{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox tennis tournament | name = Meadow Club Invitation<br>Southampton Invitation | type = Defunct | logo = | logo size = | tour =USNLTA Circuit (1887–1923)<br>ILTF Circuit (1924–73) | founded = {{start date and age|1887}} | ended = {{end date and age|1973}} | editions = 85 | location = Southampton, Long Island, New York, United States | venue = The Meadow Club | category = | surface = Grass | draw = | prize money = | website = | completed event = | men's singles = | men's doubles = }} The '''Meadow Club Invitation'''<ref name="auto">{{cite book |last1=Cummings |first1=Mary |title=Hurricane in the Hamptons, 1938 |date=2006 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |location=Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, United States |isbn=978-0-7385-4548-6 |page=41 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sPoJ_iUinFIC&dq=southampton+invitational+tennis+tournament+at+the+meadow+club&pg=PA41 |language=en}}</ref> or formally the '''Meadow Club of Southampton Invitation''' and also known as the '''Southampton Invitation''' or '''Southampton Invitational'''<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Stanford Quad |journal=The Stanford Quad |date=1921 |volume=28 |page=10 |url= |publisher=Associated Students of Stanford University |location=Stanford, California, United States |language=en}}</ref> was predominantly a men's grass court tennis tournament established in 1887 at the Meadow Club, Southampton, Long Island, New York, United States. The tournament was staged as part of ILTC Circuit until 1973 when it was discontinued.<ref>Cummings, Mary (2006) p.40.}</ref><ref name="tb">{{cite web|title=Tournaments: Southampton Meadow Club Invitation |url=https://thetennisbase.com/tournaments/ |website=The Tennis Base |publisher=Tennismem SL |access-date=August 29, 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==History== In 1887 the Meadow Club was founded<ref name="Cummings, Mary 2006 p.40">Cummings, Mary (2006) p.40.</ref> It is a private members located at Southampton, Long Island, New York, United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.meadowclubsouthampton.com/ |website=www.meadowclubsouthampton.com |publisher=The Meadow Club of Southampton |access-date=April 5, 2023}}</ref> The club inaugurated a major international tennis tournament called the Meadow Club Invitation<ref name="auto"/>
The tournament originally also carried the title of the Championship of Long Island. During its first decade, the event was recognized by the U.S. National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLTA) as a premier Sectional Championship, a designation used to formalize the regional competitive circuit across the United States. In this early era of American lawn tennis, the tournament functioned as one of the most prestigious grass-court stops on the Eastern circuit, frequently serving as a key preparatory event for the U.S. National Championships. Following the 1896 edition, the "Championship of Long Island" title largely disappeared from primary book sources at the Meadow Club, as the event transitioned into the more exclusive Southampton Invitation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Paret |first=J. Parmly |title=Tennis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=khYLAAAAIAAJ |year=1904 |publisher=Macmillan |page=395 |quote=The Championship of Long Island was established at the Meadow Club in 1887.}}</ref>
In 1909 the Long Island Championships was revived at the Kings County Tennis Club in Brooklyn, New York.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Burchell |editor-first=H.P. |title=Spalding's Lawn Tennis Annual |year=1910 |publisher=American Sports Publishing Company |location=New York |pages=145–147 |quote=The annual tournament for the Long Island championships, held under the direction of the Kings County Club, Brooklyn, N. Y.}}</ref> Over its tenure, the event moved to various venues across the Long Island region, including its final home in Roslyn, New York, where the last edition was held in 1972.<ref>{{cite news |last=Staff |title=Ross Wins L.I. Tennis |newspaper=Newsday |date=1972-06-05 |location=Hempstead, New York |page=78 |quote=Steve Ross of Woodmere defeated King Van Nostrand of Brightwaters, 6–4, 4–6, 6–1, yesterday to win the men's singles title in the Long Island tennis championships at the Roslyn Racquet Club.}}</ref>
The Southampton Invitaion was staged for 85 editions between 1888 and 1973, though it was not staged continuously.<ref name="Cummings, Mary 2006 p.40"/> A women's invitation singles tournament was introduced briefly in the late 1920s to early 1940s under the title of the Southampton Invitational Round Robin or Meadow Club Invitational Round Robin, though women did take part most years in the mixed doubles events.
