World Hard Court Championships

World Hard Court Championships, frequently considered as the precursor to the French Open was held from 1912 till 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The venue, was the clay courts of the Stade Français in Saint-Cloud, with one exception, namely 1922, when they were held at the Royal Leopold Club in Brussels, Belgium. This tournament was open to all international amateur tennis players and was part of a series of three world championships being pushed by the ILTF at the time, the other two being the World Grass Court Championships at Wimbledon and the World Covered Court Championships held in a variety of countries.

The WHCC was open to all nationalities unlike the French Championships which were open only to tennis players who were licensed in France through 1924. The French Championships were also held at a different venue at the time, the Racing Club de France, Paris).

The WHCC was not played in 1924, when Paris hosted the Olympic Games, with the tennis event being held in the Colombes district on the outskirts of the city. In 1925 the tournament was disbanded when the French Championships opened itself to international competitors with the event held on a clay surface alternately between the Stade Français (1925, 1927) and the Racing Club de France (1926).[1] From 1928, the French Championships have been held at Roland Garros stadium.

Contents

Champions

Men's Singles

Year Champion Runner-up Score Venue
1912 Otto Froitzheim Oskar Kreuzer 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 Stade Français, Paris
1913 Anthony Wilding Andre Gobert 6-3, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 Stade Français
1914 Anthony Wilding Count Salm 6-0, 6-2, 6-4 Stade Français
1915 not held - World War I
1916 not held - World War I
1917 not held - World War I
1918 not held - World War I
1919 not held - World War I
1920 William Laurentz Andre Gobert 9-7, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 Stade Français
1921 Bill Tilden Jean Washer 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 Stade Français
1922 Henri Cochet Count de Gomar 6-0, 2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 Royal Leopold Club, Brussels, Belgium
1923 Bill Johnston Jean Washer 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 Stade Français
1924 not held - Olympics

[2]

Women's Singles

Year Champion Runner-up Score Venue
1912 Marguerite Brocquedis Mieken Rieck 6–3, 0–6, 6–4 Stade Français, Paris
1913 Mieken Rieck Marguerite Brocquedis 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 Stade Français
1914 Suzanne Lenglen Germaine Golding 6–2, 6–1 Stade Français
1915–1919 not held - World War I
1920 Edith Dorothy Holman Francisca Subirana 6–0, 7–5 Stade Français
1921 Suzanne Lenglen Molla Mallory 6–2, 6–3 Stade Français
1922 Suzanne Lenglen Elizabeth Ryan 6–3, 6–2 Royal Leopold Club, Brussels, Belgium
1923 Suzanne Lenglen Kathleen McKane 6–3, 6–3 Stade Français

[2]

Men's Doubles

Year Champion Runner-up Score Venue
1912 Otto Froitzheim
Kreuzer		 Stade Français, Paris
1913 Heinrich Kleinschroth
Baron von Bissing		 Stade Français
1914 Max Decugis
Maurice Germot		 Stade Français
1915–1919 not held - World War I
1920 André Gobert
William Laurentz		 Stade Français
1921 André Gobert
William Laurentz		 Stade Français
1922 Jean Borotra
Henri Cochet		 Royal Leopold Club, Brussels, Belgium
1923 Jacques Brugnon
Dupont		 Stade Français

[2]

References

  1. ^ "Roland Garros: a venue open all year long. Past Winners and Draws". ftt.fr. http://www.fft.fr/rolandgarros/default_en.asp?id=1575. Retrieved 2007-08-07. 
  2. ^ a b c Tingay, Lance (1983). The Guinness book of tennis fact & feats. Guinness Superlatives Limited. p. 231. ISBN 0-85112-289-2. 

External links