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From Club Court to Center Court

2010 EditionThe Evolution of Professional Tennis in Cincinnati

By Phillip S. Smith

Edited by Eric Duncan

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Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced without written permission.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 0-9712445-8-8

Cover design by David Mill of Design Mill.

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A TEnniS TrAdiTion

Before there was a Rose Bowl… before the establishment of the Davis Cup, before baseball’s first World Series, the first Indy 500, and decades before golf’s Masters, the best players in tennis were congregating in the southwest corner of Ohio for a very special tournament.

That tournament, at first called the Cincinnati Open, is alive and well to this day, crowning champions and entertaining fans. Its 111-year run in the Queen City makes it arguably the oldest tournament in the United States still played in its original city. However, as the word “arguably” in the preceding sentence suggests, this distinction needs a bit of explanation.

Two other American tournaments are, in fact, older than Cincinnati – the U.S. National Championships, now known as the U.S. Open, and the Pacific Coast Championships, now known as San Jose’s SAP Open. The distinction unique to Cincinnati, however, is that its tournament is still played in its original city.

The U.S. National Championships were first played at the venerable Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1881. Ironically, the Casino sat approximately 20 miles from Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island, where in 1874 vacationing Cincinnatians saw tennis played for the first time. One of those Cincinnatians, Stewart Shillito, was credited with bringing the sport back to Cincinnati. In 1878, he built a tennis court – the first one in Cincinnati – at his father’s home in the suburb of Mt. Auburn. Interest in the sport grew rapidly in the city, and in 1880 a group of players established the Cincinnati Tennis Club, which is today one of the oldest active clubs in the nation.

The U.S. Nationals continued its run at Newport until 1915, when it moved 175 miles southwest to Forest Hills, New York, to find a home at the West Side Tennis Club. Back in Newport, the intrepid tennis enthusiasts wasted no time in replacing the U.S. Nationals with another tournament for their hometown. Only two weeks before the inaugural U.S. Nationals at Forest Hills, the “First Annual Newport Invitational” was held at the Newport Casino. It featured a 50-man draw in singles, and was won by Richard Norris Williams II, who beat Maurice McLaughlin in four sets in the final. There was no women’s competition. Today that event is known as the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.

The story of the SAP Open’s geographical moves is only slightly more complex. It began in 1889 as the Pacific Coast Championships, and was played at the Del Monte Lodge in Monterey. After staying there for an undisclosed period of time, it moved 140 miles to the north to the Hotel Rafael in San Rafael, California.

It stayed in San Rafael until 1917, and from 1918 to 1971 it was played at either the Berkeley Tennis Club or the California Tennis Club in San Francisco. Today, it is played in San Jose, 65 miles south of San Rafael and 75 miles north of Monterey.

In contrast, the Cincinnati Open was played at the Avondale Athletic Club from 1899 to 1902, and then moved two miles away – to the Cincinnati Tennis Club at the corner of Dexter and Wold Avenues in the suburb of East Walnut Hills. With a few exceptions, the tournament was played at that location for the next six decades. Today, it is played in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, about 20 miles from the spot where the tournament’s first ball was struck in 1899.

What does all this mean? Maybe it means Cincinnatians are adept at identifying a good thing and holding on to it. Maybe it means Cincinnatians are so adverse to change they’ve kept the tournament going over the years simply in order to avoid doing something else.

Whatever the reason, the simple fact is that the best players in tennis are still finding their way to Cincinnati more than 100 years after their first arrival. The names have changed. The game has changed. But one thing remains: they still come to Cincinnati.

If nothing else, that makes Cincinnati a true tennis town, with a tournament history unlike any other city in America.

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HISTORY The Tournament, Year-By-Year – 1899-2008 ..................................................5-41 Index of History Narrative .............................................................................42-45 Tournament Names, Purses, Dates and Venues – 1899-2009 .................... 46-47 Firsts & Lasts in Cincinnati ..........................................................................48-49 Weather "Highlights" & Surfaces ...................................................................... 49 Total Prize Money and Champion's Checks – 1969-2009 .................................. 49 Men's Trophies Since 1899 ...........................................................................50-51 Tournament Directors ........................................................................................ 52 WINNERS Winners & Finalists – 1899-2008 ..................................................................53-64 Other Important Area Tournaments .................................................................. 65 Index of All Winners & Finalists – 1899-2008 ...............................................66-70

STATS Men's Singles – Finals Stats .........................................................................71-81 Men's Singles – Semifinals Stats .................................................................82-83 Men's Singles – Quarterfinals Stats .............................................................84-88 Men's Singles – Round of 16 Stats ...............................................................88-89 Men's Singles – 1st & 2nd Round Stats ........................................................90-91 Men's Singles – Qualifier / Lucky Loser Stats ................................................... 92 Men's Singles – Seeding Stats ......................................................................93-94 Men's Singles – Miscellaneous Stats ...........................................................95-96 Men's Singles – Wild Cards ..........................................................................97-99 Women's Singles – Finals Stats ................................................................100-102 Women’s Singles – Miscellaneous Stats ......................................................... 102 Women's Singles – SF, QF & Seeding Stats .................................................... 103 Men's Doubles – Open Era Stats ..............................................................104-105 Hall of Famers Who've Played Cincinnati .................................................106-107 U.S. Davis Cuppers Who've Played Cincinnati ................................................. 107 Intercollegiate Champions Who've Played Cincinnati ..............................108-109 Singles Champs: Highest Year-End U.S. Rankings ......................................... 110

rECordS Men's Singles - Players & Records (Open Era) .................................................111-125 Men's Doubles - Players & Records (Open Era) .............................................. 126-139 Women's Singles - Players & Records (Open Era) ............................................140-142 Women's Doubles - Players & Records (Open Era) ......................................... 143-144

SEEdS Men's Singles Seeds & Results – 1927-2008 ...........................................145-150 Women's Singles Seeds & Results – 1927-1973, 1988, 2004-2008 .........151-152

DRAWS Men's Singles and Doubles Draws - Open Era ....................................... 153-237 Men's Singles Draws (R16-On) - Pre-Open Era ..................................... 238-254 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................ 255 Women's Singles and Doubles Draws - Open Era .................................. 256-277 Women's Singles Draws (QF-On) - Pre-Open Era .................................. 278-287

TAblE oF ConTEnTS

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– The September 19, 1899, edition of the Cincinnati Times Star, reporting on the tournament’s first day of existence.

the most successful tournament

“The tennis tourney Tuesday was marked with brilliant and fast playing on the part of the contestants, awakening the greatest interest in what promises to be

ever held in Cincinnati, if not in the entire West.”

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The tournament started as the Cincinnati Open at the Avondale Athletic Club in 1899. The land is presently occupied by Xavier University, and the clubhouse in the photo was the university's first student center.

18991899 The tournament begins at the Avondale

Athletic Club, located on what is presently the site of Xavier University. The first tournament is known simply as the “Cincinnati Open.” The word "Open" in the name indicates the tournament is open to all players, not just those from Cincinnati. In this era, the American tennis circuit consists of state tournaments and national tournaments. Many of the state tournaments were open only to players from that state. Therefore, as an "open" tournament, the Cincinnati event attracts players from all over the country.

Thirty-six players enter the men’s singles field (32 in main draw with four playing in the "preliminary" round), making the draw larger than the 1899 U.S. National Championships. Players in the preliminary rounds are J.B. Fenley, George DeCamp, Robert Mitchell and Nat Wright. DeCamp beats Fenley to advance to the main draw, and Mitchell beats Wright. DeCamp and Mitchell play each other in the first round, with Mitchell winning 6-2, 6-3. All men's and women's singles and doubles matches are "best-of-three-sets" until the finals, which are all best-of-five. The playing surface is described as being “elastic clay and brick dust.”

Nat Emerson, the winner of the Ohio state tournament, becomes the first men’s champion, and Myrtle McAteer of Pittsburgh becomes the first women’s champion by defeating future Hall of Famer Juliette Atkinson of Brooklyn in the final. McAteer, the reigning U.S. women’s doubles champion and the "international champion," then teams with Atkinson to take the women’s doubles title over two Cincinnatians: Winona Closterman and Julia Doherty. The tournament also includes mixed doubles.

Also, in what would be trend many years later, there are six "doubles-only" players on the men's side.

Edith Parker of Chicago also plays in the ladies singles. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that she and McAteer "rank among the first four women (tennis) experts in the country," although national rankings for women do not start until 1913.

There is no trophy or purse, but players compete for these valuable prizes:

Gentlemen’s Singles – 1st prize: Rookwood ale set – a tankard and six mugs (cost: $150,

International Tennis Hall of Fame Enshrinees in italics.

HiSTory – The Tournament, year-by-year

1899 singles champions Myrtle McAteer and Nat Emerson.

A scene at the first Cincinnati tournament in 1899. Note that all competitors are in white.

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which equates to $3,100 in today's dollars. However, in today's Rookwood market, this set could fetch $10,000 if auctioned today); 2nd prize: Dress suit traveling case, with toilet kit; Consolation prize: Rookwood tobacco jar. Ladies’ Singles – 1st prize: Rookwood vase (cost: $100); 2nd prize: Three-piece silver berry set; Gentlemen’s Doubles – 1st prize: Seven piece silver toilet set; 2nd prize: Diamond scarf pins; Ladies’ Doubles – 1st prize: Gold belt buckles; 2nd prize: Cut glass silver toilet bottles; Mixed Doubles – 1st prize: Pearl pendant, cut-glass decanter; 2nd prize: “pim” tennis rackets.

