Belgian Open (tennis)

The Belgian Open was a WTA Tour tennis event held over three different periods during 1987–2002. It was competed in July during 1987–1989 and 2002, and in May during 1992–1993 and 1999–2001. During 2000–2001 it was sponsored by Dutch clothing chain Mexx and renamed the Benelux Open. In 2002, it was renamed French Community Championships. The competition was played on outdoor clay courts.

The tournament was a Tier V event during 1988–89, then again in 1992 and 2001. The tournament was a Tier IV event in 1993, 1999, 2000 and 2002.

Only one Belgian woman won the singles event; the then little-known Justine Henin, aged 16 in 1999. However, Sabine Appelmans, Kim Clijsters and Els Callens all won the doubles event.

Location chronology

1987: Knokke
1988-89: Brussels
1992: Waregem
1993: Liège
1999-2001: Antwerp
2002: Brussels

Champions

Singles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1987	Kathleen Horvath	Bettina Bunge	6–1, 7–6
1988	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	Raffaella Reggi	6–0, 7–5
1989	Radka Zrubáková	Mercedes Paz	7–6, 6–4
1990-91	not held
1992	Wiltrud Probst	Meike Babel	6–2, 6–3
1993	Radka Bobková	Karin Kschwendt	6–3, 4–6, 6–2
1994-98	not held
1999	Justine Henin	Sarah Pitkowski	6–1, 6–2
2000	Amanda Coetzer	Cristina Torrens Valero	4–6, 6–2, 6–3
2001	Barbara Rittner	Klára Zakopalová	6–3, 6–2
2002	Myriam Casanova	Arantxa Sánchez	4–6, 6–2, 6–1

Doubles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1987	Bettina Bunge Manuela Maleeva	Kathleen Horvath Marcella Mesker	4–6, 6–4, 6–4
1988	Mercedes Paz Tine Scheuer-Larsen	Katerina Maleeva Raffaella Reggi	7–6, 6–1
1989	Manon Bollegraf Mercedes Paz	Carin Bakkum Simone Schilder	6–1, 6–2
1990-91	not held
1992	Manon Bollegraf Caroline Vis	Elena Brioukhovets Petra Langrová	6–4, 6–3
1993	Radka Bobková María José Gaidano	Ann Devries Dominique Monami	6–4, 2–6, 7–6
1994-98	not held
1999	Laura Golarsa Katarina Srebotnik	Louise Pleming Meghann Shaughnessy	6–4, 6–2
2000	Sabine Appelmans Kim Clijsters	Jennifer Hopkins Petra Rampre	6–1, 6–1
2001	Els Callens Virginia Ruano Pascual	Kristie Boogert Miriam Oremans	6–3, 3–6, 6–4
2002	Barbara Schwartz Jasmin Wöhr	Tathiana Garbin Arantxa Sánchez	6–2, 0–6, 6–4