Bermuda Open

The Bermuda Open^[1] was originally founded as the Bermuda Open Tennis Championships^[2] in 1879 the later called the Bermuda Championships in 1914 and was staged in Hamilton, During the 1950s and 1960s it was called the Bermuda International Championships. and was staged under that name until 1974. In 1976 the tournament was known as the Bermuda Classic. From 1914 until at least 1944 it was played on outdoor hard courts. In later years it was held in Paget in Bermuda and played on outdoor clay courts.

Bermuda Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Event name	Bermuda Open Tennis Championships (1879-?) Bermuda Championships (1914-1974) Bermuda Open (1975). Bermuda Classic (1976)
Tour	Grand Prix circuit (1975–76)
Founded	1879
Abolished	1976
Location	Hamilton, Bermuda Paget, Bermuda
Surface	Hardcourt (1914-1944, 79) Clay (1947–76)

History

The first known tennis event to be staged in Bermuda occurred in September 1876 when a Bermuda Tournament for women was held only one time, that was won by Mary G. Gray.^[3] The first edition of the Bermuda Open Tennis Championships was staged in 1879 at Hamilton, the men's doubles event was won by Pelham Von Donop and Charles Wood.^[4] By 1914 the tournament was known as the Bermuda Championships.^[1] In 1950s-1960s the denomination used was the Bermuda International or sometimes the Bermuda Invitation (for the women's events).^[1] The tournament was also staged at Paget the last time occurring in 1968. The original surface was hard courts until 1944 when it switched to clay courts. In 1975 the Bermuda Championships was rebranded as the Bermuda Open.^[1] In 1976 at the final edition its name was changed again to the Bermuda Classic.^[1]

Finals

ILTF World Circuit

ILTF Grand Prix Circuit

Men's singles

(incomplete roll)

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
Bermuda Championships
1914	Arthur Berger	Albert J. Ostendorf	6–2, 6–1 ret.[1]
1914/1919	No competition (due to WWI)
1922	Lawrence Bridges Rice[5]	Vinnie Richards	6–3, 1–6, 6–1, 6–2.[1]
1923	Vinnie Richards	Lawrence Bridges Rice	6–3, 6–3, 6–0.[1]
1924	Herbert Bowman	Gerald Emerson	4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–2.[1]
1925[6]	Fred Anderson	F. R. Leighton Crawford	5–7, 2–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–3.[1]
1926	Herbert Bowman (2)	Willard Crocker	6–8, 6–4, 6–2, 0–6, 6–3.[1]
1927	George Lott	Fritz Mercur	4–6, 6–2, 7–5, 12–10.[1]