Attendance over the week is described as "excellent," and 2,000 spectators are estimated to be in attendance on the final day. As the Cincinnati Times-Star reports: "Just think of it! The leading tennis players of the United States are here!" Several people rotate the position of tournament director during the week. The first person to hold the title is Ralph Holterhof. He is followed during the week by Dudley Sutphin, Harry MacKoy, A. Bart Horton, Frank Williams and Frank Garrison. George DeCamp is in charge of the facilities, and John B. Keys is selected as the tournament's first referee.

The 1900s1900 Myrtle McAteer, who won the singles title at

the U.S. National Championships (what is now called the U.S. Open), wins her second women’s singles title, becoming the first player – male or female – to retain a title in Cincinnati. She also repeats as ladies doubles champion, another first. Players in the 28-man men’s draw include Raymond D. Little of New York (the international champion), Nat Emerson of Cincinnati (also winner of the Ohio State Championships), and Fred Alexander of New York (the Western section doubles champion with Little). (The USTA's Western Section is the current USTA/Midwest Section, encompassing Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and West Virginia.) Those three men and John Roche of Chicago reach the semifinals.

Wright & Ditson’s Lawn Tennis Guide states “The courts upon which the matches were held are perhaps the most beautifully situated in the country. Steep hills sloping upward on three sides form a natural amphitheater and offer a vantage ground for a perfect view of the play below.” Prizes for the winners were: Gentlemen’s Singles – 1st prize: A silver loving cup; 2nd place: a dressing case.

International Tennis Hall of Fame Enshrinees in italics.

A women’s singles match in 1899.

Eventual champions Myrtle McAteer (left) and Maud Banks play before a large crowd in the 1900 women's doubles final.

A 1900 men's singles match.

The 1903 tournament as seen in Cosmopolitan Magazine.

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Gentlemen’s Doubles – 1st prize: alligator dress suit case; 2nd prize: field glasses.Ladies’ Singles – 1st prize: a silver chafing dish; 2nd place: colonial silver candle sticks.Ladies’ Doubles – 1st prize: silver jewel cases; 2nd place: “dull silver” candlesticks.

1901 The Ohio Lawn Tennis Association changes

the name of the tournament to the “Tri-State Tennis Tournament.” The media refers to this year's tournament as the “third-annual Tri-State.” It is in this way that the name “Tri-State” is applied, albeit posthumously, to the first two tournaments.

Along with a new name, the tournament now has a trophy: a sterling silver bowl called the “Governor’s Bowl” in honor of the board of governors of the Avondale Athletic Club. It is considered the finest trophy in competition at the time. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports, "The Governor's Bowl is the best and most expensive trophy in the United States. It was purchased by Charles J. Iredell in 1900 for $500 at Theodore B. Sparr's in New York. It is a massive, gold-lined bowl, over two-feet in diameter with a beautiful embossed design of grapevines and Bacchus heads." (That $500 in 1900 would equal $10,250 today.)

It is inscribed with both names for the tournament: "The Cincinnati Open Tennis Tournament" and "Tri-State Championship."

Future Davis Cup player Raymond D. Little plays through the 32-man field (the challenge round format will not start until 1902) and successfully defends his title, the first men's singles player to do so. He also is the first player to have his name inscribed on the bowl. Fred Alexander and Little also defend their doubles title, becoming the first men's doubles team to retain a title. It is the first time in tournament history that both men's titles are retained from the previous year.

Future Hall of Famer Juliette Atkinson of Brooklyn, New York, reaches her second singles final here, only to lose for the second

International Tennis Hall of Fame Enshrinees are in italics.

Tournament scene in 1904.

Kreigh Collins of Chicago reached seven finals in Cincinnati between 1901 and 1905. His eyesight began to fail in 1904, and in 1909 he was killed when struck by a street car in Chicago.

Martha Kinsey, above, reached nine Cincinnati finals: four doubles finals, three singles finals and two mixed doubles finals. She won every doubles final she played in Cincinnati, and won one singles title as well.

9International Tennis Hall of Fame Enshrinees are in italics.

time. This year, she loses to Ohio State Championship singles winner and a 23-year-old Cincinnatian named Winona Closterman. Atkinson pairs with fellow future Hall of Famer Marion Jones of Nevada (daughter of Senator John P. Jones of that state), to take her second doubles crown here.

1902 A new addition to the tournament is the "Challenge Round" in men's singles. Under this arrangement, the singles winner from the previous year does not play until the tournament is over, and then plays against whomever wins the tournament.

Raymond D. Little, the 1901 champion, beats Kreigh Collins of Chicago, the top player in the Western section, in the Challenge Round and wins the title. The match goes five sets (3-6, 6-8, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2) – the first five-set singles match in tournament history. The Challenge Round format would last at the tournament until 1917.

E.R. Patterson of Canada enters the men's singles and becomes the first non-American ever to enter the tournament. Reuben Hunt of California reaches the final of the challenge round before falling to Collins. Reuben's son, Joe Hunt, would go on to be enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Winona Closterman wins the mixed doubles title and is a finalist in both the women’s doubles and singles. Closterman loses to Maud Banks of Philadelphia in singles and Banks and Hallie Champlin of Chicago in doubles. Three weeks later, Closterman and Banks team up and reach the doubles final at the U.S. National Championships.

Also, the first men's doubles match to go five sets is played. In the final, Ernie Diehl and Nat Emerson defeat Royal Miller and Lincoln Mitchell: 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.

1903 The tournament moves from the Avondale Athletic Club to the Cincinnati Tennis Club at the corner of Wold and Dexter Avenues in East Walnut Hills, which was founded in 1880 and is still active today, making it one of the oldest clubs in the nation. Members include William Howard Taft and James Norris Gamble (inventor of Ivory Soap). Kreigh Collins of Chicago slices through the 32-man field (30 battled in the preliminary round) to win the men’s title over Raymond D. Little. On the final day, it is reported that “there was scarcely enough standing room for many who came to view the finals.” In men's doubles, every match is best-of-five sets, whereas in the past only the finals were best-of-five sets. This would be the format for men's doubles until 1912 when only the semifinals and finals would be best-of-five.

On the women’s side, Winona Closterman defeats Myrtle McAteer of Pittsburgh to take the singles title and a “silver-handled silken parasol”. Miss McAteer wins a “silver belt” for her efforts.

1904 Tournament officials wait in suspense as Kreigh Collins of Chicago tries to decide if he is well enough

to return to Cincinnati to defend his title. Finally, on Thursday, September 8, Mrs. Ruth Collins sends a telegram to the tournament and to the Cincinnati Enquirer stating that her husband is too ill to compete. In fact, her letter states he is so ill he will not play tennis again for the rest of the year. In

May Sutton won the U.S. Championships in 1904, but chose to play Cincinnati in 1905 rather than defend that title.

Ray Little won three singles titles, six doubles titles and one mixed doubles title with May Sutton in Cincinnati.

Future Hall of Famer Beals Wright won singles titles in Cincinnati in 1904, 1905 and 1906.

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a battle of southpaws, Beals Wright of Boston beats L. Harry Waidner of Chicago in the final of the regular draw in men's singles. He takes the title and his first "leg" on the Governor's Bowl.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports “Such a number of noted tennis players from cities throughout the United States has been entered that the Tri-State Tournament ranks very high, being only surpassed in importance by the tennis tournament of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association at Newport, Rhode Island (now known as the U.S. Open).” The Cincinnati Commercial Tribune reports “The Cincinnati open tourney is now recognized as the largest event of its kind in the United States. It is far superior to the Western Championships held every year in Chicago.”

Wright & Ditson's Tennis Annual calls Cincinnati "one of the chief tennis centers of the United States." Ironically, the "Wright" of Wright & Ditson's is George Wright, the man who founded the Cincinnati Reds baseball club in 1869, along with his brother Harry Wright. George also is the father of Beals Wright, who would win the Cincinnati tournament each year between 1904 and 1906, and Irving C. Wright, who would win the mixed doubles title and reach the doubles finals in 1907.

1905 Wright & Ditson's Lawn Tennis Annual states, "The most brilliant and successful tournament ever held in the West was played August 26 to September 4 on the courts of the Cincinnati Tennis Club." At the end of the tournament, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports "The week has been a strenuous one for the followers of the game. No less than 124 matches were played in all the events, not counting in the consolation games. Apart from marvelous playing of Miss Sutton, the spectators had the opportunity of seeing some of the foremost players in the country, including Miss Homans, Miss McAteer, Robert Leroy, Raymond D. Little (and) Kreigh Collins.... It was the most successful tournament the city has ever known, and means that subsequent ones in the coming years will bring additional world-famed players to the local courts. In fact, it is the consensus of opinion among the visitors that Cincinnati will eventually become the Mecca for tennis players in this county."

Boston's Beals Wright retains his singles title and Raymond D. Little and Robert LeRoy of New York retain their doubles title. It is the second time in tournament history both men's titles have been successfully defended.

Californian May Sutton, fresh from winning the Wimbledon title, wins the women's title. Although she won the U.S. Championships in 1904, she chooses to play in Cincinnati rather than defend that title in 1905. She arrives in Cincinnati a week before the tournament and it is reported that her “daily practice at the various local clubs aroused the enthusiasm" of those who witnessed them, according to Wright & Ditson's Lawn Tennis Annual.

Sutton plays six matches to win the title (including the Challenge Round) and loses only one game in all six. (She wins 60 of 61 games – 56 in succession.) She beats a woman listed only as "Miss Smith" 6-0, 6-0, in the preliminary round, Ruth Cowing 6-0, 6-0 in the first round, Helen Ratterman 6-0, 6-0 in the second round, Marjorie Dodd 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals, Helen Homans 6-0, 6-1 in the final round, and Myrtle McAteer 6-0, 6-0 in the Challenge Round. In that Challenge Round match, McAteer never reached "40" in any game.

