LA Women's Tennis Championships

LA Women's Tennis Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded1971
Abolished2009
Editions36
LocationLong Beach, California
Los Angeles, California
Manhattan Beach, California
Carson, California
United States
VenueHome Depot Center
CategoryPremier
SurfaceCarpet / indoor
Hard / outdoor
Draw56S / 32SQ / 16D
Prize moneyUS$700,000 (2009)

The LA Women's Tennis Championships was a Premier-level women's tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Carson, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The tournament was played on outdoor hard courts and a part of the US Open Series.

The tournament started out on the inaugural Virginia Slims Tour in Long Beach, California in 1971 by Jerry Diamond, one of the tour's organizers. In 1973, it moved to Los Angeles. The event was off the tour calendar for three years (1974–1976) when the season-ending championships were played in Los Angeles. The tournament was an indoor event until 1983, when it switched to outdoor hard courts in Manhattan Beach where it stayed for 20 years. IMG bought the event from Diamond in 1996.[1] The event was moved to its final location in Carson in 2003. It was acquired by its new landlord, AEG, in 2004.[2]

In 2009 AEG and USTA sold the tournament to Octagon, who moved the event to Carlsbad, California. It was renamed the Mercury Insurance Open.[3]

Past finals

Martina Navratilova a "Tennis Champion"
  • Martina Navratilova was the most successful player winning 8 singles titles.

Singles

Year Location Champion Runner-up Score Name
1971   Long Beach United States Billie Jean King United States Rosemary Casals 6–1, 6–2 Billie Jean King Invitational
1972   United States Rosemary Casals France Françoise Dürr 6–2, 6–7(4–5), 6–3 Independent Press-Telegram's
Women's Tennis Championships
1973 Los Angeles Australia Margaret Court United States Nancy Gunter 7–5, 6–7(1–5), 7–5 British Motor Cars Tournament
1974–76 Not held
1977   United States Chris Evert United States Martina Navratilova 6–2, 2–6, 6–1 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles
1978 United States Martina Navratilova United States Rosemary Casals 6–3, 6–2
1979 United States Chris Evert (2) United States Martina Navratilova 6–3, 6–4 Avon Championships of Los Angeles
1980 United States Martina Navratilova (2) United States Tracy Austin 6–2, 6–0
1981 United States Martina Navratilova (3) United States Andrea Jaeger 6–4, 6–0
1982 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mima Jaušovec West Germany Sylvia Hanika 6–2, 7–6(7–4)
1983 Manhattan Beach United States Martina Navratilova (4) United States Chris Evert 6–1, 6–3 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles (II)
1984 United States Chris Evert (3) Australia Wendy Turnbull 6–2, 6–3
1985 West Germany Claudia Kohde-Kilsch United States Pam Shriver 6–2, 6–4
1986 United States Martina Navratilova (5) United States Chris Evert 7–6(7–5), 6–3
1987 West Germany Steffi Graf United States Chris Evert 6–3, 6–4
1988 United States Chris Evert (4) Argentina Gabriela Sabatini 2–6, 6–1, 6–1
1989 United States Martina Navratilova (6) Argentina Gabriela Sabatini 6–0, 6–2
1990 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seleš United States Martina Navratilova 6–4, 3–6, 7–6(8–6)
1991 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seleš (2) Japan Kimiko Date 6–3, 6–1
1992 United States Martina Navratilova (7) Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seleš 6–4, 6–2
1993 United States Martina Navratilova (8) Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 7–5, 7–6(7–4)
1994 United States Amy Frazier United States Ann Grossman 6–1, 6–3
1995   Spain Conchita Martínez United States Chanda Rubin 4–6, 6–1, 6–3 Acura Classic
1996 United States Lindsay Davenport Germany Anke Huber 6–2, 6–3
1997 United States Monica Seles (3) United States Lindsay Davenport 5–7, 7–5, 6–4
1998 United States Lindsay Davenport (2) Switzerland Martina Hingis 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
1999 United States Serena Williams France Julie Halard-Decugis 6–1, 6–4
2000   United States Serena Williams (2) United States Lindsay Davenport 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–1) estyle.com Classic
2001 United States Lindsay Davenport (3) United States Monica Seleš 6–3, 7–5
2002   United States Chanda Rubin United States Lindsay Davenport 5–7, 7–6(7–5), 6–3 JPMorgan Chase Open
2003 Carson Belgium Kim Clijsters United States Lindsay Davenport 6–1, 3–6, 6–1
2004 United States Lindsay Davenport (4) United States Serena Williams 6–1, 6–3
2005 Belgium Kim Clijsters (2) Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová 6–4, 6–1
2006 Russia Elena Dementieva Serbia Jelena Janković 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
2007 Serbia Ana Ivanovic Russia Nadia Petrova 7–5, 6–4 East West Bank Classic 
2008 Russia Dinara Safina Italy Flavia Pennetta 6–4, 6–2
2009 Italy Flavia Pennetta  Australia Samantha Stosur 6–4, 6–3 LA Women's Tennis Championships
2010 Succeeded by San Diego Open

