The Southern California Championships also known as the Southern California Sectional Championships and later known as the Southern California Open was a men's and women's hard court tennis tournament from 1887 to 1979.^[1] It was held at various locations including Riverside (1887), then Santa Monica (1888–1903), then South Pasadena (1904), then Long Beach (1905–1920) and finally Los Angeles (1920–1979).

History

On 19 March 1887 the Southern California Lawn Tennis Association was formed with the Hon. James Bettner as its first president.^[2] The Southern California Championships were founded in March 1887 and first staged on asphalt courts at the Casa Blanca Club, Riverside, California.^[3][4][5] In August 1887 a second tournament was organized that was won by William Henry Young after which the event would be played in the last week of August.^[6] In 1888 the tournament moved to the Santa Monica Casino courts, where it remained until 1903.^[7] The tournament alternated between different locations throughout its run.

In 1968 at the start of the Open era it became an open event. The men's event remained known as the Southern California Championships until 1977 and was part of the Grand Prix Tennis circuit tour. The women's event continued as the Southern California Championships officially until 1979, but for sponsorship reasons was called the Virginia Slims of San Diego tournament for 1971 only. From 1979 to 1982 it was additionally known as the Wells Fargo Open for sponsorship reasons. Recently its been known as the Southern California Open

Locations

The tournament was staged in different cities for the duration of its run they included:

Finals

Men's singles

Included:^[16]

