Belgian Open (tennis)

For the men's indoor tournament held in Brussels from 1981 to 1992, see Donnay Indoor Championships.

The Belgian Open or Brussels International was a tennis tournament founded in 1899 as a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament.^[1]

Belgian Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Tour	ILTF World Circuit (1913-1969) men ILTF World Circuit (1913-1972) women ILTF Grand Prix Circuit (men) WTA Tour (women)
Founded	1897; 127 years ago (1897)
Abolished	1981; 43 years ago (1981) (men) 2001; 23 years ago (2001) (women)
Location	Brussels (1899-1981, 1988-89) Knokke (1987) Waregem (1992) Liège (1993) Antwerp (1999-2001)
Category	Tier IV (1993, 1999, 2000, 2002) Tier V (1992, 2001)
Surface	Clay / outdoor

The tournament was staged as a joint event until 1971 when the women's event was discontinued, the men's event continued under the brand name Belgian Open Championships, then later was known as the Belgian International Championships until 1981 when it was discontinued.^[1] In 1987 the tournament was revived as a women's only event also known as the Benelux Open (for sponsorship reasons) that ran annually to 2001 when it was abolished.

History

Originally called the Belgian International Championships it first established in 1899.^[1] The championships were not staged during World War I or World War II.^[1] In the pre-open era the event was often reported in Belgian press as the Brussels International, or International of the tennis club in Brussels it was held at. The event was part of the ILTF World Circuit from 1897 until 1969.^[1] In 1968 the event was re branded as the Belgian Open Championships until 1970.^[1] In 1971 the women's event was discontinued, however the men's event carried on under the new brand name Belgian Open through till 1981 when it was discontinued.^[1] In 1970 the men's tournament part of the ILTF Independent Circuit for that year, then it joined the ILTF Grand Prix Circuit until 1972,^[1] before going back on to the previous circuit until 1976.^[1] Between 1977 and 1981 it was graded as Grand Prix event until the men's event ended.^[1]

The women's original tournament was part of the 1970 1970 ILTF Women's Tennis Circuit, and the 1971 ILTF Women's Tennis Circuit when that event was ended. In 1987 the tournament was revived as a women's event as part of the Virginia Slims World Championship Series tennis over three different periods during 1987–2002. The competition took place in July during 1987–1989 and 2002, and in May during 1992–1993 and 1999–2001. 2000 and 2001 it was sponsored by Dutch clothing chain Mexx and renamed the Benelux Open. The competition was played on outdoor clay courts.

The tournament was a Tier V event in 1992 and 2001, and a Tier IV event in 1993, 1999, 2000 and 2002. Only one Belgian woman won the singles event; the then little-known Justine Henin, aged 16 in 1999. However, Sabine Appelmans, Kim Clijsters and Els Callens all won the doubles event.

Finals

Men's singles

(incomplete roll)
In 1930 two editions of the men's event were held one in June denoted as (*), the other in September denoted as (**).

