Florida State Open Championships

The Florida State Open Championships^[1] also known as the Florida State Championships or Florida Open^[1] was an open international men's and women's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1910 as the Winter Championships of Florida.^[2] It was first organised by the Palm Beach Tennis Club and first played on clay courts adjacent to the Royal Poinciana Hotel, Palm Beach Florida, United States. The international tournament was played at other locations throughout its run until September 1972 when it was discontinued as part of the ILTF Independent Tour.

Florida State Open Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Tour	ILTF World Circuit (1949–72) ILTF Independent Tour (1970-73) men (1971-73) women
Founded	1910; 114 years ago (1910)
Abolished	1973; 51 years ago (1973)
Location	Delray Beach Jacksonville Palm Beach Orlando Sarasota Winter Park
Venue	Various
Surface	Clay

History

In 1910 the open Winter Championships of Florida organised by the Palm Beach Tennis Club was inaugurated on clay courts adjacent to the Royal Poinciana Hotel, Palm Beach Florida, United States.^[2] In 1922 the edition of the tournament was also valid as the Palm Beach Championships.^[1]

The championships were held in the following locations throughout its run in Delray Beach, Jacksonville, Palm Beach, Orlando, Sarasota and Winter Park.^[1] The ILTF Independent Tour,^[1] a series of worldwide tournaments not part of the men's Grand Prix Circuit or women's the WTA Tour. The tournament has continued until the 2020s where it is now a closed tournament (Florida players only) known as the USTA Florida Adult State Championships.^[3]

Finals

The Royal Poinciana Hotel from Lake Worth, Palm Beach c. 1909 was the venue for the championships from 1910 till 1931.

Men's singles

Frank Hunter in 1929 won 3 men's singles championship titles.

(incomplete roll)

Winter Championships of Florida
Year	Location	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1912[2]	Palm Beach	Theodore Pell	Percy D. Siverd	6–3, 4–6, 6–1 6–1.[1]
Florida State Championships
1919	Palm Beach	Fred H. Harris	Craig Biddle	6–3, 4–6, 6–1, 6–1.[1]
1920	Palm Beach	Ichiya Kumagae	Craig Biddle	6–1, 6–3.[1]
1921	Palm Beach	R. Norris Williams	Ichiya Kumagae	3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–1.[1]
1922	Palm Beach	Fritz Bastian	G. Carlton Shafer	6–1, 6–2, 6–3.[1]
1923	Palm Beach	Frank Hunter	Philip B. Hawk	6–2, 6–3, 6–2.[1]
1924	Palm Beach	Vinnie Richards	Gustave Feuer	6–1, 6–1.[1]
