–1, 6–3 1945 Richmond Jimmy Evert Bren Macken6–1, 6–0, 6–1

Women's Singles Incomplete Roll YearLocationWinnerRunner-upScore↓  USNLTA Circuit  ↓1890Rochester Mabel Cahill ??1891Hoboken Mabel Cahill (2) Emma Leavitt-Morgan7–5, 7–51892South Orange Mabel Cahill (3) Augusta Schultz6–1, 6–1 1893Mountain Station Mabel Cahill (4) Helena Hellwig6–1, 6–11894Mountain Station Juliette Atkinson Helena Hellwig6–8, 6–4, 7–5, 8–10, 6–3 1896South Orange Elisabeth Moore Juliette Atkinson6–4, 4–6, 2–1, retired1901South Orange Juliette Atkinson (2) Margaret Johnson 6–1, 5–7, 6–8, 7–5, 6–31902South Orange Maud Banks Marion Jones 6–2, 5–7, 6–31903South Orange Carrie Neely Marion Jones 6–4, 2–6, 6–21904South Orange May Sutton Carrie Neely 6–1, 6–11905South Orange Carrie Neely (2) Alice Day6–1, 6–21906South Orange Helen Homans Alice Day6–0, 6–21907South Orange Carrie Neely (3) Marie Wagner6–4, 6–31908South Orange Carrie Neely (4) Marie Wagnerw.o.1909South Orange Louise Hammond Augusta Bradley Chapman6–3, 6–4 1910South Orange Louise Hammond (2)Carrie Neely3–6, 6–1, 6–4 1911South Orange Hazel Hotchkiss Louise Hammond Raymond6–2, 6–2 1912South Orange Edythe Parker Beard Polly Sheldon5–7, 6–4, 6–21913South Orange Edith Rotch Alice Day Beard7–5, 6–11914South Orange Louise Hammond Raymond (3) Edith Rotch6–2 6–31915South Orange Molla Bjurstedt Ina Kissel6–1, 6–31916South Orange Ina Kissel Grace Moore LeRoy4–6, 6–2, 6–11917Staten Island Patricia Butlin Hitchins Helen Gilleaudeau5–7, 6–4, 6–11918South Orange Adelaide Browning Green Natalie Browning6–2, 4–6, 6–01919South Orange Helene Pollak Florence Ballin6–1. 7–51920Philadelphia Ida Wilson Huff Edith Kurtz Newhall6–2, 6–31921Philadelphia Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (2) Edith Sigourney6–0, 6–31922Philadelphia Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (3) Marion Zinderstein Jessup6–1, 6–11923Philadelphia Eleanor Goss Molla Bjurstedt Mallory7–5 4–6 6–3↓  ILTF Circuit  ↓1924Philadelphia Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (4) Anne Townsend6–1 6–01925Philadelphia Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (5) Marion Zinderstein Jessup6–3, 4–6, 6–21926Philadelphia Elizabeth Ryan Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman6–3, 6–21927Philadelphia Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (6) Kea Bouman6–4, 6–41928Philadelphia Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (7) Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman6–3, 11–91929Philadelphia Virginia Hilleary Sarah Neilson Madeira3–6, 6–3, 6–31930Philadelphia Virginia Hilleary (2) Dorothy Andrus 6–1, 6–41931Philadelphia Elsie Goldsack Pittman Joan Ridley6–4, 4–6, 6–21932Philadelphia Elsie Goldsack Pittman (2) Joan Ridley6–1, 6–21933Philadelphia Joan Ridley Alice Francis6–1, 6–2

References

Sources Hall, Valentine Gill (1889). "Tournaments of 1885: Summary". Lawn tennis in America. Biographical sketches of all the prominent players ... knotty points, and all the latest rules and directions governing handicaps, umpires, and rules for playing. New York: New York, D. W. Granbery & co. Heathcote, John Moyer (1891). Tennis. London: Longmans, [Green,]. Kimball, Warren F. (2017). "2: The Founding Gentlemen 1877-1913". The United States Tennis Association: Raising the Game. Lincoln, Nebraska: U of Nebraska Press. Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament – Middle States Championships". www.tennisarchives.com. A. Nieuwland. Paret, Jahial Parmly; Allen, J. P.; Alexander, Frederick B.; Hardy, Samuel [from old catalog (1918). Spalding's tennis annual . New York: New York, American sports publishing company