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1899	Herbert Roper Barrett	Paul de Borman	6–2, 6–0, 6–2[1]
1900	Herbert Roper Barrett (2)	Paul de Borman	6–3, 6–3, 6–2[1]
1901	Herbert Roper Barrett (3)	Willie Lemaire de Warzeé	6–1, 6–2, 6–4[1]
1902	Herbert Roper Barrett (4)	Paul de Borman	6–3, 7–5, 7–5[1]
1903	Herbert Roper Barrett (5)	Paul de Borman	6–4, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3[1]
1905	Paul de Borman	Herbert Roper Barrett	4–6, 6–1, 8–6, 6–0[1]
1906	Herbert Roper Barrett (6)	Willie Lemaire de Warzeé	6–2, 6–2, 6–4[1]
1910	Anthony Wilding	Réginald Storms	6–0, 6–1, 4–3, rtd.[1]
1912	Georges Watson[2]	Willie Lemaire de Warzeé	6–2, 6–1, 6–1[1]
1913	Paul de Borman (2)	Georges Watson	6–3, 3–6, 1–6, 6–4, 6–3[1]
1914	Jean Washer	Willie Lemaire de Warzeé	6–4, 6–3, 6–1[1]
1915-1919	Not held (due to World War I)
1920	Jean Washer (2)	Gerard Scheurleer	6–0, 6–2, 6–3[1]
1921	Arthur Diemer Kool	Amos Niven Wilder	6–1, 8–6, 6–2[1]
1925	Jean Washer (3)	André Laloux	6–2, 6–0, 6–3[1]
1930 *	Jean Borotra	Henri Cochet	4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 8–6[1]
1930 **	Franz Matejka	Jean Lesueur	6–1, 6–2, 6–3[1]
1932	André Martin-Legeay	Pierre Goldschmidt[3]	6–1, 7–5[1]
1934	André Lacroix	Pierre Geelhand de Merxem	6–1, 6–3, 6–2[1]
1935	Fred Perry	Hermann Artens	6–3, 9–7, 6–3[1]
1936	André Lacroix (2)	Jack Van den Eynde	1–6, 6–2, 6–4[1]
1937	Patrick Tiberghien	Hans van Swol	6–3, 6–4[4]
1940-1946	Not held (due to World War II)
1947	Jacques Peten	Andre Najar	6–2, 6–4, 6–2[5]
1948	Frank Parker	Budge Patty	6–1, 1–6, 3–6, 6–1, 6–2[6]
1949	Bernard Destremau	Franjo Punčec	1–1, rtd.[7]
1950	Pierre Geelhand de Merxem	Jacques Sanglier	6–3, 5–7, 6–1[8]
1951	Eric Sturgess	Jaroslav Drobný	6–0, 6–1, 6–0[1]
1952	Ken McGregor	Tony Trabert	6–4, 6–2, 5–7, 2–6, 6–4[1]
1954	Lorne Main	Irvin Dorfman	6–2, 1–6, 6–3, 6–4[1]
1955	Mervyn Rose	Philippe Washer	7–5, 6–1[9]
1956	Jacques Brichant	Ulf Schmidt	6–3, 6–1[10]
1957	Jacques Brichant (2)	Ladislav Legenstein	6–4, 6–2, 5–7, 2–6, 6–4[11]
1958	Jacques Brichant (3)	Ulf Schmidt	6–2, 8–6[12]
1959	Jacques Brichant (4)	Antonio Palafox	8–6, 6–2, 6–1[1]
1960	Billy Knight	Jacques Brichant	9–7, 6–4[13]
1961	Jacques Brichant (5)	Mario Llamas	6–3, 6–8, 6–4[14]
1962	Jacques Brichant (6)	Ramanathan Krishnan	6–2, 6–4[15]
1963	Ramanathan Krishnan	Nicola Pietrangeli	6–1, 1–6, 6–2[16]
1964	Michel Leclercq	Alain Bresson[17]	6–3, 6–2, 6–4[1]
1965	Ken Fletcher	José Edison Mandarino	11–9, 4–6, 6–2[1]
1966	Tom Okker	Bob Carmichael	8–10, 6–3, 6–3[1]
1967	Tom Okker (2)	Jim Moore	6–2, 6–2, 6–0[1]
1968	Štěpán Koudelka	Steve Tidball[18]	1–6, 6–1, 6–2[1]
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969	Tom Okker (3)	Željko Franulović	6–4, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2[1]
1970	Tom Okker (4)	Ilie Năstase	6–3, 6–4, 0–6, 4–6, 6–4[1]
1971	Cliff Drysdale	Ilie Năstase	6–0, 6–1, 7–5[1]
1972	Manuel Orantes	Andrés Gimeno	6–4, 6–1, 2–6, 7–5[1]
1973-1976	Not held
1977	Harold Solomon	Karl Meiler	7–5, 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4[1]
1978	Werner Zirngibl	Ricardo Cano	1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–3[1]
1979	Balázs Taróczy	Ivan Lendl	6–1, 1–6, 6–3[1]
1980	Peter McNamara	Balázs Taróczy	7–6, 6–3, 6–0
1981	Marko Ostoja	Ricardo Ycaza	4–6, 6–4, 7–5[1]