A snapshot of the 1908 men's singles final. Nat Emerson, seen above, wins the match, but not the tournament. Between 1902 and 1916, the tournament features a Challenge Round, in which the defending champion sits out until one player emerges from the tournament field. That player, Emerson in 1908, then "challenges" the champion from the previous year. In 1908, the defending champion, Robert LeRoy of New York, beats Emerson to retain his title.

11International Tennis Hall of Fame Enshrinees are in italic.

Crowds swarm the Cincinnati Tennis Club for the tournament that includes noted players Raymond D. Little, Kreigh Collins and Beals Wright. The men play in a 64-draw for the first time (not including preliminary rounds). In attendance is George Wright, father of Beals and Irving, who founded and played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1869.

The Cincinnati Commercial Tribune reports, “The five thousand people that crowded and jammed into every seat, on every stair, on house tops and in trees left the grounds feeling that no shot in tennis is impossible.”

1906 Wright & Ditson's Tennis Annual reports "Cincinnati's position as the foremost tennis center of the West was again evidenced" by the 1906 tournament. A total of 180 players enter the tournament in the various draws, making it "the largest lawn tennis tournament in the history of the game," according to the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.

This year, the Sutton sisters cause a stir by competing in the same tournament. Two weeks before the start of the tournament, California’s Oakland Tribune reports, “In the ladies events, May Sutton will be on hand to defend her title, and her sister, Miss Florence Sutton, is coming all the way from Los Angeles to play in this one tournament.... This is Miss Florence Sutton’s first appearance in any tournament east of the Pacific Coast, and tennis experts all over the country will watch her progress with interest.” The sisters eventually meet, with May defeating Florence for her second consecutive singles title. She then pairs with Marjorie Dodd to beat Florence for the doubles title as well.

Beals Wright wins the men’s singles title, beating Raymond D. Little in five sets. It is the first time there are repeat champions in both men's and women's singles in tournament history.

It is the third singles title for Wright, and in winning that title he “retired” the Governor’s Bowl. At most tournaments at the time, it is customary for the tournament to offer a trophy to the players, but to bestow that trophy unto a winner only after that player had won the tournament three times, not necessarily in succession. The practice was called "retiring a trophy" and each title was called a "leg" of the trophy. When a player won three "legs" he/she was allowed to keep the trophy. With his wins in 1904 and 1905, Wright’s title this year allows him to retire and take possession of the Bowl.

The bowl was particularly attractive to players, according to the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, which reports this on Sunday, September 9: "Shortly after the Wright-LeRoy match, the presentation of

1909 tournament scene

William Cooper Procter (left) and James Norris Gamble (right) made sure the tournament had a trophy in 1910.

The Cincinnati Trophy could have been called the "Ivory Soap Bowl."

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prizes was made, and Wright took permanent possession of the far-famed elusive Governor's Bowl, and it is now up to the Cincinnati Tennis Club to find a man with the goodwill of tennis at heart, like Colonel Bragg, the donator of the Governor's Bowl, who will hang up another trophy that will attract the stars of the East as this bowl has attracted them."

Another future Hall of Famer, Karl Behr of New York, “plays in sensational form,” according to a report in American Lawn Tennis magazine. He reaches the singles semifinals and wins the doubles title with Raymond D. Little.

Crowds for the tournament are larger than expected and many are turned away at the gate. Ads for the event call it “the most important tournament in the West,” and newspaper accounts call it "second in importance in the United States, the National Championship being first."

When Sutton wins the title, she is given possession of the women’s trophy, described by American Lawn Tennis magazine as “massive and valuable,” to keep for the year. She would be given permanent possession of the cup if she won the title in 1907. Unfortunately, Sutton placed it in a car and then “lost trace of it.” It hasn’t been found to this day.

During the week, Ohio Congressman Nicholas Longworth of Cincinnati is a regular attendee with his bride, Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Mrs. Longworth is the daughter of then-President Theodore Roosevelt, and the two were married only six months earlier in a grand ceremony in the White House. Nicholas went on to be the Republican speaker of the house, and Alice went on to become one of the most outspoken and outrageous women of the century, dazzling the public when her much sought-after opinion was expressed. The color, “Alice Blue” was highly fashionable, a light blue with a hint of gray to match her eyes. Hundreds of Americans sang or listened to the songs, “Alice Blue Gown” and “Alice, Where Art Thou?”. Alice became a popular baby name. Her motto was "If you have nothing good to say, come sit by me." She met every President since she was six (when her father took her to the White House to meet Benjamin Harrison) and she was reportedly underwhelmed by them all. She became known as the "ambulatory Washington monument," and died at age 97 in 1981.

1907 The tournament has a new men's trophy. After Beals Wright won the 1906 title, he retired the Governor's Bowl, retaining possession of it. For 1907, the tournament pays for the creation of the Charles DeCamp bowl. It is made of solid silver, weighs 17.11 pounds, is 10.5 inches high, and 16 inches in diameter. The cost in 1907 dollars is $500 (approximately $11,000 in today’s dollars). It is named after the tournament's correspondence secretary as a "tribute to the man to whose energy and loyal work the success of past Tri-State tournaments had been largely due," according to a report in American Lawn Tennis magazine.

May Sutton wins her third women’s singles title and retires the Ladies Trophy. She also wins the mixed doubles crown with partner Irving C. Wright, brother of Beals Wright. The Cincinnati Commercial Tribune reports “The Tri-State tournament, while it carries with it the title of champion of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, brings to Cincinnati the foremost tennis players of the country, and is in fact the largest tournament in the West, outranking all others but the National Tournament which is held at Newport, Rhode Island (today’s U.S. Open).”

Total attendance is estimated at 6,000, with 2,000 people attending on the final day. The tournament added 800 seats for

International Tennis Hall of Fame Enshrinees are in italic.

May Sutton retired this trophy - described by American Lawn Tennis as “massive and valuable” - in 1906 after her third consecutive title. After taking possession, she placed it in a vehicle and then “lost trace of it.” It remains lost to this day.

Fashions in tennis wear have changed considerably since Marjorie Dodd (above) won the 1911 ladies singles title.

Molla Bjurstedt (left) squared off against Ruth Sanders (right) in the 1915 singles final.

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the 1907 event after overflow crowds in 1906.

1908 Five separate draws hold 160 entrants for the 1908 tournament. The Wright & Ditson’s Lawn Tennis Guide describes the tournament this way: “No matter how many miles separate you from Cincinnati, the last of August should see you on your way to the (Cincinnati tournament) if you wish to experience one of the richest of lawn tennis experiences.” Ruth Sanders of Cincinnati, who eventually will win five singles Cincinnati titles, plays in the tournament for the first time. Phillip B. Stanberry is tournament director. The crowd for the men's singles final is estimated at 3,000 by American Lawn Tennis magazine.

According to Wright & Ditson's Lawn Tennis Guide: "In this Middle West feature we find a gallery which for numbers, enthusiasm and 'tennis sense' is certainly not surpassed by any tournament in the United States."

1909 Robert LeRoy wins his third Tri-State title and retires the DeCamp Bowl. Therefore, a new trophy would be put in competition in 1910. Edith Hannam, a British citizen living in Canada, wins the ladies singles title and becomes the first non-American woman to do so. Nat Emerson, the 1899 Cincinnati champion who was ranked as high as No. 7 in the U.S., makes his seventh and final appearance in the semifinals. A former Cincinnatian, Emerson had moved to Washington state to be an apple grower, but returns for the tournament.

The 1910s1910 With Robert LeRoy's retiring of the DeCamp Bowl in 1909, a new trophy is needed for the tournament.

The tournament commissions world-famous Tiffany's of New York to create a new trophy, and the result is an impressively huge bowl called the "Cincinnati Trophy." The cost for the trophy is $550 (which would equate to $12,000 in today's currency). The money is donated by two of the world's most recognizable names in consumer products: James Norris Gamble and William Cooper Procter.

Procter, a grandson of Procter & Gamble founder William Procter, is president of the company at the time. (He was president from 1907 to 1930 and chairman of the board from 1930 until 1934.) He is credited with conceiving P&G's employee profit-sharing plan, and it is on his watch that the company goes international, and begins the "soap opera" by sponsoring the "Ma Perkins" radio program. Gamble is the son of founder James Gamble. He is a trained chemist, and early in his P&G career he develops an inexpensive white soap that is equal to the finest imported soaps of the day. It is called "Ivory Soap." Both men are tennis fans, and Gamble also is credited with donating the money


Two passengers on the Titanic had connections to the Cincinnati tournament.

Organizing committee of the 1916 tournament. Third from the left in the front row (with arms crossed) is tournament director Phil Stanberry.

Bill Johnston (forecourt) in action during the 1916 tournament, the year he won the singles title.

1916 semifinal doubles match between Truxton Emerson (foreground left) and Reuben Holden (foreground right) and Dean Mathey (background left) and Willis Davis (background right). Mathey & Davis won 6-2, 7-5, 10-8.


for the construction of courts on the west side of Cincinnati where five-time singles champion Ruth Sanders learned to play.

Before it is retired in 1927 by George Lott, the bowl will be inscribed with the names of four Hall of Famers (Clarence Griffin, William Johnston, Bill Tilden and Lott) and a US Davis Cupper (John Hennessey).

