1885 women's tennis season
The 1885 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 60 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in May in Sydney , Australia and ended in November in New Haven , United States .[ 1]
Season summary
Prior to the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913 the Wimbledon Championships , the U.S. National Championships , the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and the Northern Championships were considered by players and historians as the four most important tennis tournaments to win.[ 2] [ 3] [ 4]
1885 sees a large expansion in the overall number of combined women's events being held as the tennis circuit continues to grow.[ 5] Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament (later known as the New South Wales Championships) is held in Sydney, Australia and is won by Annie Lamb.[ 6]
In late May 1884 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships [ 7] Dublin , Ireland. In the women's singles final England's Maud Watson retains the title defeating Irleland's Louisa Martin . Watson also claims the doubles title with her sister Lilian Watson defeating the Irish sisters Adela Langrishe and May Langrishe . In the mixed doubles Watson retains the title with William Renshaw against Ireland's Connie Butler and Ireland's Ernest Browne .[ 1] [ 1]
In June 1884 at the second major tournament of the year the Northern Championships in Manchester England's Maud Watson wins her second major singles title against Edith Davies. The women's doubles title is won by Ann Dod and Lottie Dod who defeated Margaret Bracewell and Beatrice Langrishe.[ 1] William Renshaw beating England's Margaret Bracewell and America's James Dwight .[ 1]
At the 1885 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament in the singles competition Maud Watson defeats Blanche Bingley to claim a second ladies championship title.[ 8] U.S. National Championships there was still no women's championship events held.
In Australasia in October the Victorian Championships held in Melbourne, Australia and played on asphalt courts is won by Mabel Shaw. In November the season ended in the United States at the New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament at that was by Adeline Robinson .
In 1913 the International Lawn Tennis Federation was created, and consisted of 13 national member associations. The ILTF through its associated members then became responsible for supervising women's tour events.
Season results
Notes 1: Challenge Round: the final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921),[ 9]
* Indicates challenge round final
Key
Main events.[ 10] [ 11] [ 12] [ 13]
National events
Provincial/State/Regional events
County events
Regular events
Singles
Results included:.[ 14]
Tournaments (31)
#
Date ended
Tournament
Location
Surface
Winner
Finalist
Score
1.
7-May-1885[ 15]
Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament Sydney Grass
6–5, 6–4, 6–1, 6–1
2.
26-May-1885[ 14]
Irish Championships Dublin Grass
Maud Watson Louisa Martin 6–2, 4–6, 6–3
3.
30-May-1885[ 14]
West of England Championships Bath Grass
2–6, 6–4, 6–0
4.
6-Jun-1885[ 14]
East Gloucestershire Championships Cheltenham Grass
Maud Watson 6–3, 6–1
5.
13-Jun-1885[ 14]
Kilkenny County and City Tournament Archersfield Grass
May Langrishe 6–1, 6–8
6.
13-Jun-1885[ 14]
London Championships Stamford Bridge Grass
Maud Watson Lilian Watson 6–2, 6–3
7.
17-Jun-1885[ 14]
Acton Vale LTC Open East Acton Grass
Blanche Bingley 6–0, 6–2
8.
19-Jun-1885[ 14]
Waterloo Tournament Liverpool Grass
Lottie Dod Margaret Bracewell 6–4, 6–2
9.
20-Jun-1885[ 14]
Brincliffe Lawn Tennis Club Open Tournament Sheffield Grass
Beatrice Wood 6–1, 6–0
10.
27-Jun-1885[ 14]
Northern Championships *Manchester Grass
Maud Watson 6–3, 6–3
11.
3-Jul-1885[ 14]
Midland Counties Championship Cup Edgbaston Grass
Margaret Bracewell 6–3, 6–2
12.
9-Jul-1885[ 14]
Ealing Lawn Tennis Tournament
Ealing Grass
Charlotte Cooper Edith Gurney 6–4, 6–4
13.
9-Jul-1885[ 16]
Natal Championships Durban Grass
18–8 games
14.
17-Jul-1885[ 14]
Wimbledon Championships London Grass
Maud Watson Blanche Bingley 6–1, 7–5
15.
25-Jul-1885[ 14]
Chiswick Park Tournament Chiswick Park Grass
Edith Gurney Blanche Bingley 1–6, 7–5, 6–0
16.
25-Jul-1885[ 14]
Leicester Open Lawn Tennis Tournament Leicester Grass
Margaret Bracewell 6–2, 8–6
17.
6-Aug-1885[ 14]
Darlington Association Tournament Darlington Grass
6–0, 7–5
18.
8-Aug-1885[ 14]
West of Ireland Championships Sligo Grass
0–6, 6–3, 6–2
19.
14-Aug-1885[ 14]
East Grinstead Lawn Tennis Tournament East Grinstead Grass
Blanche Bingley 6–2, 5–7, 6–3
20.
17-Aug-1885
Charleville Ladies' Tournament
Charleville Grass
Won
21.
18-Aug-1885[ 14]
Bournemouth Lawn Tennis Club Tournament Bournemouth Grass
drew
22.
20-Aug-1885
Augusta Tournament
Augusta Grass
3–6, 6–1, 6–4
23.
22-Aug-1885[ 14]
North Yorkshire Tournament Scarborough Grass
Mabel Boulton Beatrice Wood 6–2, 6–2
24.
22-Aug-1885[ 14]
South of Scotland Championships Moffat Grass
6–0, 6–0
25.
29-Aug-1885[ 14]
Derbyshire Championships Buxton Grass
Blanche Bingley Louisa Martin 6–3, 6–3
26.