With the exception of 1903 when the English player Laurie Doherty won the men's event it was completely dominated by American players until the mid-1940s with multiple winners such as; Howard Augustus Taylor,<ref name="tb"/> Vinnie Richards, Bill Tilden II, Frank Parker, and Bobby Riggs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tournament – Southampton Invitation (Long Island) – Meadow Club |url=https://www.tennisarchives.com/tournament/?t=243&n=Southampton%20Invitation%20(Long%20Island) |website=www.tennisarchives.com |publisher=Tennis Archives}}</ref> After World War II up until at least 1969 more foreign players won this event including; Pancho Segura, Roy Emerson, Ian Vermaak, Fred Stolle, Tony Roche and Owen Davidson and Rod Laver.<ref>Tennis Archives</ref> The Meadow Club Invitation<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. Meadow Club Invitation Tennis Southampton (New York) |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003221/19580731/157/0011 |access-date=April 5, 2023 |work=Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) |publisher=British Newspaper Archive |date=July 31, 1958 |location=Lahore, Pakistan |page=11|url-access=subscription}}</ref> ran until 1973 when it was discontinued.<ref>Cummings, Mary (2006) p.41.</ref>
==Finals== ===Men's singles=== (incomplete roll) {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! style="width:60px;"|Year ! style="width:200px;"|Winners ! style="width:200px;"|Runners-up ! style="width:160px;"|Score |- |colspan=4 align=center |↓ USNLTA Circuit ↓ |- | 1887<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Howard Augustus Taylor ||{{flagicon|USA}} Henry Warner Slocum||6-4, 7-9, 3-6, 9-7, 6-3 |- |1888<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Howard Augustus Taylor (2)||{{flagicon|USA}} Joseph Sill Clark||6-8, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 |- |1889<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Howard Augustus Taylor (3)||{{flagicon|USA}} Joseph Sill Clark||6-1, 6-4, 6-3 |- |1890<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Howard Augustus Taylor (4)||{{flagicon|USA}} Rodmond Vernon Beach||6-2, 6-2, 6-2 |- |1891<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Valentine Gill Hall ||{{flagicon|USA}} Howard Augustus Taylor||w.o. |- |1892<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Edward Ludlow Hall ||{{flagicon|USA}} Valentine Gill Hall||4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 2-6, 8-6 |- |1893<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} William Larned ||{{flagicon|USA}} Edward Ludlow Hall ||2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 |- |1894<ref>{{Cite book |title=Wright and Ditson's Lawn Tennis Guide |date=1895 |publisher=Wright and Ditson Publishers |location=Boston |pages=54}}</ref>||{{flagicon|USA}} William Larned (2) || {{flagicon|IRE|1783}} Manliffe Goodbody ||6-1, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 |- |1899<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Mal Whitman ||{{flagicon|USA}} Leo Ware||7-5, 6-4, 8-6 |- |1903<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|GBR}} Laurence Doherty ||{{flagicon|USA}} William Larned||6-1, 6-2, 6-1 |- |1918<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Bill Tilden II ||{{flagicon|USA}} Theodore Pell||6-4, 6-2, 6-4 |- |1919<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Chuck Garland ||{{flagicon|USA}} Willis Davis||6-4, 6-3, 6-3 |- |1920<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Vinnie Richards || {{flagicon|USA}} William Jackson Clothier||6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 |- |1921<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Willis E. Davis ||{{flagicon|USA}} Vinnie Richards||3-6, 8-6, 6-3, 6-4 |- |1922<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Vinnie Richards (2)||{{flagicon|USA}} Robert Kinsey||6-3, 6-4, 7-5 |- |1923<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Vinnie Richards (3)||{{flagicon|USA}} Carl Fischer||6-2, 6-2, 6-2 |- |colspan=4 align=center |↓ ILTF Circuit ↓ |- |1924<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Howard Kinsey ||{{flagicon|USA}} Harvey Burton Snodgrass||3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 |- |1925<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Howard Kinsey (2)||{{flagicon|USA}} George Lott ||6-2, 6-4, 6-0 |- |1926<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Bill Tilden II (2)||{{flagicon|RSA|1912}} Brian Norton||6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 |- |1927<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Bill Tilden II (3)||{{flagicon|USA}} George Lott||6-2, 7-5, 6-2 |- |1928<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Berkeley Bell ||{{flagicon|USA}} Gregory Mangin||6-0, 6-3, 7-5 |- |1929<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Fritz Mercur ||{{flagicon|USA}} John Doeg||6-4, 6-3, 6-4 |- |1930<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Sidney Wood||{{flagicon|USA}} Wilmer Allison||3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 |- |1931<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} George Lott ||{{flagicon|USA}} Clifford Sutter||6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 |- |1932<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Sidney Wood (2)||{{flagicon|USA}} Gregory Mangin||4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 12-14, 7-5 |- |1933<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Frank Shields ||{{flagicon|USA}} Frank Parker||6-2, 6-2, 6-1 |- |1934<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Frank Parker ||{{flagicon|USA}} Bryan Grant||6-3, 