British Covered Court Championships Explained

The British Covered Court Championships (BCCC) was an indoor tennis event held from 1885 through 1971 and played in London, England. The tournament dates fluctuated between October and March.

History

For its first five years the tournament was held at the Hyde Park Lawn Tennis Club in Porchester Square, London and consisted only of a men's singles competition. In 1890, when it was decided to add a women's singles and men's doubles competition, the tournament moved to the Queen's Club in London, although the men's singles remained at Hyde Park until 1895.^[1] The mixed doubles event was added to the championships in 1898.^[2] A third court was added to the championships in 1912, and, like the original two courts, it had a wooden surface.^[3] In 1923, the Challenge Round system, allowing the champion to skip next year's competition and only play the winner of that competition, was abolished.^[4] In 1925, the tournament was merged with the London Covered Court Championships.^[5] The women's doubles event was added to the tournament in 1934 and renamed to The National Covered Court Championships.^[6] From its inception, it grew into an important event through the first half of the 20th century, but by the late 1950s, its stature had diminished greatly and in 1966, they couldn't find a sponsor. In 1968, the BCCC became part of the first Dewar Cup circuit, but that was its final year at Queens Club.^[7] In 1969, it merged with the Wembley Championship while continuing to be called the British Covered Court Championships, and it was an official ILTF Grand Prix event in 1970 and 1971. With several top players who were part of the World Championship Tennis circuit barred from competition in 1972 and no sponsors to be found, the tournament was discontinued.^[7]

Frenchman Jean Borotra is the male record holder with eleven singles titles and British Dorothea Douglass Chambers holds the record for women with seven singles titles.

Champions

Men's singles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score	Surface
1885			7–5, 6–3, 6–0	Wood
1886			6–2, 1–6, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4	Wood
1887		Teddy Williams	6–2, 6–2, 6–1	Wood
1888			6–3, 6–0, 6–1	Wood
1889			6–1, 6–1, 6–1	Wood
1890			6–2, 6–3, 6–2	Wood
1891			6–4, 8–6, 6–3	Wood
1892			6–3, 3–6, 6–1, 6–2	Wood
1893			6–2, 6–2, 6–4	Wood
1894			6–4, 6–4, 6–3	Wood
1895			walkover	Wood
1896			6–4, 6–1, 6–8, 4–6, 7–5	Wood
1897			6–3, 6–3, 7–5	Wood
1898			6–4, 7–5, 6–3	Wood
1899			6–2, 6–4, 6–8, 3–6, 6–4	Wood
1900			6–1, 7–5, 6–3	Wood
1901			6–3, 6–1, 6–1	Wood
1902			6–4, 6–3, 5–7, 6–3	Wood
1903			6–1, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2	Wood
1904			6–2, 8–10, 5–7, 6–4, 6–3	Wood
1905			6–1, 8–6, 6–2	Wood
1906			6–2, 6–4, 8–6	Wood
1907			walkover	Wood
1908			4–6, 8–6, 6–0, 8–6	Wood
1909			7–5, 8–6, 6–3	Wood
1910			6–4, 6–0, 6–1	Wood
1911			6–3, 7–5, 6–3	Wood
1912			3–6, 7–5, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4	Wood
1913			5–7, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2	Wood
1914			8–6, 6–3, 6–1	Wood
1915–1918	Not held (due to World War I)
1919			6–2, 6–3, 8–6	Wood
1920			6–4, 7–5, 6–2	Wood
1921			6–2, 6–4, 4–6, 0–6, 7–5	Wood
1922			4–6, 6–1, 6–8, 6–4, 6–2	Wood
1923			1–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–4	Wood
1924			6–2, 6–2, 4–6, 6–1	Wood
1925	Sydney Jacob[8]		3–6, 7–5, 6–0, 3–6, 6–3	Wood
1926			6–3, 6–2, 6–4	Wood
1927			6–4, 6–3, 6–4	Wood
1928			4–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–3	Wood
1929			7–5, 6–2, 6–2	Wood
1930			6–1, 0–6, 2–6, 6–2, 6–4	Wood
1931			10–8, 6–3, 0–6, 6–3	Wood
1932			6–2, 6–3, 6–3	Wood
1933 [9]			6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 1–6, 6–4	Wood
1934			6–2, 4–6, 6–0, 6–8, 6–2	Wood
1935			6–0, 6–2, 6–0	Wood
1936			8–6, 6–1, 9–7	Wood
1937			6–2, 3–6, 7–5, 6–2	Wood
1938			6–0, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2	Wood
1939–1946	Not held (due to World War II)
1947			3–6, 7–5, 7–5	Wood
1948			6–3, 6–3, 6–2	Wood
1949			6–4, 6–3, 6–3	Wood
1950			6–3, 6–2, 6–0	Wood
1951			6–4, 6–4, 6–1	Wood
1952			6–3, 6–4, 8–6	Wood
1953			6–2, 7–5, 6–2	Wood
1954			7–5, 7–5, 7–9, 6–4	Wood
1955			5–7, 7–5, 6–4, 9–7	Wood
1956			7–5, 7–5, 7–9, 6–4	Wood
1957	Not held
1958			5–7, 6–1, 6–2, 6–2	Wood
1959			6–3, 8–6, 6–2	Wood
1960			6–3, 6–4, 8–6	Wood
1961			6–1, 6–3, 6–3	Wood
1962			3–6, 6–3, 8–6, 2–6, 6–2	Wood
1963			16–14, 6–2, 9–7	Wood
1964			6–3, 8–6, 6–4	Wood
1965			6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4	Wood
1966–1967	Not held
Open era
1968			4–6, 6–2, 6–4, 10–8	Wood
			6–4, 6–1, 6–3	Carpet
			6–3, 6–4, 7–5	Carpet
1971			3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4	Carpet

