List of South African Open women's singles champions
The South African Open, formerly the South African Championships, was an annual tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts from 1891 to 2011. The tournament was not played from 1900 to 1902 due to the Boer War, from 1915 to 1919 due to World War I, and from 1941 to 1945 due to World War II. The women's tournament was stopped in 1987 and was not played in any of the editions of the Open that followed, except for 1990.
Sets were played on advantage until 1971; "lingering death" tie-breaks at six games all were subsequently adopted. All matches were the best-of-three-sets.
The most successful female player at the South African Championships – played from 1891 to 1967 during the Amateur Era – was Mrs H.A. Kirby, who won six titles between 1904 and 1912. She also shares the overall record for the most consecutive titles won with Miss H. Grant. Both players won four consecutive titles – Grant won the first four South African titles from 1891 to 1894 and Mrs Kirby won four titles between 1904 and 1907. Margaret Court and Brigitte Cuypers share the record for the most wins at the tournament in the Open Era. Court won three titles in 1968, 1970 and 1971 and Cuypers won in 1976, 1978 and 1979.
The following comprises the full list of South African Open women's singles champions.
Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
---|---|---|---|
1891 | Mabel Grant | Miss Blackburn | 6–2, 6–0 |
1892 | Mabel Grant | Mrs MacLagan | Unavailable |
1893 | Mabel Grant | Mrs MacLagan | 6–1, 6–0 |
1894 | Mabel Grant | Miss B. Grant | 6–1, 6–0 |
1895 | Miss L. Biddulph | Miss Fry | 6–1, 6–4 |
1896 | Mrs H. Green | Miss L. Biddulph | Unavailable |
1897 | Miss N. Hickman | Mrs H. Green | 7–9, 12–10, 6–2 |
1898 | Miss N. Hickman | Miss L. Biddulph | Unavailable |
1899 | Miss N. Hickman | Mrs H. Green | 6–8, 6–2, 6–3 |
1900–1902 | Not Held (Boer War) | ||
1903 | Miss F. Kuys | Mrs Mackay | 6–0, 6–2 |
1904 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Mrs M. Nevill (Grant) | 6–4, 5–7, 6–4 |
1905 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Mrs S.B.Syfret | 6–2, 6–0 |
1906 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Mrs Greatwood | 7–5, 6–2 |
1907 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Mrs R.H.Miller | 6–1, 4–6, 6–2 |
1908 | Miss M. Kelly | Mrs Gillmore | 6–2, 6–1 |
1909 | Mrs G. Washington | Miss Edwards | 6–2, 7–9, 6–4 |
1910 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Mrs J Reid | 6–1, 6–2 |
1911 | Mrs G. Washington | Miss M. Kelly | 6–0, 6–1 |
1912 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Olive Mathias | 6-2, 6-0 |
1913 | Miss M. Coles | Miss M. Kelly | 6–3, 9–7 |
1914 | Olive Mathias | Mrs H.A. Kirby | 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
1915–1919 | Not Held (WW1) | ||
1920 | Olive Winslow (Mathias) | Miss Phillips | 6–3, 7–5 |
1921 | Miss N. Edwards | Mrs W.F. du Plessis | 6–1, 6–2 |
1922 | Mrs M. McJannett | Miss J. Parker | 6–2, 6–2 |
1923 | Mrs C.K. Pitt | Mrs D.R.Moor | 6–4, 6–3 |
1924 | Irene Peacock | Mrs L. McArthur | 7–5, 6–4 |
1925 | Irene Peacock | Mrs L. McArthur | 5–7, 6–1, 6–1 |
1926 | Irene Peacock | Miss A. de Smit | 6–2, 6–1 |
1927 | Mrs M. McJannett | Mrs V. Everett | 12–10, 6–4 |
1928 | Bobbie Heine | Billie Tapscott | 8–6, 6–3 |