1911 Richard Palmer, the "New Jersey southpaw," wins the men's

singles title over Richard Bishop of Boston. Hazel Hotchkiss enters the women's field and defaults in the first round. Also in the round of 16 is C. Drummond Jones of St. Louis, who in 1915 would wed Marie Busch, the daughter of August A. Busch, the beer baron.

1912 When the Titanic sets sail on its maiden voyage from England to New York in April, 1912, two future Tennis Hall of Fame enshrinees are on board. Both had connections to the Cincinnati tournament.

Karl Behr, who was a singles semifinalist and doubles champion (with Raymond D. Little) in Cincinnati in 1906, was on the ship that night. He was in Europe ostensibly on business, but was actually in pursuit of a love interest, Helen Monypeny Newsom. Miss Newsom’s mother didn’t approve of Mr. Behr, a Yale educated lawyer, and took her daughter to Europe in an attempt to stifle the romance. When Mr. Behr found the two in England and found out they were returning to the States aboard the Titanic, he booked passage on the ship himself. He was still awake when the ship hit the iceberg. When he was told about the situation, he quickly ran below deck and roused the Newsom’s from their cabin, and got them up on deck. He was so quick in doing so that he and the Newsoms were among the first to inquire about lifeboats. An officer on deck was loading Lifeboat 5, and aiding him was Bruce Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line. Ismay allowed the two women into a boat, and allowed Mr. Behr a seat in the same boat. All three survived. Mrs. Newsom obviously changed her mind: Mr. Behr and Miss Newsom were married 11 months later.

The other player, Richard Norris Williams II, was on the ship with his father. As the ship was sinking, Mr. Williams saw his father die when the forward funnel fell from the vessel and crushed him, and many others. Mr. Williams then jumped into the icy Atlantic and managed to survive by hanging on to a partially submerged collapsible raft. He was alive, but was in freezing water up to his waist. Others were dying all around him – freezing to death, not drowning – but he hung on for six hours. When he was pulled from the water and put aboard the Carpathia, a doctor examined his legs. He suggested amputation to fight hypothermia and prevent gangrene, but Williams refused. The doctor warned he'd lose the legs if he didn't work very hard to get the proper circulation back in them. Within weeks he was playing tennis again, and three months after the disaster he entered the Cincinnati tournament.

On the courts in Cincinnati in 1912, Gustave Touchard of New York wins the title over Richard Palmer of New Jersey in the Challenge Round. Touchard had to defeat Reuben Holden, a Cincinnatian and the 1910 intercollegiate champion from Yale, in the main tournament to reach the Challenge Round. On the women’s side, two Hall of Famers reach the final round and May Sutton defeats Mary K. Browne 6-2, 6-2. In the Challenge round that followed, defending champion Marjorie Dodd of Cincinnati takes the singles title by default over Miss Sutton. Browne pairs with future Canadian Hall of Famer Lois Moyes to take the ladies doubles crown over Mrs. Gus Touchard and May Sutton.

Bill Johnston (left) and Bill Tilden both won singles titles in Cincinnati - Johnston in 1916, and Tilden in 1926.

One of the best players ever to come out of the Midwest, Clara Louise Zinke reached 18 finals in Cincinnati, winning 12 titles (five singles, six doubles and one mixed doubles title) during the 1920s.

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1913 Ruth Sanders, a young school teacher from the west side of Cincinnati and former champion at the University of Cincinnati (from which she graduated in 1912), wins the first of five titles here. William S. McEllroy of Pittsburgh wins the men’s crown.

1914 Because the Tri-State represents the championship of three states, playing it in other states is considered appropriate. The first time the tournament is not played in Cincinnati is in 1914 when it moves to Indianapolis. In Cincinnati, the National Clay Court Championship is held at the Cincinnati Tennis Club.

William S. McEllroy of Pittsburgh and Ruth Sanders of Cincinnati win the Tri-State titles in Indianapolis. Clarence “Peck” Griffin and Mary K. Browne win the national clay court titles in Cincinnati.

1915 Molla Bjurstedt won an Olympic bronze in singles for Norway

in 1912 at Stockholm, but was a relative unknown when she arrived in the United States in 1915. She enters many tennis events, and quickly makes a name for herself. In Cincinnati, she runs through the field, losing exactly 15 games in six matches. Her least lopsided match is in the final when she beats Ruth Sanders 6-0, 6-4.

On the men's side, players include William Johnston, Clarence Griffin (men’s champion) and Irving Wright. Maurice McLoughlin and Elia Fottrell (who reaches the final of the tournament but loses in the Challenge round) play an exhibition match against Griffin and Johnston to cap off the tournament.

1916 William "Little Bill" Johnston wins the singles title and teams with Clarence Griffin to take the doubles crown. Actually, Johnston wins the main draw and is to face the defending champion, Griffin, in the Challenge round. Griffin, however, refuses to defend his title against his close friend Johnston, but gives no reason for doing so.

Willis Davis, who has a top-ten world ranking (world rankings at this time were not generally considered credible), is a finalist and pairs with Princeton's Dean Mathey to reach the doubles final. Martha Guthrie of Pittsburgh defeats Margaret "Ruth" Davis of St. Paul to take the women's title.

Another player of note is James Gamble Nippert, grandson of James Norris Gamble of Procter & Gamble (the inventor of Ivory soap and the purchaser of the tournament trophy in competition at the time – see related story on previous page). The young Nippert loses in the first round but would go on to play football for the University of Cincinnati. On Thanksgiving day

The men's field for the 1923 tournament. The player standing on the far right in the white sweater is eventual champion Louis Kuhler.

President Warren G. Harding's death in 1923 interrupted the tournament.

TOURNAMENT NOTES“Reservations for the finals have been coming in to Chairman Gordon Small from various parts of the country, one for several seats being sent in from London, England.”

— Cincinnati Enquirer, July 17, 1926



George Lott of Chicago was the first of just three players to win four singles titles in Cincinnati, the others being fellow Hall of Famers Bobby Riggs and Mats Wilander. Lott won his singles titles in 1924, 1925, 1927 & 1932.

1939 players (clockwise, starting upper left) Bryan Grant, Kather-ine Wolfe, and Frank Parker.

Frank Shields kicked off the 1930s by winning the singles title in Cincinnati, and reaching the semifinals in doubles.

in 1923 in the Bearcats' season-ending clash with rival Miami of Ohio, Nippert sustained a spike wound injury. He died a month later of blood poisoning. The stadium in which he played was renamed in his honor, and the James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium was dedicated on November 8, 1924.

1917 The tournament is once again moved to Indianapolis so that

Cincinnati may host the National Clay Court Championship. In support of World War I, and through the urging of the Secretary of War, the U.S. Championships is renamed the National Patriotic Championships. Following that lead, the National Clay Court Championship is renamed “The National Clay Court Patriotic Championship.” Festivities during the tournament include “Surgical Dressing Day.” Money from the tournament is donated to equip an ambulance for service in France. The net sum of $2,699.99 is given to the Red Cross, the equivalent in today’s dollars of more than $43,000.

In Indianapolis, Fritz Bastian of Indy wins the men’s singles title and Katharine Brown wins the women’s singles title. At the national clay court tournament in Cincinnati, Ruth Sanders wins the singles title, the women’s doubles title and the mixed doubles title with her fiancé, Howard Cordes. Sam Hardy of Chicago wins the singles title over Charles Garland of Pittsburgh.

1919 The tournament is awarded to Indianapolis for a third time so that the National Sectional Doubles Championship may be held in Cincinnati. In Indy, Fritz Bastian retains his title over future Davis Cup player John Hennessey of Indianapolis. Paul Voris and Alfred Weller win the men's doubles title. Although it would become the norm in the post-1973 tournaments, this is the first time in tournament history there is no women's draw of any kind.

As the name implies, the National Sectional Doubles Championship determines who will play for the National Doubles Championship. It pits an Eastern team versus a Western team. The Eastern team consists of Bill Tilden, Vincent Richards, S. Howard Voshell, and Itchya Kumagae. The Western team is made up of William Johnston, Sam Hardy, Robert Kinsey and Axel Graven. The East wins, 6-3.

The 1920s1920 For a fourth time, the tournament is awarded

to Indiana and is played in Ft. Wayne. John Hennessey, U.S. Davis Cup team member in 1928, wins the men’s title and Ruth Sanders Cordes wins her fourth singles title.

1921 The tournament is suspended for one year.

1922 After a one-year suspension, the tournament is revived in Cincinnati after having been played in Indiana since 1917. Louis Kuhler wins the men's singles title, and Ruth Sanders Cordes takes the ladies title. Reuben Holden of Cincinnati, who won the intercollegiate singles crown while at Yale, teams up with Truxton Emerson to take the doubles title over brothers Ray Kunkel (who played on the Georgetown University tennis team), and Paul Kunkel (who was a member of the Harvard team).

Loving cups are presented to the winners. Louis J.

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Tuke donates the cup for the men's champion, and other cups are donated by Judge R.K. LeBlond, John LeBlond and George H. Phillips. "Merchandise orders" and medals are given to finalists in all events.

1923 Clara Louise Zinke makes her first appearance in the women’s singles finals. It would be ten years before Zinke is not in the finals.

The tournament is stopped at the hour of the funeral of President Warren G. Harding. Harding died of a stroke on August 2, 1923, and his funeral is held on Friday, August 10. On that day, play stops between 4 and 5 p.m. to allow the players and fans to honor the President. Those in attendance face east and observe silence for two minutes. Afterward, Ruth Sanders Cordes, a women's singles finalist that year, sings the President's favorite hymn, “Lead, Kindly Light.” Meditation and hymn singing continues until 5 p.m., when quarterfinal matches resume.