Men's doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1971	Not finished
1972	Juan Gisbert Sr. Manuel Orantes	Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol	9–7, 6–3
1977	Not finished
1978	Jean-Louis Haillet Antonio Zugarelli	Onny Parun Vladimír Zedník	6–3, 4–6, 7–5
1979	Billy Martin Peter McNamara	Carlos Kirmayr Balázs Taróczy	5–7, 7–5, 6–4
1980	Steve Krulevitz Thierry Stevaux	Eric Fromm Cary Leeds	6–3, 7–5
1981	Ricardo Cano Andrés Gómez	Carlos Kirmayr Cássio Motta	6–2, 6–2

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1897	Mlle van Lennep	Mlle van Aken	6–1, 6–1
1899	Marie-Rose Trasenster	Alice Blanpain Comblen	7–5, 4–6, 8–6
1900	Alice Blanpain Comblen	Marie-Rose Trasenster	7–9, 7–5, 9–7
1901	Marie-Rose Trasenster (2)	Mme Everaerts	6–2, 6–2
1902	Mildred Coles	Mabel Squire	divided title
1903	Jeanne Chazal	Digna Mijer van Lennep	6–3, 6–0
1904[19]	Vera Warden	Ilse Seligman	6–3, 6–4
1905	Jeanne Chazal (2)	Marie-Rose Trasenster	6–0, 7–5
1906	Marie Dufrénoy	Jeanne Chazal	6–3, 2–6, 6–4
1907	Mildred Coles (2)	Marie Dufrénoy	6–3, 11–9
1908	Marie Dufrénoy (2)	Mildred Coles	4–6, 6–4, 7–5
1909	Mildred Coles (3)	Geneviève de Mot	6–4, 6–3
1910	Jeanne Liebrechts	Betty F.B. N. Quicke	2–6, 10–8, 6–2
1911	Anne de Borman	Jeanne Liebrechts	6–4, 6–3
1912	Anne de Borman (2)	Geneviève de Mot	6–4, 6–3
1913	Anne de Borman (3)	Marguerite Leguerrier	6–3, 6–2
1914	Jeanne Liebrechts	Anne de Borman	6–4, 6–4
1915-1919	Not held (due to World War I)
1920	Anne de Borman (4)	Marie Storms	11–13, 6–4, 6–4
1921	Marie Storms	Mlle de Spirlet	6–2, 6–0
1930	Simonne Mathieu	Elsa McAlpin Haylock	1–6, 6–1, 8–6
1931	Susan Noel	Marguerite du Monceau	6–2, 6–2
1932	Josane Sigart	Lili de Alvarez	6–0, 2–6, 12–10
1934	Nelly Adamson	Marguerite du Monceau	5–7, 6–0, 6–3
1935	Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling	Simonne Mathieu	7–5, 6–3
1936	Sylvia Aubert	Susan Noel	7–5, 6–4
1937	Nadine De Bary	Sole	0–6, 6–4, 6–4[20]
1939	Yvonne Hoyaux	Susan Noel	6–4, 3–6, 6–4
1940-1946	Not held (due to World War II)
1947	Myriam de Borman	Josane de Meulemeester	12–10, 6–4[5]
1948[21]	Pat Canning Todd	Zsuzsa Körmöczy	6–2, 6–2
1949	Myriam de Borman	Nel Hermsen	6–4, 6–1[7]
1950	Nel Hermsen	Myrtil Dubois-Brunarius	6–3, 6–1[8]
1951	Barbara Scofield Davidson	Christiane Mercelis	6–3, 6–0
1952	Angela Mortimer	Patricia Harrison	6–3, 6–4
1954	Melita Ramirez	Dorothy Watman Levine	6–3, 6–4
1955	Lea Pericoli	Christiane Mercelis	6–3, 6–3[9]
1956	Unknown
1957	Heather Brewer-Segal	Christiane Mercelis	3–6, 6–4, 6–1
1958	Dottie Head Knode	Christiane Mercelis	6–1, 6–2
1959	Christiane Mercelis (2)	Alice Heegewalt	6–2, 6–1
1960	Christiane Mercelis (3)	Norma Marsh	4–6, 6–4, 6–3
1961	Christiane Mercelis (4)	Carmen Hernandez-Coronado	6–2, 6–4
1962-1963	No international event held
1964	Christiane Mercelis (5)	Jacqueline Kermina	6–1, 6–4
1965	Julie Heldman	Gail Sherriff	9–7, 6–1
1966	Judy Tegart	Gail Sherriff	6–4, 6–4
1967	Gail Sherriff	Ingrid Loeys	4–6, 7–5, 6–1
1968	Judy Tegart (2)	Gail Sherriff	6–3, 7–5
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969[22]	Ann Haydon Jones	Rosie Casals	6–4, 6–0
1970	Julie Heldman (2)	Peaches Bartkowicz	6–1, 6–2
1971-1986	Not held
1987	Kathleen Horvath	Bettina Bunge	6–1, 7–6
1988	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	Raffaella Reggi	6–0, 7–5
1989	Radka Zrubáková	Mercedes Paz	7–6, 6–4
1990-1991	Not held
1992	Wiltrud Probst	Meike Babel	6–2, 6–3
1993	Radka Bobková	Karin Kschwendt	6–3, 4–6, 6–2
1994-1998	Not held
1999	Justine Henin	Sarah Pitkowski	6–1, 6–2
2000	Amanda Coetzer	Cristina Torrens Valero	4–6, 6–2, 6–3
2001	Barbara Rittner	Klára Zakopalová	6–3, 6–2

