The Manchester Open previously known as the Northern Lawn Tennis Championships, the Northern Championships, the Northern Tennis Tournament and the Manchester Trophy was a grass court tennis tournament on the ATP Tour held at the Northern Lawn Tennis Club, in the Didsbury suburb of Manchester, Great Britain. The tournament had been held annually from 1880 to 2009.

Prior to the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913 it was considered by players and historians one of the four most important tennis tournaments to win.^[2][3][4] The others being Wimbledon, the U.S. National championships and the Irish Championships. Between 1970 and 1989 it was part of the men's Grand Prix tennis tour.

History

The first edition in July 1880 was held at the Broughton Cricket Club while the Kersal Cricket Ground staged the 1881 event.^[5][6] The 1882 edition was the first one to be held in Liverpool and saw the addition of the women's singles event, won by May Langrishe, as well as the women's and mixed doubles events. Prior to the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913 it was considered by players and historians one of the four most important tennis tournaments to win.^[7][8][9] the others being Wimbledon, the U.S. National championships and the Irish Championships. From its inception until 1927 the location of the tournament alternated between Manchester and Liverpool.^[10] Between 1970 and 1989 it was part of the men's Grand Prix Tennis Tour known throughout the 1980s as the Greater Manchester Grass Court Tennis Championships.^[11] In 1990 it became an ATP Tour event as part of the ATP International Series until 1994. In 1995 the tournament was moved to Nottingham and continued as an ATP World Series event. The current Manchester Trophy Challenger is part of the ATP Challenger Tour; throughout its history the event has been won by a number of Wimbledon champions such as Pete Sampras, who won his first grass court title there.^[12] The tournament ended in 2009.