Rain makes this year the longest Cincinnati tournament in history. Although all rounds but the finals are finished by Tuesday, August 14, the finals are not held until Saturday, August 18. On Saturday, August 11, a men’s singles semifinal and a men’s doubles semifinal match are in progress when rain washes out the day. All matches resume on Sunday, August 12, but rain interrupts again. The men’s semifinals are finally complete on Monday, August 13, and the tournament must decide to play the finals either Tuesday, August 14, or Saturday, August 18. The tournament waits until Saturday. Louis Kuhler wins the singles title by beating Paul Kunkel in the final.

1924 George Lott of Chicago wins the first of three singles titles. Lott also teams with fellow Chicagoan Jack Harris to take the doubles title over Charles Garland (Pittsburgh) and Paul Kunkel. Defending champion Louis Kuhler reaches the quarterfinals before falling to Julius Sagalowsky. Kuhler will not get the chance the following year to earn his third Cincinnati title. He dies in March, 1925, four months shy of his 23rd birthday.

1925 George Lott of Chicago wins his second singles title and his second doubles title. Marion Leighton of Chicago takes the women's title. Former NCAA champ Reuben Holden is a doubles finalist.

1926 Bill Tilden takes the men’s title over George Lott, the first time two future Hall of Famers square off in the men’s final. Another first occurs when Francisco Aragon and Guillermo Aragon, the Philippine Davis Cuppers, win the men's doubles crown. It is the first Cincinnati men's title of any kind to be won by a non-American. The tournament is played at the Hyde Park Tennis Club once again with E. K. Wuerdeman as tournament director.

1927 The tournament returns to the Cincinnati Tennis Club. George Lott is ranked third in the U.S. and wins his third title here, retiring the huge Tiffany-made "Cincinnati Trophy" (which was purchased in 1910 by William Cooper Procter and James Norris Gamble). As was the case in 1906, 1907 and 1909, a player keeps the tournament trophy after winning a third title. Together with his wins in 1924 and 1925, Lott now has his third title and possession of the bowl.

Lott, who turned pro in 1936, retains possession of the bowl until 1938. That year, he wins a pro tournament in White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia, at the Greenbrier Resort. Rumors drift back to Cincinnati that he’s left a good portion of his winnings at the Casino there. It seemed a good time to negotiate with him for the purchase of the valuable and historic bowl. Tournament officials drive the 350 miles to White Sulphur Springs, talk with Lott, and return with the trophy.

This is the first year in tournament history that players are seeded. International Tennis Hall of Fame Enshrinees are in italic.

1930 Junior Boys singles champion (and future Hall of Famer) Frank Parker of Milwaukee. He continued to compete in Cincinnati in his adult years, reaching five singles finals before finally winning in 1941.

Hall of Famer Bobby Riggs won four singles titles in four straight appearanc-es in Cincinnati – 1936, 1937, 1938 & 1940. It would be nearly 50 years before another male player would win a fourth Cincinnati title.

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The men's seeds are: 1) Lott (Chicago); 2) Emmett Paré (Chicago); 3) Jose Alonso (former captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team, now of Philadelphia); 4) Paul Kunkel (Cincinnati); 5) Ray Kunkel (Cincinnati); 6) Sidney Meyers (Cincinnati); 7) Ellis Flax (Cincinnati); 8) Archie McCallum (Cincinnati); 9) Willard Beckman (Cincinnati); 10) Ellis Klingeman (Chicago). Three foreign players are seeded separately: 1) Charles Leslie (Toronto); 2) Brian Doherty (Montreal); 3) Lorn McLean (Toronto). On the women's side, the seeds are 1) Marion Leighton (Chicago); 2) Clara Louise Zinke (Cincinnati); 3) Ruth Riese (Saginaw, Michigan); 4) Olga Strashun Weil (Cincinnati); 5) Margarite Kommenda (Chicago); 6) Helen Canfield (Detroit); 7) Marion Pearson (Detroit).

The concept of seeding was introduced at Wimbledon in 1924 to separate the best players in the draw, thereby helping to ensure their success. The U.S. National Championships begins seeding in 1927 as well.

In women's singles, second-seeded Clara Louise Zinke beats top-seed Marion Leighton (ranked No. 20 in the U.S. and No. 1 in the Western section) for the title.

In addition to the "Cincinnati Trophy" being in competition, other trophies, donated by individuals and businesses, are given to the players as well: Men’s Singles Champ – The Hotel Sinton

Trophy: a 15-inch solid bronze cup Men's Singles Finalist – The Taylor Stanley

Trophy: a solid bronze cigarette humidorMen's Doubles Champs – One player

receives the Hotel Gibson Trophy and the other the Hotel Alms Trophy. Both are the same: a London-made Gladstone bag.

Men's Doubles Finalists – The W.E. Hutton & Co. Trophies: Bronze, silver-encrusted cigarette boxes with tennis figures raised in sterling.

Ladies’ Singles – The Swiss Garden Trophy: a 14-inch solid bronze lamp

Ladies' Finalist – The Miller Jewelry Co. Trophy: a 15-inch brocaded-gold vase

Juniors Singles – Phillips Swimming Pools Trophy: a 15-inch silver cup

Junior Singles Finalist – Hotel Metropole Trophy: a bronze tennis figure on stone base

Junior Doubles Champs – The Bolles Brendamour Trophy: Two 12-inch silver cups, gold lined, on ebonized bases

Junior Doubles Finalists – The B.F. Keith Theatre Trophies: two ebonized plaques (silver plates)


Alice Marble playing in Cincinnati in 1940.

This line-up of seven players at the 1945 tourna-ment includes four future Hall of Famers. (Left to right): Bill Talbert, Sarah Palfrey Cooke, Shirley Fry, Mary Arnold, Pauline Betz, Elwood Cooke and Hal Surface.

Pancho Segura won two Cincinnati singles titles: 1942 & 1944. He beat Bill Talbert in the finals both times.

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1928 Marjorie "Midge" Gladman of Santa Monica, California, and the University of Southern California, wins the women’s title and Emmett Paré of Chicago takes the men’s title. Ruth Oexman of Cincinnati wins the first of five doubles titles here, all with Clara Louise Zinke. As a junior girl in 1927, Oexman is ranked No. 2 in the nation.

Rain interrupts play on Thursday, July 12, and again on Friday, July 13. The tournament director, Taylor Stanley, is forced to take the tournament indoors to the Cincinnati Indoor Tennis Club at the Freeman Avenue Armory. It is the first time tournament matches are played indoors. Jose Alonso, of the Spanish Davis Cup team, enters but loses in the first round. Gordon Lum, Chinese Davis Cup star, also enters and reaches the fourth round.

There is a new men's singles trophy this year: The Wilfred M. Tyler Bowl. Tyler had been actively involved in Cincinnati tennis circles and had been an officer of the Ohio Lawn Tennis Association for many years until about 1915. Tyler died in 1923, and when the new trophy was needed for 1928, someone associated with the tournament recalled a mention of tennis in Tyler's will. His estate's executor was consulted, and it turned out he had left $500 with which to purchase a new trophy should it ever become necessary. That occasion having now arisen, the tournament purchased a new bowl and named it after the benefactor. It was constructed to be a replica of the bowl which had just been retired.

1929 Herbert Lee Bowman of New York beats Julius Seligson, the 1928 national collegiate champion from Lehigh and the No. 9 player in the country, for the title. Clara Louise Zinke of Cincinnati wins her third of five titles. Visiting players stay at the Hotel Alms in Walnut Hills. Taylor Stanley is tournament director.

The 1930s1930 Frank Shields of New York, grandfather of Brooke

Shields, wins the men’s title. Fourteen-year-old Frank Parker of Milwaukee wins the junior boys title. The future Hall of Famer will go on to win a Cincinnati men’s title in 1941. In women's singles, Clara Louise Zinke makes her eighth consecutive appearance in the finals, defeating Ruth Riese of Saginaw, Michigan.

1931 Cliff Sutter of New Orleans wins the men's singles title over Bruce Barnes. Sutter is a direct descendant of John Sutter, who, in 1848, was operating his mill on the American Fork River, near San Francisco, when gold was found on the property. That discovery at Sutter’s Mill touched off the Gold Rush that started that year and exploded the next year, 1849. The men who came to the


James Brink of Seattle won the men's 1949 singles title.

A Cincinnati Enquirer editorial cartoon which appeared on Sunday, June 26, 1949, to commemorate the tournament's 50th birthday.

Alex Olmedo reached the doubles finals and the singles quarterfinals in Cincinnati in 1958.

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area looking for gold were called “49ers.” In women's singles, Clara Louise Zinke wins her fifth and final title, beating Ruth Riese of Saginaw, Michigan.

Also this year, Bill Tilden returns to Cincinnati for a February pro exhibition against Karel Kozeluh, considered the "world champion of the professionals." Tilden defeats Kozeluh, 8-6, 6-3, in front of 4,500 people.

1932 A second all-Hall-of-Famer final is witnessed as George Lott, ranked No. 2 in the nation, defeats 16-year-old Frank Parker. Dorothy Weisel Hack, wife of Chicago Cubs third baseman Stan Hack and the No. 11 woman in the country, beats Clara Louise Zinke to take the women's title.

1933 The third all-Hall-of-Famer final in men’s singles occurs as Frank Parker bows to Bryan Grant. The men’s doubles competition begins in Cincinnati and concludes in Chicago at the Chicago Town & Tennis Club, due to rain on the final day, July 2. Bryan Grant and Fred Mercur of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, are leading Robert “Lefty” Bryan and John McDiarmid 6-5 in the third set when rain hits Cincinnati. Since all four players are entered into the National Clay Court Championship, set to begin in Chicago on July 3, the final is moved to the Windy City. Grant and Mercur win, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, 12-14, 6-4.

