TheBritish Hard Court Championships was aGrand Prix tennis andWTA Tour affiliatedtennis tournament, played in theOpen Era from 1968 to 1983 and again (albeit not named as such) from 1995 to 1999.

As an amateur tournament, the inaugural edition was held in 1924 inTorquay, moving to theWest Hants Tennis Club inBournemouth, England in 1927. The tournament remained there until 1983, although the 1977 and 1979 editions were cancelled due to lack of sponsorship.^[1]

At that time, the tournament was played outdoors onred shale,^[a] which is similar to European clay but with a grittier, looser surface, thus leading to faster play.^[2][3] When the tournament became a fixture of the Open Era in 1968 (see below), many professional competitors from overseas, unused to the playing conditions, complained that the shale courts were wet and slippery.^[4] By the mid-1970s, however, the event had become a destination for several top European and South American clay courters: winners of the men's singles championship during those years includeIlie Năstase,Adriano Panatta,Manuel Orantes,Victor Pecci andJosé Higueras. This did not prevent it from being cancelled once again in 1984, which the organisers explained was due to the lack of a sponsor and the withdrawal of television coverage.^[5]

In 1995, the event was revived at Bournemouth as a women's WTA tournament but was only played there that one time; the final edition the following year was held inCardiff,Wales.^[6] A men'sATP World Series tournament was then staged at the West Hants Club onAmerican green clay from 1996 to 1999, before being relocated to indoor hard courts in Brighton for the 2000 edition (seeBrighton International).^[7]

Bournemouth was once one of the world's major tournaments, second only to Wimbledon in England and on the same level as Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg.^[2] In the pre-war era, it was regarded as the most important event outside the four Grand Slams.Fred Perry is the record holder with five consecutive titles, from 1932 through to 1936.^[6]

The Championships hold the distinction of being the first tennis tournament to be held in the Open Era, taking place in April 1968.^[8] It started on 22 April at 1:43 p.m. when John Clifton served and won the first point.^[9][10]Ken Rosewall won the men's singles title, taking home $2,400, while runner-upRod Laver received $1,200.Virginia Wade won the women's singles title, defeatingWinnie Shaw in the final, but did not take home the winner's prize of $720 as she was still anamateur at the time of the tournament. She thus became the first amateur to win a title in the Open Era.^[11][12] Christine Janes and her sister Nell Truman became the first winners of an open tennis event by winning the women's doubles title.^[2] The tournament was considered a success and attracted almost 30,000 visitors.^[10][13] The young British playerMark Cox went down in tennis history, when at the second round of the championships he became the first amateur player to beat a professional, after defeating the AmericanPancho Gonzales in five sets in two and a quarter hours.^[9][12][14]

