The French Switzerland Championships or Championnats de Suisse romande was a men's and women's open international clay court tennis tournament founded in 1905. It was first staged at the Le Montreux Palace Lawn Tennis Club, Le Montreux Palace Hotel, Montreux, Switzerland. The championships ran until 1946.

History

The French Switzerland Championships were established in September 1905 and first played at the Tennis Club du Montreux Palace. In 1908 the event was moved to the Tennis Club de Montreux. During World War I the tournament was only held two times, then resuming fully in 1920. During World War II it was not held from 1939 to 1941, but resumed thereafter. Hosting of this event was shared between both venues, but the majority of time was played at the Montreux Lawn Tennis Club. The championships were discontinued in 1948.

Former winners of the men's singles title included; Robert Wallet, Roy Allen, Max Decugis, Anthony Wilding, Norman Brookes, Uberto De Morpurgo, Otto Froitzheim, Henry Mayes, Giorgio de Stefani, Hector Fisher, Gottfried von Cramm, Boris Maneff, Pierre Pellizza and Gianni Cucelli. Previous winners of the women's singles championship included; Aurea Farrington Edgington, Germaine Régnier Golding, Cilly Aussem, Ilse Friedleben, Lolette Payot, Hilde Krahwinkel, Alice Weiwers and Annelies Ullstein Bossi.

Tournament names

The tournament sometimes carried the title of the Montreux Palace Hotel Autumn Championships or Montreux Autumn Meeting.

Venues

The event was first held at the Le Montreux Palace Hotel in 1907 the following year in 1908 it was held at the Montreux Lawn Tennis Club founded in 1890, in the grounds of the Hôtel des Alpes-Grand Hôtel, Territet both venues held the event at various times.

Past finals

Men's singles

YearChampionRunner-upScore
1905France Robert WalletSwitzerland Pierre Gautier6-2, 6-1, 6-3
1907United Kingdom Roy AllenUnited States R. Norris Williams6-2, 6-0, 6-1
1908Austria-Hungary Curt von WesselyUnited States R. Norris Williams6-4, 9-7, 6-1
1909France Robert WalletUnited States R. Norris Williams4-6, 6-1, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5
1910West Germany Heinrich KleinschrothUnited States R. Norris Williams9-7, 7-5, 6-8, 6-8, 6-1
1911United States R. Norris WilliamsAustria Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten8-6, 11-9 rtd.
1912France Max DecugisFrance André Chancerei6-4, 6-2, 6-1
1913New Zealand Anthony WildingWest Germany Robert Kleinschroth6-1, 6-4, 6-2
1914Australia Norman BrookesWest Germany Ferdinand Uhi6-1, 6-2, 6-4
1915United Kingdom Mr. MarcelSwitzerland E. Lombroso6-4, 6-0, 6-2
1916Republic of Ireland Charles Henry MartinSwitzerland Louis Ammann6-0, 6-3, 6-4
1917-21No competition
1922France Jean Couiteas de FaucambergeGreece Augustos Zerlendis6-2, 3-6, 8-6, 6-4
1924Italy Uberto de MorpurgoSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Đorđe Dunđerski6-0, 6-4, 6-3
1925West Germany Otto FroitzheimWest Germany Oscar Kreuzer6-3, 6-3, 3-0 rtd.
1927Canada Henry MayesItaly Uberto de Morpurgo4-6, 3-6, 10-8, 7-5, 6-2
1928Denmark Axel PetersenJapan Tamino Abe6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2
1929Italy Giorgio de StefaniSwitzerland Hector Fisher6-3, 6-2, 6-1
1930France Emmanuel du PlaixSwitzerland Charles Aeschlimann6-2, 6-1, 6-0
1932Switzerland Hector FisherWest Germany Daniel Prenn6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
1933Germany Gottfried von CrammItaly Giorgio de Stefani6-4, 6-3, 0-6, 6-3
1934Austria Herbert KinzlSwitzerland Boris Maneff6-1, 10-8, 3-6, 6-3
1935Switzerland Boris ManeffSwitzerland Max Ellmer1-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-4
1936Italy Giorgio de StefaniSwitzerland Boris Maneff6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-8, 6-1
1937Switzerland Boris ManeffPoland Ernest Wittman9-7, 6-1
1938France André MerlinFrance Jacques Sanglier8-10, 6-4, 6-2
1940-41No competition
1942Switzerland Jost SpitzerFrance André Jacquemet6-3, 6-4, 6-4
1943Switzerland Jost SpitzerSwitzerland René Buser6-3, 6-2, 6-1
1944Switzerland Boris ManeffSwitzerland Paul Blondel6-1, 6-0, 6-1
1945France Pierre PellizzaSwitzerland René Buser6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5
1946Italy Giovanni CucelliItaly Marcello del Bello6-2, 9-7, 6-4

See also

  • Category:National and multi-national tennis tournaments