Middlesex Championships

The Middlesex Championships. or Middlesex Lawn Tennis Championships and also known as the Middlesex Open Tennis Championships was a men's and women's grass court tennis founded at the Chiswick Park Lawn Tennis Club,Chiswick Park, Chiswick, Middlesex, Great Britain in 1884 and known as the Chiswick Park Club Open Lawn Tennis Tournament during the early editions of the event. The tournament was staged annually until 1949.

History

In 1883 William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire decided to lease some of his land, with a low annual ground rent for the residents Chiswick who wanted to establish a sports club. This new sports ground staged bowls, cricket, football, and lawn tennis. In 1884 Chiswick Park Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club was formed and established a Middlesex County Championship tennis tournament. The championships were usually held annually at the end of July through to the third week August. In 1887 "Challenge Cups" were presented to the winners of the men's and women's singles events. In 1893 the scheduling of the tournament was altered to start at the end of May through to early June.

The Chiswick Park Lawn Tennis Club continued to stage the annual Championship of Middlesex, making the venue second only to Wimbledon in importance. In 1925 the land lease arrangement came to end due it expiring, however by this point the former tennis and cricket clubs had by this point formed into a business entity the Chiswick Cricket and Lawn Tennis Company. The tournament was not held during World War One and was postponed again in 1939 following the outbreak of World War Two. In 1946 the tournaments grounds were issued with a compulsory purchase by Brentford and Chiswick Urban District Council. After this tournament staged only three more times for the men's events, the women's events ended in 1946. The Middlesex Championships ran for 59 years, and was quite successful in attracting attract top players to four championships until 1949 when it was abolished.

Notable winners of the men's singles included Charles Walder Grinstead (1884), Ernest Wool Lewis (1886–1890, 1892), Athar-Ali Fyzee, (1921), Henry Mayes (1926) Daniel Prenn (1935), Czeslaw Spychala (1946) and Ghaus Mohammad (1947). Previous women's singles champions included Maud Shackle (1891–1893), Edith Austin Greville (1894, 1905), Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (1926) and Jadwiga Jędrzejowska (1938).

