ACT Open

The ACT Open formally known as the Australian Capital Territory Open was a combined men's and women's hard court tennis tournament founded in 1929 as the ACT Championships or Australian Capital Territory Championships. The tournament was organised by the Canberra Lawn Tennis Association and first played at the Manuka Tennis Courts, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia It ran annually until 1968 as part of the ILTF Circuit, then part of the ILTF Independent Tour until 1977 when it was downgraded.

History

The Australian Capital Territory Championships the most important tennis championship held in the Australian Capital Territory, was inaugurated in 1929. However, the finals were not played. In 1930 the first open women's singles event was held along with the first men's singles final. The venue for the tournament for many years was the Canberra Lawn Tennis Association courts in the Manuka area of Canberra. The event was originally played on outdoor hard cement tennis courts.

With the onset of open tennis in 1968 this tournaments status began to decline. In 1969 following the start of the open era it became part of the ILTF Independent Tour (tournaments not aligned to the Grand Prix Circuit or WCT Circuit until 1977. In 1970 the tournament was moved from Manuka to the new Canberra Tennis Centre at Lyneham. In 1978 downgraded to a Satellite tournament. The tournament was not held from 1982 to 1984, and 1999 to 2003. It continued until 2006. Today the men's tournament has survived in one form or another and is known as the Canberra Tennis International, and women's event is known as the ACT Clay Court International.

The tournament was sponsored from 1970 until at least 1980 by Ampol, Patra Foods and W.D. and H.O. Wills.

Finals

Men's singles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1930	Stanley Gee	Roy Ayliffe	6-1, 6-1, 7-9, 6-4
1931	Roy Ayliffe	Sidney Bell	3-6, 6-0, 8-6
1932	A. Murray	Sidney Bell	6-4, 7-5
1933	Stanley Gee	James Nish	7-9, 7-5, 6-3
1934	David Chrystal	G. Fry	6-2, 4-6, 6-2
1935	David Chrystal	Reginald Bennett	6-1, 6-2
1936	David Chrystal	Bill Sidwell	6-2, 6-1
1937	Reginald Bennett	Sidney Bell	7-5, 6-1
1938	David Thompson	Fred Bennett	6-1, 6-2
1939	Reginald Bennett	Jim Bennett	2-6, 6-1, 11-9
1940-45	No competition
1946	Aubrey Brogan	Kevin Taylor	6-2, 6-2
1947	Reginald Bennett	Frank Pryor	6-3, 6-3
1948	Kevin Johnstone	Max Anderson	6-4, 6-4
1949	William Wallace	Reginald Bennett	6-2, 8-6
1950	William Wallace	Roy Felan	6-2, 4-6, 8-6
1951	Bill Sidwell	William Wallace	6-4, 6-1
1952	Don Candy	John O'Brien	6-2, 6-2
1953	George Worthington	Keith Pepper	6-2 6-2
1954	Warren Woodcock	Graham Regan	6-0, 6-1
1955	Roy Emerson	Warren Woodcock	6-0, 6-4
1956	Barry Phillips-Moore	Neil Gibson	6-2, 6-0
1957	Warren Woodcock	Ken Binns	6-4, 7-5
1958	Roy Emerson	Andres Gimeno	6-3, 10-8
1959	Neale Fraser	Bob Hewitt	6-2, 6-2
1960	Neale Fraser	Bob Hewitt	6-1, 6-4
1961	Bob Hewitt	John Newcombe	6-0, 1-6, 6-2
1962	Geoff Pollard	Michael Callaghan	1-6, 6-1, 6-1
1963	John Newcombe	Fred Stolle	6-3, 6-4
1964	Geoff Pollard	Dick Crealy	4-6, 6-1, 6-3
1965	Bill Bowrey	Geoff Pollard	6-4, 5-7, 6-4
1966	Doug Kelso	Bruce Larkham	6-0, 3-6, 9-7
1967	Bruce Larkham	Warren Jacques	6-1, 6-1
1968	Ray Ruffels	Dick Crealy	6-2, 6-2
1969	John Alexander	Bruce Larkham	6-1, 6-4
1970	Bruce Larkham	Geoff Pollard	5-7, 6-3, 7-5
1971	Bruce Larkham	Howard Humphries	6-7, 7-5, 6-2
1972	Bruce Larkham	Trevor Allan	7-6, 6-2
1973	Bruce Larkham	Michael Kenny	6-3, 6-3
1974	Chris Kachel	Michael Kenny	7-6, 6-3
1975	Peter Hawking	Phil Martin	6-4, 6-2
1976	Abandoned due to rain
1977	Phil Martin	Graham Wurtz	7-5, 6-3
1978	Pat Serret	Brett Edwards	6-3, 2-6, 6-4
1979	Eddie Myers	Phil Martin	6-4, 6-2
1980	Brett Edwards	Phil Martin	6-2, 6-4
1981	Charlie Fancutt	Terry Rocavert	6-4, 6-3

References

External links

• Image of the Manuka Tennis Courts in the early 1930s.