ACT Open

The ACT Open^[1] 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.^[2] The tournament was organised by the Canberra Lawn Tennis Association and first played at 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.^[3]

ACT Championships ACT Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Tour	ILTF Circuit
Founded	1929; 96 years ago (1929)
Abolished	1978; 47 years ago (1978)
Location	Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Venue	Manuka Tennis Courts (1942-69) Canberra Tennis Centre (1970-2008)
Surface	Hard

History

The Australian Capital Territory Championships the most important tennis championship held in the Australian Capital Territory, was inaugurated in 1929.^[4] However, the finals were not played.^[5] In 1930 the first open women's singles event was held along with the first men's singles final.^[2] The venue for the tournament for many years was the Canberra Lawn Tennis Association courts in the Manuka area of Canberra.^[2] The event was originally played on outdoor hard cement tennis courts.^[3]

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.^[2] In 1978 downgraded to a Satellite tournament.^[3] The tournament was not held from 1982 to 1984, and 1999 to 2003. It continued until 2006.^[3] Today the men's tournament has survived in one form or another and is known as the Canberra Tennis International,^[3] 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.^[2]

Finals

Men's singles

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