World Covered Court Championships

The World Covered Court Championships were part of a series of three major world championships sanctioned from 1913 to 1923 by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF).[1] The tournament was played indoors on wood floors, and its venue changed from year to year among several countries. While the World Grass Court Championships (Wimbledon) and World Hard Court Championships (WHCC) could justify their "world championship" titles, the WCCC had trouble attracting top players from outside Europe.[2] At an Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 16 March 1923 in Paris, France the ILTF issued the ‘Rules of Tennis’ that were adopted with public effect on 1 January 1924. The United States became an affiliated member of the ILTF. The World Championship title was also dropped at this meeting and a new category of Official Championship was created for events in Great Britain, France, USA and Australia – today’s Grand Slam events. The WCCC tournament was then disbanded by the ILTF.[3]

World Covered Court Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded1913
Abolished1923
Editions6
LocationVarious
SurfaceWood (indoor)

Locations and dates

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1919 World Covered Court Championships at 154. Rue Saussure

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Year Venue Date
1913   Royal Lawn Tennis Club, Stockholm 2–8 November
1914-18 No competition (due to World War I)
1919   Sporting Club de Paris, Paris 15–23 November
1920   Queen's Club, London 11–20 October
1921   Kjøbenhavns Boldklub, Copenhagen 2–10 April
1922   Palace Lawn Tennis Club, St. Moritz 16–25 February
1923   Palacio de la Industria, Barcelona 1–11 February

Finals

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Men's singles

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Year Champions Runners-up Score
1913   Anthony Wilding   Maurice Germot 5–7, 6–2, 6–3, 6–1
1914 No competition (due to World War I)
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919   Andre Gobert   Max Decugis 6–3, 6–2, 6–2
1920   Gordon Lowe   Walter Crawley 6–2, 6–3, 6–1
1921   William Laurentz   Alfred Beamish 6–2, 6–4, 6–2
1922   Henri Cochet   Jean Borotra 4–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–0
1923   Henri Cochet   Brian Gilbert 6–4, 7–5, 6–4

Women's singles

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Year Champions Runners-up Score
1913   Helen Aitchison   Kate Fenwick 6–4, 6–2
1914 No competition (due to World War I)
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919   Dorothy Holman   Germaine Golding 6–3, 6–4
1920   Winifred Beamish   Kitty McKane 6–2, 5–7, 9–7
1921   Elsebeth Brehm Jørgensen   Ebba Meyer 6–2, 6–4
1922   Germaine Golding   Jeanne Vaussard 6–2, 7–5
1923   Kitty McKane   Winifred Beamish 6–3, 4–6, 6–2

Men's doubles

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Year Champions Runners-up Score
1913   Max Decugis
  Maurice Germot
  Curt Bergmann
  Heinrich Kleinschroth
7–5, 2–6, 9–7, 6–3, 6–1
1914 No competition (due to World War I)
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919   Andre Gobert
  William Laurentz
  Nicolae Mișu
  H. Portlock
6–1, 6–0, 6–2
1920   Percival Davson
  Theodore Mavrogordato
  Alfred Beamish
  Frank Fisher
4–6, 10–8, 13–11, 3–6, 6–3
1921   Maurice Germot
  William Laurentz
  Paul Henriksen
  Erik Tegner
6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
1922   Henri Cochet
  Jean Borotra
  Charles Martin
  Armand Simon
2–6, 6–2, 6–1, 6–4
1923   Henri Cochet
  Jean Couiteas
  Leif Rovsing
  Erik Tegner
6–1, 6–1, 7–5

Women's doubles

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Year Champions Runners-up Score
1913 No women's doubles held
1914 No competition (due to World War I)
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919   Winifred Beamish
  Kitty McKane
  Dorothy Holman
  Phyllis Howkins
6–3, 6–4
1920   Winifred Beamish
  Kitty McKane
  Doris Craddock
  Irene Peacock
6–3, 7–5
1921   Elsebeth Brehm Jørgensen
  Ebba Meyer
  Vera Forum
  Jutta Steenberg
6–2, 4–6, 6–2
1922   Germaine Golding
  Jeanne Vaussard
  Yvonne Bourgeois
  Mme Canivet
walkover
1923   Winifred Beamish
  Kitty McKane
  Germaine Golding
  Jeanne Vaussard
6–1, 6–1

Mixed doubles

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Year Champions Runners-up Score
1913   Max Decugis
  Kate Fenwick
  Gunnar Setterwall
  Sigrid Fick
7–5, 12–10
1914 No competition (due to World War I)
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919   Max Decugis
  Winifred Beamish
  William Laurentz
  Germaine Golding
6–3, 6–3
1920   Frank Fisher
  Irene Peacock
  Stanley Doust
  Kitty McKane
walkover
1921   Erik Tegner
  Elsebeth Brehm
  Harald T. Waagepetersen
  Agnete Goldschmidt
6–2, 6–2
1922   Jean Borotra
  Germaine Golding
  Max Decugis
  Jeanne Vaussard
6–3, 6–4
1923   Walter Crawley
  Kitty McKane
  Brian Gilbert
  Winifred Beamish
4–6, 6–2, 6–3

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bensen, Clark (2013–2014). "The World Championships of 1913 to 1923: the Forgotten Majors" (PDF). tenniscollectors.org. Newport, RI, United States: Journal of The Tennis Collectors of America. p. 470. Retrieved 5 September 2018. Number 30
  2. ^ Robertson, Max. Jack Kramer (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Tennis: 100 Years of Great Players and Events. pp. 32–34.
  3. ^ "ITF: History". ITF Tennis. London, United Kingdom: International Tennis Federation. 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.