Finals Men's singles

(incomplete roll) Year Champion Runner up Score1884 Charles Walder Grinstead Donald Charles Stewart6-1, 4–6, 12–10, 6–3.1885 Herbert Chipp Donald Charles Stewart 7-5, 7–5, 6–3.1886 Harry Grove Edward Lake Williams6-3, 6–2, 6–3.1887 Ernest Wool Lewis Ernest George Meers7-5, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3.1888 Ernest Wool Lewis (2) Ernest George Meers 6-2, 6–2, 6–2.1889 Ernest Wool Lewis (3) Harry S. Barlow6-3, 6–3, 8–6.1890 Ernest Wool Lewis (4) Harold Mahony6-1, 6–4, 6–2.1891 Ernest George Meers Ernest Wool Lewisw.o.1892 Ernest Wool Lewis (5) Ernest George Meers 6-3, 6–4, 6–2.1893 Harold Mahony Ernest Wool Lewisw.o.1894 Harry S. Barlow Harold Mahony3-6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–1.1895 Harry S. Barlow (2) George Greville 6-4, 7–5, 4–6, 6–2.1896 Harold Mahony Harry S. Barloww.o.1897 George Greville Harold Mahony6-4, 10–8, 5–7, 1–6, 6–1.1898 Harold Mahony (2) George Greville4-6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–2.1899 Harold Mahony (3) George Greville5-7, 2–6, 6–1, 6–1, 6–4.1900 Harold Mahony (4) Arthur Gore 6-2, 6–4, 6–2.1901 George Greville (2) Harold Mahony7-5, 6–1, 4–6, 6–3.1902 George Greville (3) Roderick McNair 6-2, 6–0, 6–2.1903 Harold Mahony (5) Brame Hillyard3-6, 6–2, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3.1904 Harold Mahony (6) Frederick William Payn3-6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4.1905 George Miéville Simond Henry Pollard9-7, 3–6, 10–8.1906 Major Ritchie George Miéville Simond6-1, 6–2, 6–4.1907 Major Ritchie (2) Granville Gilbert Sharp6-3, 4–6, 6–0, 6–1.1908 Major Ritchie (3) Sydney Harman Adams6-4, 6–1, 6–1.1909 Charles P. Dixon Percival Davson6-4, 7–5, 6–3.1910 Major Ritchie (4) George Alan Thomas7-5, 6–0, 6–0.1915/1918Not held (due to World War I)1919 Louis Bosman Raymond Brian Norton6-2, 6–1, 6–2.1920 Randolph Lycett Major Ritchie6-1, 9–7, 6–8, 6–3.1921 Athar-Ali Fyzee Frank Hunter4-6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–4.1922 Randolph Lycett (2) Brian Gilbert6-2, 6–2, 6–2.1923 Brian Norton Donald Greig8-6, 6–2.1924 Pat Spence Louis Raymond6-2, 6–3.1925 Noel Turnbull Teddy Higgs6-1, 3–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4.1926 Henry Mayes Pat Hughes8-6, 10–8, 6–1.1927 Jack Hillyard Frank Crosbie6-3, 6–3.1928 Randolph Lycett (2) Pat Spence2-6, 7–5, 7–5, 6–4. 1929 William Powell Ryuki Miki6-1, 4–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–1.1930 Fred Perry Atri Madan Mohan7-5, 6–0.1931 Ted Avory William Powell 6-4, 6–3.1932 Kenneth Dower David H. Williams6-3, 6–8, 6–2.1933 Iwao Aoki Pat Spence3-6, 7–5, 6–2.1934 Frank Wilde Colin Ritchie6-4, 6–3.1935 Daniel Prenn George Lyttleton-Rogers6-4, 6–3.1936 David Jones Jimmy Jones6-4, 6–2.1937 Jimmy Jones Murray Deloford6-1, 6–1.1938 Choy Wai-Chuen Eric Filby6-2, 6–4.1939 Choy Wai-Chuen (2) Eric Filby6-4, 6–4.1940/1945Not held (due to World War II)1946 Czeslaw Spychala Choy Wai-Chuen6-8, 6–2, 6–4.1947 Ghaus Mohammed Khan Howard Walton6-2, 6–2.1948 Tim Lewis Bernard Crouch6-1, 6–3.1949 Headley Baxter Cliff Hovell6-1, 7–5.

