Virginia Slims of Fort Lauderdale

The Virginia Slims of Fort Lauderdale is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated women's tennis tournament founded in 1946 as a combined men's and women's event called the Austin Smith Championships that was part of the ILTF Circuit.^[1] The tournament played at the Fort Lauderdale Tennis Club^[2] from 1946 to 1974. It was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the United States and played on outdoor clay courts.

Virginia Slims of Fort Lauderdale
Defunct tennis tournament
Event name	Austin Smith Championships (1946–68) (combined) Austin Smith Championships (1969–70) (men) WLOD Invitational (1969) (women) WLOD International (1970) Fort Lauderdale Invitation (1971) S&H Green Stamp Classic (1972–73) Virginia Slims of Fort Lauderdale (1974)
Tour	ILTF Caribbean Circuit (1946–1970) WTA Tour (1971–74)
Founded	1946
Abolished	1974
Editions	28
Location	Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Venue	Fort Lauderdale Tennis Club Pompano Beach Tennis Center
Surface	Clay (1971–74)

History

The Austin Smith Championships^[3] were a combined men's and women's clay court tournament first established in 1946.^[1] The event was always played on outdoor clay courts at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. In 1969 the men's tournament continued under its original brand name, whilst the women's event was renamed as the WLOD Invitational.^[1] In 1970 the combined event was discontinued as the men's tournament was dropped from the schedule.^[1] In 1970 the women's tournament was branded as the WLOD International. In 1971 two versions of the tournament one in January the WLOD Invitational^[4] and one in February the Fort Lauderdale Invitation. In 1972 the women's tournament was renamed as the S&H Green Stamp Classic for sponsorship reasons as part of the Virginia Slims Circuit until 1973. In 1974 the last edition the tournament was just branded as the Virginia Slims of Fort Lauderdale.

Finals

Men's singles

(incomplete roll)

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1949[1]	Gardnar Mulloy	Gardner Larned	2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 4–6, 9–7
1950[1]	Gardnar Mulloy (2)	Herbert Behrens[5]	4–6, 6–4, 5–7, 6–0, 6-3
1951[6]	Sidney Schwartz	Donald Kaiser[7]	6–2, 6–4, 6–1
1952[1]	Gardnar Mulloy (3)	Sidney Schwartz	6–2, 6–1, 6–2
1953[1]	Gardnar Mulloy (4)	Tony Vincent	6–0, 1–6, 6–1, 6–1
1954[1]	Gardnar Mulloy (5)	Lorne Main	6–4, 6–3, 6–0
1955[1]	Eddie Moylan	Johann Kupferburger	6–2, 6–1, 6–4
1956[1]	Jerry Moss	Allen Quay	15–13, 4–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4
1957[1]	Reyno Summers[8]	Pete Pressinger	4–6, 5–7, 6–2, 6–2, 6–1
1958[1]	Gardnar Mulloy (6)	John W. Frost	1–6, 6–1, 6–1, 6–4
1959[1]	John Powless	Birger Folke	8–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–1
1960[1]	Don Candy	Eduardo Zuleta	8–6, 9–7
1961[1]	Gardnar Mulloy (7)	Miguel Olvera	8–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1962[1]	Gardnar Mulloy(8)	Carlos Fernandes	1–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–1
1963[1]	Ed Rubinoff	Thomaz Koch	4–6, 11–3, 8–6, 7–5, 6–2
1964[1]	Eduardo Zuleta	Gardnar Mulloy	5–7, 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–3
1965[1]	Frank Froehling	Billy Higgins	6–4, 6–2, 6–1
1966[1]	Frank Froehling (2)	Mike Belkin	6–4, 6–1
1967[1]	Frank Froehling (3)	Jaime Fillol	6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3
1968[1]	Frank Froehling (4)	Pancho Guzmán	1–6, 9–11, 6–2 ret.
↓  Open era  ↓
1969[1]	Pat Cramer	Jaime Fillol	6–2, 11–9
1970[1]	Cliff Richey	Clark Graebner	6–3, 7–5

Women's singles

(incomplete roll):Two editions of the tournament was held in 1971 * in January and ** in February.

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1946	Doris Hart	Virginia Kovacs	6–0, 6–1
1948	Magda Rurac	Laura Lou Jahn	6–0, 6–2
1949	Helen Rihbany	Virginia Lee Boyer[9]	6-2 6-1
1950	Laura Lou Jahn	Rhoda Hopkins Root	6–8, 6–3, 6–3
1951	Laura Lou Jahn (2)	Nancy Morrison	6–2, 4–6, 7–5
1952	Magda Rurac (2)	Laura Lou Jahn Kunnen [10]	6–1, 6–3
1953	Doris Hart (2)	Alicia Wright	6–0, 6–2
1954	Laura Lou Jahn Kunnen (3)	Hanna Kozeluhova Sladek	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
1955	Karol Fageros	Marilyn Stock	6–2, 6–2
1956	Marilyn Stock	Lois Miller Osten	6–0, 6–3
1957	Maria Bueno	Martha Hernández	6–2, 6–1
1958	Maria Bueno (2)	Janet Hopps	1–6, 6–4, 6–4
1959	Karol Fageros (2)	Marie Martin	6–4, 6–3
1960	Ann Barclay	Margaret Babbitt	6–1, 6–1
1961	Mary Habicht	Kay Hubbell	1–6, 6–4, 6–0
1962	Margaret Hellyer	Stephanie DeFina	6–4, 6–3
1963	Stephanie DeFina	Carol Hanks	6–2, 5–7, 10–8
1964	Stephanie DeFina (2)	Frances Farrar	6–3, 6–0
1965	Trudy Groenman	Ellie Krocke	6–4, 6–3
1966	Stephanie DeFina (3)	Peachy Kellmeyer	5–7, 7–5, 6–2
1967	Stephanie DeFina (4)	Peachy Kellmeyer	6–2, 6–1
1968	Faye Urban	Alice Tym	6–2, 6–1
↓  Open era  ↓
1969	Julie Heldman	Virginia Wade	6–1, 6–4
1970 *	Nancy Richey	Peaches Bartkowicz	6–3, 6–0
1970 **	Chris Evert	Laurie Fleming	6–2, 6–1
1971[11]	Françoise Dürr	Billie Jean King	6–3, 3–6, 6–3
1972	Chris Evert (2)	Billie Jean King	6–1, 6–0
1973	Chris Evert (3)	Virginia Wade	6–1, 6–2
1974	Chris Evert (4)	Kerry Reid	Walkover

Women's doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1972	Judy Tegart Françoise Dürr	Nancy Richey Virginia Wade	6–3, 6–2
1973	Gail Sherriff Virginia Wade	Evonne Goolagong Janet Young	4–6, 6–3, 6–2
1974	Françoise Dürr Betty Stöve	Patti Hogan Sharon Walsh	6–3, 6–2

Event names

• Austin Smith Championships (1946–1968) (Combined men's & women's event)
• Austin Smith Championships (1969–1970) (men's event)
• WLOD Invitational (1969–1971) (women's event)
• Fort Lauderdale Invitation (1971 women's event 2nd meeting)
• S&H Green Stamp Classic (1972–1973)
• Virginia Slims of Fort Lauderdale (1974)

See also

• 1973 Virginia Slims of Fort Lauderdale