{{Infobox tennis tournament | name = Wolverhampton Open | type = defunct | founded = {{start date and age|df=yes|1897}} | editions = | ended = {{end date and age|df=yes|1974}} | event name = Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament (1897-1900)<br/>Wolverhampton Tennis Tournament (1903-30)<br/>Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament (1931-49)<br/>Wolverhampton Open (1950-69)<br/>Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open (1970-71)<br/>Wolverhampton Open (1972-74) | location =Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England | venue =Parkdale, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, Midlands | tour =ILTF (1913-1969)<br/>Bio-Strath Circuit (1971) | surface =Clay- outdoors }} The '''Wolverhampton Open'''<ref>{{cite news |title=TENNIS: WOLVERHAMPTON OPEN: D. A. Jones, is the only Staffordshire county player left in the men's singles by round three was unexpectedly eliminated by W. D. Wickham in the Wolverhampton Open tennis tournament.|work=Sports Argus |publisher=British Newspaper Archives |date=5 August 1950 |location=Warwick, Warwickshire, England |page=6}}</ref> was a combined men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1897 as the '''Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament'''. The first tournament was staged at Parkdale, Wolverhampton from 1897 to 1900 before it was discontinued in 1900. In 1903 a second tournament was revived and played in Newbridge, in Wolverhampton, where it ran until 1974.<ref name="tb">{{cite web|title=Tournaments: Wolverhampton Open|url=https://thetennisbase.com/tournaments/ |website=The Tennis Base |publisher=Tennismem SL |access-date=August 30, 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==History== The Wolverhampton Open was established as the Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament in 1897,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nieuwland |first1=Alex |title=Tournament – Wolverhampton |url=https://www.tennisarchives.com/tournament/?t=943&n=Wolverhampton |website=www.tennisarchives.com |publisher=Tennis Archives |access-date=7 January 2023 |location=Netherlands}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=TENNIS:THE WOLVERHAMPTON LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT:The entries for the second Tennis Tournament be staged at the Albert Lawn Tennis Club at Parkdale starts Monday next.|work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |publisher=British Newspaper Archives |date=26 May 1898 |location=Birmingham, England |page=3}}</ref> under auspices of the Albert Lawn Tennis Club, Parkdale, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, Midlands - before it was discontinued in 1900. In 1903 a second Wolverhampton tournament was revived by Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Club, in Newbridge.<ref>{{cite news |title=WOLVERHAMPTON TOURNAMENT. At Newbridge. Wolverhampton, the third annual tennis tournament, under the auspices of the Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Club was commenced today.|work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |publisher=British Newspaper Archives |date=6 August 1906 |location=Birmingham, England |page=7}}</ref> In 1931 the tournament was renamed as the Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament.<ref>{{cite news |title=WOLVERHAMPTON OPEN EVENT. The Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament, which opens to-morrow, has attracted a record number of entries this year.|work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |publisher=British Newspaper Archives |date=29 July 1931 |location=Birmingham, England |page=12}}</ref> By the 1950s it was branded as the Wolverhampton Open and ran until 1974.<ref name="Tennis Archives">Tennis Archives</ref> In 1970 the event was marketed under the brand name the ''Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open'' as part of the Bio-Strath Circuit, it remained part of that tour through till 1971.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barrett |first1=John |last2=Tingay |first2=Lance |last3=West |first3=Peter |title=World of Tennis 1971 : a BP yearbook |date=1971 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |isbn=978-0-362-00091-7 |pages=260–271 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/worldoftennis1970000unse_t8h5/page/272/mode/2up |chapter=The 1970 British Tournament Season}}</ref>

Notable winners of the men's singles title included; Sydney Howard Smith, Cam Malfroy, George Lyttleton-Rogers, Claude Lister, Tony Pickard, Bill Hoogs Jr., Frew McMillan, and Andrew Pattison.<ref name="Tennis Archives"/> Winners of the women's singles title included; Phoebe Holcroft Watson, Dorothy Holman, Rita Bentley, Angela Mortimer, Ann Haydon Jones, Faye Toyne, Mary Habicht, Kerry Melville and Valerie Ziegenfuss.