17-Sep-1885[ 14]
South of England Championships Eastbourne Grass
Blanche Bingley 6–1, 6–0
27.
26-Sep-1885[ 14]
Sussex County Lawn Tennis Tournament Brighton Asphalt
Constance Bryan 6–1, 6–4
28.
26-Sep-1885
Orange LTC Open Montrose Grass
Adeline Robinson Grace Roosevelt 6–3, 3–6, 6–2
29.
5-Oct-1885
Camp Washington Ladies Lawn Tennis Tournament Livingston Grass
4–6, 6–2, 6–3
30.
10-Oct-1885
Victorian Championships Melbourne Asphalt
13–7 games
31.
6-Nov-1885
New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament
New Haven Grass
Adeline Robinson Emma Leavitt-Morgan 6–2, 6–3
Tournament winners
Singles
This is list of winners sorted by number of singles titles (# and main titles in bold )
Doubles
This is list of winners sorted by number of doubles titles (# and main titles in bold )
Note: Ann Dod and Connie Butler won titles with two different partners.
Mixed doubles
This is list of winners sorted by number of mixed doubles titles (# and main titles in bold ) William Renshaw / Walter Chamberlain (5 ) Buxton, Cheltenham, Edgbaston, Leicester, Scarborough.[ 1] Maud Watson & William Renshaw (4 ) Irish Championships , Northern Championships , Stamford Bridge, Teignmouth.[ 1] Patrick Bowes-Lyon (3 ) Darlington, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-TyneBlanche Bingley & Harry Grove (2 ) Chiswick Park, East Grinstead.[ 1] 1 ) Abingdon.[ 1] Mabel Cahill & 1 ) Archersfield.[ 1] 1 ) AthboyDonald Stewart (1 ) Bath.[ 1] Frank Noon /Lady Evershed & Sir Sydney Evershed (1 ) Burton-upon-Trent (title shared).[ 1] 1 ) Charmouth.[ 1] Charles Ross (1 ) Brighton.[ 1] 1 ) Denbigh.[ 1] Edith Gurney & 1 ) Eastbourne.[ 1] 1 ) Eggesford.[ 1] 1 ) Farndon Park.[ 1] 1 ) Fylde.[ 1] Richard Millar Watson (1 ) Harwick.[ 1] 1 ) Langley Marish.[ 1] 1 ) Leamington.[ 1] 1 ) Les Diablerets.[ 1] Lottie Dod & 1 ) Liverpool.[ 1] Robert Livingston Beeckman (1 ) Livingston.[ 1] 1 ) Moffat.[ 1] 1 ) Newton Abbot.[ 1] 1 ) Pensarn.[ 1] 1 ) Portrush.[ 1] 1 ) Plymouth.[ 1] 1 ) Rothesay.[ 1] Willoughby Hamilton (1 ) Sligo.[ 1] Lottie Paterson & John Galbraith Horn (1 ) St. Andrews.[ 1] 1 ) Stoke Newington.[ 1] 1 ) Sydney.[ 1] William Bolding Monement (1 ) Tasburgh.[ 1] James Baldwin (1 ) Tenby.[ 1] 1 ) Whitby.[ 1] 1 ) Windamere.[ 1]
Statistical summary
Singles
Doubles
Total Tournaments: (15 )
Most Titles: 3 )
Most Finals: 5 )
Mix Doubles
Total Tournaments: (45 )
Most Titles: Margaret Bracewell (5 )
Most Finals: 7 )
References
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am Garcia, Gabriel. "Season - 1885" The Tennis Base . Madrid: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 4 August 2023 . ^ Robertson, Max (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis . London: Allen & Unwin. pp. 266, 267. ISBN 9780047960420 ^ Meyers, A. Wallis (1903). Lawn Tennis at Home and Abroad . New York: Charles Scribner and Sons. p. 55. ^ Lake, Robert J. (2014). A Social History of Tennis in Britain ISBN 9781134445578 ^ Berry. David (2020). A people's history of tennis. (2) Feminists. Pluto Books London ISBN 978-0745339658 . p.33.
^ "Lawn Tennis" . Illustrated Sydney News 11– 15 – via National Library of Australia .^ Irish TV Documentary (4 Jul 2016). The True Tale Of The Irish Tennis Murderer. Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE). Dublin. Ireland. ^ "The Championships 1885 - Ladies' Singles" (PDF) . Wimbledon . AELTC. Retrieved 5 August 2023 .^ "Abolition of Challenge Rounds" . paperspast.natlib.govt.nz . EVENING POST, VOLUME CIII, ISSUE 65, 20 March 1922. Retrieved 3 July 2022 .^ Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles (2012). Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice ISBN 9781598843002 ^ Gillmeister, Heiner (1998). Tennis:Cultural History ISBN 9780718501952 ^ Mazak, Karoly (2017). The Concise History of Tennis . Independently published. pp. 5– 36. ISBN 9781549746475 ^ Lake, Robert J. (2014). A Social History of Tennis in Britain: Volume 5 of Routledge Research in Sports History ISBN 9781134445578 ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah "Lawn Tennis Tournaments of 1885". Routledges Sporting Annual . London: George Routledge and Son. 1886. pp. 124– 130. ^ Illustrated Sydney News
^ "The History of KZN Tennis" . KZN Tennis Association. p. 1. Retrieved 5 August 2023 .
Women's tennis seasons
Seasons (1881-1912)
Women's World Tennis circuit|1923]]
ILTF Independent Circuit ILTF Grand Prix Circuit Virginia Slims Circuit Virginia Slims/Colgate Series Avon/Colgate Series Avon/Toyota Series Virginia Slims World Championship Series WTA Tour
Information related to 1885 women's tennis season
