Wikipedia

1885 women's tennis season

The 1885 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 60 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in May in Sydney, Australia and ended in November in New Haven, United States.[1]

1885 Women's tennis season
Maud Watson is singles title leader this year
Details
Duration4 May – 6 November
Edition10th
Tournaments60 (Amateur)
CategoriesImportant (3)
National (0)
Provincial/Regional/State (7)
County (7)
Regular (13)
Achievements (singles)
Most tournament titlesEngland Maud Watson (5)
Most tournament finalsEngland Blanche Bingley (6)
← 1884
1886 →

Season summary

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Prior to the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913 the Wimbledon Championships, the U.S. National Championships, the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and the Northern Championships were considered by players and historians as the four most important tennis tournaments to win.[2][3][4]

1885 sees a large expansion in the overall number of combined women's events being held as the tennis circuit continues to grow.[5] At the beginning of may the first Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament (later known as the New South Wales Championships) is held in Sydney, Australia and is won by Annie Lamb.[6]

In late May 1884 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships[7] in Dublin, Ireland. In the women's singles final England's Maud Watson retains the title defeating Irleland's Louisa Martin. Watson also claims the doubles title with her sister Lilian Watson defeating the Irish sisters Adela Langrishe and May Langrishe. In the mixed doubles Watson retains the title with William Renshaw against Ireland's Connie Butler and Ireland's Ernest Browne.[1] and completes a clean sweep of all possible events, singles, doubles and mixed doubles.[1]

In June 1884 at the second major tournament of the year the Northern Championships in Manchester England's Maud Watson wins her second major singles title against Edith Davies. The women's doubles title is won by Ann Dod and Lottie Dod who defeated Margaret Bracewell and Beatrice Langrishe.[1] In the mixed doubles event Maud Watson wins a second title paired with William Renshaw beating England's Margaret Bracewell and America's James Dwight.[1]

At the 1885 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament in the singles competition Maud Watson defeats Blanche Bingley to claim a second ladies championship title.[8] At the U.S. National Championships there was still no women's championship events held.

In Australasia in October the Victorian Championships held in Melbourne, Australia and played on asphalt courts is won by Mabel Shaw. In November the season ended in the United States at the New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament at that was by Adeline Robinson. In 1913 the International Lawn Tennis Federation was created, and consisted of 13 national member associations. The ILTF through its associated members then became responsible for supervising women's tour events.

Season results

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Notes 1: Challenge Round: the final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921),[9] in some tournaments not all.

* Indicates challenge round final

Key

Main events.[10][11][12][13]
National events
Provincial/State/Regional events
County events
Regular events

Singles

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Results included:.[14]