1929 | Mrs M. McJannett | Miss W.N. Miller | 7–5, 6–2 |
1930 | Billie Tapscott | Mrs V. Everett | 7–5, 6–2 |
1931 | Bobbie Heine | Miss W.N. Miller | 6–3, 6–3 |
1932 | Bobbie Heine Miller | Mrs W.N. Lowe (Miller) | 6–0, 6–3 |
1933 | Billie Tapscott Robbins | Mrs W.N. Lowe | 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 |
1934 | Billie Tapscott Robbins | Mrs W.N. Lowe | 6–0, 6–3 |
1935 | Mrs A. Allister | Billie Tapscott Robbins | 6–4, 6–3 |
1936 | Bobbie Heine Miller | Mrs V. Everett | 6–2, 4–6, 6–4 |
1937 | Bobbie Heine Miller | Alida Neave | 6–4, 4–6, 6–0 |
1938 | Billie Tapscott Robbins | Olive Craze | 6–4, 6–4 |
1939 | Olive Craze | Sheila Piercey | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
1940 | Olive Craze | Sheila Piercey | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
1941–1945 | Not Held (WW2) | ||
1946 | Mary D. Muller | Mrs O. Plessis | 6–4, 6–4 |
1947 | Mary D. Muller | Sheila Piercey Summers | 6–2, 6–8, 6–2 |
1948 | Sheila Summers | Kay Menzies | 6–1, 6–4 |
1949 | Sheila Summers | Thelma Long | 6–1, 6–1 |
1950 | Shirley Fry | Doris Hart | 4–6, 7–5, 6–3 |
1951 | Sheila Summers | Hazel Redick-Smith | 8–6, 2–6, 7–5 |
1952 | Doris Hart | Julia Wipplinger | 6–1, 7–5 |
1953 | Hazel Redick-Smith | Julia Wipplinger | 6–2, 6–2 |
1954 | Hazel Redick-Smith | Gwendy Love | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
1955 | Hazel Redick-Smith | Lucille van der Westhuizen | 6–4, 6–3 |
1956 | Dora Kilian | Gwendy Love | 4–6, 7–5, 6–4 |
1957 | Heather Brewer | Gwendy Love | 8–10, 6–2, 6–3 |
1958 | Bernice Carr | Heather Brewer-Segal | 3–6, 7–5, 6–4 |
1959 | Sandra Reynolds | Bernice Vukovich (Carr) | 6–0, 8–6 |
1960 | Bernice Vukovich | Sandra Reynolds | 6–1, 2–6, 12–10 |
1961 | Sandra Reynolds | Lynette Hutchings | 6–4, 7–5 |
1962 | Heather Brewer-Segal | Jean Forbes | 6–1, 7–5 |
1963 | Annette Van Zyl | Margaret Hunt | 6–4, 2–6, 6–3 |
1964 | Darlene Hard | Ann Haydon-Jones | 6–3, 7–5 |
1965 | Christine Truman | Annette Van Zyl | 6–2, 6–3 |
1966 | Billie Jean King | Margaret Court Smith | 6–3, 6–2 |
1967 | Billie Jean King | Maria Bueno | 7–5, 5–7, 6–2 |
1968 | Margaret Court Smith | Virginia Wade | 6–4, 6–4 |
1969 | Billie Jean King | Nancy Richey | 6–3, 6–4 |
1970 | Margaret Court | Billie Jean King | 6–4, 1–6, 6–3 |
1971 | Margaret Court | Evonne Goolagong | 6–3, 6–1 |
1972 | Evonne Goolagong | Virginia Wade | 4–6, 6–3, 6–0 |
1973 | Chris Evert | Evonne Goolagong | 6–3, 6–3 |
1974 | Kerry Melville | Dianne Fromholtz | 6–3, 7–5 |
1975 | Annette du Plooy (van Zyl) | Brigitte Cuypers | 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 |
1976 | Brigitte Cuypers | Laura DuPont | 6–7, 6–4, 6–1 |
1977 | Linky Boshoff | Brigitte Cuypers | 6–1, 6–4 |
1978 | Brigitte Cuypers | Linda Siegel | 6–1, 6–0 |
1979 | Brigitte Cuypers | Tanya Harford | 7–6, 6–2 |
1980 | Lesley Charles | Rene Uys | 7–5, 6–4 |
1981 | Kathy Horvath | Kathy Rinaldi | 7–6, 6–4 |
1982–1983 | Not Held | ||
1984 | Chris Evert-Lloyd | Andrea Jaeger | 6–3, 6–0 |
1985 | Not Held | ||
1986 | Dinky van Rensburg | Rene Mentz | 6–3, 6–1 |
1987 | Gretchen Magers | Leslie Allen | 6–7, 7–6, 6–4 |
1988–1989 | Not Held | ||
1990 | Amanda Coetzer | Dinky van Rensburg | 6-4, 6-4 |
1991–2011 | Not Held |
See also
List of South African Open men's singles champions