Year	Location	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1887	Riverside	William Henry Young	C. Trevelia	[17]
1887	Santa Monica	William Henry Young (2)	R. L. Bettner	[18]
1888		Robert Peyton Carter	William Henry Young	w.o.[19]
1889		Robert Peyton Carter (2)	A. Q. Twiss	6–3, 6–3, 6–3.[20]
1890		Robert Peyton Carter (3)	Kenneth (Ken) Carter	[21]
1891		Theodore Coulter	Robert Peyton Carter	w.o.[22]
1892		Robert Peyton Carter (4)	Theodore Coulter	w.o.[23]
1893		Robert Peyton Carter (5)	Martin A. Chase	6–0, 6–2, 7–5.[24]
1894		Robert Peyton Carter (6)	Arthur William Bumiller	6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 7–5
1895		Arthur William Bumiller	Robert Peyton Carter	w.o.
1896		Lewis Ransome Freeman	Arthur William Bumiller	6–3, 3–6, 6–0, 6–2
1897		Lewis Ransome Freeman (2)	John Cravens	6–1, 6–1, 6–3
1898		Lewis Ransome Freeman (3)	Oliver Richer	6–1, 3–6, 6–1, 6–1
1899		Sumner Hardy	Lewis Ransome Freeman	w.o.
1900		Alphonzo Bell Sr.	?	?
1901		Alphonzo Bell Sr. (2)	Reuben Gay Hunt	6–2, 6–1, 6–0
1902		Lewis Ransome Freeman (4)	Alphonzo Bell Sr.	6–3, 6–4, 6–2
1903		Alphonzo Bell Sr. (3)	Lewis Ransome Freeman	w.o.
1904	Pasadena	Eugene Overton	Alphonzo Bell Sr.	w.o.
1905	Los Angeles	Eugene Overton (2)	Robert Henry Fauntleroy Variel jr	6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 6–2
1906		Harold Hyde Braly Sr.	Nathaniel Borrodaille (Nat) Browne	7–5, 0–6, 6–4, 6–3
1907		Melville H. Long
1908	Long Beach	Tom Bundy	Melville H. Long	w.o.
1909		Wynn Mace	Tom Bundy	w.o.
1910		Wynn Mace (2)	Nathaniel Borrodaille (Nat) Browne	10–8, 4–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–4
1911		Henry Ward Dawson	Wynn Mace	6–0, 6–1, 2–6, 6–2
1912		Paul Hardeman	William Amos Horrell	6–4, 6–2, 6–4
1913		Tom Bundy (2)	Willis Davis	6–1, 4–6, 12–10, 6–4
1914		Henry Ward Dawson	Alphonzo Bell Sr.	6–0, 6–2
1915		Roland Roberts	Tom Bundy	3–6, 3–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–3
1919	Los Angeles	Howard Kinsey	?	?
1920	Los Angeles	Robert Kinsey	Harvey Burton Snodgrass	6–4, 6–1, 6–4
1921	Los Angeles	Henry Parker	?	?
1922	Los Angeles	Harvey Snodgrass	Clifton Bradford Herd	6–3, 6–4, 6–2
1923	Los Angeles	Manuel Alonso Areizaga	Ray Casey	7–5, 6–4
1924	Los Angeles	Bill Tilden	Alfred H. Chapin Jr.	?
1925	Los Angeles	Alan Herrington	Craig Biddle	6–3, 6–2, 6–2
1926	Los Angeles	Benjamin Gorchakoff	?	?
1927	Los Angeles	Gerald Stratford	?	?
1928	Los Angeles	Ben Gorchakoff (2)	Clinton Herd	6–2, 6–3 [25]
1929	Los Angeles	John Doeg	Ben Gorchakoff	7–9, 6–4, 6–2, 6–2
1930	Los Angeles	Ellsworth Vines	Keith Gledhill	6–2, 6–2, 6–2
1931	Los Angeles	Ellsworth Vines (2)	Alan David Herrington	3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–1
1932	Los Angeles	Lester Stoefen	Jack Tidball	6–4, 6–3, 18–16 [26]
1933	Los Angeles	Gene Mako	Keith Gledhill	0–6, 6–1, 6–3, 5–7, 6–0
1934	Los Angeles	Jack Tidball	Elbert Raymond Lewis	3–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–4
1935	Los Angeles	Frank Shields	Gerald Porter Bartosh	6–4, 6–1, 6–0
1936	Los Angeles	Bobby Riggs	Charles Carr	6–4, 6–1, 7–5
1937	Los Angeles	Bobby Riggs (2)	Frank Shields	6–1, 7–5, 6–2
1938	Los Angeles	Joe Hunt	Jack Kramer	2–6, 6–2, 6–1, 7–5
1939	Los Angeles	Frank Parker	Gene Mako	w.o.
1940	Los Angeles	Ted Schroeder	Owen Anderson	2–6, 6–2, 7–5, 7–5
1941	Los Angeles	Frank Parker	Ted Schroeder	6–4, 6–2, 6–0
1942	Los Angeles	Jack Kramer	Frank Parker	6–2, 6–2, 11–9
1943	Los Angeles	Bob Falkenburg	George Druliner	6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2 [27]
1944	Los Angeles	Jack Kramer (2)	Frank Parker	8–6, 8–6, 6–3
1945	Los Angeles	Elwood Cooke	William Reedy	6–2, 3–6, 6–0 [28]
1946	Los Angeles	Jack Kramer (3)	Frank Parker	8–6, 6–1, 9–7
1947	Los Angeles	Jack Kramer (4)	Frank Parker	4–6, 2–6, 11–9, 6–2, 7–5
1948	Los Angeles	Ted Schroeder (2)	Bob Falkenburg	6–3, 3–6, 7–5, 12–10
1949	Los Angeles	Ted Schroeder (3)	Pancho Gonzales	6–1, 6–0, 6–2
1950	Los Angeles	Tom Brown	Bob Falkenburg	5–7, 6–1, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1951	Los Angeles	Art Larsen	Ted Schroeder	6–8, 7–5, 7–5, 6–3
1952	Los Angeles	Art Larsen (2)	Tom Brown	6–2, 6–4, 6–3
1953	Los Angeles	Tony Trabert	Art Larsen	6–3, 6–3, 6–3
1954	Los Angeles	Herbert Flam	Hugh Stewart	6–1, 4–6, 6–1, 9–7
1955	Los Angeles	Tony Trabert (2)	Gilbert Shea	6–1, 6–1, 7–5
1956	Los Angeles	Gilbert Shea	Michael Green	6–1, 8–6, 2–6, 6–2
1957	Los Angeles	Alex Olmedo	Herbert Flam	6–1, 6–3
1958	Los Angeles	Herbert Flam	Alex Olmedo	8–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–3
1959	Los Angeles	Mike Franks	Alex Olmedo	6–4, 3–6, 0–6, 12–10, 7–5
1960	Los Angeles	Dennis Ralston	Rafael Osuna	6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1961	Los Angeles	Luis Alberto Ayala	Allen Fox	9–7, 3–6, 3–6, 7–5, 8–6
1962	Los Angeles	Rafael Osuna	Allen Fox	6–2, 5–7, 8–6, 6–2
1963	Los Angeles	Dennis Ralston (2)	Rafael Osuna	6–3, 6–4, 6–4
1964	Los Angeles	Dennis Ralston (3)	Arthur Ashe	6–3, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4
1965	Los Angeles	Dennis Ralston (4)	Arthur Ashe	8–6, 6–2
1966	Los Angeles	Arthur Ashe	Stan Smith	6–4, 6–2
1967	Los Angeles	Stan Smith	Allen Fox	7–5, 13-11
1968	Los Angeles	Stan Smith (2)	Dick Leach	6–3, 6–4
1969	Los Angeles	Stan Smith (3)	Bob Lutz	6–3, 6–4
1970	Los Angeles	Erik van Dillen	Allen Fox	6–2, 6–1
1971	Los Angeles	Pancho Gonzales	Jimmy Connors	3–6, 6–3, 6–3.[29]
1972	Los Angeles	Pancho Gonzales (2)	Alex Olmedo	6–3, 6–2
1973	Los Angeles	Bob Kreiss	Jeff Austin	7–6, 1–6, 7–6
1974	Los Angeles	Billy Martin	Gene Malin	7–6, 6–3
1975	Los Angeles	Brian Teacher	Joao Soares	6–2, 6–4
1976	Los Angeles	Charles (Buzz) Strode	Eliot Teltscher	6–0, 7–6
1977	Los Angeles	Raúl Ramírez	Brian Gottfried	7–5, 3–6, 6–4

See also

• Pacific Southwest Championships – tournament held in Los Angeles from 1927 through 2012.

References

Sources

• Ingersoll, Luther A. (1908). "XI: Outdoor Past Times". Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities: prefaced with a brief history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County, 1542 to 1908. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County CA Archives.
• Los Angeles Herald, Volume 42, Number 128, 17 August 1894: Center for Biographical Studies and Research: California Digital Newspapers Collection.
• Yeoman's, Patricia Henry (1987). Southern California Tennis Champions Centennial, 1887-1987: Documents & Anecdotes. Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games. ISBN 9780960662807.