Virginia Slims of Nashville
| Virginia Slims of Nashville | |
|---|---|
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Event name | Virginia Slims of Chattanooga (1971) Commercial Union Bank Classic (1973) Avon Futures of Nashville (1981) Avon Futures of Tennessee (1982) Ginny of Nashville (1983-84) Virginia Slims of Nashville (1988-91) |
| Tour | Virginia Slims Circuit (1970, 1973) Avon Futures Circuit (1981-82) Ginny Circuit (1983-84) Virginia Slims World Championship Series (1988-89) WTA Tour (1990–91) |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Abolished | 1991 |
| Editions | 9 |
| Surface | Hard / indoor (1971) Red Clay / outdoor (1973) Green Clay / outdoor (1981-82) Carpet / indoor (1983-84, 1988-91) |
The Virginia Slims of Nashville is a defunct WTA Tour tennis tournament first founded in 1971 as the Virginia Slims of Chattanooga and first played in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The tournament ran annually with breaks, name changes and court surface changes until 1991 when it was last played in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States.
History
[edit ]In February 1971 the Virginia Slims of Chattanooga event was founded, that event was played on indoor hard courts at the Manker Patten Tennis Center for one edition only.
In 1973 the event was revived at Nashville, Tennessee under a different official name the Nashville Classic it's sponsored name was the Commercial Union Bank Classic, and was played on outdoor red clay courts at the Centennial Park Tennis Center when it was discontinued again.
In 1981 after a break of eight years professional tour tennis returned to Nashville with the staging of the Avon Futures of Nashville tournament that was played at the Westside Racquet Club,[1] part of the Westside Athletic Club complex on outdoor green clay courts.
In 1982 it was rebranded as the Avon Futures of Tennessee and was part of the Avon Futures Circuit.
In 1983 the event was moved to the Maryland Farms Racquet Club,[2] in Brentwood, Tennessee
Also in 1983 the Ginny Satellite Circuit, replaced the Avon Futures Circuit, the previous event was then renamed as the Ginny of Nashville and was played indoors on hard Lykold courts until 1984 when it was stopped again.
In 1988 the event was revived as the Virginia Slims of Nashville as part of the Virginia Slims World Championship Series, and was played again at the Maryland Farms Racquet Club in Brentwood, Tennessee until 1989 as part of that circuit. In 1990 it be became a WTA Tour event until 1991.[3]
Finals
[edit ]Singles
[edit ]| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | United States Billie Jean King | United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones | 6–4, 6–1 |
| 1973 | Australia Margaret Court | United States Billie Jean King | 6–3, 4–6, 6–2 |
| 1974 – 1980 |
Not held | ||
| 1981 | United States Susan Leo | United States Kim Sands | 7–6, 6–3 |
| 1982 | West Germany Eva Pfaff | United States Leigh-Anne Thompson | 6–3, 7–5 |
| 1983 | United States Kathleen Horvath | Czechoslovakia Marcela Skuherská | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1984 [4] | United States Jenny Klitch | United States Pam Teeguarden | 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1985 – 1987 |
Not held | ||
| 1988 | United States Susan Sloane | United States Beverly Bowes | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1989 | Soviet Union Leila Meskhi | Canada Helen Kelesi | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1990 | Soviet Union Natalia Medvedeva | United States Susan Sloane | 6–3, 7–6(7–3) |
| 1991 | Belgium Sabine Appelmans | United States Katrina Adams | 6–2, 6–4 |
Doubles
[edit ]| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | France Françoise Dürr Netherlands Betty Stöve |
Australia Karen Krantzcke United States Janet Newberry |
6–4, 6–7, 6–1 |
| 1974 – 1982 |
Not held | ||
| 1983 | South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank United States Candy Reynolds |
United States Alycia Moulton United States Paula Smith |
6–4, 7–6 |
| 1984 | United States Sherry Acker United States Candy Reynolds |
United States Mary Lou Piatek United States Paula Smith |
5–7, 7–6, 7–6 |
| 1985 – 1987 |
Not held | ||
| 1988 | Australia Jenny Byrne Australia Janine Tremelling |
United States Elise Burgin South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank |
7–5, 6–7, 6–4 |
| 1989 | Netherlands Manon Bollegraf United States Meredith McGrath |
Soviet Union Natalia Medvedeva Soviet Union Leila Meskhi |
1–6, 7–6, 7–6 |
| 1990 | United States Kathy Jordan Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko Neiland |
Netherlands Brenda Schultz Netherlands Caroline Vis |
6–1, 6–2 |
| 1991 | United States Sandy Collins South Africa Elna Reinach |
Indonesia Yayuk Basuki Netherlands Caroline Vis |
5–7, 6–4, 7–6 |
Event names
[edit ]- Virginia Slims of Chattanooga (1971)
- Commercial Union Bank Classic (1973)
- Avon Futures of Nashville (1981)
- Avon Futures of Tennessee (1982)
- Ginny of Nashville (1983-84)
- Virginia Slims of Nashville (1988-91)
References
[edit ]- ^ Bakersfield Californian Newspaper Archive February 22, 1981 Page 31.
- ^ Avon Futures, Panama City News Herald Newspaper Archives. February 21, 1982 Page 46.
- ^ RESULTS PLUS – New York Times
- ^ Escanaba Daily Press NewspaperArchive January 9, 1984 Page 11.