1925	Palm Beach	Bill Tilden II	Manuel Alonso Areizaga	6–3, 7–9, 6–1, 6–4.[1]
1926	Palm Beach	Vinnie Richards (2)	Takeichi Harada	4–6, 6–1, 6–1, 6–3.[1]
1927	Palm Beach	Bill Tilden II (2)	Manuel Alonso Areizaga	7–5, 6–8, 3–6, 6–0, 6–4.[1]
1928	Palm Beach	Frank Hunter (2)	John F. Hennessey	6–4, 15–13 6–2.[1]
1929	Palm Beach	Frank Hunter (3)	John F. Hennessey	1–6, 6–1, 9–7 7–5.[1]
1930	Palm Beach	J. Gilbert Hall	R. Norris Williams	6–4, 8–6, 6–4.[1]
1931	Palm Beach	J. Gilbert Hall (2)	Phil Neer	6–2, 6–3, 2–6, 6–1.[1]
1936	Orlando	Charles Harris	Gardnar Mulloy	7–5, 6–4, 4–6 6–0.[1]
1937	Orlando	Wayne Sabin	Elwood Cooke	6–1, 6–3, 6–4.[1]
1938	Orlando	Elwood Cooke	Frank Kovacs	8–6, 6–4, 6–0.[1]
1939	Orlando	Wayne Sabin (2)	Gene Mako	8–6, 4–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–1.[1]
1940	Orlando	Elwood Cooke (2)	Henry Prusoff	6–4, 6–1, 6–4.[1]
1941	Orlando	Frank Kovacs	Don McNeill	6–2, 6–4, 6–0.[1]
1946	Orlando	Frank Guernsey	Alejo Russell	6–3, 11–9, 6–1.[1]
1947	Orlando	Jack Tuero	Frank Guernsey	6–4, 5–7, 6–4.[1]
1948	Orlando	Pancho Gonzales	Enrique Buse	6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3.[1]
1949	Orlando	Gardner 'Gardy' Larned	Herbert 'Buddy' Behrens	6–2, 6–2, 5–7, 6–0.[1]
1950	Orlando	Ricardo Balbiers	Tony Vincent	8–6, 6–4, 6–4.[1]
1951	Orlando	Tony Vincent	Henri Rochon	6–0, 6–3, 6–1.[1]
1954	Orlando	Malcolm Fox	Tony Vincent	6–3, 7–5, 2–6, 6–3.[1]
1955	Winter Park	Eddie Moylan	Jean-Noël Grinda	6–0, 6–2, 6–1.[1]
1956	Winter Park	Armando Vieira	Ben Sobieraj[4]	6–0, 6–2, 6–1.[1]
1957	Sarasota	Ben Sobieraj[4]	Peter Scholl	5–7, 6–4, 7–5, 6–3.[1]
1958	Orlando	Jack Frost	Tony Vincent	6–0, 6–4.[1]
1959	Orlando	William Álvarez	Birger Folke	6–0, 6–4, 6–1.[1]
1960	Winter Park	Mike Davies	Don Candy	6–2, 6–0, 6–4.[1]
1961	Orlando	Whitney Reed	Miguel Olvera	7–5, 6–4, 8–10, 5–7, 6–3.[1]
1963	Winter Park	Miguel Olvera	Eduardo Zuleta	6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 6–2.[1]
1964	Winter Park	Thomaz Koch	Pancho Guzmán	6–2, 6–0, 6–0.[1]
1965	Orlando	Nicky Kalogeropoulos	Manuel Gallardo[5]	8–10, 8–6, 6–3, 8–6.[1]
1966	Winter Park	Jamie Presslie[6]	Eduardo Zuleta	6–4, 6–2.[1]
1967	Orlando	Eduardo Zuleta	Keith Carpenter	6–4, 6–4.[1]
1968	Orlando	Gene Scott	Ron Holmberg	6–4, 6–3.[1]
↓  Open era  ↓
Florida State Open Championships
1969	Orlando	Eduardo Zuleta (2)	Allan McDonald	6–4, 6–2.[1]
1970[7]	Orlando	Miguel Olvera	Mike Belkin	6–2, 7–5.[1]
1971	Orlando	Frank Froehling III	Mike Belkin	6–2, 3–6, 6–4.[1]
1972	Orlando	Nikola Špear	Mike Belkin	6–1, 6–4.[1]

