Virginia Slims of Nashville

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Virginia Slims of Nashville
Defunct tennis tournament
Event nameVirginia Slims of Chattanooga (1971)
Commercial Union Bank Classic (1973)
Avon Futures of Nashville (1981)
Avon Futures of Tennessee (1982)
Ginny of Nashville (1983-84)
Virginia Slims of Nashville (1988-91)
TourVirginia Slims Circuit (1970, 1973)
Avon Futures Circuit (1981-82)
Ginny Circuit (1983-84)
Virginia Slims World Championship Series (1988-89)
WTA Tour (1990–91)
Founded1971
Abolished1991
Editions9
SurfaceHard / indoor (1971)
Red Clay / outdoor (1973)
Green Clay / outdoor (1981-82)
Carpet / indoor (1983-84, 1988-91)

The Virginia Slims of Nashville is a defunct WTA Tour tennis tournament first founded in 1971 as the Virginia Slims of Chattanooga and first played in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The tournament ran annually with breaks, name changes and court surface changes until 1991 when it was last played in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States.

History

In February 1971 the Virginia Slims of Chattanooga event was founded, that event was played on indoor hard courts at the Manker Patten Tennis Center for one edition only.

In 1973 the event was revived at Nashville, Tennessee under a different official name the Nashville Classic its sponsored name was the Commercial Union Bank Classic, and was played on outdoor red clay courts at the Centennial Park Tennis Center when it was discontinued again.

In 1981 after a break of eight years professional tour tennis returned to Nashville with the staging of the Avon Futures of Nashville tournament that was played at the Westside Racquet Club,[1] part of the Westside Athletic Club complex on outdoor green clay courts.

In 1982 it was rebranded as the Avon Futures of Tennessee and was part of the Avon Futures Circuit.

In 1983 the event was moved to the Maryland Farms Racquet Club,[2] in Brentwood, Tennessee

Also in 1983 the Ginny Satellite Circuit, replaced the Avon Futures Circuit, the previous event was then renamed as the Ginny of Nashville and was played indoors on hard Lykold courts until 1984 when it was stopped again.

In 1988 the event was revived as the Virginia Slims of Nashville as part of the Virginia Slims World Championship Series, and was played again at the Maryland Farms Racquet Club in Brentwood, Tennessee until 1989 as part of that circuit. In 1990 it be became a WTA Tour event until 1991.[3]

Finals

Singles

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1971United States Billie Jean KingUnited Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones6–4, 6–1
1973Australia Margaret CourtUnited States Billie Jean King6–3, 4–6, 6–2
1974

1980
Not held
1981United States Susan LeoUnited States Kim Sands7–6, 6–3
1982West Germany Eva PfaffUnited States Leigh-Anne Thompson6–3, 7–5
1983United States Kathleen HorvathCzechoslovakia Marcela Skuherská6–4, 6–3
1984 [4]United States Jenny KlitchUnited States Pam Teeguarden6–2, 6–1
1985

1987
Not held
1988United States Susan SloaneUnited States Beverly Bowes6–3, 6–2
1989Soviet Union Leila MeskhiCanada Helen Kelesi6–2, 6–3
1990Soviet Union Natalia MedvedevaUnited States Susan Sloane6–3, 7–6(7–3)
1991Belgium Sabine AppelmansUnited States Katrina Adams6–2, 6–4

Doubles

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1973France Françoise Dürr
Netherlands Betty Stöve
Australia Karen Krantzcke
United States Janet Newberry
6–4, 6–7, 6–1
1974

1982
Not held
1983South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
United States Candy Reynolds
United States Alycia Moulton
United States Paula Smith
6–4, 7–6
1984United States Sherry Acker
United States Candy Reynolds
United States Mary Lou Piatek
United States Paula Smith
5–7, 7–6, 7–6
1985

1987
Not held
1988Australia Jenny Byrne
Australia Janine Tremelling
United States Elise Burgin
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
7–5, 6–7(1–7), 6–4
1989Netherlands Manon Bollegraf
United States Meredith McGrath
Soviet Union Natalia Medvedeva
Soviet Union Leila Meskhi
1–6, 7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–4)
1990United States Kathy Jordan
Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko
Netherlands Brenda Schultz
Netherlands Caroline Vis
6–1, 6–2
1991United States Sandy Collins
South Africa Elna Reinach
Indonesia Yayuk Basuki
Netherlands Caroline Vis
5–7, 6–4, 7–6(9–7)

Event names

  • Virginia Slims of Chattanooga (1971)
  • Commercial Union Bank Classic (1973)
  • Avon Futures of Nashville (1981)
  • Avon Futures of Tennessee (1982)
  • Ginny of Nashville (1983–84)
  • Virginia Slims of Nashville (1988–91)

References

  1. Bakersfield Californian Newspaper Archive February 22, 1981 Page 31.
  2. Avon Futures, Panama City News Herald Newspaper Archives. February 21, 1982 Page 46.
  3. RESULTS PLUS – New York Times
  4. Escanaba Daily Press NewspaperArchive January 9, 1984 Page 11.