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1924	Randolph Lycett	Christiaan van Lennep	6–1, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1925	Patrick Spence	Charles Kingsley	6–1, 6–4, 9–7
1926	Jacques Brugnon	Bunny Austin	7–5, 4–6, 3–6, 8–6, 6–3
1927	René Lacoste	Patrick Spence	6–1, 6–2, 6–2
1928	René Lacoste	Patrick Spence	6–2, 6–2, 6–2
1929[15]	Bunny Austin	Louis Raymond	6–3, 6–2, 1–6, 6–4
1930	Harry Lee	Eric Peters	6–3, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
1931	Christian Boussus	Pat Hughes	8–6, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
1932	Fred Perry	George Lyttleton Rogers	4–6, 7–9, 6–3, 6–0, 6–2
1933	Fred Perry	Bunny Austin	2–6, 7–5, 7–5, 6–2
1934	Fred Perry	Jack Crawford	8–6, 7–5, 6–1
1935	Fred Perry	Bunny Austin	0–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 6–0
1936	Fred Perry	Bunny Austin	6–2, 8–6, 6–3
1937	Bunny Austin	Harry Lee	6–2, 6–2, 6–0
1938	Kho Sin-Kie	Bunny Austin	6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3
1939	Kho Sin-Kie	Choy Wai-Chuen	7–5, 6–1, 6–4
1940–1945	Not held (WW2)
1946	Jack E. Harper	Derrick W. Barton	7–5, 6–2, 6–1
1947	Eric Sturgess	Ignacy Tłoczyński	11–9, 6–1, 6–4
1948	Eric Sturgess	Ignacy Tłoczyński	6–2, 6–3, 6–1
1949	Pedro Masip	Henri Cochet	6–3, 4–6, 6–2, 9–7
1950	Jaroslav Drobný	Geoff Brown	7–5, 6–0, 6–4
1951	Jaroslav Drobný	Felicisimo Ampon	6–4, 6–2, 6–0
1952	Jaroslav Drobný	Frank Sedgman	6–2, 6–4, 1–6, 6–4
1953	Enrique Morea	Felicisimo Ampon	6–3, 6–2, 6–1
1954	Tony Mottram	Geoffrey Paish	6–4, 6–3, 7–5
1955	Sven Davidson	Roger Becker	11–9, 6–3, 6–1
1956	Budge Patty	Ham Richardson	1–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–3
1957	Jaroslav Drobný	Lew Hoad	6–4, 6–4, 6–4
1958	William Knight	Giuseppe Merlo	5–7, 6–0, 6–2, 6–3
1959	Lew Gerrard	William Knight	3–6, 2–6, 6–2, 7–5, 9–7
1960	Mike Davies	William Knight	6–2, 4–6, 6–2, 6–1
1961	Roy Emerson	Rod Laver	8–6, 6–4, 6–0
1962	Rod Laver	Ian Crookenden	6–3, 6–3, 6–3
1963	William Knight	Martin Mulligan	5–7, 6–3, 6–1, 6–3
1964	William Knight	Cliff Drysdale	6–3, 1–6, 6–1, 5–7, 7–5
1965	Jan-Erik Lundqvist	Cliff Drysdale	3–6, 6–4, 8–6, 6–1
1966	Ken Fletcher	Tom Okker	7–5, 6–4
1967	Jan-Erik Lundqvist	Bob Hewitt	6–1, 6–8, 6–3, 6–2
↓  Open era  ↓
1968	Ken Rosewall	Rod Laver	3–6, 6–2, 6–0, 6–3
1969	John Newcombe	Bob Hewitt	6–8, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4
1970	Mark Cox	Bob Hewitt	6–1, 6–2, 6–3
1971	Gerald Battrick	Željko Franulović	6–3, 6–2, 5–7, 6–0
1972	Bob Hewitt	Pierre Barthès	6–2, 6–4, 6–3
1973	Adriano Panatta	Ilie Năstase	6–8, 7–5, 6–3
1974	Ilie Năstase	Paolo Bertolucci	6–1, 6–3, 6–2
1975	Manuel Orantes	Patrick Proisy	6–3, 4–6, 6–2, 7–5
1976	Wojciech Fibak	Manuel Orantes	6–2, 7–9, 6–2, 6–2
1977	Not held
1978	José Higueras	Paolo Bertolucci	6–2, 6–1, 6–3
1979	Not held
1980	Ángel Giménez	Shlomo Glickstein	3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1981	Víctor Pecci	Balázs Taróczy	6–3, 6–4
1982	Manuel Orantes	Ángel Giménez	6–2, 6–0
1983	José Higueras	Tomáš Šmíd	2–6, 7–6, 7–5
1984–1995	Not held
1996[16]	Albert Costa	Marc-Kevin Goellner	6–7, 6–2, 6–2
1997	Félix Mantilla	Carlos Moyá	6–2, 6–2
1998	Félix Mantilla	Albert Costa	6–3, 7–5
1999	Adrian Voinea	Stefan Koubek	1–6, 7–5, 7–6