Women' singles

Shirley Fry in 1953 won 4 women's singles championship titles.

(incomplete roll)

Winter Championships of Florida
Year	Location	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1912	Palm Beach	Alice Cunningham	Adelaide Chatfield-Taylor	6–4, 6–3
1913	Palm Beach	Adelaide Browning	Mrs Haight	6–0, 6–1
1914	Palm Beach	Teresa Schwab Wood	Hilda Holmes	6–2, 1–6, 8–6
1915	Palm Beach	Maud Barger-Wallach	Mary Snyder	6–4, 6–3
1916	Palm Beach	Mary Bigelow Bremer	Teresa Schwab Wood	6–3, 6–4
1917	Palm Beach	Martha Guthrie	Margaret Taylor	6–0, 6–3
Florida State Championships
1919	Palm Beach	Molla Bjurstedt	Teresa Schwab Wood	6–1, 6–2
1920	Palm Beach	Phyllis Walsh	Teresa Schwab Wood	6–1, 6–2
1921	Palm Beach	Phyllis Walsh (2)	Teresa Schwab Wood	6–1, 6–1
1922	Palm Beach	Clare Cassell	Phyllis Walsh	4–6, 7–5, 6–4
1923	Palm Beach	Clare Cassell (2)	Anna Townsend Godfrey	9–7, 6–2
1924	Palm Beach	Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (2)	Leslie Bancroft	9–7, 9–7
1925	Palm Beach	Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (3)	Julie Makin Stenz	6–4, 7–5
1926	Palm Beach	Elizabeth Ryan	Mary Browne	6–4, 6–0
1927	Palm Beach	Clare Cassell (3)	Julie Makin Stenz	6–1, 6–4
1928	Palm Beach	Eleanor Goss	Clare Cassell	6–1, 4–6, 6–1
1929	Palm Beach	Eleanor Goss (2)	Eleanor Cottman	6–3, 6–0
1930	Palm Beach	Julie Makin Stenz	Virginia Hilleary	6–0, 6–3
1931	Palm Beach	Eleanor Goss (3)	Marjorie Gladman Van Ryn	6–1, 7–5
1934	Orlando	Catherine Sample	Virginia Hilleary	6–4, 6–4
1935	Orlando	Beth Lancaster	Catherine Sample	8–6, 6–4
1937	Orlando	Catherine Sample (2)	Eunice Evers	6–2, 2–6, 8–6
1938	Orlando	Marta Barnett	Lila Porter	4–6, 6–0, 6–4
1939	Orlando	Pauline Betz	Marta Barnett	12–10, 6–1
1940	Orlando	Pauline Betz (2)	Mary Hardwick	6–2, 7–9, 6–4
1941	Orlando	Sarah Palfrey Cooke	Doris Hart	6–3, 6–3
1942	Orlando	Pauline Betz (3)	Dorothy Bundy	6–1, 6–4
1946	Orlando	Shirley Fry	Eleanor P. Cushingham	6–0, 2–6, 6–3
1947	Orlando	Shirley Fry (2)	Doris Hart	6–4, 6–3
1948	Orlando	Shirley Fry (3)	Magda Rurac	6–3, 6–3
1949	Orlando	Shirley Fry (4)	Jean Clarke	6–1, 8–6
1950	Orlando	Doris Jensen	Laura Lou Jahn	7–5, 7–9, 7–5
1952	Orlando	Karol Fageros	Pat Stewart	6–3, 2–6, 6–4
1954	Orlando	Laura Lou Kunnen	Connie Clifton Ball	6–3, 4–6, 6–3
1955	Winter Park	Karol Fageros (2)	Connie Clifton Ball	6–3, 9–7
1956	Winter Park	Ann Bagge	Nancy Corse	6–2, 6–2
1958	Orlando	Maria Bueno	Janet Hopps	6–4, 6–3
1959	Orlando	Marie Martin	Laura Lou Kunnen	6–2, 6–2
1960	Winter Park	Carol Ann Prosen	Owen McHaney	6–2, 6–3
1961	Orlando	Carol Ann Prosen (2)	Belmar Gunderson	6–2, 6–3
1962	Orlando	Judy Alvarez	Stephanie DeFina	5–7, 6–1, 7–5
1963	Winter Park	Stephanie DeFina	Connie Clifton Ball	6–3, 6–3
1964	Winter Park	Elena Subirats	Connie Clifton Ball	6–3, 6–3
1965	Orlando	Trudy Groenman	Nancy Corse Reed	6–3, 6–0
1966	Orlando	Alice Tym	Nancy Corse Reed	6–8, 7–5, 6–3
1967	Orlando	Vera Cleto	Betty Rosenquest Pratt	4–6, 7–5, 6–4
↓  Open era  ↓
Florida State Open Championships
1968	Orlando	Kazuko Sawamatsu	Vera Cleto	6–1, 6–2
1970	Orlando	Stephanie DeFina (3)	Mona Schallau	6–2, 6–1[8]

Tournament records

Men's singles

Included:^[1]

• Most Titles: Frank Hunter (3)
• Most Finals: Tony Vincent (4)
• Most Consecutive Titles: Frank Hunter & J. Gilbert Hall (2)
• Most Consecutive Finals: Tony Vincent (3)

Women's singles

• Most Titles: Shirley Fry (4)
• Most Finals: Teresa Schwab Wood (5)
• Most Consecutive Titles: Shirley Fry (4)
• Most Consecutive Finals: Shirley Fry (4)

References

1. "Tournaments:Florida State Open Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
2. Wright and Ditsons Official Lawn Tennis Guide. Boston: Wright and Ditson Publishers. 1912. pp. 222, 224.
3. "Level 4 Closed: 2022 USTA Florida Adult State Championships (Singles, Doubles & Mixed Doubles)". playtennis.usta.com. New York City, NY, United States: USTA South. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
4. "Ben Sobieraj: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
5. "Player Profile: Manuel Gallardo MEX". www.itftennis.com. ITF. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
6. "Jamie Presslie: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
7. "Froehling Beats Belkin in Finals". Cumberland Evening Times. Cumberland, MD: The Wikipedia Library - Newspaperarchive. Com. January 19, 1970. p. 12. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
8. .Cumberland Evening Times