Fort Towson

The Connecticut Open was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts under various names and in various venues from 1948 until 2019.

It was most recently a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour, held annually at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, just before the fourth and last Grand Slam tournament of the year, the US Open.[1] From 2005 through 2010, the tournament was also part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour.

In 2019, the tournament sanction was sold to APG, a sports and entertainment company, which transferred it to Zhengzhou, China.[2]

History

The tournament was created in 1948 as the U.S. Women's Hardcourt Championships and first played in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Over the 20 years of its first run, the event was held in various locations in the western United States: San Francisco; Berkeley, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Washington; La Jolla, California; and Denver, Colorado. Among the winners of the event were Doris Hart, Darlene Hard, Nancy Richey, Rosemary Casals, Billie Jean King, and Jane Bartkowicz. The event was discontinued in 1969 after the beginning of the Open Era.[3]

In 1988, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) reinstated the tournament. The first edition of the new U.S. Women's Hardcourt Championships was held that year in San Antonio, Texas, first as part of Tier IV of the WTA Tour, then as an upgraded Tier III event in 1990. The championships were sponsored by Post Cereals in 1990[4] and by Acura from 1992 to 1994.[4] Over the first years of its second run, the tournament was won by several past or future World No. 1s, including Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and Martina Navratilova. The event was held in Stratton Mountain, Vermont, in 1993 and 1994, but conflicts with the 1996 Summer Olympics prevented the tournament from being held the following two years. In 1997, the event returned again, now within Tier II and first in Stone Mountain, Georgia, then settling in 1998 in New Haven, Connecticut, under the new sponsorship of Pilot Pen.[3] In the first years of its run in New Haven, the renamed Pilot Pen International saw its competition dominated by Lindsay Davenport (four-time runner-up in New Haven, one previous time in Stone Mountain, and 2005 champion) and Venus Williams (four-time champion from 1999 to 2002).

New Haven was already host to a men's tournament, the Pilot Pen International. It was created in 1973 in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, as the Volvo International, and moved to Connecticut in 1990, where it took Pilot Pen sponsorship in 1997. When the men's event was cancelled in 1999, the women's Pilot Pen tournament remained the only one of the region.

In 2005, the USTA purchased the men's tournament of Long Island, New York,[5] and merged it with the women's Pilot Pen International to create Pilot Pen Tennis, the first large joint ATPWTA tournament leading to the US Open.[6] The tournament became the last event of the US Open Series and continued to attract top players, including champions Caroline Wozniacki, Svetlana Kuznetsova, James Blake, Justine Henin, and Nikolay Davydenko.

In 2011, after the men's competition moved to Winston-Salem, the newly women's-only event was renamed the New Haven Open at Yale.[7] In 2014, it was renamed the Connecticut Open.[8]

In 2019, the Connecticut Open ended due to a lack of funding. The tournament's sanction was sold and assigned to Zhengzhou, China, after the 2019 US Open.[9] In 2021, the Tennis in the Land tournament in Cleveland took over its former spot on the WTA schedule.[10]