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1924	Elizabeth Ryan	Geraldine Beamish	6–2, 6–2
1925	Elizabeth Ryan	Joan Fry	6–2, 6–2
1926	Joan Fry	Phoebe Holcroft Watson	6–1, 7–9, 6–1
1927	Betty Nuthall	Edith Clarke	8–6, 6–2
1928	Elsie Goldsack	Joan Ridley	8–6, 6–3
1929[15]	Bobby Heine	Joan Ridley	6–4, 3–6, 8–6
1930	Joan Fry	Madge List	6–1, 2–6, 6–2
1931	Simonne Mathieu	Mary Heeley	6–4, 6–4
1932	Simonne Mathieu	Dorothy Round	6–1, 6–2
1933	Dorothy Round	Helen Jacobs	3–6, 6–2, 6–3
1934	Dorothy Round	Peggy Scriven	6–2, 2–6, 8–6
1935	Kay Stammers	Peggy Scriven	6–2, 6–2
1936	Kay Stammers	Anita Lizana	7–5, 7–5
1937	Anita Lizana	Peggy Scriven	7–5, 6–3
1938	Peggy Scriven	Nancye Wynne	7–5, 6–2
1939	Kay Stammers	Anita Ellis	6–3, 6–3
1940–1945	Not held
1946	Jean Bostock	Kay Menzies	6–3, 6–4
1947	Nancye Bolton	Joan Curry	7–5, 6–3
1948	Betty Hilton	Pamela Bocquet	6–1, 6–4
1949	Joan Curry	Jean Quertier	3–6, 7–5, 7–5
1950	Joan Curry	Mary Terán de Weiss	8–6, 8–6
1951	Doris Hart	Jean Walker-Smith	6–4, 8–6
1952	Doris Hart	Shirley Fry	6–4, 6–3
1953	Doris Hart	Shirley Fry	6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1954	Doris Hart	Joy Mottram	6–1, 6–3
1955	Angela Mortimer	Angela Buxton	6–1, 6–1
1956	Angela Mortimer	Shirley Bloomer	7–5, 5–7, 6–1
1957	Shirley Bloomer	Patricia Ward	3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1958	Shirley Bloomer	Ann Haydon	6–4, 6–4
1959	Angela Mortimer	Christine Truman	6–4, 2–6, 6–4
1960	Christine Truman	Ann Haydon	6–2, 6–2
1961	Angela Mortimer	Deidre Catt	6–2, 6–3
1962	Renée Schuurman	Angela Mortimer	5–7, 6–2, 6–4
1963	Ann Haydon-Jones	Norma Baylon	6–0, 1–6, 9–7
1964	Ann Haydon-Jones	Jan Lehane	6–2, 12–10
1965	Ann Haydon-Jones	Annette Van Zyl	7–5, 6–1
1966	Ann Haydon-Jones	Virginia Wade	6–3, 6–1
1967	Virginia Wade	Ann Haydon-Jones	6–1, 10–8
↓  Open era  ↓
1968	Virginia Wade	Winnie Shaw	6–4, 6–1
1969	Margaret Court	Winnie Shaw	5–7, 6–4, 6–4
1970	Margaret Court	Virginia Wade	6–2, 6–3
1971	Margaret Court	Evonne Goolagong	7–5, 6–1
1972	Evonne Goolagong	Helga Niessen Masthoff	6–0, 6–4
1973	Virginia Wade	Evonne Goolagong	6–4, 6–4
1974	Virginia Wade	Julie Heldman	6–1, 3–6, 6–1
1975	Janet Newberry	Terry Holladay	7–9, 7–5, 6–3
1976	Helga Masthoff	Sue Barker	5–7, 6–3, 6–3
1977–1994	Not held
1995	Ludmila Richterová	Patricia Hy-Boulais	6–7, 6–4, 6–3
1996	Dominique Van Roost	Laurence Courtois	6–4, 6–2

