The Slazenger Torquay Open^[1] was an indoor tennis tournament originally founded as the Palace Hotel Covered Courts in 1936 that was sponsored by the Dunlop Company for that year only.^[2] From the 1950s it was known as the Palace Hotel Covered Courts Championships, that ran until 1967. In 1968 the Scottish whisky company Dewars became sponsors of the event,^[3] and it was rebranded as the Dewar Cup Torquay until 1972 when sponsorship ended causing the 1973 edition not being held. In 1974 the sports company Slazenger took over sponsorship of the event until 1978 when it was abolished. It was at played at the Palace Hotel, Torquay, Devon, England.

History

The Palace Hotel Covered Courts tournament was founded in 1936, and was sponsored by the Dunlop Company for the first edition.^[4] It continued to be staged as an annual event under that name until 1959. In 1960 the tournament was rebranded as the Palace Hotel Covered Courts Championships through till 1967. In 1968 Dewar's then became sponsors of the Palace Hotel event, and it was rebranded as the Dewar Cup Torquay until 1972 when sponsorship ended causing the 1973 edition not being held. In 1974 Slazenger then took over sponsorship of the tournament and it was rebranced as the Slazenger Torquay Open. It was played on indoor courts at the Palace Hotel, Torquay, Devon, England

From 1968 to 1974 it was part of the fourth leg of Dewar Cup Circuit of indoor tournaments.^[5]

Finals

Men's singles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
Palace Hotel Covered Courts
1936	Harry Lee[6]	Frank Wilde	6–4, 6–0
1937[7]	Ronald Shayes[8]	Frank Wilde	6-2 6-4
1938	Ronald Shayes (2)	Murray Deloford	6-3 8-6
1940/1945	Not held (due to World War II)
1948	Howard Walton[9]	Donald Butler	6-2 6-3
1949	Paddy Roberts	Czeslaw Spychala	6-3 2-6 6-2
1950	Ignacy Tłoczyński	George Godsell	6–4, 2–6, 6–4
1951[7]	Jaroslav Drobný	Paddy Roberts	6–2, 6–4
1952	Tony Mottram	John Horn	3–6, 6–1, 6–0
1953	Gerry Oakley	Geoffrey Paish	2–6, 7–5, 10–8
1954	Mike Davies	Gerry Oakley	6–4, 6–2
1955	Bob Howe	Roger Becker	6–3, 2–6, 6–4
1956	Jaroslav Drobný (2)	Gerry Oakley	6–4, 6–2
1957	Bobby Wilson	Gerry Oakley	6–4, 6–3
1958	Bobby Wilson (2)	Alan Mills	6–4, 6–4
1959	Bobby Wilson (3)	Mike Sangster	6–3, 6–4
Palace Hotel Covered Courts Championships
1960[7]	Bobby Wilson (4)	Roger Becker	6–4, 6–2
1961	Jaroslav Drobný (3)	Mike Sangster	6–2, 3–6, 6–4
1962	Bobby Wilson (5)	Tony Pickard	6–3, 6–2
1963	Keith Diepraam	Bobby Wilson	6–3, 6–4
1964[7]	Roger Taylor	Mike Sangster	11–9, 16–14
1965	Keith Wooldridge	Bobby Wilson	4–6, 6–3, ret.
1966	Keith Wooldridge (2)	John Clifton	5–7, 6–2, 6–1
1967	Bobby Wilson (6)	Mike Sangster	8–6, 6–2
Open era
Dewar Cup Torquay
1968	Bob Hewitt	Owen Davidson	6–3, 6–4
1969	Mark Cox	John Clifton	8-6 6-3
1970	Vladimir Zednik	Paul Raymond Hutchins	6–3, 6–3
1971	Bob Hewitt (2)	Gerald Battrick	3–6, 6–1, 6–2
1972	Ray Moore	Pat Cramer	6–3, 6–3
Slazenger Torquay Open
1974	David Lloyd	Mark Farrell	6–7, 6–4, 6–2
1975	Mark Cox	Richard Lewis	6–3, 6–3
1976	David Lloyd (2)	Martin Robinson)	7–5, 6–3
1977	Clive Rothwell	Theo Gorter	6–3, 7–6
1978	Jonathan Smith	John Whiteford	2–6, 7–6, 6–3

Women's singles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
Palace Hotel Covered Courts
1936	Anita Lizana[10]	Dorothy Round	8–10, 6–1, 6–1
1937	Freda James	Billie Yorke	4–6, 6–1, 6–3
1938	Mary Hardwick	Nina Brown	6–2, 6–4
1939/1947	Not held (due to World War II)
1948	Joan Curry	Betty Clements Hilton	6–1, 6–3
1949	Joan Curry (2)	Jean Bridger Walker-Smith	6–2, 3–6, 6–2
1950	Joan Curry (3)	Jean Bridger Walker-Smith	walkover
1951	Susan Partridge	Jean Bridger Walker-Smith	6–4, 6–3
1952	Angela Mortimer	Joan Curry	6–3, 6–1
1953	Angela Mortimer (2)	Georgie Woodgate	6–1, 6–1
1954	Angela Mortimer (3)	Shirley Bloomer	6–2, 6–1
1955	Angela Mortimer (4)	Angela Buxton	6–2, 6–2
1956	Thelma Coyne Long	Angela Buxton	6–4, 4–6, 7–5
1957	Joan Curry	Rita Bentley	6–2, 10–8
1958	Angela Mortimer (5)	Ann Haydon	6–1, 6–0
1959	Angela Mortimer (6)	Ann Haydon	7-5, 6–3
Palace Hotel Covered Courts Championships
1960	Ann Haydon	Angela Mortimer	6–4, 6–2
1961	Angela Mortimer (7)	Deidre Catt	6–1, 6–2
1962	Angela Mortimer (8)	Ann Haydon Jones	7–5, 6–3
1963	Deidre Catt	Ann Haydon Jones	6–3, 8–6
1964	Ann Haydon Jones (2)	Deidre Catt	6–3, 7–5
1965	Ann Haydon Jones (3)	Pat McClenaughan Faulkner	6–1, 6–1
1966	Joyce Barclay Williams	Ann Haydon Jones	6–4, 5–5 ,retired
1967	Virginia Wade	Ann Haydon Jones	6–2, 12–14, 6–2
Open era
Dewar Cup Torquay
1968	Margaret Smith Court[11]	Virginia Wade	12–10, 8–6
1969	Julie Heldman	Virginia Wade	4–6, 8–6, 6–3[12]
1970	Ann Haydon Jones (4)	Virginia Wade	6–4, 7–5
1971	Evonne Goolagong	Françoise Dürr	6–1, 6–0
1972	Margaret Smith Court (2)	Virginia Wade	2–6, 6–3, 6–1
Slazenger Torquay Open
1974	Ann Haydon Jones (5)	Janet Newberry	7–5, 7–6
1975	Ann Haydon Jones (6)	Winnie Shaw Wooldridge	4–6, 6–1, 6–3
1976	Sue Barker[13]	Michele Tyler	6–4, 6–2

References

Sources

• Hedges, Martin (1978). The concise dictionary of tennis. New York: Mayflower Books. ISBN 0-86124-012-X.
• Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament – Dewar Cup Fourth Leg – Torquay". www.tennisarchives.com. Netherlands: Tennis Archives.
• The New York Times. The New York Times Company.
• Wechsler, Bob (2008). Day by Day in Jewish Sports History. New York: KTAV Publishing House, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88125-969-8.
• WTA, ATP (2005). Official Guide to Professional Tennis 2005. New York: Sport Media Publishing. ISBN 978-1-894963-41-1.