Past finals

Women's singles

Location Year Champion Runner-up Score
San Francisco 1948* United States Gussie Moran United States Virginia Wolfenden Kovacs 2–6, 6–1, 6–2
1949* United States Doris Hart United States Dorothy Head Knode 6–3, 6–4
Berkeley, California 1950* United States Patricia Canning Todd Romania Magda Rurac 6–2, 6–1
Salt Lake City 1951 United States Patricia Canning Todd (2) United States Anita Kanter 6–1, 6–4
Seattle 1952 United States Mary Arnold Prentiss United States Anita Kanter 6–1, 8–6
Salt Like City 1953 United States Anita Kanter United States Joan Merciadis 6–0, 6–4
1954 United States Beverly Baker Fleitz United States Barbara Green 6–1, 6–3
La Jolla, California 1955 United States Mimi Arnold United States Patricia Canning Todd 6–0, 6–0
1956 United States Nancy Chaffee Kiner United States Patricia Canning Todd 6–4, 5–7, 7–5
1957 United States Beverly Baker Fleitz (2) United States Mimi Arnold 6–1, 6–1
1958 United States Beverly Baker Fleitz (3) United States Karen Hantze 6–1, 8–6
Denver, Colorado 1959 South Africa Sandra Reynolds United States Beverly Baker Fleitz 6–3, 6–2
La Jolla, California 1960 United States Katherine D. Chabot United States Karen Hantze 4–6, 7–5, 7–5
1961 United States Nancy Richey United States Dorothy Head Knode 6–1, 6–1
Seattle 1962 United States Carol Hanks United States Marilyn Montgomery 7–5, 6–3
La Jolla, California 1963 United States Darlene Hard United States Tory Fretz 6–1, 8–6
Sacramento, California 1964 United States Kathleen Harter United States Kathy Blake 6–1, 6–0
1965 United States Rosemary Casals United States Kathleen Harter 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
La Jolla, California 1966 United States Billie Jean King United States Patti Hogan 7–5, 6–0
Sacramento, California 1967 United States Jane "Peaches" Bartkowicz United States Valerie Ziegenfuss 6–4, 6–4
La Jolla, California 1968 South Africa Maryna Godwin United States Janet Newberry 6–3, 8–6
Sacramento, California 1969 United States Eliza Pande United States Kristien Kemmer 7–5, 6–4
1970–
1987
Not held
San Antonio, Texas 1988 Germany Steffi Graf Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva 6–4, 6–1
1989 Germany Steffi Graf (2) United States Ann Henricksson 6–1, 6–4
1990 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles Switzerland Manuela Maleeva-Fragnière 6–4, 6–3
1991 Germany Steffi Graf (3) Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles 6–4, 6–3
1992 United States Martina Navratilova France Nathalie Tauziat 6–2, 6–1
Stratton Mountain, Vermont 1993 Spain Conchita Martínez United States Zina Garrison 6–3, 6–2
1994 Spain Conchita Martínez (2) Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
  1995 Not held
1996 Not held
Stone Mountain, Georgia 1997 United States Lindsay Davenport France Sandrine Testud 6–4, 6–1
New Haven, Connecticut 1998 Germany Steffi Graf (4) Czech Republic Jana Novotná 6–4, 6–1
1999 United States Venus Williams United States Lindsay Davenport 6–2, 7–5
2000 United States Venus Williams (2) United States Monica Seles 6–2, 6–4
2001 United States Venus Williams (3) United States Lindsay Davenport 7–6(8–6), 6–4
2002 United States Venus Williams (4) United States Lindsay Davenport 7–5, 6–0
2003 United States Jennifer Capriati United States Lindsay Davenport 6–2, 4–0 retired
2004 Russia Elena Bovina France Nathalie Dechy 6–2, 2–6, 7–5
2005 United States Lindsay Davenport (2) France Amélie Mauresmo 6–4, 6–4
2006 Belgium Justine Henin United States Lindsay Davenport 6–0, 1–0 retired
2007 Russia Svetlana Kuznetsova Hungary Ágnes Szávay 4–6, 3–0 retired
2008 Denmark Caroline Wozniacki Russia Anna Chakvetadze 3–6, 6–4, 6–1
2009 Denmark Caroline Wozniacki (2) Russia Elena Vesnina 6–2, 6–4
2010 Denmark Caroline Wozniacki (3) Russia Nadia Petrova 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
2011 Denmark Caroline Wozniacki (4) Czech Republic Petra Cetkovská 6–4, 6–1
2012 Czech Republic Petra Kvitová Russia Maria Kirilenko 7–6(11–9), 7–5
2013 Romania Simona Halep Czech Republic Petra Kvitová 6–2, 6–2
2014 Czech Republic Petra Kvitová (2) Slovakia Magdaléna Rybáriková 6–4, 6–2
2015 Czech Republic Petra Kvitová (3) Czech Republic Lucie Šafářová 6–7(6–8), 6–2, 6–2
2016 Poland Agnieszka Radwańska Ukraine Elina Svitolina 6–1, 7–6(7–3)
2017 Australia Daria Gavrilova Slovakia Dominika Cibulková 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
2018 Belarus Aryna Sabalenka Spain Carla Suárez Navarro 6–1, 6–4
  • From 1948 through 1950, the U.S. Women's Hardcourt Championships were a combined event with the Pacific Coast Championships.