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1968	Roy Emerson Rod Laver	Andrés Gimeno Pancho Gonzales	8–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2
1969	Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan	Jean-Claude Barclay Bobby Wilson	6–4, 6–2, 2–6, 9–7
1970	Tom Okker Tony Roche	William Bowrey Owen Davidson	2–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4
1971	William Bowrey Owen Davidson	Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol	8–6, 6–2, 3–6, 4–6, 6–3
1972	Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan	Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac	7–5, 6–2
1973	Juan Gisbert Sr. Ilie Năstase	Adriano Panatta Ion Țiriac	6–4, 8–6
1974	Juan Gisbert Sr. Ilie Năstase	Corrado Barazzutti Paolo Bertolucci	6–4, 6–2, 6–0
1975	Juan Gisbert Sr. Manuel Orantes	Syd Ball Dick Crealy	8–6, 6–3
1976	Wojciech Fibak Fred McNair	Juan Gisbert Sr. Manuel Orantes	4–6, 7–5, 7–5
1977	Not held
1978	Louk Sanders Rolf Thung	David Carter Rod Frawley	6–3, 6–4
1979	Not held
1980	Eddie Edwards Craig Edwards	Andrew Jarrett Jonathan Smith	6–3, 6–7, 8–6
1981	Ricardo Cano Víctor Pecci	Buster Mottram Tomáš Šmíd	6–4, 3–6, 6–3
1982	Paul McNamee Buster Mottram	Henri Leconte Ilie Năstase	3–6, 7–6, 6–3
1983	Tomáš Šmíd Sherwood Stewart	Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy	7–6, 7–5

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1968	Christine Truman Janes Nell Truman	Fay Toyne-Moore Annette du Plooy	6–4, 6–3
1969	Margaret Court Judy Tegart	Ada Bakker Marijke Schaar	6–1, 6–4
1970	Margaret Court Judy Tegart	Rosie Casals Billie Jean King	6–2, 6–8, 7–5
1971	Mary-Ann Eisel Françoise Dürr	Margaret Court Evonne Goolagong	6–3, 5–7, 6–4
1972	Evonne Goolagong Helen Gourlay	Brenda Kirk Betty Stöve	7–5, 6–1
1973	Patricia Coleman Wendy Turnbull	Evonne Goolagong Janet Young	7–5, 7–5
1974	Julie Heldman Virginia Wade	Patti Hogan Sharon Walsh	6–2, 6–2
1975	Lesley Charles Sue Mappin	Delina Ann Boshoff Greer Stevens	6–3, 6–3
1976	Delina Ann Boshoff Ilana Kloss	Lesley Charles Sue Mappin	6–3, 6–2
1977–1994	Not held
1995	Mariaan de Swardt Ruxandra Dragomir	Kerry-Anne Guse Patricia Hy-Boulais	6–3, 7–5
1996	Katrina Adams Mariaan de Swardt	Els Callens Laurence Courtois	6–0, 6–4

• Most titles:Fred Perry, 5
• Most consecutive titles: Fred Perry, 5
• Most finals:Bunny Austin, 7
• Most consecutive finals: Fred Perry, 5
• Most matches played:William Knight, 55
• Most matches won: William Knight, 44
• Most consecutive match wins: Fred Perry, 25
• Most editions played:Tony Pickard, 16
• Best match winning %:Kho Sin-Kie 100.00%
• Longest final:John Newcombe vBob Hewitt, result: 6–8, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4, 55 games, 1969
• Shortest final:Manuel Orantes vÁngel Giménez, result: 6–2, 6–0, 14 games, 1982
• Title with the fewest games lost:Ken Fletcher, 21, 1966
• Oldest champion:Randolph Lycett, 37y 7m and 26d, 1924
• Youngest champion:Lew Gerrard, 21y 0m and 15d, 1959

Source:The Tennis Base.^[17]

• British Covered Court Championships
• Category:National and multi-national tennis tournaments

• WTA results archive
• British Pathé film reel – British Hard Court Championship 1934

• British Hard Court Championships
• Clay court tennis tournaments
• Defunct tennis tournaments in the United Kingdom
• Tennis tournaments in Wales
• WTA Tour
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• 1999 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
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