Eckerd Open

Eckerd Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Event name	1953–1965 Masters Invitational (1953–65) St Petersburg Masters (1966–70) Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg (1971–72) St Petersburg Masters Invitational (1973) Barnett Bank Masters (1974) 1977–1985 Florida Federal Open (1977–85) Eckerd Open
Tour	WTA Tour (1977–90)
Founded	1953 (1953)
Abolished
Location	Tampa Bay Area, Florida, U.S.
Surface	Clay (1971–74) Hard (1977–86) Clay (1987–90)

The Eckerd Open is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated women's tennis tournament founded in 1953 as a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament called the Masters Invitational tournament in St Augustine, Florida. In 1954 that event moved to Jacksonville, Florida until 1959. In 1960 the event moved to St Petersburg. It remained at the former location until 1974. After the combined event the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational finished in 1970. The women's event continued under various brand names and various locations in the Tampa Bay Area until it was abolished in 1990.

History

In 1953 Masters Invitational tournament was established at the St Augustine Tennis Club, St Augustine, Florida and played on outdoor clay courts. In 1954 the Masters event was moved to Jacksonville, Florida through till 1959. In 1959 it changed location to St Petersburg, Florida, where it remained under that brand name until 1965. In 1966 the tournament's name was changed to the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational until 1970 when the women's event became known as the Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg, the men's tournament continued under the same name until 1971 when it was discontinued. The tournament was part South Florida-Caribbean Circuit which was a major feature of the international tennis scene in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The women's event continued under brand name VS Masters of St Petersburg until 1973 when it was rebranded as the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational In 1974 a new sponsor was found and the event became known as the Barnett Bank Masters until 1974 when it was discontinued. In 1977 the tournament was revived as the Florida Federal Open until 1985, and in 1986 becoming the Eckerd Open until it was abolished. The tournament was played on outdoor clay courts from 1953 to 1974 and from 1987 to 1990. It was played on outdoor hard courts from 1977 to 1986.

The holding of men's tournaments in the Tampa Bay Area were not as consistent as the women's event in 1974 the former St Petersburg Masters Invitational was revived as the St. Petersburg WCT from 1974 to 1975 before that was discontinued. In 1981 a Tampa Open men's tournament held in Tampa, Florida through till 1983.

Locations

Played from 1953 to 1990 in various locations in the Tampa Bay Area, Florida in the United States. St Augustine, Florida from 1953 to 1954, then Jacksonville, Florida from 1955 to 1959, then it was held in St. Petersburg, Florida from 1960 to 1974, Palm Harbor, Florida in 1977, in Clearwater, Florida in 1978 and in Tampa, Florida from 1979 to 1990.

Event names

• 1953–1965 Masters Invitational
• 1966–1970 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
• 1971–1972 Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
• 1973 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
• 1974 Barnett Bank Masters
• 1977–1985 Florida Federal Open
• 1986–1990 Eckerd Open

Results

Singles

For previous winners of this event see St. Petersburg Masters Invitational
Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert	Template:Flagicon Julie Heldman	6–1, 6–2
1972	Template:Flagicon Nancy Gunter	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert	6–3, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert	Template:Flagicon Evonne Goolagong	6–2, 0–6, 6–4
Barnett Bank Masters
1974	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert	Template:Flagicon Kerry Reid	6–0, 6–1
1975/1976	Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977	Template:Flagicon Virginia Ruzici	Template:Flagicon Laura duPont	6–4, 4–6, 6–2
1978	Template:Flagicon Virginia Wade	Template:Flagicon Anna-Maria Fernandez	6–4, 7–6(7–1)
1979	Template:Flagicon Evonne Goolagong Cawley	Template:Flagicon Virginia Wade	6–0, 6–3
1980	Template:Flagicon Andrea Jaeger	Template:Flagicon Tracy Austin	Walkover
1981	Template:Flagicon Martina Navratilova	Template:Flagicon Bettina Bunge	5–7, 6–2, 6–0
1982	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert-Lloyd	Template:Flagicon Andrea Jaeger	3–6, 6–1, 6–4
1983	Template:Flagicon Martina Navratilova	Template:Flagicon Pam Shriver	6–3, 6–2
1984	Template:Flagicon Michelle Torres	Template:Flagicon Carling Bassett	6–1, 7–6
1985	Template:Flagicon Stephanie Rehe	Template:Flagicon Gabriela Sabatini	6–4, 6–7, 7–5
Eckerd Open
1986	Template:Flagicon Lori McNeil	Template:Flagicon Zina Garrison	2–6, 7–5, 6–2
1987	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert-Lloyd	Template:Flagicon Kate Gompert	6–3, 6–2
1988	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert	Template:Flagicon Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	7–6, 6–4
1989	Template:Flagicon Conchita Martínez	Template:Flagicon Gabriela Sabatini	6–3, 6–2
1990	Template:Flagicon Monica Seles	Template:Flagicon Katerina Maleeva	6–1, 6–0