==Venues== The Albert Lawn Tennis Club was founded at Parkdale, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire around 1894.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Albert Lawn Tennis Club |url=https://albertltc.co.uk/brief-history/ |website=albertltc.co.uk/ |publisher=Albert Lawn Tennis Club |access-date=7 January 2023}}</ref> It staged the first Wolverhampton tennis tournament until 1900. In 1903 a second Wolverhampton tournament was revived by the Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Club (f. 1885),<ref>{{cite web |title=ABOUT WLTSC |url=https://www.wltsc.com/about-wltsc/ |website=www.wltsc.com |publisher=Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis & Squash Club |access-date=7 January 2023}}</ref> in Newbridge, Wolverhampton.

==Finals== ===Men's singles=== (incomplete roll) {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! style="width:60px;"|Year ! style="width:220px;"|Winners ! style="width:220px;"|Runners-up ! style="width:180px;"|Score |- |colspan=4 align=center |↓ LTA Circuit ↓ |- |colspan=4 align=center |'' Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament'' |- |1897||{{flagicon|GBR}} Sydney Howard Smith||{{flagicon|GBR}} Charles Henry Ridding||6–0, ret.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1898|| {{flagicon|GBR}} Sydney Howard Smith (2)|| {{flagicon|GBR}} Wilberforce Eaves||6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1900||{{flagicon|GBR}} Wilberforce Eaves ||{{flagicon|GBR}} John Mycroft Boucher||7–5, 7–5, 6–3.<ref name="tb"/> |- |colspan=4 align=center |'' Wolverhampton Tennis Tournament'' |- |1905||{{flagicon|GBR}} Edward Roy Allen ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Alfred Beamish ||4–6, 2–6, 6–3, 8–6, 6–4.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1910||{{flagicon|GBR}} Edward Joseph Sampson<ref>{{cite web |title=E.J. Sampson: Overview |url=https://www.atptour.com/en/players/e.j.-sampson/sw17/overview |website=ATP Tour |publisher=ATP |access-date=30 August 2023 |location=London}}</ref> ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Xenophon Kasdaglis||6–2, 8–6.<ref name="tb"/> |- |colspan=4 align=center |↓ ILTF Circuit ↓ |- |1915/1919||colspan=4 align=center |''Not held (due to World War I)'' |- |1924<ref>{{cite news |title=Lawn Tennis: WOLVERHAMPTON. Mr A H Fyzee defeated E Higgs in the final round of the Men's Singles at Wolverhampton yesterday after being two sets down. Mrs Colegate had an easy task against Mrs Hazel in the final of the Ladies' Singles. |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001055/19240806/062/0003 |access-date=31 August 2023 |work=The Sportsman |publisher=British Newspaper Archive |date=6 August 1924 |location=London, England |page=3|url-access=subscription}}</ref>||{{flagicon|IND|British}} Hassan Ali Fyzee||{{flagicon|GBR}} Edward (Teddy) Higgs ||3-2 sets.<ref name="The Sportsman">The Sportsman</ref> |- |1929||{{flagicon|GBR}} Donald Greig ||{{flagicon|GBR}} George Meredith ||6–2, 7–5.<ref name="tb"/> |- |colspan=4 align=center |'' Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament'' |- |1930||{{flagicon|GBR}} George Meredith||{{flagicon|GBR}} Thomas Slater ||6–4, 3–6, 6–3.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1934 ||{{flagicon|AUS}} Cam Malfroy ||{{flagicon|JPN}} Ryuki Miki ||6–2, 6–1.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1935||{{flagicon|IRE}} George Lyttleton Rogers ||{{flagicon|ITA}} Umberto De Morpurgo||6–3, 8–6.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1939||{{flagicon|GBR}} Jack Moore||{{flagicon|GBR}} Claude Lister||2–6, 6–1, 7–5.