The Minnesota Open previously known as the Minnesota State Championships is an open men's and women's tennis competition founded in 1902 as the Championship of the Minnesota State Tennis Association.[1][2] The tournament was first played at the St. Paul Lawn Tennis Club, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States and ran as part of the ILTF Circuit until 1971.
| Minnesota Open | |
|---|---|
| Tournament information | |
| Founded | 1902 |
| Location | Minnesota Minneapolis United States |
| Surface | Hard |
| Website | Minnesota Open |
History
editIn 1886 the first unofficial Minnesota State Championships was staged by the Minnesota Lawn Tennis Club.[2] The event was billed as the Championship of Minnesota, a men's-only event that was won by Lucius Pond Ordway.[2] The tournament was not held again.
In 1888 North Western Lawn Tennis Association was formed.[3] The NWLTA was responsible for administering all tennis clubs in the states of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.[4] In 1901 the Minnesota State Tennis Association was formed.[5]
In 1902 the first official Minnesota State Championship was played at the Minnesota Lawn Tennis Club in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The tournament was part of North Western Lawn Tennis Association circuit, which itself was part of the USNLTA Circuit. From 1925 the tournament was open to foreign players and became part of the ILTF Circuit.
The championships were held at various locations throughout Minnesota including Duluth,[2] Minneapolis,[2] Saint Paul,[2] and White Bear Lake.[2] Winners of the men's singles title include John F. Hennessey,[2] he was a member of the St. Paul Tennis Club,[6] Gardnar Mulloy,[2] and Wendell Clarence Ottum, who won the title eight times (1958, 1960–1865, 1967).[7]
Winners of women's singles title included Genevieve Wales, Gwendolyn Rees, Marguerite Davis (St, Paul LTC),[8] Elizabeth Deike, and Muriel Magnusson.[9] The championships continue to be staged as the Minnesota Open.[10]
References
edit- ^ "11th Minnesota State Championship". Wright and Ditson's Official Lawn Tennis Guide. Wright and Ditson. 1913. pp. 163, 164, 165.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Tournaments:Minnesota State Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ North Western Lawn Tennis Association Championships". The Official United States Lawn Tennis Association Tennis Guide with the Official Rules. New York: A.S. Barnes & Co. 1967. p. 107.
- ^ United States Lawn Tennis Association Tennis Guide (1967)
- ^ Wright and Ditson's Official Lawn Tennis Guide (1913)
- ^ "About Us". saintpaultennisclub.com. St. Paul Tennis Club. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "Obituary for Wendell C. Ottum (Aged 56)". Star Tribune. Newspapers Archive. 20 September 1988. p. 18. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ St. Paul Tennis Club
- ^ "USTA NORTHERN HALL OF FAME". www.usta.com. USTA. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "Minnesota Open". tennislink.usta.com. USTA. Retrieved 22 May 2023.