Women's singles

(incomplete roll) Year Champion Runner up Score 1884 Blanche Bingley Miss Wing 6-3, 6-3 1885 Edith Gurney Blanche Bingley 1-6, 7–5, 6–0, retd. 1886 Miss Douglas May Jacks 6-4, 6-0 1887 Dorothy Patterson Edith Gurney 6-0, 4–6, 7-5 1888 Blanche Hillyard (2) D. Patterson 6-2, 6-4 1889 Mary Steedman Bertha Steedman 6-4, 7-5 1890 Mary Steedman (2) May Jacks 6-2, 6-2 1891 Maud Shackle Edith Austin 6-0, 6-1 1892 Maud Shackle (2) Edith Austin6-4, 6-0 1893 Maud Shackle (3) Edith Austin 6-3, 6-4 1894 Edith Austin A. Brown 6-3, 6-3 1895 Charlotte Cooper Edith Austin6-3, 7-5 1896 Charlotte Cooper (2) Edith Austin6-4, 6-2 1897 Charlotte Cooper (3) Edith Austin1-6, 6–4, 6-4 1898 Charlotte Cooper (4) Edith Austin6-3, 3–6, 7-5 1899 Edith Austin (2) Charlotte Cooper7-5, 6-4 1900 Charlotte Cooper (5) Edith Austin Greville 6-3, 9-7 1901 Charlotte Cooper Sterry (6) Toupie Lowther 6-3, 6-2 1902 Charlotte Cooper Sterry (7) Edith Bromfield 6-1, 6-0 1903 Dorothea Douglass Edith Bromfield 6-4, 9-7 1904 Dorothea Douglass (2) Charlotte Cooper Sterry4-6, 6–1, 6-3 1905 Edith Austin Greville (3) Mabel Squire 6-4, 7-5 1906 Dorothea Douglass (3) Charlotte Cooper Sterry6-1, 6-0 1907 Dorothea Chambers (4) Maud Brown 6-3, 6-1 1908 Dorothea Chambers (5) Alice Greene 7-5, 6-4 1909 Beryl Tulloch Agnes Daniell Tuckey 6-3, 4–6, 7-5 1910 Dorothea Chambers (6) M. Messom 6-2, 6-2 1911 Dorothea Chambers (7) Mabel Parton 6-3, 6-2 1912 Dorothy Holman Mabel Squire Parton 6-2, 4–6, 7-5 1913 Dorothea Chambers (8) Dora Boothby 6-2, 6-3 1914 Dorothea Chambers (9) Aurea Edgington walkover1915/1918Not held (due to World War I) 1919 Elizabeth Ryan Geraldine Beamish 6-2, 4–6, 6-4 1920 Elizabeth Ryan (2) Dorothea Chambers7-5, 6-2 1921 Elizabeth Ryan (3) Geraldine Beamish6-3, 6-4 1922 Irene Bowder Peacock Geraldine Beamish6-1, 1–6, 6-2 1923 Kathleen McKane Molla Bjurstedt Mallory6-3, 6-2 1924 Kathleen McKane (2) Elizabeth Ryan6-4, 6-4 1925 Elizabeth Ryan (4) Geraldine Beamish6-4, 6-0 1926 Molla Bjurstedt Mallory Gwen Sterry 6-3, 1–6, 6-1 1927 Elizabeth Ryan (5) Joan Fry 6-0, 4–6, 6-2 1928 Ermyntrude Harvey Madge Valantine List 6-1, 6-3 1929 Peggy Saunders Michell Margaret McKane Stocks 6-3, 6-1 1930 Betty Nuthall Jenny Sandison9-7, 6-3 1931 Elsie Goldsack Pittman Peggy Saunders Michell 9-7, 6-2 1932 Nancy Lyle Irene Bowder Peacock6-4, 6-4 1933 Violet Chamberlain Owen Elsie Goldsack Pittman 6-4, 6-2 1934 Elsie Goldsack Pittman (2) Joan Ridley 6-4, 6-4 1935 Susan Noel Elsie Goldsack Pittman6-1, 8-6 1936 Mary Hardwick Nancy Lyle 4-6, 7–5, 7-5 1937 Anita Lizana Alice Marble 9-7, 9-7 1938 Jadwiga Jędrzejowska Dorothy Bundy7-5, 6-2 1939 Jean Saunders A. Cardinall 6-4, 6-31940/1945Not held (due to World War I)1946Women's event (discontinued)

Tournament records Men Source: Most singles titles: Harold Mahony (6) Most singles finals: Harold Mahony (10) Most consecutive singles titles: Ernest Wool Lewis (4)

Women Most singles titles: Dorothea Chambers (9) Most singles finals: Edith Austin Greville (11) Most consecutive singles titles: Charlotte Cooper (4)

References

Sources Baily's Magazine of Sports & Pastimes. London: Vinton and Co Limited. 1896. Clegg, Gill. "Entertainment :Chiswick Park Lawn Tennis Club". brentfordandchiswicklhs.org.uk. Brentford and Chiswick Local History Society. Retrieved 4 October 2022. Heathcote, J. M. Heathacote: C. G. (1890). Tennis; Lawn Tennis. London: Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & co. ltd. Tennis Championships. Kalgoorlie Miner. Trove: National Library of Australia. 31 May 1922. Retrieved 4 October 2022.