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1940/1946||colspan=4 align=center |''Not held (due to World War II)'' |- |1947||{{flagicon|GBR}} Claude Lister ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Jack Moore||4–6, 7–5, 9–7.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1948||{{flagicon|GBR}} Claude Lister (2)||{{flagicon|GBR}} John B. Griffith||8–6, 9–7.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1949||{{flagicon|GBR}} Claude Lister (3)||{{flagicon|GBR}} John B. Griffith||6–4, 6–3.<ref name="tb"/> |- |colspan=4 align=center |'' Wolverhampton Open'' |- |1950||{{flagicon|GBR}} W.P.W. Anderson ||{{flagicon|GBR}} George Godsell||6–3, 2–6, 6–2.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1951||{{flagicon|GBR}} N.E. Hooper ||{{flagicon|GBR}} J.B. Payne||6–1, 6–1.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1952||{{flagicon|GBR}} Rex H. Hack ||{{flagicon|GBR}} John C. Upton ||6–4, 6–3.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1953||{{flagicon|GBR}} J.C. Upton ||{{flagicon|GBR}} K.G. Jones||6–4, 6–1.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1954||{{flagicon|GBR}} Claude Lister (4)||{{flagicon|GBR}} K.G. Jones||6–2, 8–6.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1955||{{flagicon|GBR}} M.A. Harris ||{{flagicon|GBR}} L.M. Kilby||6–2, 7–5.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1956 ||{{flagicon|GBR}} M.L. Booth ||{{flagicon|GBR}} L.M. Kilby||6–4, 6–2.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1957||{{flagicon|GBR}} K.G. Jones ||{{flagicon|GBR}} P.G. Wainwright||4–6, 6–1, 6–2.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1959||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Robin Sanders ||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} John Maloney||4–6, 6–4, 6–1.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1960||{{flagicon|GBR}} Tony Pickard ||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} David Samaai||6–2, 5–7, 6–3.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1961||{{flagicon|AUS}} Will Coghlan ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Roger Taylor||6–4, 6–1.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1962||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Frew McMillan ||{{flagicon|AUS}} John B. Hillebrand||6–4, 6–4.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1963||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Frew McMillan (2)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Roy W. Dixon <ref>{{cite web |title=Roy Dixon: Overview |url=https://www.atptour.com/en/players/roy-dixon/d945/overview |website=ATP Tour |publisher=ATP |access-date=30 August 2023 |location=London}}</ref>||6–4, 4–6, 7–5 |- |1964||{{flagicon|GBR}} Billy Knight ||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Frew McMillan||6–3, 4–6, 6–4.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1965||{{flagicon|GBR}} Billy Knight (2)||{{flagicon|CHI}} Patricio Cornejo ||9–7, 6–3.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1966||{{flagicon|USA}} Bill Hoogs Jr. ||{{flagicon|NZL}} Onny Parun||6–4, 8–6.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1967 ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Jaroslav Drobný||{{flagicon|GBR}} Billy Knight||6–8, 6–4, 6–3.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1968|| {{flagicon|CAN}} Keith Carpenter||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Graydon Garner||6–4, 7–5.<ref name="tb"/> |- | colspan=4 align=center |↓ Open era ↓ |- |colspan=4 align=center |''Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open'' |- |1970||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Frew McMillan (3)||{{flagicon|RHO}} Hank Irvine||6–4, 4–6, 6–4.<ref name="tb"/> |- |1971 ||{{flagicon|RHO}} Andrew Pattison ||{{flagicon|AUS}} Peter Doerner||6–3, 6–2.<ref name="tb"/> |- |colspan=4 align=center |'' Wolverhampton Open'' |- |1974||{{flagicon|AUS}} Alvin Gardiner ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Roger Webb||6–2, 6–2.<ref name="tb"/> |}

