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Eckerd Open

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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)

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.

History

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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

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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

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  • 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

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Singles

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For previous winners of this event see St. Petersburg Masters Invitational
Year Champion Runner-up Score
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971 United States Chris Evert United States Julie Heldman 6–1, 6–2
1972 United States Nancy Gunter United States Chris Evert 6–3, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973 United States Chris Evert Australia Evonne Goolagong 6–2, 0–6, 6–4
Barnett Bank Masters
1974 United States Chris Evert Australia Kerry Reid 6–0, 6–1
1975/1976 Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977 Romania Virginia Ruzici United States Laura duPont 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
1978 United Kingdom Virginia Wade United States Anna-Maria Fernandez 6–4, 7–6(7–1)
1979 Australia Evonne Goolagong Cawley United Kingdom Virginia Wade 6–0, 6–3
1980 United States Andrea Jaeger United States Tracy Austin Walkover
1981 United States Martina Navratilova West Germany Bettina Bunge 5–7, 6–2, 6–0
1982 United States Chris Evert-Lloyd United States Andrea Jaeger 3–6, 6–1, 6–4
1983 United States Martina Navratilova United States Pam Shriver 6–3, 6–2
1984 United States Michelle Torres Canada Carling Bassett 6–1, 7–6
1985 United States Stephanie Rehe Argentina Gabriela Sabatini 6–4, 6–7, 7–5
Eckerd Open
1986 United States Lori McNeil United States Zina Garrison 2–6, 7–5, 6–2
1987 United States Chris Evert-Lloyd United States Kate Gompert 6–3, 6–2
1988 United States Chris Evert Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 7–6, 6–4
1989 Spain Conchita Martínez Argentina Gabriela Sabatini 6–3, 6–2
1990 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva 6–1, 6–0

Doubles

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

See also

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References

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