The West Hants Club
Encyclopedia
The West Hants Club is a sports and fitness club situated in just outside Bournemouth
, Dorset
in the south of England. The club is primarily a tennis
club but also incorporates a gym
, swimming pool
and squash
and racquetball
courts.
West Hants was opened in 1926 and two years later the club began hosting the British Hard Court Championships
, an event that was held there for 55 years until 1983. The club was also the site of the first 'open' tournament of the so-called Open Era
in 1968, where both professionals and amateurs could compete.
Between 1996 and 2000, the Bournemouth International men's singles and doubles events were played at the club.
. The event attracted a host of notable names over the 55 years it was held, including Virginia Wade
, Rod Laver
, Fred Perry
, Ken Rosewall
, Ann Jones
, Ilie Năstase
, Evonne Goolagong
and many more.
The club is also notable for having held the first 'open' event of tennis' Open Era
, a tournament that admitted both amateurs and professionals to compete. The Hardcourt Championships was one of 12 to be granted a privileged status as the host of professional tennis.
in 1996 and Albert Costa
in 1997 and 1998. Adrian Voinea
emerged victorious in 1999 before the tournament relocated to Brigton and was staged on hard courts.Greg Rusedski
was the most successful British player when he reached the semi-finals in 1997 losing to Carlos Moyá
.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
in the south of England. The club is primarily a tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
club but also incorporates a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
and squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
and racquetball
Racquetball
For other sports often called "paddleball", see Paddleball .Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court...
courts.
West Hants was opened in 1926 and two years later the club began hosting the British Hard Court Championships
British Hard Court Championships
The British Hard Court Championships is a defunct Grand Prix tennis and WTA Tour affiliated tennis tournament played from 1968 to 1983 and 1995 to 1996. It was held in Torquay before moving to the West Hants Tennis Club in Bournemouth in England in the United Kingdom from 1927 to 1983 and in 1995...
, an event that was held there for 55 years until 1983. The club was also the site of the first 'open' tournament of the so-called Open Era
Open era
Open era or Open Era may refer to:* Open Era , the period since 1968 where professionals can compete in Grand Slams* Glasnost era, the increased openness in the Soviet Union from the mid-1980s...
in 1968, where both professionals and amateurs could compete.
Between 1996 and 2000, the Bournemouth International men's singles and doubles events were played at the club.
British Hard Court Championships
In 1928, two years after the formation of the club, West Hants hosted the British Hard Court ChampionshipsBritish Hard Court Championships
The British Hard Court Championships is a defunct Grand Prix tennis and WTA Tour affiliated tennis tournament played from 1968 to 1983 and 1995 to 1996. It was held in Torquay before moving to the West Hants Tennis Club in Bournemouth in England in the United Kingdom from 1927 to 1983 and in 1995...
. The event attracted a host of notable names over the 55 years it was held, including Virginia Wade
Virginia Wade
Sarah Virginia Wade, OBE is a former English tennis player. She won three Grand Slam singles championships and four Grand Slam doubles championships. She won the women's singles championship at Wimbledon on 1 July 1977, in that tournament's centenary year, the last time any Briton has won a...
, Rod Laver
Rod Laver
Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970...
, Fred Perry
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row...
, Ken Rosewall
Ken Rosewall
Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam...
, Ann Jones
Ann Haydon-Jones
Ann Haydon-Jones Ann Haydon-Jones Ann Haydon-Jones (born Adrianne Shirley Haydon on 7 October 1938 in Birmingham, United Kingdom, is a former table tennis and lawn tennis champion...
, Ilie Năstase
Ilie Nastase
Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...
, Evonne Goolagong
Evonne Goolagong
Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley, AO, MBE is a former World No. 1 Australian female tennis player. She was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s, when she won 14 Grand Slam titles: seven in singles , six in women's doubles, and one in mixed doubles.-Early life:Goolagong is the...
and many more.
The club is also notable for having held the first 'open' event of tennis' Open Era
Open era
Open era or Open Era may refer to:* Open Era , the period since 1968 where professionals can compete in Grand Slams* Glasnost era, the increased openness in the Soviet Union from the mid-1980s...
, a tournament that admitted both amateurs and professionals to compete. The Hardcourt Championships was one of 12 to be granted a privileged status as the host of professional tennis.
Bournemouth International
West Hants hosted the men's tournaments at the Bournemouth International from 1996 to 2000, the only British event held on clay. The tournament was won by Albert CostaAlbert Costa
Albert Costa i Casals is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 2002.-Tennis career:...
in 1996 and Albert Costa
Albert Costa
Albert Costa i Casals is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 2002.-Tennis career:...
in 1997 and 1998. Adrian Voinea
Adrian Voinea
Adrian Voinea is a former Romanian tennis player who turned professional in 1993.The right-hander won one singles title . Voinea was born in Romania, but moved to Italy at age 15 because his older brother, Marian, was coaching there...
emerged victorious in 1999 before the tournament relocated to Brigton and was staged on hard courts.Greg Rusedski
Greg Rusedski
Gregory "Greg" Rusedski is a British Canadian former tennis player who turned professional in 1991 and played until his retirement on 7 April 2007, at the age of 33...
was the most successful British player when he reached the semi-finals in 1997 losing to Carlos Moyá
Carlos Moyá
Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland...
.