Doubles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971	Template:Flagicon Françoise Dürr Template:Flagicon Ann Haydon-Jones	Template:Flagicon Judy Tegart Template:Flagicon Julie Heldman	7–6, 3–6, 6–3
1972	Template:Flagicon Karen Krantzcke Template:Flagicon Wendy Overton	Template:Flagicon Judy Tegart Template:Flagicon Françoise Dürr	7–5, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert Template:Flagicon Jeanne Evert	Template:Flagicon Evonne Goolagong Template:Flagicon Janet Young	6–2, 7–6
Barnett Bank Masters
1974	Template:Flagicon Olga Morozova Template:Flagicon Betty Stöve	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert Template:Flagicon Evonne Goolagong	6–4, 6–2
1975/1976	Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977	Template:Flagicon Delina Ann Boshoff Template:Flagicon Ilana Kloss	Template:Flagicon Brigitte Cuypers Template:Flagicon Marise Kruger	6–7, 6–2, 6–2
1978	Template:Flagicon Martina Navratilova Template:Flagicon Anne Smith	Template:Flagicon Kerry Reid Template:Flagicon Wendy Turnbull	7–6(7–4), 6–3
1979	Template:Flagicon Virginia Ruzici Template:Flagicon Anne Smith	Template:Flagicon Ilana Kloss Template:Flagicon Betty Ann Grubb Stuart	7–5, 4–6, 7–5
1980	Template:Flagicon Rosemary Casals Template:Flagicon Candy Reynolds	Template:Flagicon Anne Smith Template:Flagicon Paula Smith	7–6, 7–5
1981	Template:Flagicon Rosemary Casals Template:Flagicon Wendy Turnbull	Template:Flagicon Martina Navratilova Template:Flagicon Renáta Tomanová	6–3, 6–4
1982	Template:Flagicon Ann Kiyomura Template:Flagicon Paula Smith	Template:Flagicon Mary-Lou Piatek Template:Flagicon Wendy White	6–2, 6–4
1983	Template:Flagicon Martina Navratilova Template:Flagicon Pam Shriver	Template:Flagicon Bonnie Gadusek Template:Flagicon Wendy White	6–0, 6–1
1984	Template:Flagicon Carling Bassett Template:Flagicon Elizabeth Sayers	Template:Flagicon Mary-Lou Piatek Template:Flagicon Wendy White	6–4, 6–3
1985	Template:Flagicon Carling Bassett Template:Flagicon Gabriela Sabatini	Template:Flagicon Lisa Bonder Template:Flagicon Laura Arraya	6–0, 6–0
Eckerd Open
1986	Template:Flagicon Elise Burgin Template:Flagicon Rosalyn Fairbank	Template:Flagicon Gigi Fernández Template:Flagicon Kim Sands	7–5, 6–2
1987	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert-Lloyd Template:Flagicon Wendy Turnbull	Template:Flagicon Elise Burgin Template:Flagicon Rosalyn Fairbank	6–4, 6–3
1988	Template:Flagicon Terry Phelps Template:Flagicon Raffaella Reggi	Template:Flagicon Cammy MacGregor Template:Flagicon Cynthia MacGregor	6–2, 6–4
1989	Template:Flagicon Brenda Schultz Template:Flagicon Andrea Temesvári	Template:Flagicon Elise Burgin Template:Flagicon Rosalyn Fairbank	7–6, 6–4
1990	Template:Flagicon Mercedes Paz Template:Flagicon Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	Template:Flagicon Sandra Cecchini Template:Flagicon Laura Gildemeister	6–2, 6–0

See also

• St. Petersburg WCT (for history of the men's tournament)
• Tampa Open – men's tournament (1981–1983) held in Tampa, Florida

External links

• WTA Results Archive