Women's singles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score	Surface
1890			6–0, 6–1	Wood
1891			7–5, 6–2	Wood
1892			6–3, 3–6, 6–2	Wood
1893			6–2, 1–6, 7–5	Wood
1894			2–6, 6–4, 7–5	Wood
1895			6–4, 3–6, 6–1	Wood
1896			6–2, 3–6, 6–3	Wood
1897			9–11, 6–4, 12–10	Wood
1898			6–3, 2–6, 6–2	Wood
1899			6–2, 6–4	Wood
1900			2–6, 7–5, 6–4	Wood
1901			6–2, 6–3	Wood
1902			6–3, 6–1	Wood
1903			6–1, 6–0	Wood
1904			6–2, 6–3	Wood
1905			6–4, 8–6	Wood
1906			6–2, 6–0	Wood
1907			6–3, 6–3	Wood
1908			6–3, 6–3	Wood
1909			6–1, 6–3	Wood
1910			6–4, 6–3	Wood
1911			6–3, 6–1	Wood
1912			6–2, 6–0	Wood
1913			6–2, 6–3	Wood
1914			7–9, 6–1, 6–2	Wood
1915–1918	Not held
1919			6–3, 6–3	Wood
1920			6–4, 6–2	Wood
1921			6–1, 3–6, 6–4	Wood
1922			6–2, 6–1	Wood
1923			6–3, 6–2	Wood
1924			6–4, 6–4	Wood
1925			6–2, 7–5	Wood
1926			6–4, 6–2	Wood
1927			6–4, 6–0	Wood
1928			6–1, 6–2	Wood
1929			6–4, 6–4	Wood
1930			6–2, 6–2	Wood
1931			6–1, 6–0	Wood
1932			6–2, 6–4	Wood
1933			10–12, 6–1, 6–3	Wood
1934			6–3, 4–6, 6–2	Wood
1935			6–2, 6–2	Wood
1936			6–3, 6–0	Wood
1937			6–1, 6–2	Wood
1938			6–3, 4–6, 6–1	Wood
1939–1947	Not held
1948			1–6, 6–3, 7–5	Wood
1949			6–1, 6–0	Wood
1950			3–6, 7–5, 6–3	Wood
1951			6–4, 6–4	Wood
1952			6–3, 3–6, 6–3	Wood
1953			6–3, 6–2	Wood
1954			6–2, 6–3	Wood
1955			6–2, 6–4	Wood
1956			6–2, 6–2	Wood
1957	Not held
1958			6–2, 6–2	Wood
1959			6–2, 6–3	Wood
1960			7–5, retired	Wood
1961			2–6, 6–1, 6–4	Wood
1962			6–4, 4–6, 9–7	Wood
1963			4–6, 6–3, 6–3	Wood
1964			6–3, 6–3	Wood
1965			6–2, 6–1	Wood
1966–1967	Not held
Open era
1968			10–8, 6–1	Wood
1969			9–11, 6–2, 9–7	Carpet
1970			8–6, 3–6, 6–1	Carpet
1971			6–1, 5–7, 7–5	Carpet

Records

Men's singles

Source: ^[10]

• Most titles: Jean Borotra, 11
• Most consecutive titles: Jean Borotra, 6
• Most finals: Jean Borotra, 13
• Most consecutive finals: Jean Borotra, 9
• Most matches played: Major Ritchie, 83
• Most matches won: Jean Borotra, (67)
• Most consecutive match wins: Jean Borotra, 35
• Most editions played: Major Ritchie, 30
• Best match winning %: André Gobert 94.12%
• Longest final: Laurence Doherty v Major Ritchie, result: 6–2, 8–10, 5–7, 6–4, 6–3, 57 games, 1904
• Shortest final: Jean Borotra v Nigel Sharpe, result: 6–0, 6–2, 6–0, 20 games, 1935
• Title won with the fewest games lost, Ernest Wool Lewis, 22, 1887
• Oldest champion: Jean Borotra, 51y 1m and 28d, 1949
• Youngest champion: Edward Lake Williams, 19y 9m and 12d, 1886

See also

• British Hard Court Championships

Notes and References

1. Book: McKelvie, Roy. The Queen's Club Story, 1886-1986. 1986. Stanley Paul. London. 0091660602. 35.
2. McKelvie, p.36
3. McKelvie, pp.41,42
4. McKelvie, p.113
5. McKelvie, p.114
6. McKelvie, p.117
7. Book: The Encyclopedia of Tennis: 100 Years of Great Players and Events. 1974. Allen & Unwin. London. 0047960426. 209, 210. Max Robertson.
8. Web site: Jacob Family History . 2011-01-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000756/http://www.myjacobfamily.com/favershamjacobs/sydneymontaguejacob.htm . 2016-03-04 . dead .
9. Web site: Borotra's Tactics. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 127, 25 November 1933. 19 September 2016.
10. Web site: British Covered Court Championships Tournament Records. thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. 25 November 2017. Madrid, Spain.