Women's doubles

Location Year Champions Runners-up Score
New Haven 2018 Czech Republic Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková
Czech Republic Barbora Strýcová
Chinese Taipei Hsieh Su-wei
Germany Laura Siegemund
6–4, 6–7(7–9), [10–4]
2017 Canada Gabriela Dabrowski
China Xu Yifan
Australia Ashleigh Barty
Australia Casey Dellacqua
3–6, 6–3, [10–8]
2016 India Sania Mirza (3)
Romania Monica Niculescu
Ukraine Kateryna Bondarenko
Chinese Taipei Chuang Chia-jung
7–5, 6–4
2015 Germany Julia Görges
Czech Republic Lucie Hradecká
Chinese Taipei Chuang Chia-jung
China Liang Chen
6–3, 6–1
2014 Slovenia Andreja Klepač
Spain Sílvia Soler Espinosa
New Zealand Marina Erakovic
Spain Arantxa Parra Santonja
7–5, 4–6, [10–7]
2013 India Sania Mirza (2)
China Zheng Jie (2)
Spain Anabel Medina Garrigues
Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik
6–3, 6–4
2012 United States Liezel Huber
United States Lisa Raymond (4)
Czech Republic Andrea Hlaváčková
Czech Republic Lucie Hradecká
4–6, 6–0, [10–4]
2011 Chinese Taipei Chuang Chia-jung
Belarus Olga Govortsova
Italy Sara Errani
Italy Roberta Vinci
7–5, 6–2
2010 Czech Republic Květa Peschke
Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik
United States Bethanie Mattek-Sands
United States Meghann Shaughnessy
7–5, 6–0
2009 Spain Nuria Llagostera Vives
Spain María José Martínez Sánchez
Czech Republic Iveta Benešová
Czech Republic Lucie Hradecká
6–2, 7–5
2008 Czech Republic Květa Peschke
United States Lisa Raymond (3)
Romania Sorana Cîrstea
Romania Monica Niculescu
4–6, 7–5, [10–7]
2007 India Sania Mirza
Italy Mara Santangelo
Zimbabwe Cara Black
United States Liezel Huber
6–1, 6–2
2006 China Yan Zi
China Zheng Jie
United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Samantha Stosur
6–4, 6–2
2005 United States Lisa Raymond (2)
Australia Samantha Stosur
Argentina Gisela Dulko
Russia Maria Kirilenko
6–2, 6–7(1–7), 6–1
2004 Russia Nadia Petrova
United States Meghann Shaughnessy
United States Martina Navratilova
United States Lisa Raymond
6–1, 1–6, 7–6(7–4)
2003 Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez
Australia Alicia Molik
Spain Magüi Serna
7–6(8–6), 6–3
2002 Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Italy Tathiana Garbin
Slovakia Janette Husárová
7–6, 1–6, 7–5
2001 Zimbabwe Cara Black
Russia Elena Likhovtseva
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Jelena Dokić
Russia Nadia Petrova
6–0, 3–6, 6–2
2000 France Julie Halard-Decugis
Japan Ai Sugiyama
Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez
6–4, 5–7, 6–2
1999 United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Rennae Stubbs
Russia Elena Likhovtseva
Czech Republic Jana Novotná
7–6(7–1), 6–2
1998 France Alexandra Fusai
France Nathalie Tauziat
South Africa Mariaan de Swardt
Czech Republic Jana Novotná
6–1, 6–0
Stone Mt. 1997 United States Nicole Arendt
Netherlands Manon Bollegraf
France Alexandra Fusai
France Nathalie Tauziat
6–7(5–7), 6–3, 6–2
  1996 Not held
1995 Not held
Stratton
Mountain
1994 Australia Elizabeth Sayers-Smylie (2)
United States Pam Shriver (3)
Spain Conchita Martínez
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
7–6(7–4), 2–6, 7–5
1993 Australia Elizabeth Sayers-Smylie
Czech Republic Helena Suková (2)
Switzerland Manuela Maleeva-Fragnière
Argentina Mercedes Paz
6–1, 6–2
San Antonio 1992 United States Martina Navratilova
United States Pam Shriver (2)
United States Patty Fendick
Czechoslovakia Andrea Strnadová
3–6, 6–2, 7–6(7–4)
1991 United States Patty Fendick
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles
Canada Jill Hetherington
United States Kathy Rinaldi
7–6(7–2), 6–2
1990 United States Kathy Jordan
Australia Elizabeth Sayers-Smylie
United States Gigi Fernández
United States Robin White
7–5, 7–5
1989 United States Katrina Adams
United States Pam Shriver
United States Patty Fendick
Canada Jill Hetherington
3–6, 6–1, 6–4
1988 United States Lori McNeil
Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
United States Gretchen Rush-Magers
6–3, 6–7(5–7), 6–2