1928	Herbert Bowman (3)	Hare W. Powell Jr.	6–4, 6–1, 6–3.[1]
1929	Herbert Bowman (4)	J. Gilbert Hall	3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 8–6.[1]
1930	Herbert Bowman (5)	Bruce Barnes	6–4, 6–3, 6–2.[1]
1931	John Doeg	Berkeley Bell	6–4, 2–6, 6–1, 0–6, 6–3.[1]
1932	Fred Perry	Harry Lee	4–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4.[1]
1933	Cliff Sutter	Gregory Mangin	6–2, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2.[1]
1934	Lester Stoefen	Wilmer Allison	6–1, 6–2, 1–6, 6–3.[1]
1935	Bryan Grant	J. Gilbert Hall	6–0, 6–0, 6–4.[1]
1936	Bryan Grant (2)	Bob Murray	6–4, 3–6, 1–6, 6–2, 7–5.[1]
1937	Frank Parker	Bob Murray	6–1, 6–0, 6–2.[1]
1938	Wayne Sabin	Don McNeill	4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–4.[1]
1939	Bobby Riggs	Elwood Cooke	6–3, 1–6, 1–6, 6–2, 6–4.[1]
1940	Elwood Cooke	Gardnar Mulloy	6–1, 6–4, 6–3.[1]
1941	Brownlow Eve	William Freisenbruch	6–4, 3–6, 6–0.[1]
1942/1943	No competition (due to WWII)
Bermuda International Championships
1944	Jack Skelton	Brownlow Eve	6–1, 6–2.[1]
1947	Earl Cochell	Sidney Wood	6–4, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3.[1]
1948	Bill Talbert	Marcel Bernard	6–3, 6–2, 5–7, 7–5.[1]
1949	Earl Cochell (2)	Sidney Wood	6–2, 11–9, 6–4.[1]
1950	Bill Talbert (2)	Tony Trabert	6–3, 1–6, 6–1, 6–2.[1]
1951	Vic Seixas	Ham Richardson	6–4, 9–7, 6–4.[1]
1952	Vic Seixas (2)	Bill Talbert	5–7, 1–6, 6–1, 6–1, 6–0.[1]
1953	Gardnar Mulloy	Fred Kovaleski	6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 9–7.[1]
1954	Irvin Dorfman	Jordan Bentley[7]	6–1, 6–1.[1]
1955	Bill Tully[8]	John Riihiluoma[9]	6–8, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4.[1]
1956	Tony Vincent	Bob Freedman[10]	6–4, 6–4.[1]
1957	Tony Vincent (2)	Don Thompson[11]	6–2, 9–7
1959	Kingman Lambert	Don Thompson	6–3, 6–0.[1]
1961	Gilmore (Gil) Rothrock	Leif Beck	6–1, 6–1.[1]
1963	Bill Tully (2)	Alan Fleming	6–3, 6–0.[1]
1964	Don Thompson[11]	Alan Fleming	2–6, 8–6, 9–7.[1]
1965	Bill Tym	John Fleitz[12]	2–6, 8–6, 9–7.[1]
1966	Bill Tym (2)	Ellis Slack	6–2, 7–5.[1]
1967	Ellis Slack[13]	John Galinato	6–2, 6–3.[1]
1968	Ellis Slack (2)	John Galinato	2–6, 7–5, 6–3.[1]
↓  Open era  ↓
1970	Harry Fauquier	Keith Carpenter	6–2, 6–1.[1]
1972	Jim Hanlon	Ladislav Legenstein	6–3, 6–4.[1]
1974	Claude Schoenlank[14]	Ladislav Legenstein	6–3, 6–4.[1]
Bermuda Open
1975[15]	Jimmy Connors	Vitas Gerulaitis	6–1, 6–4
Bermuda Classic
1976[16]	Cliff Richey	Gene Mayer	7–6, 6–2
Bermuda Open
1979	Stephen Alger	Harry Fauquier	6–3, 6–2.[1]

