From Club Court to Center Court the Evolution of Professional Tennis in Cincinnati 2012 Edition by Phillip S
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From Club Court to Center Court The Evolution of Professional Tennis in Cincinnati 2012 Edition By Phillip S. Smith ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A TENNIS TRADITION As was stated in the first edition of this book, putting together 100 years of lost history Before there was a Rose Bowl… before the establishment of the Davis Cup, before isn't easy, and it's not something one does alone. Among those who were particularly baseball’s first World Series, the first Indy 500, and decades before golf’s Masters, the helpful was Steve Headley (who researched thousands of articles on microfilm at best players in tennis were congregating in the southwest corner of Ohio for a very the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County), Jo & J. Howard "Bumpy" special tournament. Frazer (who donated a collection of drawsheets from the Open Era which formed Cincinnatians advertised their creation, “The Cincinnati Open,” in national publica- the backbone of this book), Frank Phelps of Philadelphia (who provided a peek into tions, including the USTA’s American Lawn Tennis Bulletin, hoping to draw the best the past via his collection of ancient and exceedingly rare tennis annuals), and Brian players. And 114 years later, the event is alive and well, still attracting the best players, Nester (who helped review the book and supplied additional information). However, and entertaining fans. Today, it is arguably the oldest tournament in the United States there are two people who have expended the most effort, brain-power, and expertise still played in its original city. However, as the word “arguably” in the preceding sentence to make this possible: Will Sikes (Director of Marketing for the Western & Southern suggests, this distinction needs a bit of explanation. Open) and Pete Holtermann (of HolterMedia and a long-time volunteer and contractor Two other American tournaments are, in fact, older than Cincinnati – the U.S. for the tournament). Others who lent their time and talents to make this edition and National Championships, now known as the U.S. Open, and the Pacific Coast the previous editions possible include: Championships, now known as San Jose’s SAP Open. The distinction unique to • Adam Barth, USTA • Kelly Krumrie Cincinnati, however, is that its tournament is still played in its original city. • Jon Braude • Jim McManus The U.S. National Championships were first played at the venerable Newport Casino • Jim Brockhoff • David Mill in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1881. Ironically, the Casino sat approximately 20 miles • Elaine Bruening • Kevin Molony from Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island, where in 1874 vacationing Cincinnatians saw • Al Bunis • Julie Muething tennis played for the first time. One of those Cincinnatians, Stewart Shillito, was credited • Michael Compton • Jennifer Phillips with bringing the sport back to Cincinnati. In 1878, he built a tennis court – the first one • Megan Coyle • Tom Price in Cincinnati – at his father’s home in the suburb of Mt. Auburn. Interest in the sport • Angie DelRosso • Brandt Rowles grew rapidly in the city, and in 1880 a group of players established the Cincinnati Tennis • Document Delivery Service, • Greg Sharko Club, which is today one of the oldest active clubs in the nation. The Public Library of • Laurie Slater The U.S. Nationals continued its run at Newport until 1915, when it moved 175 Cincinnati & Hamilton County • Jessica Smith Strickland miles southwest to Forest Hills, New York, to find a home at the West Side Tennis Club. • Kelly Dolan • Kathy Strahle Back in Newport, the intrepid tennis enthusiasts wasted no time in replacing the U.S. • Eric Duncan • Matt Switzer Nationals with another tournament for their hometown. Only two weeks before the • Kathy Eubanks • Michelle Vance and the periodical inaugural U.S. Nationals at Forest Hills, the “First Annual Newport Invitational” was • Matt Faig staff at the Allen County Public held at the Newport Casino. It featured a 50-man draw in singles, and was won by • Bruce Flory Library (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) – Richard Norris Williams II, who beat Maurice McLaughlin in four sets in the final. There • Paul & Carolyn Flory Alice Barva, Angelo Fleming, was no women’s competition. Today that event is known as the Campbell’s Hall of Fame • Kathy Graeter Briana Johnson, Wendie Shreve, Tennis Championships. • Jack Guggenheim & Ray Young The story of the SAP Open’s geographical moves is only slightly more complex. It • Rowland Hopple • Stuart Wulsin began in 1889 as the Pacific Coast Championships, and was played at the Del Monte • Frank Kronauge • Christine Verhar & Mark Young, Lodge in Monterey. After staying there for an undisclosed period of time, it moved 140 • Cheryl Krumrie International Tennis Hall of Fame 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 Information for this volume was obtained from a variety of sources, including these: Berkeley Tennis Club or the California Tennis Club in San Francisco. Today, it is played in • The ATP & WTA Tour • The Cincinnati Enquirer San Jose, 65 miles south of San Rafael and 75 miles north of Monterey. • American Lawn Tennis Magazine • The Cincinnati Post In contrast, the Cincinnati Open was played at the Avondale Athletic Club from 1899 • American Lawn Tennis Bulletin • The Cincinnati Times-Star to 1902, and then moved two miles away – to the Cincinnati Tennis Club at the corner of • Advantage Canada: A Tennis • Spalding Tennis Annuals Dexter and Wold Avenues in the suburb of East Walnut Hills. With a few exceptions, the Centenary • USTA Tennis Yearbooks tournament was played at that location for the next six decades. Today, it is played in the • Bud Collins Encyclopedia of • Wright & Ditsons Tennis Annuals Cincinnati suburb of Mason, about 20 miles from the spot where the tournament’s first Tennis • Media Guide for the San Jose ball was struck in 1899. • From Bustles To Shorts: Four Tennis Tournament (The SAP What does all this mean? Maybe it means Cincinnatians are adept at identifying Generations at the Cincinnati Open) a good thing and holding on to it. Maybe it means Cincinnatians are so adverse to Tennis Club (by Stanley Lewis) 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 — Phillip S. Smith unlike any other city in America. — Phillip S. Smith 2 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS PROLOGUE Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... 2 Foreword: A Tennis Tradition ....................................................................................................... 3 HISTORY The Tournament, Year-By-Year – 1899-2011 ...................................................................... 5-40 Major Facility Improvements Since 1979 .................................................................................41 Index of History Narrative .....................................................................................................42-45 Tournament Years, Editions, Names, Dates & Venues – 1899-2011 .............................46-47 Firsts & Lasts in Cincinnati ..................................................................................................48-49 Weather, Attendance, Purses & Surfaces ...............................................................................49 Men's Trophies Since 1899 ...................................................................................................50-51 Tournament Directors .................................................................................................................52 WINNERS Winners & Finalists – 1899-2011 ........................................................................................53-65 Other Cincinnati Events of Note ................................................................................................66 Index of All Winners & Finalists – 1899-2011 ....................................................................67-72 STATS Men's Singles ................Finals Stats ...................................................................................73-83 Men's Singles ................Semifinals Stats ...........................................................................84-85 Men's Singles ................Quarterfinals Stats ......................................................................86-89 Men's Singles ................Round of 16 Stats .........................................................................90-91 Men's Singles ................1st & 2nd Round / Lucky Loser Stats .......................................92-93 Men's Singles ................Qualifier Stats .....................................................................................94 Men's Singles ................Seeding Stats................................................................................95-96 Men's Singles ................Miscellaneous Stats ....................................................................96-98 Men's Singles ................Wild Cards ...................................................................................99-101