Doubles

Year Location Champion Runner-up Score Name
1971 Long Beach United States Rosemary Casals
United States Billie Jean King
France Françoise Dürr
United Kingdom Ann Haydon-Jones
7–5, 6–3 Billie Jean King Invitational
1972 United States Rosemary Casals (2)
United Kingdom Virginia Wade
Australia Helen Gourlay
Australia Karen Krantzcke
6–4, 5–7, 7–5 Independent Press-Telegram's
Women's Tennis Championships
1973 Los Angeles United States Rosemary Casals (3)
United States Julie Heldman
Australia Margaret Court
Australia Lesley Hunt
walkover British Motor Cars Tournament
1974–76 Not held
1977 United States Rosemary Casals (4)
United States Chris Evert
United States Martina Navratilova
Netherlands Betty Stöve
6–2, 6–4 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles
1978 Netherlands Betty Stöve
United Kingdom Virginia Wade (2)
South Africa Greer Stevens
United States Pam Teeguarden
6–3, 6–2
1979 United States Rosemary Casals (5)
United States Chris Evert (2)
United States Martina Navratilova
United States Anne Smith
6–4, 1–6, 6–3 Avon Championships of Los Angeles
1980 United States Rosemary Casals (6)
United States Martina Navratilova
United States Kathy Jordan
United States Anne Smith
7–6, 6–2
1981 United Kingdom Sue Barker
United States Ann Kiyomura
United States Marita Redondo
United States Peanut Louie
6–1, 4–6, 6–1
1982 United States Kathy Jordan
United States Anne Smith
United States Barbara Potter
United States Sharon Walsh
6–3, 7–5
1983 Manhattan Beach United States Martina Navratilova (2)
United States Pam Shriver
United States Betsy Nagelsen
Romania Virginia Ruzici
6–1, 6–0 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles (II)
1984 United States Chris Evert Lloyd (3)
Australia Wendy Turnbull
West Germany Bettina Bunge
West Germany Eva Pfaff
6–2, 6–4
1985 West Germany Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
Czechoslovakia Hana Mandlíková
Australia Wendy Turnbull
6–4, 6–2
1986 United States Martina Navratilova (3)
United States Pam Shriver (2)
West Germany Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
6–4, 6–3
1987 United States Martina Navratilova (4)
United States Pam Shriver (3)
United States Zina Garrison
United States Lori McNeil
6–3, 6–4
1988 United States Patty Fendick
Canada Jill Hetherington
United States Gigi Fernández
United States Robin White
7–6(7–2), 5–7, 6–4
1989 United States Martina Navratilova (5)
Australia Wendy Turnbull (2)
West Germany Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
United States Mary Joe Fernández
5-2 retired
1990 United States Gigi Fernández
Czechoslovakia Jana Novotná
Argentina Mercedes Paz
Argentina Gabriela Sabatini
6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1991 Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko
Soviet Union Natalia Zvereva
United States Gretchen Rush Magers
United States Robin White
6–1, 2–6, 6–2
1992 Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Czechoslovakia Helena Suková (2)
United States Zina Garrison
United States Pam Shriver
6–4, 6–2
1993 Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (2)
Czech Republic Helena Suková (3)
United States Gigi Fernández
Belarus Natalia Zvereva
7–6(7–3), 6–3
1994 France Julie Halard
France Nathalie Tauziat
Czech Republic Jana Novotná
United States Lisa Raymond
6–1, 0–6, 6–1
1995 United States Gigi Fernández (2)
Belarus Natasha Zvereva (2)
Argentina Gabriela Sabatini
Latvia Larisa Savchenko Neiland
7–5, 6–7(2–7), 7–5 Acura Classic
1996 United States Lindsay Davenport
Belarus Natasha Zvereva (3)
United States Amy Frazier
United States Kimberly Po
6–1, 6–4
1997 Indonesia Yayuk Basuki
Netherlands Caroline Vis
Latvia Larisa Savchenko Neiland
Czech Republic Helena Suková
7–6(9–7), 6–3
1998 Switzerland Martina Hingis
Belarus Natasha Zvereva (4)
Thailand Tamarine Tanasugarn
Ukraine Elena Tatarkova
6–4, 6–2
1999 Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (3)
Latvia Larisa Savchenko Neiland
United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Rennae Stubbs
6–2, 6–7(5–7), 6–0
2000 Belgium Els Callens
Belgium Dominique Monami Van Roost
United States Kimberly Po
France Anne-Gaëlle Sidot
6–2, 7–5 estyle.com Classic
2001 United States Kimberly Po-Messerli
France Nathalie Tauziat (2)
United States Nicole Arendt
Netherlands Caroline Vis
6–3, 7–5
2002  Belgium Kim Clijsters
Serbia and Montenegro Jelena Dokić
Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová
Japan Ai Sugiyama
6–2, 6–3 JPMorgan Chase Open
2003 Carson France Mary Pierce
Australia Rennae Stubbs
Russia Elena Bovina
Belgium Els Callens
6–3, 6–3
2004 Russia Nadia Petrova
United States Meghann Shaughnessy
Spain Conchita Martínez
Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
6–7(2–7), 6–4, 6–3
2005 Russia Elena Dementieva
Italy Flavia Pennetta
United States Angela Haynes
United States Bethanie Mattek
6–2, 6–4
2006 Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez
Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová
Japan Ai Sugiyama
6–3, 6–4
2007 Czech Republic Květa Hrdličková Peschke
Australia Rennae Stubbs (2)
Australia Alicia Molik
Italy Mara Santangelo
6–0, 6–1 East West Bank Classic
2008 Chinese Taipei Yung-jan Chan
Chinese Taipei Chia-Jung Chuang
Czech Republic Eva Hrdinová
Czech Republic Vladimíra Uhlířová
2–6, 7–5, (10-4)
2009 Chinese Taipei Chia-Jung Chuang (2)
China Yan Zi
Russia Maria Kirilenko
Poland Agnieszka Radwańska
6–0, 4–6, 10–7 LA Women's Tennis Championships
2010 Succeeded by San Diego Open

See also

References

  1. ^ "Estyle breaks tennis barrier". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  2. ^ Lisa Dillman (January 23, 2004). "AEG buys Carson event". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ Bill Dwyre (September 3, 2009). "Women's tennis tournament is moving away from Carson". Los Angeles Times.