Finals

Men's singles

Northern Championships
Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1880	Richard T. Richardson	Walter E. Fairlie	6–0, 6–3, 6–0
1881	Richard T. Richardson (2)	John Comber	6–1, 6–1, 6–0
1882	Richard T. Richardson (3)	Ernest Renshaw	6–1, 3–6, 5–7, 6–4, 11–9
1883	Herbert Wilberforce	Champion Russell	6–1, 3–6, 6–1, 6–0
1884	Donald C. Stewart	Herbert Wilberforce	5–7, 6–4, 6–4, 6–0
1885	James Dwight	Donald C. Stewart	6–2, 6–4, 6–4
1886	Harry Grove	James Dwight	6–4, 6–3, 6–1
1887	Harry Grove (2)	Grainger Chaytor	4–6, 6–2, 8–10, 6–4, 6–2
1888	Willoughby Hamilton	Harry Grove	6–1, 8–6, 6–1
1889	Willoughby Hamilton (2)	Harold Mahony	6–3, 3–6, 6–1, 6–2
1890	Joshua Pim	Willoughby Hamilton	2–6, 6–8, 7–5, 7–5, 6–3
1891	Joshua Pim (2)	Wilfred Baddeley	4–6, 8–6, 6–4, 7–5
1892	Joshua Pim (3)	Harry S. Barlow	4–6, 6–1, 6–4, 6–4
1893	Joshua Pim (4)	Harold Mahony	4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–2
1894	Wilfred Baddeley	Joshua Pim	4–6, 11–9, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
1895	Wilfred Baddeley (2)	Herbert Baddeley	6–8, 6–2, 6–4, 1–0 ret.
1896	Wilfred Baddeley (3)	Harold Mahony	6–1, 10–12, 7–5, 6–4
1897	Wilfred Baddeley (4)	Reginald Doherty	6–2, 7–5, 2–6, 6–0
1898	Laurence Doherty	Clarence Hobart	6–1, 6–1, 8–6
1899	Sydney H. Smith	Wilberforce Eaves	7–9, 6–3, 6–3, 8–6
1900	Sydney H. Smith (2)	Roy Allen	6–3, 6–8, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
1901	Sydney H. Smith (3)	Wilberforce Eaves	10–12, 7–5, 6–2, 6–4
1902	Sydney H. Smith (4)	Harold Mahony	7–5, 7–5, 3–6, 10–8
1903	Sydney H. Smith (5)	Xenophon Casdagli	6–1, 6–3, 6–2
1904	Sydney H. Smith (6)	Frank Riseley	6–2, 7–9, 2–6, 6–2, 6–2
1905	Sydney H. Smith (7)	Frank Riseley	walkover
1906	Frank Riseley	Sydney H. Smith	4–6, 7–5, 6–1, 6–3
1907	Norman Brookes	Xenophon Casdagli	6–0, 6–2
1908	Arthur W. Gore	James Cecil Parke	6–3, 4–6, 6–1, 6–8, 6–4
1909	Robert Powell	Theodore Mavrogordato	6–4, 6–1, 6–4
1910	Beals Wright	James Cecil Parke	divided title
1911	James Cecil Parke	Stanley N. Doust	7–5, 5–7, 6–1, 6–0
1912	James Cecil Parke (2)	Theodore Mavrogordato	6–3, 1–6, 6–3, 6–4
1913	James Cecil Parke (3)	Anthony Wilding	6–2, 7–5, 6–8, 2–6, 7–5
1914	Theodore Mavrogordato	Alfred Dunlop	9–7, 8–6, 6–2
1915/1918	Not held (due to world war one)
1919	James Cecil Parke (4)	George Dodd	0–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–0
1920	Theodore Mavrogordato (2)	Randolph Lycett	8–6, 6–2, 5–7, 3–0 ret.
1921	Randolph Lycett	Theodore Mavrogordato	8–6, 2–6, 6–4, 1–6, 6–4
1922	Hassan Ali Fyzee	Louis Meldon	9–7, 6–4, 11–9
1923	John D. P. Wheatley	Maxwell Woosnam	6–3, 4–6, 9–7, 9–11, 6-2
1924	Samuel Ernest Charlton	William G. Ireland	10–8, 6–4, 4–6, 7–5
1925	Norman Dicks	Gerald R. Sherwell	6–1, 7–5, 2–6, 6–3
1926	Maxwell Woosnam	Douglas Hodges	7–9, 6–2, 6–2, 8–6
1927	D'Arcy McCrea	Douglas Hodges	4–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–2, 7-5
1928	John Olliff	D'Arcy McCrea	6–2, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4