Women' singles

(incomplete roll)

Championship of Bermuda
Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1889	Mabel Grant	Grace Roosevelt	4–6, 6–3, 6–3
Bermuda Championships
1913	Bessie Gosling Harvey[17]	Mary Gray	6–4, 4–6, 6–4
1914	Bessie Gosling Harvey (2)	Marion Cresswell	walkover
1915-19	Not held (due to World War I)
1922	Marie Wagner	Miss Yuillo	6–0, 3–6, 6–1
1923	Mayme McDonald	Gladys Hutchings	6–4, 6–4
1924	Mollie Thayer	Gladys Hutchings	8–6, 6–4
1925	Mary Hart McIlquham	Joan Reid-Thomas	6–2, 6–0
1926	Martha Bayard	Gladys Hutchings	6–2, 6–2
1927	Martha Bayard (2)	Penelope Anderson	6–2, 2–6, 6–1
1928	Alice Francis	Gladys Hutchings	6–3, 6–1
1929	Penelope Anderson	Mary Harland	7–9, 6–4, 6–2
1930	Edith Sigourney	Penelope Anderson	2–6, 6–3, 8–6
1931	Sarah Palfrey	Marjorie Morrill	6–3, 6–2
1932	Sarah Palfrey (2)	Betty Nuthall	6–4, 4–6, 6–4
1933	Virginia Rice	Virginia Hilleary	10–8, 6–3
1934	Marjorie Sachs	Penelope Anderson McBride	5–7, 6–4, 6–2
1935	Sylvie Jung Henrotin	Dorothy Andrus	walkover
1936	Sylvie Jung Henrotin (2)	Norma Taubele	6–2, 8–6
1937	Helen Pedersen	Penelope Anderson McBride	6–1, 6–2
1938	Sylvie Jung Henrotin (3)	Marjorie Gladman van Ryn	3–6, 6–4, 6–2
1939	Helen Bernhard	Pauline Betz	6–3, 7–5
1940	Sarah Palfrey Fabyan (3)	Pauline Betz	6–2, 6–4
1941	Gladys Hutchings	Barbara Robinson Freisenbruch	5–7, 6–3, 7–5
1942-43	Not held (due to World War II)
Bermuda International Championships
1944	Barbara Robinson Freisenbruch	Gladys Hutchings	6–1, 6–3
1947	Doris Hart	Barbara Scofield	6–2, 9–7
1948	Doris Hart (2)	Pat Canning Todd	4–6, 6–1, 6–2
1949	Dorothy Head	Nancy Chaffee	6–2, 6–1
1950	Betty Rosenquest	Helen Pedersen Rihbany	5–7, 6–3, 6–4
Bermuda Invitation
1951	Beverly Baker	Barbara Scofield	9–7, 7–5
Bermuda International Championships
1952	Pat Canning Todd	Barbara Scofield Davidson	6–4, 6–0
Bermuda Invitation
1953[18]	Louise Brough	Margaret Osborne duPont	9–7, 4–6, 6–1
1954	Heather Nicholls Brewer	Kay Hubbell	6–2, 6–3
1955	Sheila West Gosling[19]	J. Pollitt	2–6, 6–3, 6–1
Bermuda International Championships
1956	Sheila West Gosling (2)	Mrs J. Jones	6–2, 6–3
1957	Sheila West Gosling (3)	Mrs J. Jones	6–2, 6–1
1957	Florence Blanchard	Ann Alger	6–4, 6–3
Bermuda Invitation
1959	Barbara Scofield Davidson	Elizabeth Coleman	6–2, 6–4
1961	Dottie Head Knode (2)	Barbara Scofield Davidson	6–0, 6–3
1964	Barbara Scofield Davidson	Jean French	6–1, 6–1
1965	Alice Tym	Kay Hubbell	6–4, 7–5
1966	Alice Tym (2)	Kay Hubbell	6–1, 6–2
↓  Open era  ↓
1970	Ann Alger	Grace Rathbun Findlay	7–5, 7–5

Men's Doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
Bermuda Open Tennis Championships
1879[4]	Pelham Von Donop Charles Wood	?  ?	?
Bermuda Open
1975	Not held
Bermuda Classic
1976	Mike Cahill John Whitlinger	Dick Crealy Ray Ruffels	6–4, 4–6, 7–6

See also

• XL Bermuda Open, a tennis tournament held between 1993 and 2008

References

1. "Tournaments:Bermuda Championships – Bermuda Open". The Tennis Base. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
2. Bancroft, James W. (8 December 2021). The Early Years of the FA Cup: How the British Army Helped Establish the World's First Football Tournament. Barnsley, England: Frontline Books. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-3990-9994-3.
3. Fein, Paul (30 April 2009). Tennis Confidential II: More of Today's Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies. Sterling, VA: Potomac Books. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-61234-395-2.
4. Bankcroft
5. "Lawrence B. Rice, 94 Was architect, tennis champion - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA) | HighBeam Research". Boston Globe. 10 January 1992. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
6. "Fred Anderson Takes Final, Wins Bermuda Tennis Title". The New York Times. New York City. 28 February 1925. p. 10. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
7. "Jordan Bentley: Player Activity". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
8. "Player Profile: William Tully (USA)". www.itftennis.com. ITF. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
9. "Former No.1 Riihiluoma remembered". Royal Gazette. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
10. "Robert Freedman: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
11. "Donald Thompson: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
12. "John Fleitz: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
13. "Ellis Slack: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
14. "Player Profile: Claude Schoenlank (USA)". ITF. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
15. "Results Archive: 1975 Bermuda". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
16. "Results Archive: 1976 Bermuda". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
17. "Bessie Gosling Harvey in 1903". National Museum of Bermuda. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
18. Stern, Andrew (June 1953). "The Bermuda Championships". Tennis Illustrated: World Tennis (PDF). New York City: Family Media. p. 26.
19. Lou Lyons, Nancy (7 October 2018). "Sheila West Gosling". The Bermudian Magazine. Hamilton, Bermuda. Retrieved 15 November 2023.

• ATP Results Archive