===Women's singles=== (incomplete roll) {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! style="width:60px;"|Year ! style="width:220px;"|Winners ! style="width:220px;"|Runners-up ! style="width:130px;"|Score |- |colspan=4 align=center |↓ ILTF Circuit ↓ |- |colspan=4 align=center |'' Wolverhampton Tennis Tournament'' |- | 1920||{{flagicon|GBR}} Marie Hazel ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Mrs South ||6–1, 6–2 |- | 1921||{{flagicon|GBR}} Marie Hazel (2)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Mrs Bellord ||6–3, 6–0 |- | 1922||{{flagicon|GBR}} Marie Hazel (3)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Miss Wynne ||6–1, 6–0 |- | 1923||{{flagicon|GBR}} Marie Hazel (4)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Phoebe Holcroft ||6–4, 7–5 |- | 1924<ref name="The Sportsman"/>||{{flagicon|GBR}} Jessie Russell Colegate||{{flagicon|GBR}} Marie Hazel ||6–0, 6–2 |- | 1925||{{flagicon|GBR}} Irene Maltby||{{flagicon|GBR}} Kathleen Lidderdale Bridge ||6–4, 4–6, 6–3 |- | 1926||{{flagicon|GBR}} M. Wynne ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Irene Maltby ||6–2, 6–4 |- | 1927||{{flagicon|GBR}} Marie Hazel (5)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Irene Maltby ||6–1, 6–8, 8–6 |- | 1928||{{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothy Round ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Marie Hazel ||8–6, 4–6, 6–3 |- | 1930||{{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothy Round (2)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Marie Hazel ||6–1, 6–2 |- |colspan=4 align=center |''Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament'' |- | 1931||{{flagicon|GBR}} Phoebe Holcroft Watson ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Jackie McAlpine ||6–3, 6–2 |- | 1932||{{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothy Round (3)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Mrs H. Page ||6–1, 6–2 |- | 1933||{{flagicon|GBR}} Mie Johnstone ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Mrs H. Page ||6–3, 6–4 |- | 1934||{{flagicon|GBR}} Dorothy Round (4)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Grace Vaughton ||6–1, 6–2 |- | 1935||{{flagicon|GBR}} Christabel Wheatcroft ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Gladys Southwell ||6–3, 6–3 |- | 1936||{{flagicon|GBR}} Christabel Wheatcroft (2)||{{flagicon|Bermuda|1910}} Barbara Freisenbruch||6–0, 6–2 |- | 1937||{{flagicon|GBR}} Mrs H. Page ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Isobel Cooke ||7–5, 6–1 |- | 1939||{{flagicon|GBR}} Elsie Hamilton||{{flagicon|GBR}} Mary Norman ||6–4, 6–3 |- |1940/1946||colspan=4 align=center |''Not held (due to World War II)'' |- | 1947||{{flagicon|GBR}} Sally Stoney Lister ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Elsie Hamilton Phillips ||6–1, 6–4 |- | 1948||{{flagicon|GBR}} Sally Stoney Lister (2)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Isabel Follows ||6–2, 6–2 |- | 1949<ref>{{cite news |title=WOLVERHAMPTON TENNIS Women's Singles Final: Mrs M Phillips beat Miss P Cowney 8-6, 6-3. |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000671/19490802/006/0006 |access-date=31 August 2023 |work=Evening Despatch |publisher=British Newspaper Archive |date=2 August 1949 |location=Warwickshire, England |page=6|url-access=subscription}}</ref>||{{flagicon|GBR}} Elsie