9-7, 6-0 |- |1935<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Frank Parker (2)||{{flagicon|USA}} J. Gilbert Hall||7-5, 6-4, 6-1 |- |1936<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Frank Parker (3) ||{{flagicon|USA}} Gregory Mangin||1-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 |- |1937<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Bobby Riggs ||{{flagicon|JPN}} Jiro Yamagishi||6-4, 6-3, ret. |- |1938<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Bobby Riggs (2)||{{flagicon|USA}} Sidney Wood||6-0, 6-3, 7-5 |- |1939<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Bobby Riggs (3)||{{flagicon|USA}} Sidney Wood||10-8, 6-4, 6-4 |- |1940<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Don McNeill ||{{flagicon|USA}} Frank Kovacs||6-4, 6-3, 6-3 |- |1941<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Bobby Riggs (4)||{{flagicon|USA}} Frank Kovacs||6-2, 6-2, 6-3 |- |1942<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Ted Schroeder ||{{flagicon|USA}} Sidney Wood||3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 |- |1943<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|ECU}} Pancho Segura||{{flagicon|USA}} Sidney Wood|| 6-3, 7-5, 9-7 |- |1944<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|ECU}} Pancho Segura (2)||{{flagicon|USA}} Don McNeill||7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 |- |1945<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Bill Talbert ||{{flagicon|ARG}} Alejo Russell||6-4, 6-2, 6-4 |- |1946<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Gardnar Mulloy ||{{flagicon|USA}} Bill Talbert||8-6, 6-0, 3-6, 2-6, 10-8 |- |1947<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|ECU}} Pancho Segura (3)||{{flagicon|USA}} Seymour Greenberg||6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 |- |1948<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Pancho Gonzales ||{{flagicon|USA}} Budge Patty||6-3, 6-0, 6-3 |- |1949<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Bill Talbert (2)||{{flagicon|USA}} Pancho Gonzales||6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 |- |1950<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Earl Cochell ||{{flagicon|USA}} Gardnar Mulloy||9-7, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 |- |1951<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Tony Trabert ||{{flagicon|USA}} Herb Flam||6-2, 10-8, 5-7, 6-3 |- |1952<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Noel Brown ||{{flagicon|USA}} Sidney Schwartz||8-6, 6-1, 6-0 |- |1953<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Jack Tuero || {{flagicon|USA}} Charles F. Masterson ||6-2, 10-8, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5 |- |1954<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Eddie Moylan ||{{flagicon|USA}} Bill Talbert||6-0, 6-2, 6-4 |- |1955<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Eddie Moylan (2)||{{flagicon|USA}} Tony Trabert||6-3, 2-6, 6-8, 8-6, 1-0, ret. |- |1956<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|AUS}} Roy Emerson ||{{flagicon|USA}} Grant Golden||6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 8-6 |- |1957<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Whitney Reed ||{{flagicon|AUS}} Roy Emerson||10-8, 1-0, ret. |- |1958<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Ham Richardson || {{flagicon|USA}} Sammy Giammalva Jr.||6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 |- |1959<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Ian Vermaak ||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Raymond Weedon<ref>{{cite web |title=Raymond Weedon: Overview |url=https://www.atptour.com/en/players/raymond-weedon/w766/overview |website=ATP Tour |publisher=ATP |access-date=29 August 2023}}</ref>||6-1, 4-6, 6-1 |- |1960<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|AUS}} Rod Laver ||{{flagicon|USA}} Ronald Holmberg||12-10, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 |- |1961<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Allen E. Fox ||{{flagicon|AUS}} Bob Mark||5-7, 8-6, 6-1, 4-4, ret. |- |1962<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|AUS}} Fred Stolle ||{{flagicon|USA}} Whitney Reed||7-5, 6-2, 8-6 |- |1964<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Gene Scott ||{{flagicon|PUR}} Charlie Pasarell||10-8, 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4 |- |1965<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Chuck McKinley ||{{flagicon|USA}} Gene Scott||3-6, 6-3, 8-6, 10-8 |- |1966<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|AUS}} Tony Roche ||{{flagicon|GBR}} Graham Stilwell||6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 |- |1967<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|AUS}} Owen Davidson ||{{flagicon|AUS}} Ray Ruffels||6-4, 7-5, 6-4 |- |1968<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Ronald Holmberg ||{{flagicon|USA}} Gene Scott||6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 13-11 |- | colspan=4 align=center |↓ Open era ↓ |- | 1969<ref name="tb"/>||{{flagicon|USA}} Clark Graebner ||{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Lutz||6-2, 6-2, 6-4 |}
===Women's singles=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! style="width:60px;"|Year ! style="width:200px;"|Winners ! style="width:200px;"|Runners-up ! style="width:160px;"|Score |- |1943||{{flagicon|USA}} Pauline Betz (1st)||{{flagicon|USA}} Louise Brough (2nd)||Round Robin |- |}
==See also== * Long Island Championships
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
Category:Grass court tennis tournaments Category:Defunct tennis tournaments in the United States