Seabright Invitational Tournament
Tennis tournament
The Seabright Invitational Tournament [ 1] also known as the Seabright Invitation [ 2] was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament staged annually at the Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club , Rumson, New Jersey , United States from 1884 to 1950.[ 3]
History
The Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club is a historic private sports club in Rumson , Monmouth County , New Jersey in the United States.[ 3] It was founded in 1877 and incorporated officially in 1886.[ 3] In 1884, the club held its first Seabright Invitational Tournament,[ 4] [ 5] the men's singles was won Joseph Sill Clark Sr. [ 3] The tournament continued to be staged annually until 1889 when it was discontinued.[ 3]
In 1894 the tournament was reestablished, and in 1920 a permanent women's event was finally added to the schedule.[ 4] The event was suspended from 1943 to 1945 because of World War II .[ 3] It resumed in 1946 and continued to be held until 1949.[ 3] In 1950, the organizing committee of Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club voted to discontinue the event,[ 3] due to ongoing cost of the maintenance of the grass courts, and the budget needed to build new permanent spectator seating made it untenable.[ 3] Contrary to official sources the other reason the tournament was ended was not because of funding, but because the members grew tired of the fuss of organizing the event.[ 6]
Finals
Men's singles
(Incomplete roll)
Year
Winners
Runners-up
Score
1886
H.W. Bucknall
Richard W. Stevens
6–2, 6–1, 6–1.[ 2]
1888
H. Alexander
W. Ward
6–2, 6–4.[ 2]
1891
Richard W. Stevens
A.W. Post
2–6, 1–6, 6–0, 6–3, 6–2
1892
Richard W. Stevens
S.M. Allen
6–2, 6–1, 6–1.[ 2]
1895
Bill Larned
John Howland
7–5, 4–6, 6–1, 6–2.[ 2]
1919
Bill Larned (2)
Leonard Beekman
6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–1.[ 2]
1920
Watson Washburn
Willis Davis
1–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–3.[ 2]
1921
Bill Johnston
Dick Williams
6–0, 6–4, 6–2.[ 2]
1922
Bill Johnston (2)
Dick Williams
6–0, 6–2, 6–3.[ 2]
1923
Bill Johnston (3)
Dick Williams
?
1924
Howard Kinsey
Bill Johnston
?
1925
Vinnie Richards
James Anderson
6–1, 4–6, 6–0, 6–0.[ 2]
1926
Vinnie Richards (2)
Manuel Alonso Areizaga
6–2, 10–8.[ 2]
1927
Bill Tilden II
Francis Hunter
6–4, 6–1, 8–6.[ 2]
1928
John Van Ryn
Wilmer Allison
6–8, 6–1, 6–4, 4–6, 10–10, ret.[ 2]
1929
John Doeg
Dick Williams
6–3, 7–5, 8–6.[ 2]
1930
Sidney Wood
Ellsworth Vines
6–2, 6–2, 6–0.[ 2]
1931
Ellsworth Vines
John Doeg
10–12, 6–8, 6–3, 8–6, 6–1.[ 2]
1932
Sidney Wood (2)
Gregory Mangin
1–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–4
1933
Frank Shields
Gregory Mangin
6–1, 6–3, 6–1
1934
Berkeley Bell
Bryan Grant
5–7 6–1 6–3 2–6 6–4.[ 2]
1935
Gregory Mangin
Wilmer Hines
6–8, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 7–5.[ 2]
1936
John McDiarmid
Joe Hunt
9–7, 6–2, 6–2.[ 2]
1937
Bobby Riggs
Wilmer Allison
w.o.[ 2]
1938
Bobby Riggs (2)
Elwood Thomas Cooke
6–1, 6–3, 6–1.[ 2]
1939
Frank Parker
Don McNeill
6–3, 8–6, 6–0.[ 2]
1940
Bobby Riggs (3)
Frank Kovacs
2–6, 0–6, 6–3, 11–9, 10–8.[ 2]
1941
Bobby Riggs (4)
Ted Schroeder
6–4, 6–4, 6–0.[ 2]
1942/1943
Not held (due to World War I)
1945
Bill Talbert
Gardnar Mulloy
6–2, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4.[ 2]
1946
Jack Kramer
Gardnar Mulloy
6–4, 6–4, 6–4.[ 2]
1947
Gardnar Mulloy
Frank Parker
w.o.[ 2]
1948
Earl Cochell
Bill Talbert
9–7, 8–6, 6–4.[ 2]
1949
Earl Cochell (2)
Gianni Cucelli
6–2, 2–6, 6–0, 6–1.[ 2]
Women's singles
(Incomplete roll)
Year
Winners
Runners-up
Score
1888
Miss Clarkson
B. Lockwood
6–2, 6–0.