1929	John Olliff (2)	Charles Kingsley	2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 2–6, 14–12
1930	Bunny Austin	John Olliff	8–6, 6–2, 6–4
1931	John Olliff (3)	Nigel Sharpe	6–3, 3–6, 7–9, 6–3 ret.
1932	Eskell D. Andrews	Martin Wedd	6–2, 6–3
1933	Herby Aldred	J. Gilbert Hall	3–6, 6–2, 6–1
1934	George Lyttleton–Rogers	Camille Malfroy	6–4, 4–6, 6–4
1935	Jiro Yamagishi	George Lyttleton–Rogers	6–3, 8–6
1936	Charles Hare	David N. Jones	6–4, 5–7, 6–4
1937	George Lyttleton–Rogers (2)	Norman Farquharson	6–4, 2–6, 6–4
1938	Jack Piercy	Clifford J. Hovell	6–4, 10–8
1939	Eric J. Filby	R. E. Burton	6–3, 6–4
1940/1945	Not held (due to world war two)
1946	Jack Harper	Derrick Barton	6–4, 6–1
1947	William Sidwell	Torsten Johansson	6–2, 6–3
1948	John Bromwich	Eric Sturgess	2–6, 6–2, 8–6
1949	Tony Mottram	Naresh Kumar	6–2, 6–2
1950	Geoffrey Brown	Sumant Misra	6–0, 6–2
1951	Gardnar Mulloy	Don Candy	6–4, 6–2
1952	Frank Sedgman	Don Candy	6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2
1953	Mervyn Rose	Clive Wilderspin	4–6, 6–3, 6–0
1954	Ken Rosewall	Rex Hartwig	6–2, 6–1
1955	Hugh Stewart	Roger Becker	6–4, 3–6, 6–1
1956	Jaroslav Drobný	Lew Hoad	2–6, 6–3, 7–5
1957	Lew Hoad	Ramanathan Krishnan	6–2, 6–1
1958	Ramanathan Krishnan	Naresh Kumar	5–7, 6–3, 6-2
1959	Kurt Nielsen	Torben Ulrich	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
1960	Mark Otway	Martin Mulligan	3–6, 6–2, 7–5
1961	Mike Sangster	Luis Ayala	divided
1962	Mike Sangster (2)	Billy Knight	10–12, 6–3, 6–4
1963	Mike Sangster (3)	Tony Roche	19–17, 6–4
1964	abandoned
1965	Tom Okker	Roger Taylor	7–5, 6–3
1966	John E. Barrett	Lew Gerrard	6–3, 6–3
1967	Owen Davidson	Ray Ruffels	6–1, 6–8, 6–4
Open era
Rothmans Northern Championships
1968	Ken Fletcher	Luis Ayala	6–3, 6–2
1969	Clark Graebner	Graham Stilwell	9–7, 3–6, 6–4
1970	Robert Lutz	Tom Gorman	6–2, 9–7
Bio-Strath Northern Championships
1971	Colin Dibley	Bob Hewitt	6–1, 6–4
Rothmans Northern Championships
1972	Thomaz Koch	Colin Dibley	6–2, 5–7, 6–4
1973	Sherwood Stewart	Richard Crealy	6–3, 6-4
1974	Jimmy Connors	Mike Collins	13–11, 6–2
1975	Not held
Refuge Assurance Northern Championships
1976	Roscoe Tanner	Paul McNamee	6–3, 7–9, 12–10
1977	Billy Martin	Saeed Meer	6–2, 6–1
1978	Billy Martin (2)	Chris Bradnam	9–8, 7-5
1979	Colin Dibley	Mark Cox	6–4, 6–4
Greater Manchester Grass Court Tennis Championships
1980	Roscoe Tanner (2)	Stan Smith	6–3, 6–4
1981	Phil Dent	Brad Drewett	7–5, 6-1
1982	John McEnroe	Russell Simpson	6–3, 6–7, 10–8
1983	Tim Mayotte	Pat DuPré	3–6, 6–4, 6-4
1984	Jeremy Bates	Jeff Turpin	6–4, 8-6
1985	Jeremy Bates (2)	Dan Cassidy	6–4, 6-2
1986	Glenn Michibata
1987	Stefan Edberg	Kevin Curren	6–3, 6–4
1988	Stefan Edberg (2)	Kevin Curren	6–3, 6–4
1989	Patrick Baur	Andrew Castle	6–4, 6–7, 7–5
Manchester Open
1990	Pete Sampras	Gilad Bloom	7–6, 7–6
1991	Goran Ivanišević	Pete Sampras	6–4, 6–4
1992	Jacco Eltingh	MaliVai Washington	6–3, 6–4
1993	Jason Stoltenberg	Wally Masur	6–1, 6–3
1994	Patrick Rafter	Wayne Ferreira	7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–4)
see Manchester Trophy Challenger