Hamilton Phillips ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Patricia Cowney ||8–6, 6–3 |- |colspan=4 align=center |'' Wolverhampton Open'' |- | 1950||{{flagicon|GBR}} Patricia Cowney ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Gillian Gittings Worrall ||6–3, 6–3 |- | 1951||{{flagicon|GBR}} Elsie Hamilton Phillips (2)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Molly Wadlow Stone ||6–2, 6–2 |- | 1952||{{flagicon|GBR}} Elsie Hamilton Phillips (3)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Molly Wadlow Stone ||6–3, 6–3 |- | 1953||{{flagicon|GBR}} Y. Toyne ||{{flagicon|GBR}} L. Bishop ||6–4, 0–6, 6–4 |- | 1954||{{flagicon|GBR}} Sally Stoney Lister (3)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Jane Godfrey ||7–5, 6–3 |- | 1955||{{flagicon|GBR}} Molly Wadlow Stone ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Jane Godfrey ||12–10, 3–6, 7–5 |- | 1956||{{flagicon|GBR}} Valerie Pitt ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Molly Wadlow Stone ||6–4, 6–1 |- | 1957||{{flagicon|GBR}} Mrs R. Worrall ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Mrs L. Newman ||3–6, 6–0, 6–1 |- | 1958||{{flagicon|GBR}} Rita Bentley ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Hazel Austin Cheadle ||8–6, 6–2 |- | 1959||{{flagicon|GBR}} Angela Mortimer ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Ann Haydon ||6–1, 6–4 |- | 1960||{{flagicon|GBR}} Angela Mortimer (2)||{{flagicon|GBR}} Rita Bentley ||8–6, 9–7 |- | 1961||{{flagicon|GBR}} Ann Haydon ||{{flagicon|AUS}} Lynn Hutchings||6–0, 6–1 |- | 1962||{{flagicon|GBR}} Hazel Cheadle||{{flagicon|IRE}} Eleanor O'Neill ||6–1, 1–6, 6–3 |- | 1963||{{flagicon|GBR}} Ann Haydon Jones (2)||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Renée Schuurman||9–7, 1–6, 6–4 |- | 1964<ref>{{cite news |title=AT WOLVERHAMPTON: Fay Toyne (Australia): justified her No. 1 seeding in the Wolverhampton tennis tournament women's singles by winning the final today, defeating Alison Stroud (Kent) 6-1, 6-3 in 18 minutes. |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19640530/487/0034 |access-date=31 August 2023 |work=Coventry Evening Telegraph |publisher=British Newspaper Archive |date=30 May 1964 |location=Warwickshire, England |page=34|url-access=subscription}}</ref>||{{flagicon|AUS}} Faye Toyne||{{flagicon|GBR}} Alison Stroud ||6–1, 6–3 |- | 1965||{{flagicon|BRA}} Mary Habicht||{{flagicon|GBR}} Jean Haskew ||4–6, 6–4, 6–1 |- | 1966||{{flagicon|GBR}} Susan Tutt ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Jean Haskew ||6–1, 6–1 |- | 1968||{{flagicon|USA}} Valerie Ziegenfuss||{{flagicon|GBR}} Janice Townsend ||divided title |- | colspan=4 align=center |↓ Open era ↓ |- |colspan=4 align=center |'' Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open'' |- | 1970||{{flagicon|AUS}} Kerry Melville ||{{flagicon|AUS}} Sue Alexander||6–2, 6–2 |- | 1971||{{flagicon|GBR}} Janice Townsend Wainwright ||{{flagicon|ECU}} Maria Guzman ||6–3, 6–2 |- |colspan=4 align=center |'' Wolverhampton Open'' |- | 1974||{{flagicon|AUS}} Jenny Dimond ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Jenny Helliar ||2–6, 6–1, 6–1 |}

==Event Names== * Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis Tournament (1897–1900) * Wolverhampton Tennis Tournament (1903–30) * Wolverhampton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament (1931–49) * Wolverhampton Open (1950–69) * Bio-Strath Wolverhampton Open (1970–71) * Wolverhampton Open (1972–74)

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

{{Bio-Strath Circuit}}

Category:Defunct tennis tournaments in the United Kingdom Category:Grass court tennis tournaments