Men's singles

Location Year Champions Runners-up Score
Long Island
(exhibition)
1981 United States Brian Teacher France Yannick Noah 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
1982 United States Gene Mayer United States Johan Kriek 6–2, 6–3
1983 United States Gene Mayer Switzerland Heinz Günthardt 6–7(9–11), 6–4, 6–0
1984 Czech Republic Ivan Lendl Ecuador Andrés Gómez 6–2, 6–4
1985 Czech Republic Ivan Lendl United States Jimmy Connors 6–1, 6–3
1986 Czech Republic Ivan Lendl United States John McEnroe 6–2, 6–4
1987 Sweden Jonas Svensson United States David Pate 7–6, 3–6, 6–3
1988 United States Andre Agassi France Yannick Noah 6–3, 0–6, 6–4
1989 Czech Republic Ivan Lendl Sweden Mikael Pernfors 4–6, 6–2, 6–4
Long Island 1990 Sweden Stefan Edberg Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Goran Ivanišević 7–6, 6–3
1991 Czech Republic Ivan Lendl Sweden Stefan Edberg 6–3, 6–2
1992 Czech Republic Petr Korda United States Ivan Lendl 6–2, 6–2
1993 Switzerland Marc Rosset United States Michael Chang 6–4, 3–6, 6–1
1994 Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov France Cédric Pioline 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
1995 Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov Netherlands Jan Siemerink 7–6(7–0), 6–2
1996 Ukraine Andrei Medvedev Czech Republic Martin Damm 7–5, 6–3
1997 Spain Carlos Moyá Australia Patrick Rafter 6–4, 7–6(7–1)
1998 Australia Patrick Rafter Spain Félix Mantilla 7–6(7–3), 6–2
1999 Sweden Magnus Norman Spain Àlex Corretja 7–6(7–4), 4–6, 6–3
2000 Sweden Magnus Norman Sweden Thomas Enqvist 6–3, 5–7, 7–5
2001 Germany Tommy Haas United States Pete Sampras 6–3, 3–6, 6–2
2002 Thailand Paradorn Srichaphan Argentina Juan Ignacio Chela 5–7, 6–2, 6–2
2003 Thailand Paradorn Srichaphan United States James Blake 6–2, 6–4
2004 Australia Lleyton Hewitt Peru Luis Horna 6–3, 6–1
New Haven 2005 United States James Blake Spain Feliciano López 3–6, 7–5, 6–1
2006 Russia Nikolay Davydenko Argentina Agustín Calleri 6–4, 6–3
2007 United States James Blake United States Mardy Fish 7–5, 6–4
2008 Croatia Marin Čilić United States Mardy Fish 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
2009 Spain Fernando Verdasco United States Sam Querrey 6–4, 7–6(8–6)
2010 Ukraine Sergiy Stakhovsky Uzbekistan Denis Istomin 3–6, 6–3, 6–4