Women's doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1987	Bettina Bunge Manuela Maleeva	Kathleen Horvath Marcella Mesker	4–6, 6–4, 6–4
1988	Mercedes Paz Tine Scheuer-Larsen	Katerina Maleeva Raffaella Reggi	7–6, 6–1
1989	Manon Bollegraf Mercedes Paz	Carin Bakkum Simone Schilder	6–1, 6–2
1990-1991	Not held
1992	Manon Bollegraf Caroline Vis	Elena Brioukhovets Petra Langrová	6–4, 6–3
1993	Radka Bobková María José Gaidano	Ann Devries Dominique Monami	6–4, 2–6, 7–6
1994-98	Not held
1999	Laura Golarsa Katarina Srebotnik	Louise Pleming Meghann Shaughnessy	6–4, 6–2
2000	Sabine Appelmans Kim Clijsters	Jennifer Hopkins Petra Rampre	6–1, 6–1
2001	Els Callens Virginia Ruano Pascual	Kristie Boogert Miriam Oremans	6–3, 3–6, 6–4

See also

• Diamond Games – women's tournament (2002–2008, 2015)

References

1. "Tournaments:Belgian International Championships - Belgian Open". The Tennis Base. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
2. "Georges Watson : Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
3. "Pierre Goldschmidt: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
4. "Tennis". Gazette de Charleroi. 19 May 1937. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
5. "Le tournoi du Léopold Club". Le Soir. 27 May 1947. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
6. "Les championnats internationaux de Belgique". Le Soir. 7 June 1948. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
7. "Le tournois international". La Libre Belgique. 13 June 1949. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
8. "Le tournois international du Racing". Le Soir. 12 June 1950. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
9. "Nouvelles sportives". Courrier d'Afrique. 6 June 1955. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
10. "Le tournois du Racing C. B." Le Soir. 28 May 1956. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
11. "Le tournois du Racing C. B." Le Soir. 3 June 1957. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
12. "L'Americaine Mrs. Knode et Jacky Brichant enlevent les eprouves de simple". Le Soir. 2 June 1958. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
13. "Le tournois international". Le Soir. 29 May 1960. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
14. "Le tournois international". Le Soir. 28 May 1961. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
15. "Le tournois international du Beerschot". Le Soir. 15 July 1962. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
16. "Le tournois international du Beerschot". Le Soir. 14 July 1963. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
17. "Alain Bresson: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
18. "Steve Tidball: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
19. "WAS CHAMPION AT BRUSSELS". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California: Wikipedia Library - newspapers.com. 18 Sep 1904. p. 26. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
20. "Tennis". La Nation Belge. 17 May 1937. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
21. "American Players Win at Brussels". The Missoulian. Missoula, Montana: Wikipedia Library - newspapers.com. 7 Jun 1948. p. 5. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
22. "Okker Wins Belgian Open Tennis Meet". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois: Wikipedia Library - newspapers.com. 19 May 1969. p. 71. Retrieved 26 October 2023.

External links

• Tennisbase tournament roll of honour