1917
Mary Browne
Miss Grundy
6–4, 1–6, 6–2.
1920
Marion Zinderstein
Eleanor Tennant
6–4, 6–2
1921
Molla Bjurstedt Mallory
Eleanor Goss
8–6, 6–3
1922
Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (2)
Leslie Bancroft
6–1, 6–2
1923
Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (3)
Mabel Davy Clayton
6–2, 6–3
1924
Mary Browne (2)
Mayme McDonald
6–0, 6–1
1925
Elizabeth Ryan
Helen Wills
6–3, 6–3
1926
Elizabeth Ryan (2)
Helen Wills
6–4, 6–1
1927
Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (4)
Helen Jacobs
6–2, 1–6, 6–1
1928
Helen Jacobs
Marjorie Gladman
9–7, 6–3
1929
Helen Jacobs (2)
Edith Cross
6–1, 6–2
1930
Anna McCune Harper
Josephine Cruickshank
6–4, 6–4
1931
Helen Wills-Moody
Helen Jacobs
6–0, 6–0
1932
Helen Jacobs (3)
Josephine Cruickshank
6–4, 6–3
1933
Sarah Palfrey
Helen Jacobs
6–1, 2–6, 7–5
1934
Carolin Babcock
Helen Jacobs
6–4, 6–2
1935
Ethel Burkhardt Arnold
Gracyn Wheeler
6–1, 6–0
1936
Alice Marble
Carolin Babcock
6–0, 6–3
1937
Alice Marble (2)
Jadwiga Jędrzejowska
6–3, 5–7, 8–6
1938
Alice Marble (3)
Dorothy Bundy
6–2, 6–2
1939
Helen Bernhard
Dorothy Workman
6–3, 7–5
1940
Alice Marble (4)
Mary Hardwick
6–2, 6–0
1941
Sarah Palfrey Cooke (2)
Helen Bernhard
6–,8 6–2, 7–5
1942/1943
Not held (due to World War I)
1944
Pauline Betz
Margaret Osborne
6–2, 2–6, 6–3
1945
Pauline Betz (2)
Louise Brough
10–8, 6–3
1946
Shirley Fry
Mary Arnold Prentiss
6–4, 3–6, 6–2
1947
Dorothy Head
Shirley Fry
7–5 6–4
1948
Gussie Moran
Louise Snow Isaacs
6–2, 6–2
Other tournaments
The club during the 1880s early 1890s also organised other tournaments usually as a one off events occasionally a couple of editions.
References
^ Gems, Gerald R.; Borish, Linda J.; Pfister, Gertrud (April 10, 2017). Sports in American History: From Colonization to Globalization . Champaign, Illinois, United States.: Human Kinetics. p. 273. ISBN 978-1-4925-8614-2 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac "Tournaments: Seabright Invitation" . The Tennis Base . Tennismem SL. Retrieved July 30, 2023 .
^ a b c d e f g h i National Historic Landmark Nomination: Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club , National Park Service , United States Department of the Interior. pp. 16, 19–21.
^ a b Gems, Borish and Pfister. (2017) p.173.
^ "INVITATION TENNIS TOURNAMENT Well-known Players Competing SEABRIGHT (New Jersey), July 21. Many well-known lawn tennis Players figure in the 54th invitation tournament" . Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) . Lahore, Pakistan: British Newspaper Archive. July 23, 1941. p. 14. Retrieved March 11, 2023 .
^ "Sport: Too Much Fuss" , Time , August 14, 1950. Accessed March 12, 2023.