Eckerd Open

The Eckerd Open is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated women's tennis tournament founded in 1953 as a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament called the Masters Invitational tournament in St Augustine, Florida. In 1954 that event moved to Jacksonville, Florida until 1959. In 1960 the event moved to St Petersburg. It remained at the former location until 1974. After the combined event the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational finished in 1970. The women's event continued under various brand names and various locations in the Tampa Bay Area until it was abolished in 1990.

Eckerd Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Event name1953–1965 Masters Invitational (1953–65)
St Petersburg Masters (1966–70)
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg (1971–72)
St Petersburg Masters Invitational (1973)
Barnett Bank Masters (1974)
1977–1985 Florida Federal Open (1977–85)
Eckerd Open
TourWTA Tour (1977–90)
Founded1953; 71 years ago (1953)
Abolished1990; 34 years ago (1990)
LocationTampa Bay Area, Florida, U.S.
SurfaceClay (1971–74)
Hard (1977–86)
Clay (1987–90)

History

In 1953 Masters Invitational tournament was established at the St Augustine Tennis Club, St Augustine, Florida and played on outdoor clay courts. In 1954 the Masters event was moved to Jacksonville, Florida through till 1959. In 1959 it changed location to St Petersburg, Florida, where it remained under that brand name until 1965. In 1966 the tournament's name was changed to the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational until 1970 when the women's event became known as the Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg, the men's tournament continued under the same name until 1971 when it was discontinued. The tournament was part South Florida-Caribbean Circuit which was a major feature of the international tennis scene in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The women's event continued under brand name VS Masters of St Petersburg until 1973 when it was rebranded as the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational In 1974 a new sponsor was found and the event became known as the Barnett Bank Masters until 1974 when it was discontinued. In 1977 the tournament was revived as the Florida Federal Open until 1985, and in 1986 becoming the Eckerd Open until it was abolished. The tournament was played on outdoor clay courts from 1953 to 1974 and from 1987 to 1990. It was played on outdoor hard courts from 1977 to 1986.

The holding of men's tournaments in the Tampa Bay Area were not as consistent as the women's event in 1974 the former St Petersburg Masters Invitational was revived as the St. Petersburg WCT from 1974 to 1975 before that was discontinued. In 1981 a Tampa Open men's tournament held in Tampa, Florida through till 1983.

Locations

Played from 1953 to 1990 in various locations in the Tampa Bay Area, Florida in the United States. St Augustine, Florida from 1953 to 1954, then Jacksonville, Florida from 1955 to 1959, then it was held in St. Petersburg, Florida from 1960 to 1974, Palm Harbor, Florida in 1977, in Clearwater, Florida in 1978 and in Tampa, Florida from 1979 to 1990.

Event names

  • 1953–1965 Masters Invitational
  • 1966–1970 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
  • 1971–1972 Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
  • 1973 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
  • 1974 Barnett Bank Masters
  • 1977–1985 Florida Federal Open
  • 1986–1990 Eckerd Open

Results

Singles

For previous winners of this event see St. Petersburg Masters Invitational
YearChampionRunner-upScore
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971 Chris Evert Julie Heldman6–1, 6–2
1972 Nancy Gunter Chris Evert6–3, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973 Chris Evert Evonne Goolagong6–2, 0–6, 6–4
Barnett Bank Masters
1974 Chris Evert Kerry Reid6–0, 6–1
1975/1976Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977 Virginia Ruzici Laura duPont6–4, 4–6, 6–2
1978 Virginia Wade Anna-Maria Fernandez6–4, 7–6(7–1)
1979 Evonne Goolagong Cawley Virginia Wade6–0, 6–3
1980 Andrea Jaeger Tracy AustinWalkover
1981 Martina Navratilova Bettina Bunge5–7, 6–2, 6–0
1982 Chris Evert-Lloyd Andrea Jaeger3–6, 6–1, 6–4
1983 Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver6–3, 6–2
1984 Michelle Torres Carling Bassett6–1, 7–6
1985 Stephanie Rehe Gabriela Sabatini6–4, 6–7, 7–5
Eckerd Open
1986 Lori McNeil Zina Garrison2–6, 7–5, 6–2
1987 Chris Evert-Lloyd Kate Gompert6–3, 6–2
1988 Chris Evert Arantxa Sánchez Vicario7–6, 6–4
1989 Conchita Martínez Gabriela Sabatini6–3, 6–2
1990 Monica Seles Katerina Maleeva6–1, 6–0

Doubles

YearChampionRunner-upScore
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971 Françoise Dürr
Ann Haydon-Jones
Judy Tegart
Julie Heldman
7–6, 3–6, 6–3
1972 Karen Krantzcke
Wendy Overton
Judy Tegart
Françoise Dürr
7–5, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973 Chris Evert
Jeanne Evert
Evonne Goolagong
Janet Young
6–2, 7–6
Barnett Bank Masters
1974 Olga Morozova
Betty Stöve
Chris Evert
Evonne Goolagong
6–4, 6–2
1975/1976Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977 Delina Ann Boshoff
Ilana Kloss
Brigitte Cuypers
Marise Kruger
6–7, 6–2, 6–2
1978 Martina Navratilova
Anne Smith
Kerry Reid
Wendy Turnbull
7–6(7–4), 6–3
1979 Virginia Ruzici
Anne Smith
Ilana Kloss
Betty Ann Grubb Stuart
7–5, 4–6, 7–5
1980 Rosemary Casals
Candy Reynolds
Anne Smith
Paula Smith
7–6, 7–5
1981 Rosemary Casals
Wendy Turnbull
Martina Navratilova
Renáta Tomanová
6–3, 6–4
1982 Ann Kiyomura
Paula Smith
Mary-Lou Piatek
Wendy White
6–2, 6–4
1983 Martina Navratilova
Pam Shriver
Bonnie Gadusek
Wendy White
6–0, 6–1
1984 Carling Bassett
Elizabeth Sayers
Mary-Lou Piatek
Wendy White
6–4, 6–3
1985 Carling Bassett
Gabriela Sabatini
Lisa Bonder
Laura Arraya
6–0, 6–0
Eckerd Open
1986 Elise Burgin
Rosalyn Fairbank
Gigi Fernández
Kim Sands
7–5, 6–2
1987 Chris Evert-Lloyd
Wendy Turnbull
Elise Burgin
Rosalyn Fairbank
6–4, 6–3
1988 Terry Phelps
Raffaella Reggi
Cammy MacGregor
Cynthia MacGregor
6–2, 6–4
1989 Brenda Schultz
Andrea Temesvári
Elise Burgin
Rosalyn Fairbank
7–6, 6–4
1990 Mercedes Paz
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Sandra Cecchini
Laura Gildemeister
6–2, 6–0

See also

References