Men's doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1990	Mark Kratzmann Jason Stoltenberg	Nick Brown Kelly Jones	6–3, 2–6, 6–4
1991	Omar Camporese Goran Ivanišević	Nick Brown Andrew Castle	6–4, 6–3
1992	Patrick Galbraith David Macpherson	Jeremy Bates Laurie Warder	4–6, 6–3, 6–2
1993	Ken Flach Rick Leach	Stefan Kruger Glenn Michibata	6–4, 6–1
1994	Rick Leach Danie Visser	Scott Davis Trevor Kronemann	6–4, 4–6, 7–6
see Manchester Trophy Challenger

Women's singles

Northern Championships
Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1882	May Langrishe	Constance Langley Smith	6-3 8-6
1883	Edith Coleridge	Miss Eckersley	7-5 6-2
1884	Edith Davies	Margaret Bracewell	2-6 6-4 6-0
1885	Maud Watson	Edith Davies	6-3, 6-3
1886	Maud Watson (2)	Lottie Dod	7-5, 6-3
1887	Lottie Dod	Maud Watson	6-1, 6-2
1888	Lottie Dod (2)	Blanche Bingley Hillyard	6-3, 9-7
1889	Lottie Dod (3)	Blanche Bingley Hillyard	6-8, 6–3, 6-3
1890	Mary Steedman	Beatrice Wood	6-2, 6-0
1891	Florence Stanuell	Beatrice Wood	6-3, 2–6, 6-4
1892	Lottie Dod (4)	Louisa Martin	6-1, 6-0
1893	Lottie Dod (5)	Blanche Bingley Hillyard	6-3, 3–6, 7-5
1894	Blanche Bingley Hillyard	Beatrice Wood Draffen	7-5, 5–7, 6-3
1895	Louisa Martin	Helen Jackson	7-5, 6-3
1896	Louisa Martin (2)	Blanche Bingley Hillyard	6–2, 7-5
1897	Charlotte Cooper	Louisa Martin	3-6, 6–3, 6-4
1898	Louisa Martin (3)	Charlotte Cooper	10-8, 6-4
1899	Louisa Martin (4)	Ruth Dyas Durlacher	6-8, 6–2, 6-2
1900	Blanche Bingley Hillyard (2)	Louisa Martin	2-6, 8–6, 6-4
1901	Louisa Martin (5)	Blanche Bingley Hillyard	6-3, 4–6, 6-3
1902	Louisa Martin (6)	Muriel Robb	6-8, 7–5, 6-1
1903	Louisa Martin (7)	Dorothea Douglass	4-6, 7–5, 6-4
1904	Dorothea Douglass	Ethel Thomson	6-1, 6-2
1905	May Sutton	Hilda Lane	7-5, 8-6
1906	Dorothea Douglass (2)	May Sutton	7-5, 6-2
1907	Charlotte Cooper Sterry (2)	May Sutton	7-5, 6-0
1908	Edith Boucher	Charlotte Cooper Sterry	7-5, 6-2
1909	Edith Johnson	Maude Garfit	6-3, 9–11, 6-0
1910	Edith Johnson (2)	Maude Garfit	3-6, 6–4, 6-0
1911	Dorothea Douglass Chambers (3)	Mabel Squire Parton	6-2, 6-2
1912	Ethel Thomson Larcombe	Mabel Squire Parton	6-4, 6-1
1913	Ethel Thomson Larcombe (2)	Dorothea Douglass Chambers	6-2m 6-4
1914	Dorothea Douglass Chambers (4)	Agnes Morton	6-1, 6-2
1915/1918	Not held (due to world war one)
1919	Dorothea Douglass Chambers (5)	Ethel Thomson Larcombe	7-5 6-3
1920	Elizabeth Ryan	Aurea Farrington Edgington	6-1, 6-3
1921	Elizabeth Ryan (2)	Kitty Mckane	7-5, 6-4
1922	Elizabeth Ryan (3)	Kitty Mckane	6-2, 8-6
1923	Elizabeth Ryan (4)	Dorothy Holman	6-3, 6-3
1924	Mary Holmes	Claire Beckingham	6-0, 0–6, 6-3