1934 The tournament is played for one year at

the Kenwood Country Club. The four men's semifinalists include future Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, Marcel Rainville of Montreal. Henry Prusoff, American top-tenner from Seattle, defeats Arthur Hendrix of Lakeland, Florida, another American top-tenner, for the title. Gracyn Wheeler of Santa Monica wins the women's singles by default when Dr. Esther Bartosh, the "reigning queen of the Los Angeles courts," is too ill to compete. Rain forces the singles finals to be played at the Cincinnati Tennis Club.

The men’s and women’s doubles final are decided by coin flip because of rain. Rainville and countryman Walter Martin (Toronto) win the toss and defeat Karl Kamrath (Austin, Texas) and Prusoff for the men’s title. Helen Fulton (Chicago) and Elizabeth Kesting (St. Paul) win the coin flip over Esther Bartosh (Los Angeles) and Marianne Hunt (Los Angeles) for the women’s title.

1935 The tournament is scheduled for June 24-30, but with the country in the throes of the Great Depression, it’s suspended for a year.


In 1951, Tony Trabert (left) and Bill Talbert squared off in the final. The 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win was Trabert's first over his mentor. The two then paired up to take the doubles title over Hugh Stewart and Grant Golden.

U.S. Top Tenners Pat Canning Todd and Dorothy Head squared off in the semifinals in Cincinnati in 1951. Todd would win in three sets and win the title over Romanian Magda Rurac.

Beverly Baker won the singles and doubles titles in 1950.


1936 In the revival of the tournament, Bobby Riggs of Los Angeles wins the first of his four singles titles here, beating Charles Harris of West Palm Beach, Florida, in the final. Lila Porter of Mobile, Alabama, wins the women’s title. The second-seeded team of John McDiarmid of Chicago and Eugene McCauliff of New York upset top seeds Riggs and Wayne Sabin to take the doubles title. Future Hall of Famer Don McNeill of Oklahoma is the No. 8 seed.

1937 Top seed Bobby Riggs defends his crown by beating John McDiarmid of Chicago in the final. McDiarmid then teams with Eugene McCauliff to defend their doubles crown. By winning the title, they become the first repeat doubles champions since 1901. No other doubles team would repeat until Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi do it in 2006.

1938 Bobby Riggs, now of Chicago, defeats Frank Parker of Milwaukee in the men’s final to collect his third Cincinnati title. It is the fourth all-Hall-of-Famer men’s final. With that victory, Riggs retires the Wilfred M. Tyler Bowl. That trophy is currently on display at the Bobby Riggs Tennis Club in San Diego, California.

1939 The tournament now has a new trophy. It is a silver bowl named "The Cincinnati Trophy," the second trophy so named in tournament history. It is donated to the tournament by Charles Tobias. By the time it is retired in 1947, it will be inscribed with the names of six winners: Bryan Grant, Bobby Riggs, Frank Parker, Pancho Segura, Bill Talbert and Nick Carter. The fifth meeting between two future Hall of Famers in the men’s final takes place as Bryan Grant defeats Frank Parker.

The 1940s1940 Bobby Riggs and Alice Marble take all the titles:

men's singles and doubles and women's singles and doubles. Top-seeded Riggs beats the No. 9 seed, Arthur Marx of Los Angeles, for the singles title. Marx is the son of comedian Groucho Marx. Riggs then pairs with Charles Hare, British Davis Cupper, for the doubles title over Ron Lubin and Frank Froehling. Marble beats second-seeded Gracyn Wheeler for the singles title, and then takes the women's doubles crown with Mary Arnold. Marx upsets John Doeg in the third round, and Charles Garland in the semifinals before falling to Riggs. Riggs beats Jimmy Evert, father of 1973 singles finalist Chris Evert, in the fourth round.

1941 The sixth all-Hall-of-Famer men’s final takes place. Frank Parker finally wins a men's singles title in Cincinnati (after finals appearances in 1932, ’33, ’38 and ’39) by beating Bill Talbert. Pauline Betz wins the women’s singles title, Parker and Gene Mako win the doubles title, and Doris Hart is a women’s doubles finalist.

Ham Richardson (left) and Tony Trabert reached the final in 1953.

In 1955, Tony Trabert was the top player in the world. He played one of the last matches of his amateur career in his hometown – a losing effort again Tut Bartzen.


1942 Pancho Segura of Ecuador becomes the first non-American

men’s singles titleist in tournament history when he defeats U.S. top-tenner and Cincinnatian Bill Talbert in the men’s final. It is the seventh time two future Hall of Famers meet in a men’s final.

The tournament is the first "Patriotic" event (tournaments in which money is raised for a war effort) in Cincinnati since 1917. The Patriotic point is driven home when Joe Davis of Nashville is ordered to report immediately to the Navy after his semifinal loss to Segura. (At the end of the tournament, $1,300 is given to the Emergency War Relief Fund.)

Segura also pairs with Fred Kovaleski to win the doubles crown. They beat Talbert and Robert Smidl in the semifinals en route to that win. Later that year, Smidl, ranked No. 21 in singles in the U.S., joins the Army to fight in World War II. He is killed, making him the first tennis player with a national ranking to perish.

This also is the last year a mixed doubles event is held in conjunction with the tournament. No mixed doubles would be played until 1999 when the Seniors event format is switched to all-mixed doubles. A pair of Philadelphians, Peggy Welsh of Rollins College and William Vogt of Princeton, pair up to take the title.

1943 William Talbert, ranked No. 4 in the nation, wins the singles title over Seymour Greenberg (a former standout at Northwestern who is ranked No. 5 in the nation), and then pairs with fellow Cincinnatian Al Bunis to win the doubles title. (Bunis would go on to start the first senior tennis tour. It was the first senior tour in either tennis or golf.)

In beating former U.S. top-tenner Catherine Wolf in the final, Pauline Betz scores a rare "golden bagel." She beats Wolf 6-0 in the first set, taking all 24 points, and hitting 18 winners. She wins the second set 6-2. She also takes the women’s doubles crown with Nancy Corbett.

This is the third "Patriotic" tournament held, and $800 is given to the USO at the end of the week with the promise of more to follow.

1944 Akron, Ohio, native and future Hall of Famer Shirley Fry plays in

her first Cincinnati tournament, reaching the semifinals before she falls to eventual champion Dorothy Bundy. The 17-year-old pushes Bundy, daughter of May Sutton, to three sets before losing 3-6, 6-2, 9-7.

Two Hall of Famers square off in the men’s final for an eighth time, with Pancho Segura winning his second Cincinnati title over William Talbert. The final score is 9-11, 6-2, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, and the match lasts more than four hours. The tournament is the fourth "Patriotic" event in tournament history. More than $1,500 is raised for the Navy League.

While Segura is winning his second title in Cincinnati, Gloria Thompson, playing in her third Cincinnati tournament, is playing well enough to reach the quarterfinals in singles and the finals in doubles. In addition to having a Cincinnati connection, Thompson and Segura would develop another connection over time.

After their playing days are over, both Thompson and Segura stay close to the game by teaching tennis. Segura teaches in Los Angeles, while Thompson teaches in her hometown of East St. Louis. Eventually, one of her tennis

1957 Program

Finalists Tut Bartzen (right) & Sam Giammalva tug on the Boyd B. Chambers Bowl on Saturday, July 5, 1958. The following day, Bartzen won the title and took permanent possession of the trophy.

The 1955 program, the year the tournament had two names.


students, her star pupil, is her own son, James. James thrives under Gloria’s tutelage, but eventually she realizes he needs additional help to reach the next level. For that help, she turns to Segura.

Gloria Thompson, now Gloria Thompson Connors, packs up her son and her mother and moves to Los Angeles, where Segura takes the reins of the boy’s tennis development. Gloria’s son, and Pancho Segura’s student, develops into one of the greatest players of all time: Jimmy Connors. Not only does Connors follow Segura and his mother in playing Cincinnati, he also follows Sequra into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

A first-round loss by the No. 8 seed makes headlines. George Ratterman, who is recovering from “ptomaine poisoning” (commonly known as food poisoning) loses to Leonard Schiff of Columbus, 8-6, 6-3. Ratterman was the No. 1 junior in the Ohio Valley Tennis Association at the time and a football standout at Cincinnati's St. Xavier High School. He would go on to Notre Dame and the NFL, playing with the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns. In 1954, under the direction of Browns' head coach Paul Brown, Ratterman wore the famous “electricified helmet” into a game against the Detroit Lions – a helmet rigged with a radio so Ratterman could hear Brown's instructions from the sideline. The suspicious Lions twice ripped the helmet off Ratterman's head and attempted to break the device.

1945 Bill Talbert and Elwood Cooke are seeded No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, but the women's field includes the most stars. Five of the top 10 women in the United States are in the field, and are seeded based on their 1944 rankings: (1) Pauline Betz (ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in 1944); (2) Dorothy Bundy (No. 4 in the U.S.); (3) Mary Arnold (U.S. No. 5); (4) Shirley Fry (U.S. No. 8); and (5) Sarah Palfrey Cooke (who wasn't ranked in 1944 because she didn't play, but was ranked No. 1 in 1945).

With a War on, fielding the men's draws is difficult and, as a result, Palfrey Cooke asks to enter the men's doubles draw with her husband, Elwood Cooke. The rule book is consulted, and no rule is found that forbids a woman from playing in a men's draw. Tournament Director Bill Ruxton therefore allows Palfrey Cooke to become the only woman in the history of the tournament to compete in a men’s draw.