Men's doubles

Location Year Champions Runners-up Score
Long Island 1990 France Guy Forget
Switzerland Jakob Hlasek
Germany Udo Riglewski
Germany Michael Stich
2–6, 6–3, 6–4
1991 Germany Eric Jelen
Germany Carl-Uwe Steeb
United States Doug Flach
Italy Diego Nargiso
0–6, 6–4, 7–6
1992 United States Francisco Montana
United States Greg Van Emburgh
Italy Gianluca Pozzi
Finland Olli Rahnasto
6–4, 6–2
1993 Germany Marc-Kevin Goellner
Germany David Prinosil
France Arnaud Boetsch
France Olivier Delaître
6–7, 7–5, 6–2
1994 France Olivier Delaître
France Guy Forget
Australia Andrew Florent
United Kingdom Mark Petchey
6–4, 7–6
1995 Czech Republic Cyril Suk
Czech Republic Daniel Vacek
United States Rick Leach
United States Scott Melville
5–7, 7–6, 7–6
1996 United States Luke Jensen
United States Murphy Jensen
Germany Hendrik Dreekmann
Russia Alexander Volkov
6–3, 7–6
1997 South Africa Marcos Ondruska
Germany David Prinosil
United States Mark Keil
United States T. J. Middleton
6–4, 6–4
1998 Spain Julian Alonso
Spain Javier Sánchez
United States Brandon Coupe
United States Dave Randall
6–4, 6–4
1999 France Olivier Delaître
France Fabrice Santoro
United States Jan-Michael Gambill
United States Scott Humphries
7–5, 6–4
2000 United States Jonathan Stark
Zimbabwe Kevin Ullyett
United States Jan-Michael Gambill
United States Scott Humphries
6–4, 6–4
2001 United States Jonathan Stark
Zimbabwe Kevin Ullyett
Czech Republic Leoš Friedl
Czech Republic Radek Štěpánek
6–1, 6–4
2002 India Mahesh Bhupathi
United States Mike Bryan
Czech Republic Petr Pála
Czech Republic Pavel Vízner
6–3, 6–4
2003 South Africa Robbie Koenig
Argentina Martín Rodríguez
Czech Republic Martin Damm
Czech Republic Cyril Suk
6–3, 7–6
2004 France Antony Dupuis
France Michaël Llodra
Switzerland Yves Allegro
Germany Michael Kohlmann
6–2, 6–4
New Haven 2005 Argentina Gastón Etlis
Argentina Martín Rodríguez
United States Rajeev Ram
United States Bobby Reynolds
6–4, 6–3
2006 Israel Jonathan Erlich
Israel Andy Ram
Poland Mariusz Fyrstenberg
Poland Marcin Matkowski
6–3, 6–3
2007 India Mahesh Bhupathi
Serbia Nenad Zimonjić
Poland Mariusz Fyrstenberg
Poland Marcin Matkowski
6–3, 6–3
2008 Brazil Marcelo Melo
Brazil André Sá
India Mahesh Bhupathi
The Bahamas Mark Knowles
7–5, 6–2
2009 Austria Julian Knowle
Austria Jürgen Melzer
Brazil Bruno Soares
Zimbabwe Kevin Ullyett
6–4, 7–6(7-3)
2010 Sweden Robert Lindstedt
Romania Horia Tecău
India Rohan Bopanna
Pakistan Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi
6–4, 7–5

2011 earthquake

On August 23, 2011, 1:51 PM local time[11] a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Virginia stopped play for two hours[12] while the main stadium was checked for damage by the fire department.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Connecticut Open | Connecticut Open". www.ctopen.org. Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved 2020-05-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ "Events". APG Sports Media. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  3. ^ a b pilotpentennis.com (2008-08-15). "2008 Pilot Pen Tennis Press Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-08-22.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b sonyericssonwtatour.com. "Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Final Results: 1971-2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
  5. ^ "USTA buys ATP event, moves it to New Haven". USA Today. Associated Press. 2005-05-09. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  6. ^ USTA (2005-05-10). "USTA purchases ATP men's tournament to create first combined summer event". Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
  7. ^ "Tennis tournament continues as New Haven Open at Yale". New Haven Open at Yale website. 2010-10-21. Archived from the original on 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  8. ^ "ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  9. ^ "Connecticut Open tennis tournament comes to an end after rights to tournament sold". Hartford Courant. 2019-02-01. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  10. ^ "Tennis in the Land brings WTA to Cleveland in August for first time". News-Herald. 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  11. ^ "Magnitude 5.8 – VIRGINIA". Virginia: USGS. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  12. ^ "Earthquake Causes Evacuation At New Haven Open". The Huffington Post. September 2, 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.

External links