1925	Elizabeth Ryan (4)	Joan Reid-Thomas	6-4, 6-3
1926	Claire Beckingham	Elsie Goldsack	6-1, 6-1
1927	Claire Beckingham (2)	Elsie Goldsack	6-2, 8-6
1928	Claire Beckingham (3)	Dorothy Shaw	8-6, 6-3
1928	Gwen Sterry	Sylvia Lumley-Ellis	6-4, 6-2
	From 1929-1939 there were 2 womens events held in * Manchester & ** Liverpool
1929*	Joan Fry	Gwen Sterry	6-1, 4–6, 6-4
1929**	Winifred Bower	Joan Reid-Thomas Strawson	6-1, 3–6, 6-1
1930*	Evelyn Goldsworth	Nichola Hunt	7-5, 6-2
1930**	Joan Reid-Thomas Strawson	Dorothy Anderson	4-6, 6–4, 6-4
1931*	Evelyn Goldsworth (2)	Ena Alexandroff	8-10 6-4 6-3
1931**	Ena Alexandroff	Joan Ingram	divided title
1932*	Joan Ingram	Manon Hargreaves	11-9, 6-1
1932**	Christabel Hardie Wheatcroft	Sarah Eccles	6-3, 6-3
1933	Liverpool event not held
1933*	Evelyn Goldsworth (3)	Jackie McAlpine	7-5 6-1
1934*	Jean Saunders	Doris Bullock	6-0, 6-2
1934**	Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling	Joan Hartigan	7-5, 8-6
1935*	Mary Hardwick	Dora Beazley	6-0, 6-2
1935**	Mary Whitmarsh	Barbara Drew	9-11, 6–4, 6-2
1936*	Patience Thomson	Dora Beazley	6-0, 6-2
1936**	Anita Lizana	Nancy Kidson Fontes	6-1, 6-0
1937*	Dora Beazley	Pamela Morison	2-6, 6–2, 7-5
1937**	Anita Lizana (2)	Joan Reid-Thomas Strawson	6-0, 6-4
1938*	Peggy Saunders Michell	Dora Beazley	6-1, 5–7, 7-5
1938**	Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling (2)	Joan Reid-Thomas Strawson	6-0, 6-4
1939	Liverpool event not held
1939*	Gem Hoahing	Patience Thomson	divide title
1940/1945	Not held (due to world war two)
1946	Margaret Osborne	Louise Brough	6-1, 6-3
1947	Jean Nicoll Bostock	Betty Clements Hilton	11-9, 6-2
1948	Betty Clements Hilton	Jean Nicoll Bostock	6-3, 8-6
1949	Pat Canning Todd	Lesley Hunter Fulton	6-3 6-2
1950	Shirley Fry	Gladys Southwell Lines	6-2, 6-3
1951	Doris Hart	Beverly Baker	8-6, 6-3
1952	Maureen Connolly	Jean Quertier Rinkel	6-3, 6-1
1953	Doris Hart (2)	Helen Fletcher	5-7, 6–1, 7-5
1954	Maureen Connolly (2)	Louise Brough	6-3, 6-2
1955	Doris Hart (3)	Louise Brough	9-11, 6–2, 6-2
1956	Althea Gibson	Louise Brough	2-6, 6–4, 6-4
1957	Althea Gibson (2)	Anne Shilcock	6-3, 6-4
1958	Althea Gibson (3)	Maria Bueno	6-1, 8-6
1959	Sally Moore	Rosie Reyes	6-2, 2–6, 6-3
1960	Darlene Hard	Rita Bentley	6-3 6-3
1961	Sandra Reynolds	Lesley Turner	6-4 6-3
1962	Darlene Hard (2)	Judy Tegart	6-3, 6-2
1963	Jan Lehane	Darlene Hard	6-4, 8–10, 6-4
1964	abandoned at semifinal stage due to rain
1965	Margaret Smith	Maria Bueno	6-1, 7-5
1966	Billie Jean Moffitt King	Winnie Shaw	6-2, 6-1
1967	Maria Bueno	Karen Krantzcke	6-4, 6-3
Open era