Hoylake Open Championships

Hoylake Open Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Tour	ILTF Circuit
Founded	1930 (1930)
Abolished	1974 (1974)
Location	West Kirby, Cheshire, England
Venue	Ashton Park
Surface	Grass/Clay

The Hoylake Open Championships also known as the Rothman's Hoylake Open Championships (for sponsorship reasons) was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1930 as the Hoylake and West Kirby Open. The event was staged annually at Ashton Park, West Kirby, Cheshire, England until 1974.

History

On 25 August 1930 the Hoylake and West Kirby Open lawn tennis tournament was established. The tournament was unique in that it was played on public tennis courts at the Ashton Park, West Kirby, Cheshire. It began mainly as a local British event for the first couple of decades It then began to attract international players from the 1950s onward. The tournament continued under same the brand name until 1966. In 1967 the newspaper company the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Ltd took over sponsorship of the event, and it was rebraded as Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Hoylake Open. In 1970 the tobacco company Rothmans International took over sponsorship of the tournament. It became a major stop on the ILTF Circuit in July just after Wimbledon until its demise in the mid-1970s.

In 1960 and from 1967 the tournament was also valid as North of England Championships with the winners succeeding to both titles. The tournament was predominantly played on grass courts except for the 1974 edition that was played on clay courts.

Finals

Men's Singles

Incomplete roll includes:

Hoylake and West Kirby Open
Year	Winners	Runners-up	Score
1949	W. Devine	G.J. Chibbett	3-6, 9–7, 6-2
1950	T.A. Cowdy	G.J. Chibbett	4-6, 7–5, 6-4
1951	David Samaai	Chew Bee Ong	6-2, 9-7
1952	Koon Hung Ip	Ignacy Tloczynski	6-2, 6-3
1953	Gerry Oakley	Ignacy Tloczynski	6-4, 7-5
1954	Gerry Oakley (2)	Koon Hung Ip	6-2, 7-5
1955	Gerry Oakley (3)	Colin Hannam	7-5, 5–7, 6-3
1956	John O'Brien	Don Black	6-2, 6-4
1957	Peter Frankland	Don Black	6-3, 9–7, 6-2
1958	Isaías Pimentel	Roy Stillwell	10-8, 6-2
1959	Ramanathan Krishnan	Premjit Lall	6-2, 6-1
1960	Bertie Gaertner	David Samaai	6-1, 2–6, 6-4
1961	John Hillebrand	Martin Mulligan	6-3, 6-4
1962	Roger Becker	Billy Knight	6-3, 2–6, 6-4
1963	Bob Howe	Martin Mulligan	6-4, 8-6
1964	John Hillebrand (2)	Fred Stolle	divided title
1965	Mike Sangster	Bob Hewitt	6-4, 6-3
1966	Mike Sangster (2)	Bob Hewitt	6-1, 6-1
Hoylake Open
1967	John Newcombe	Roger Taylor	7-5, 3–6, 6-3
1968	Mike Sangster (3)	Herb Fitzgibbon	2-6, 6–4, 12-10
Open era
1969	Ray Ruffels	Brian Fairlie	6-3, 6-3
Hoylake Open Championships
1970	John Newcombe (2)	Owen Davidson	4-6, 9–7, 6-4
1971	Andrew Pattison	Jaidip Mukerjea	6-2, 5–7, 6-2
1972	Douglas Irvine	Ray Keldie	divided title
1973	Bob Giltinan	Owen Davidson	1-6, 6–3, 6-2
1974	Bernie Mitton	John Yuill	6-4, 6-4

Women's singles

Incomplete roll includes.

Hoylake and West Kirby Open
Year	Winners	Runners-up	Score
1949	Mrs B. Dixon	Mrs P. Williams	6-4, 6-1
1950	Ann Layfield	Peggy Astill Knight	6-3, 1–6, 6-2
1951	Ann Layfield (2)	Elsie Hamilton Phillips	7-5, 1–6, 6-2
1952	Rosemary Walsh	Georgie Woodgate	2-6, 6–2, 6-3
1953	Mary Harris	Evelyn Attwood	7-5, 5–7, 6-4
1954	Joan Curry	Georgie Woodgate	10-8, 6-1
1955	Shirley Bloomer	Rita Bentley	6-3, 6-0
1956	Shirley Bloomer (2)	Georgie Woodgate	6-0, 6-1
1957	Margaret R. O'Donnell	Kay Newcombe	6-3, 6-4
1958	Margaret R. O'Donnell (2)	Sonia Cox	6-1, 6-3
1959	Sheila Armstrong	Deidre Catt	5-7, 7–5, 6-2
1960	Renée Schuurman	Sheila Armstrong	6-3, 7-5
1961	Margaret R. O'Donnell (3)	Louise Grundy	6-0, 6-0
1962	Angela Mortimer	Jill Blackman	6-4, 6-4
1963	Ann Haydon Jones	Jill Blackman	6-2, 6-1
1964	Rita Bentley	Madonna Schacht	divided the title
1965	Margaret Smith	Judy Tegart	6-4, 6-4
1966	Margaret Smith (2)	Annette Van Zyl	3-6, 6–1, 6-4
Hoylake Open
1967	Virginia Wade	Judy Tegart	6-3, 6-4
1968	Margaret Smith Court (3)	Virginia Wade	6-2, 6-4
Open era
1969	Virginia Wade (2)	Christine Truman Janes	0-6, 6–4, 8-6
Hoylake Open Championships
1970	Evonne Goolagong	Kerry Melville	2-6, 6–2, 6-1
1971	Billie Jean Moffitt King	Rosie Casals	6-3, 6-3
1972	Evonne Goolagong (2)	Betty Stöve	divided the title
1973	Patti Hogan	Sharon Walsh	11-9, 4–6, 6-4
1974	Jackie Fayter	Patti Hogan	6-0, 7-5

Event names

• Hoylake and West Kirby Open (1930-1966)
• Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Hoylake Open (1967-1969)
• Rothman's Hoylake Open Championships (1970-1974)

Tournament records

Men's singles

• Most Men's Titles: Gerry Oakley & Mike Sangster (3)
• Most Men's Finals: Gerry Oakley & Mike Sangster (3)

Women's singles

• Most Women's Titles: Margaret O'Donnell & Margaret Smith Court (3)
• Most Women's Finals: Georgie Woodgate & Margaret O'Donnell & Margaret Smith Court (3)