Tournaments (31)
# Date ended Tournament Location Surface Winner Finalist Score
1. 7-May-1885[15] Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament Sydney Grass   Annie Lamb   Miss Gordon 6–5, 6–4, 6–1, 6–1
2. 26-May-1885[14] Irish Championships Dublin Grass   Maud Watson   Louisa Martin 6–2, 4–6, 6–3
3. 30-May-1885[14] West of England Championships Bath Grass   Gertrude Gibbs   Edith Davies 2–6, 6–4, 6–0
4. 6-Jun-1885[14] East Gloucestershire Championships Cheltenham Grass   Maud Watson   Connie Butler 6–3, 6–1
5. 13-Jun-1885[14] Kilkenny County and City Tournament Archersfield Grass   May Langrishe   Miss Neville 6–1, 6–8
6. 13-Jun-1885[14] London Championships Stamford Bridge Grass   Maud Watson   Lilian Watson 6–2, 6–3
7. 17-Jun-1885[14] Acton Vale LTC Open East Acton Grass   Blanche Bingley   Miss Day 6–0, 6–2
8. 19-Jun-1885[14] Waterloo Tournament Liverpool Grass   Lottie Dod   Margaret Bracewell 6–4, 6–2
9. 20-Jun-1885[14] Brincliffe Lawn Tennis Club Open Tournament Sheffield Grass   Beatrice Wood   Florence Mardall 6–1, 6–0
10. 27-Jun-1885[14] Northern Championships * Manchester Grass   Maud Watson   Edith Davies 6–3, 6–3
11. 3-Jul-1885[14] Midland Counties Championship Cup Edgbaston Grass   Margaret Bracewell   Mary Steedman 6–3, 6–2
12. 9-Jul-1885[14] Ealing Lawn Tennis Tournament Ealing Grass   Charlotte Cooper   Edith Gurney 6–4, 6–4
13. 9-Jul-1885[16] Natal Championships Durban Grass   Mabel Grant   L. Button 18–8 games
14. 17-Jul-1885[14] Wimbledon Championships London Grass   Maud Watson   Blanche Bingley 6–1, 7–5
15. 25-Jul-1885[14] Chiswick Park Tournament Chiswick Park Grass   Edith Gurney   Blanche Bingley 1–6, 7–5, 6–0
16. 25-Jul-1885[14] Leicester Open Lawn Tennis Tournament Leicester Grass   Margaret Bracewell   Agnes Watts 6–2, 8–6
17. 6-Aug-1885[14] Darlington Association Tournament Darlington Grass   Florence Stanuell   Connie Butler 6–0, 7–5
18. 8-Aug-1885[14] West of Ireland Championships Sligo Grass   C. McClintock   Maude Scovell 0–6, 6–3, 6–2
19. 14-Aug-1885[14] East Grinstead Lawn Tennis Tournament East Grinstead Grass   Blanche Bingley   Edith Davies 6–2, 5–7, 6–3
20. 17-Aug-1885 Charleville Ladies' Tournament Charleville Grass   Miss Crookbain Won
21. 18-Aug-1885[14] Bournemouth Lawn Tennis Club Tournament Bournemouth Grass   Mrs Surman   Mrs Hornby drew
22. 20-Aug-1885 Augusta Tournament Augusta Grass   Miss Haynes   Katie Baldwin 3–6, 6–1, 6–4
23. 22-Aug-1885[14] North Yorkshire Tournament Scarborough Grass   Mabel Boulton   Beatrice Wood 6–2, 6–2
24. 22-Aug-1885[14] South of Scotland Championships Moffat Grass   Ann Dod   J. Forrest 6–0, 6–0
25. 29-Aug-1885[14] Derbyshire Championships Buxton Grass   Blanche Bingley   Louisa Martin 6–3, 6–3
26. 17-Sep-1885[14] South of England Championships Eastbourne Grass   Blanche Bingley   Ada Strapp 6–1, 6–0
27. 26-Sep-1885[14] Sussex County Lawn Tennis Tournament Brighton Asphalt   EF Hudson   Constance Bryan 6–1, 6–4
28. 26-Sep-1885 Orange LTC Open Montrose Grass   Adeline Robinson   Grace Roosevelt 6–3, 3–6, 6–2
29. 5-Oct-1885 Camp Washington Ladies Lawn Tennis Tournament Livingston Grass   Miss Lesley   Miss Austin 4–6, 6–2, 6–3
30. 10-Oct-1885 Victorian Championships Melbourne Asphalt   Mabel Shaw   Miss Patterson 13–7 games
31. 6-Nov-1885 New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament New Haven Grass   Adeline Robinson   Emma Leavitt-Morgan 6–2, 6–3

Tournament winners

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Singles

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This is list of winners sorted by number of singles titles (# and main titles in bold)

Doubles

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This is list of winners sorted by number of doubles titles (# and main titles in bold)
Note: Ann Dod and Connie Butler won titles with two different partners.

Mixed doubles

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This is list of winners sorted by number of mixed doubles titles (# and main titles in bold)

Statistical summary

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Singles

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Doubles

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  • Total Tournaments: (15)
  • Most Titles:   Ann Dod &   Connie Butler (3)
  • Most Finals:   Connie Butler (5)

Mix Doubles

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am Garcia, Gabriel. "Season - 1885". The Tennis Base. Madrid: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  2. ^ Robertson, Max (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. pp. 266, 267. ISBN 9780047960420.
  3. ^ Meyers, A. Wallis (1903). Lawn Tennis at Home and Abroad. New York: Charles Scribner and Sons. p. 55.
  4. ^ Lake, Robert J. (2014). A Social History of Tennis in Britain. Routledge. p. 49. ISBN 9781134445578.
  5. ^ Berry. David (2020). A people's history of tennis. (2) Feminists. Pluto Books London ISBN 978-0745339658. p.33.
  6. ^ "Lawn Tennis". Illustrated Sydney News. Vol. XXII, no. 6. New South Wales, Australia. 6 June 1885. pp. 11–15 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ Irish TV Documentary (4 Jul 2016). The True Tale Of The Irish Tennis Murderer. Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE). Dublin. Ireland.
  8. ^ "The Championships 1885 - Ladies' Singles" (PDF). Wimbledon. AELTC. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Abolition of Challenge Rounds". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. EVENING POST, VOLUME CIII, ISSUE 65, 20 March 1922. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  10. ^ Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles (2012). Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 198. ISBN 9781598843002.
  11. ^ Gillmeister, Heiner (1998). Tennis:Cultural History. London: A&C Black. p. 199. ISBN 9780718501952.
  12. ^ Mazak, Karoly (2017). The Concise History of Tennis. Independently published. pp. 5–36. ISBN 9781549746475.
  13. ^ Lake, Robert J. (2014). A Social History of Tennis in Britain: Volume 5 of Routledge Research in Sports History. Routledge. p. 48. ISBN 9781134445578.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah "Lawn Tennis Tournaments of 1885". Routledges Sporting Annual. London: George Routledge and Son. 1886. pp. 124–130.
  15. ^ Illustrated Sydney News
  16. ^ "The History of KZN Tennis". KZN Tennis Association. p. 1. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
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