The Penzance Open[1] tournament was originally called the Penzance LTC Tournament[2] as a combined grass court tennis tournament staged at by the Penzance LTC,Penzance, Cornwall, England in 1881, that ran until 1887.[3]

Penzance Open
Defunct tennis tournament
TourMen's Amateur Tour (1877-1912)
Women's Amateur Tour (1877-1912)
ILTF Men's Amateur Tour (1913-1967)
ILTF Women's Amateur Tour (1913-1967)
Founded1881, 1950
Abolished1887, 1978
LocationPenzance, Cornwall, England.
VenuePenzance Lawn Tennis Club
SurfaceGrass

In 1950 the Penzance Open was established as a senior international tour level event that ran until 1978.[3] The Penzance Open is still being staged today as a local tournament.

History

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On 15 August 1881 the Penzance LTC Tournament was held for the first time at Penzance, Cornwall, England as a tennis event for men only that ended on 16 August.[3] The first edition was won by a Mr. P. H. Fernandez.[3] On 11 August 1882 the second edition of the tournament was concluded,[4] the men's singles event was won by Arthur Stanhope Rashleigh,[3] and the women's singles was won by a Miss M. Jackson.[5]

The first Penzance LTC Tournament was staged up to 1887, when both the club and event ended the with men's event being won by the American player A. K. Andrews.[3] In the summer of 1950 saw the first Penzance Open Tournament was staged by the new Penzance Lawn Tennis Club at Penlee Park, Penzance, Cornwall.[6] Former winners of the men's singles title include; the Polish player Ernest Whittmann[7] (1953–1954), Roger Taylor (1959), The women's singles title has been won by Joan Curry (1955), Billie Woodgate (1957–1958), a Wimbledon quarter finalist in the women's doubles, and mixed doubles events.[8]

Venue

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In 1947 a new Penzance Lawn Tennis Club was established at the promenade, Penzance and consisted of 2 hard courts. In 1950 Penzance LTC moved to a permanent location at Penlee Park. The club then consisted of 4 ‘En Tout Cas’ shale courts, plus 2 existing grass courts.[9] Today the club has 4 floodlit artificial grass courts and 3 floodlit macadam hard courts.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Penzance 71st Open Tournament 2021". tennis-cornwall.co.uk. Tennis Cornwall. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  2. ^ Routledges Sporting Annual. (1882). Lawn Tennis in 1881. George Routledge and Sons. London. pp.63–71.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament – Penzance". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Lawn tennis Tournaments and Matches in 1882". Routledge's Sporting Annual. London: George Routledge and Sons. 1883. p. 117.
  5. ^ Routledge's Sporting Annual. p.117.
  6. ^ "Our History". penzancetennisclub.co.uk. Penzance Tennis Club. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Player Profile: Ernest Wittmann". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Player Profile: Billie Woodgate". www.wimbledon.com. LTA. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  9. ^ Penzance Tennis Club
  10. ^ "Visitors". penzancetennisclub.co.uk. Penzance Tennis Club. Retrieved 16 October 2022.

Sources

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  • Penzance 71st Open Tournament 2021". tennis-cornwall.co.uk. Tennis Cornwall.
  • Penzance Tennis Club. "Our History". penzancetennisclub.co.uk.
  • Player Profile: Ernest Wittmann". ATP Tour. ATP.
  • Player Profile: Billie Woodgate". www.wimbledon.com. LTA.
  • Routledges Sporting Annual. (1882). Lawn Tennis in 1881. George Routledge and Sons.
  • Routledge's Sporting Annual. (1883). London: George Routledge and Sons.