All those draws made for a very busy Palfrey Cooke. On Thursday, June 28, she plays Fry in a ladies singles quarterfinal match at 2 p.m., then teams with Bundy in a ladies doubles match, then plays a men's doubles match at 5 p.m. She loses to Fry, but wins both doubles matches.

Talbert goes on to win the men’s singles title over Cooke, and Betz wins her third singles title. Palfrey Cooke and Bundy win the women’s doubles title, beating Arnold and Fry. The Cookes, Sarah and Elwood, reach the men’s doubles final before falling to Talbert and Lt. Hal Surface.

It is the fifth "Patriotic" event in tournament history. The Navy League receives $1,000 from proceeds of the tournament.

1946 Nick Carter, seeded No. 5, wins the singles, dropping only one set along the way. His name is inscribed on the "Cincinnati Trophy" alongside future Hall of Famers Bryan Grant, Bobby Riggs, Frank Parker, Pancho Segura and Bill Talbert. Carter also teams with Norman Brooks to take the doubles titles. Virginia Kovacs of San Francisco takes the women’s singles title over Shirley Fry. Fry then teams with Mary Arnold Prentiss to take the ladies doubles crown. William Ruxton is the tournament director. Proceeds benefit the Hamilton County chapter of the Elizabeth Kenny

Since seeding began in 1927, Miguel Olvera is the only unseeded player to win a men's singles title. The Ecuadorian collected the trophy in 1960, and, as seen above, a congratulatory handshake from 1960 tournament co-director Rowland Hopple.

Peaches Bartkowicz won singles titles in 1966 & 1967.

Titleists Bill Lenior and Stephanie DeFina pose with Tony Trabert in 1965.

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Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. Carter beats fourth-seeded Earl Cochell

in the quarterfinals en route to the title. Cochell, who was ranked No. 6 in the U.S. at one point in his career, would go on to become the first and only player banned from tennis for life by the USTA. He was banned in 1951 for “unsportsmanlike conduct on the court and related actions detrimental to the welfare of the game.” The action was taken by the USTA after Cochell's behavior during his fourth-round match at the U.S. Championships at Forest Hills against Gardner Mulloy. He argued many lines calls, argued with fans, and blatantly threw a number of games by playing left-handed (he was right-handed). He verbally attacked the referee (Dr. Ellsworth Davenport), and he even tried to grab the chair umpires mic to lecture the crowd. The USTA's ban was lifted some years later.

1947 Bill Talbert wins his third Cincinnati singles title and the "Cincinnati Trophy" (the second so-named) is retired. Talbert would later donate it back to the tournament. The tournament contracts for the creation of a new trophy.

The "Boyd B. Chambers Memorial Trophy," named after a former Tri-State competitor who died in World War II, is constructed and placed into service for the 1948 tournament.

Betty Rosenquest takes the singles title over Betty Hulbert James.

1948 Herbert Behrens upsets the great Pancho Gonzalez in the semifinals en route to the men’s singles title. Behrens, the No. 3 seed, beats Irvin Dorfman in the final. Dorfman is the No. 2 seed and is ranked No. 15 in the U.S. On the women's side, top-seeded Dorothy Head of Alameda, California, wins the title on Sunday, July 4: her 23rd birthday.

1949 The tournament is 50 years old and holds its “Golden Anniversary” tournament. A new element is a qualifier tournament, which is held on Saturday and Sunday prior to the main draw. One qualifier is Barry MacKay, a native Cincinnatian and future Davis Cup player. One thing that isn't new: rain halts play entirely on the qualifying Saturday and interrupts play for half of the next day.

James Brink, formerly of the University of Washington, wins the men’s singles title while Magda Rurac, later called the greatest female tennis player in Romanian history, wins the women’s title.


The world’s first amateur/professional event was held in Cincinnati in 1967.

Bill Bowrey, Lesley Turner Bowrey and Jim McManus in Cincinnati in 1969.

Arthur Ashe in Cincinnati in 1969, the year he reached the singles semifinals and the doubles final.

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The 1950s1950 Third-seeded Glenn Bassett wins the title

over unseeded Hamilton "Ham" Richardson of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Beverly Baker, ranked No. 8 in the U.S., beats defending champion Magda Rurac for the ladies crown.

1951 Tony Trabert knocks off William Talbert in the finals, the ninth all-future Hall-of-Famer final. It is Trabert's first win over his mentor. The two then pair up to take the doubles title.

Top seeded Pat Canning Todd takes the women’s singles title over Romania’s Magda Rurac. Todd also pairs with Dorothy Head to take the doubles title.

1952 Noel Brown of Los Angeles wins the men’s singles and doubles title, while Anita Kanter of San Francisco takes the women’s crown. Tom Price is tournament director. Three weeks after the tournament, a Davis Cup tie is held (July 25-27) at the Cincinnati Tennis Club, pitting the United States against Japan. Behind player/captain William Talbert and players Tony Trabert, Art Larsen, Gardner Mulloy, and Vic Seixas, the U.S. wins 5-0.

1953 Tony Trabert, recently discharged from the Navy, takes the singles crown over fellow Davis Cupper Ham Richardson. Australian Thelma Long beats Anita Kanter of San Francisco for the ladies title. Also this year, Jack Kramer and Frank Sedgman stage an exhibition indoors at the Cincinnati Gardens. They play before 5,000, the biggest crowd to see a tennis match in Cincinnati to that date.

1954 Davis Cup player Straight Clark of Philadelphia, the No. 5 ranked player in the U.S., wins the singles title over unseeded Sam Giammalva of Houston, Texas. Lois Felix of Meriden, Connecticut, the No. 3 seed and the nation's 13th best player, beats Ethel Norton of San Antonio, Texas, for the ladies singles title.

Barry MacKay loses in the second round and his sister, Bonnie, loses in the third round to eventual finalist Ethel Norton. Cincinnatian Al Bunis upsets the No. 8 seed, Les Longshore, in the second round. Don Fontana, future Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, is seeded third among foreign players and loses in the third round. Tom Price, who reached the quarterfinals in 1938, is tournament director.

1955 The Western Tennis Association, the section of the USTA now known as USTA/Midwest, accepts the offer of the Cincinnati Tennis


The 1969 women's singles final lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes before Gail Chanfreau collapsed. Above, Chanfreau gets medical attention as Lesley Turner Bowrey looks on.

Cliff Richey won the 1969 title in Cincinnati, the first year of the Open Era in the Queen City.

Ken Rosewall played the longest three-set final in tournament history in 1970, two weeks before the tiebreak was introduced.

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Club to combine the Western Tennis Championship (WTC) with the Tri-State and play both at the CTC. The WTC was having difficulty securing a site that year. Sixteen-year-old Mimi Arnold of Redwood City, California, wins the women’s singles title over top seed Barbara Breit, but things get complicated after that. Tony Trabert and Bernard “Tut” Bartzen reach the final and then play three of five sets before rain halts play. They agree to replay the match in September after the U.S. National Championships. When Bartzen and Trabert finish the match on September 13, Bartzen wins. It is the first of Bartzen’s three Cincinnati titles, and it is the last match Trabert plays as an amateur in Cincinnati. He turns pro in 1956. The biggest upset of the tournament may be the second-round loss of eventual Hall of Famer Alex Olmedo to Allen Quay.

1956 Second-seeded Eddie Moylan of Trenton, New Jersey, defeats sixth-seeded Alex Olmedo in the quarterfinals en route to the title match against top-seeded Bernard "Tut" Bartzen of Texas. Bartzen, the defending champion, is the No. 4 player in the U.S. (but is probably No. 3 as Tony Trabert is No. 1 and has already turned pro), and is generally regarded as the world's greatest clay court player. Moylan is one place behind Bartzen in the national rankings, but, nonetheless, it is considered a tremendous upset when Moylan knocks off Bartzen 6-0, 6-3, 6-3. Yola Ramirez, 21, of Mexico City, wins the women's singles title.

Also in the men's field is Richard Raskind, who would later undergo a sex-change operation and become known as Rene Richards. Raskind reaches the third round in singles, beating Bill Long in the first round, and Al Bunis in the second (11-9, 7-5) before losing to seventh-seeded Pancho Contreres, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Also this year, an exhibition featuring Ken Rosewall, Vic Seixas, Ashley Cooper, Barry MacKay, Eddie Moylan, and Neale Frazer is held at the Cincinnati Tennis Club in September.

1957 Bernard "Tut" Bartzen, top seeded and fifth-ranked in the U.S., wins the men's title over Grant Golden (ranked No. 10 in the U.S.) of Wilmette, Illinois. Top seed Lois Felix of Meriden, Connecticut, (ranked No. 14 in the U.S.) wins the women's title over No. 2 seed Pat Naud of San Mateo, California.

1958 Bernard "Tut" Bartzen makes his No. 1 seeding stand up, winning his third title. With


Above, Jimmy Connors prepares to accept the same trophy Ken Rosewall accepted in 1970 after defeating Guillermo Vilas in the 1972 final.

Virginia Wade lost only one set en route to the 1971 singles title.

Evonne Goolagong had to beat Chris Evert in the final to take the 1973 singles title.

Ilie Nastase had to give up nearly all his winner’s check in 1973 due to fines.


that title, he retires the massive Boyd B. Chambers Memorial Bowl. Gwyn Thomas of Cleveland, ranked No. 5 in the U.S., wins the women's singles title.

