The Hoylake Open Championships^[1] also known as the Rothman's Hoylake Open Championships^[2] (for sponsorship reasons) was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1930 as the Hoylake and West Kirby Open.^[3] The event was staged annually at Ashton Park, West Kirby, Cheshire, England until 1974.

History

On 25 August 1930 the Hoylake and West Kirby Open lawn tennis tournament was established.^[4] The tournament was unique in that it was played on public tennis courts at the Ashton Park, West Kirby, Cheshire.^[2] It began mainly as a local British event for the first couple of decades^[2] It then began to attract international players from the 1950s onward. The tournament continued under same the brand name until 1966. In 1967 the newspaper company the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Ltd took over sponsorship of the event, and it was rebraded as Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Hoylake Open.^[5] In 1970 the tobacco company Rothmans International took over sponsorship of the tournament.^[6] It became a major stop on the ILTF Circuit in July just after Wimbledon until its demise in the mid-1970s.

In 1960 and from 1967 the tournament was also valid as North of England Championships with the winners succeeding to both titles.^[7] The tournament was predominantly played on grass courts except for the 1974 edition that was played on clay courts.

Finals

Mens Singles

Incomplte roll includes:^[8]

Hoylake and West Kirby Open
Year	Winners	Runners-up	Score
1949[2]	W. Devine	G.J. Chibbett	3-6, 9–7, 6-2
1950[2]	T.A. Cowdy	G.J. Chibbett	4-6, 7–5, 6-4
1951[2]	David Samaai	Chew Bee Ong	6-2, 9-7
1952[2]	Koon Hung Ip	Ignacy Tloczynski	6-2, 6-3
1953[2]	Gerry Oakley	Ignacy Tloczynski	6-4, 7-5
1954[2]	Gerry Oakley (2)	Koon Hung Ip	6-2, 7-5
1955[2]	Gerry Oakley (3)	Colin Hannam[9]	7-5, 5–7, 6-3
1956[2]	John O'Brien	Don Black	6-2, 6-4
1957[2]	Peter Frankland	Don Black	6-3, 9–7, 6-2
1958[2]	Isaías Pimentel	Roy Stillwell[10]	10-8, 6-2
1959[2]	Ramanathan Krishnan	Premjit Lall	6-2, 6-1
1960[2]	Bertie Gaertner	David Samaai	6-1, 2–6, 6-4
1961[2]	John Hillebrand	Martin Mulligan	6-3, 6-4
1962[2]	Roger Becker	Billy Knight	6-3, 2–6, 6-4
1963[2]	Bob Howe	Martin Mulligan	6-4, 8-6
1964[2]	John Hillebrand (2)	Fred Stolle	divided title
1965[2]	Mike Sangster	Bob Hewitt	6-4, 6-3
1966[2]	Mike Sangster (2)	Bob Hewitt	6-1, 6-1
Hoylake Open
1967[2]	John Newcombe	Roger Taylor	7-5, 3–6, 6-3
1968[2]	Mike Sangster (3)	Herb Fitzgibbon	2-6, 6–4, 12-10
Open era
1969[2]	Ray Ruffels	Brian Fairlie	6-3, 6-3
Hoylake Open Championships
1970[2]	John Newcombe (2)	Owen Davidson	4-6, 9–7, 6-4
1971[2]	Andrew Pattison	Jaidip Mukerjea	6-2, 5–7, 6-2
1972[2]	Douglas Irvine[11]	Ray Keldie	divided title
1973[2]	Bob Giltinan	Owen Davidson	1-6, 6–3, 6-2
1974	Bernie Mitton	John Yuill	6-4, 6-4

Women's singles

Incomplete roll includes.

Hoylake and West Kirby Open
Year	Winners	Runners-up	Score
1949[2]	Mrs B. Dixon	Mrs P. Williams	6-4, 6-1
1950[2]	Ann Layfield	Peggy Astill Knight	6-3, 1–6, 6-2
1951[2]	Ann Layfield (2)	Elsie Hamilton Phillips	7-5, 1–6, 6-2
1952[2]	Rosemary Walsh	Georgie Woodgate	2-6, 6–2, 6-3
1953[2]	Mary Harris	Evelyn Attwood	7-5, 5–7, 6-4
1954[2]	Joan Curry	Georgie Woodgate	10-8, 6-1
1955[2]	Shirley Bloomer	Rita Bentley	6-3, 6-0
1956[2]	Shirley Bloomer (2)	Georgie Woodgate	6-0, 6-1
1957[2]	Margaret R. O'Donnell	Kay Newcombe	6-3, 6-4
1958[2]	Margaret R. O'Donnell (2)	Sonia Cox	6-1, 6-3
1959[2]	Sheila Armstrong	Deidre Catt	5-7, 7–5, 6-2
1960[2]	Renée Schuurman	Sheila Armstrong	6-3, 7-5
1961[2]	Margaret R. O'Donnell (3)	Louise Grundy	6-0, 6-0
1962[2]	Angela Mortimer	Jill Blackman	6-4, 6-4
1963[2]	Ann Haydon Jones	Jill Blackman	6-2, 6-1
1964[2]	Rita Bentley	Madonna Schacht	divided the title
1965[2]	Margaret Smith	Judy Tegart	6-4, 6-4
1966[2]	Margaret Smith (2)	Annette Van Zyl	3-6, 6–1, 6-4
Hoylake Open
1967[2]	Virginia Wade	Judy Tegart	6-3, 6-4
1968[2]	Margaret Smith Court (3)	Virginia Wade	6-2, 6-4
Open era
1969[2]	Virginia Wade (2)	Christine Truman Janes	0-6, 6–4, 8-6
Hoylake Open Championships
1970[2]	Evonne Goolagong	Kerry Melville	2-6, 6–2, 6-1
1971[2]	Billie Jean Moffitt King	Rosie Casals	6-3, 6-3
1972[2]	Evonne Goolagong (2)	Betty Stöve	divided the title
1973[2]	Patti Hogan	Sharon Walsh	11-9, 4–6, 6-4
1974[2]	Jackie Fayter	Patti Hogan	6-0, 7-5

Event names

• Hoylake and West Kirby Open (1930-1966)
• Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Hoylake Open (1967-1969)
• Rothman's Hoylake Open Championships (1970-1974)

Tournament records

References