1959 The men's intercollegiate final is replayed one week later in Cincinnati as Whitney Reed (San Jose State) faces Donald Dell (Yale) once again. The result is the same as top-seeded Reed beats second-seeded Dell to take the Cincinnati title. In women's singles, Donna Floyd of Virginia beats Carol Hanks of St. Louis in three sets to take the title. In the men's doubles final, the top-seeded tandem of Reed and Grant Golden have match point in the third set against the unseeded team of John Powless and John Skogstad, but can't put the match away. Reed and Golden are eventually upset by Powless and Skogstad. Gene Scott, future publisher of Tennis Week magazine and U.S. top-five player, makes the quarterfinals in doubles with Ronnie Fisher. Scott also reaches the quarters in doubles in 1960.

The 1960s1960 Miguel Olvera of Ecuador becomes the

second non-American men's singles titleist in the history of the tournament with a straight-set (three of five) victory over tenth-seeded Crawford Henry of Georgia. He's also the first unseeded men's champion in tournament history since seeding began in 1927, and the only one since. Tournament referee Arch Trabert, father of Tony, makes the decision to play a best-of-three-sets final on Sunday, July 10, probably because of the coming rain. The rain comes nonetheless, and the match is postponed until Monday, July 11.

In women's singles, only four players are seeded and Carol Hanks of St. Louis, the finalist in 1959, is not one of them. However, she beats top seed Farel Footman of San Francisco for the ladies title. Seeds are determined by a player's previous year's ranking, but Hanks ends 1960 ranked No. 10 in the nation.

Just before the tournament starts, a Jack Kramer Pro Tour event is held featuring Tony Trabert, Lew Hoad, Ashley Cooper and Alex Olmedo. In singles, Hoad beats Trabert 9-7, 7-5, Cooper defeats Olmedo 6-2, 6-2. In doubles, Hoad and Cooper beat Trabert and Olmedo in a one-set match: 8-6.

1961 Former champion Bobby Riggs returns to Cincinnati for the tournament, losing in the second round. Allen Fox takes the men’s title

In 1974, the tournament moved indoors to the downtown Cincinnati Convention Center. Above, second-seeded Bob Lutz (foreground) takes on lucky-loser Henry Bunis in the quarterfinals.

The tournament found a home along the Ohio River from 1975 to 1978. Below, Roscoe Tanner & Eddie Dibbs (frontcourt) square off in the 1976 singles final.

Harold Solomon in 1977, the first of his two Cincinnati singles titles.


over Bill Lenior, while Peachy Kellmeyer of West Virginia upsets Carole Caldwell (ranked No. 12 in the U.S.) in the women’s finals. Tournament director is Bud Wagner.

1962 Arthur Ashe makes his first appearance in Cincinnati and becomes the first African American to play the tournament. He reaches the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Marty Riessen. Riessen, the No. 3 seed, beats defending champion and top-seed Allen Fox in the final. Julie Heldman beats top-seeded Roberta Alison of Alabama for the women's title.

1963 U.S. No. 5 Marty Riessen of Hinsdale, Illinois, repeats as singles winner by beating Herbert Fitzgibbon in three straight sets in the men's final. Stephanie DeFina beats Peaches Bartkowicz for the ladies title.

1964 Cliff Buchholz of St. Louis is seeded No. 1 and becomes the first men's top seed ever to lose his first match. Herbert Fitzgibbon, the captain of the Princeton tennis team and ranked No. 14 in the U.S., wins the singles title. Jean Danilovich, of Jackson, California, beats U.S. No. 10 Julie Heldman in the semifinals and goes on to take the women's crown over Alice Tym.

1965 Bill Lenior takes the men's title over Herb Fitzgibbon. Stephanie DeFina is the ladies winner. For the first time, the tournament name includes the word "International." The tournament had attracted international players for most of its existence, but this year organizers decide to emphasize this point by putting the word "international" in the title. Also this year, Paul Flory begins his association with the tournament as a volunteer in player recruitment and housing. Bud Wagner is tournament director. On July 5, the day after the scheduled last day of the tournament, the tournament stages a pro exhibition between Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Tony Trabert and Barry MacKay.

1966 The top two seeds, Bill Lenior and Cliff Buchholz, go down in the third round, leaving the door open for third-seeded Dave Power of Ft. Collins, Colorado. He wins the singles title over fourth-seeded William Harris, the son of 1937 singles finalist Charles Harris.

It is a "peachy" year in women's singles as Detroit's Peaches Bartkowicz (seeded No. 2) takes the title over Peachy Kellmeyer (No. 1). The No. 4 seed this year is Mimi Heinreid, the daughter of actor Paul Heinreid, who played Victor Lazlo in Casablanca.

Rain plays havoc with the final rounds of the tournament, causing postponement of the men's final until July 9 rather than the scheduled date of Monday, July 4. On the 4th, the women's singles final is played, but rain hits during the first set (of five) of the men's singles final (Power and Harris were tied 5-5). After a two-hour delay, it is decided to finish the match on Saturday, July 9, as both finalists must be in Indianapolis the next day. On July 9, the men's final resumes, but the men's doubles final is played on July 10 in Indianapolis because Joaquin Loyo-Mayo (one of the four doubles finalists) is a semifinalist there.

On July 5, the day after the scheduled last day of the tournament, the tournament stages a pro exhibition between Lew Hoad, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall and Pierre Barthes. Hoad beats Barthes 8-5 in one singles match, and Rosewall beats Laver

An 18-year-old John McEnroe made his first appearance in Cincinnati in 1977, fresh from his semifinal run at Wimbledon. The tournament was in its 79th year, and McEnroe did his best to "buck the establishment."

John McEnroe in 1981 when he became the last player to win a title in Cincinnati with a wooden racquet.

John McEnroe’s final appearance in Cincinnati in 1990 was much like his first in 1977.

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by the same score in another. Then Laver and Rosewall square off in an exhibition using the new way to score a tennis match, which is called VASSS (Van Alen Simplified Scoring System). In this match, Laver beats Rosewall 21-18. In doubles, Barthes & Laver defeat Hoad & Rosewall, 10-7.

1967 Cincinnati hosts the world's first amateur/professional

combination event. The “Cincinnati Professional Tennis Championship” is held simultaneously with the all-amateur Tri-State on the hardcourts of the University of Cincinnati. It is held, in part, as an answer to the problem of amateur and “open” (as in "open to professionals as well as amateurs”) tennis. It features a 12-man field, and is won by Spain's Andres Gimeno, who upsets Rod Laver in the semifinals and Ken Rosewall in the finals. Other players include Dennis Ralston, Fred Stolle, Pancho Segura, Alex Olmedo, Mal Anderson, Earl “Butch” Buchholz, Barry MacKay, Pierre Barthes, and Mike Davies. Gimeno earns $2,850 for the win and Rosewall takes home $1,800. In the consolation match, Laver defeats Ralston to collect the $1,500 prize. Ralston gets $1,200. In doubles, Stolle and Laver take the title over Ralston and Rosewall. Stolle and Laver split $1,050 and Ralston and Rosewall split $750.

On the amateur side, Joaquin Loyo-Mayo of Mexico City wins the men's title over Santiago, Chile's Jaime Fillol. Loyo-Mayo is the No. 3 foreign seed and Fillol is the No. 2 foreign seed. Peaches Bartkowicz of Hamtramck, Michigan, is ranked No. 5 in U.S. and the No. 1 seed. She defeats second-seeded Patsy Rippy of Shawnee, Oklahoma, for her second consecutive Cincinnati title. Both tournaments are held on the hardcourts of the University of Cincinnati's Boyd B. Chambers Courts. It is the first time in history the tournament is played on hardcourts. Chambers was a former basketball, baseball and football coach at the UC, and was its first Athletic Director. He also was a former tournament player and referee. The tournament trophy in competition between 1948 and 1958 (retired by Tut Bartzen) was named in honor of his son Boyd Chambers Jr., who died during World War II. Another son, Marshall Chambers, also competed in the tournament.

1968 Bill Harris, the 1966 finalist and son of 1937 singles finalist

Charles Harris, takes the title over Tom Gorman of Seattle. No. 2 seed Linda Tuero of Metaire, Louisiana, beats top seed Tory Fretz for the ladies title. Tuero's coach is Emmett Paré, who won the Cincinnati men's singles crown 40 years earlier. It is the last tournament where only amateurs play.

Although this year, marks the beginning of the Open Era, Cincinnati's event would not "go open" (allow professionals to play with amateurs) until 1969. That's because the USTA did not vote to allow Open tennis until February, 1968. By that time, plans for the Cincinnati event (played July 1-7) already were well underway, and it was too late to change.

1969 A new era is born in Cincinnati as "Open" tennis arrives and professional players take over.

But even as players are arriving in Cincinnati, tournament organizers struggle with the distribution of the $17,500 purse. Upon hearing this, a few of the players approach tournament officials with their ideas. The tournament committee, according the July 15 edition of the Cincinnati Post, agree “to give the question consideration over the next 48 hours and arrive at a decision.”


Future Hall of Famers John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors took the court on a warm Saturday night in 1983 for their semifinal clash. McEnroe won in three sets, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4.

Future Hall of Famers Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors squared off in the quarterfinals in 1980, with Connors winning easily, 6-2, 6-0.

Ilie Nastase and Jimmy Connors, two of the baddest of the bad boys of tennis, in 1981.


In addition to adding prize money, the tournament also endures its second name change. The "Tri-State" is now called the Western Tennis Championships. Changing the name is a minor consideration. The real change (and the real reason for the change) is the swapping of a week on the tennis calendar. The week the Western occupied (the third week of July) was far superior to the week the Tri-State had (the first week of July).

The Western was so named because it was the Championship of the USTA district known as the Western Section. That section, which includes Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and parts of Il

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