Blue Gray Championships

The Blue Gray Championships was a men's and women's open international tennis tournament was founded in 1949. Also known as the Blue Gray Invitation the tournament was first played at the Montgomery Country Club, Montgomery, Alabama, United States. It was played annually until 1978 as an individual competition when it was discontinues. In 1984 it was revived as team only competition called the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic that is still active.

History

The tournament was conceived by Jack Bushman the President of the Southern Lawn Tennis Association. In 1949 he established the event was based upon the Sugar Bowl Tennis Championships. This tournament was to be played before the Blue–Gray Football Classic was being held and first occurred in 1950. The main difference between this event and the Sugar Bowl tennis event, it was to be an open international tournament for college (university) players rather than junior players. The inaugural winners of the singles events were Jack Tuero (men) and Elinor Shaw (women). The tournament also featured doubles events.

The championships were held at the Montgomery Country Club from inception until 1968. In 1969 he moved location to Huntingdon College but was not held that year. In 1973 it moved the Lagoon Park Tennis Center before moving to the O’Connor Tennis Center during the last few editions all of were in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1978 the event was discontinued as an individual competition, however exhibition events under the brand name the ''Blue Gray Invitation'' continued to held. In 1983 the format for the tournament was a changed to become team only competition to be played as a lead up event to the NCAA Championships. In 1984 the first edition of the rebranded Blue Gray National Tennis Classic was held.

Finals

Notes: ''Where a runner up is not shown or the score sections have been blanked.''

Men's singles

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

References

{{Reflist, 2

Defunct tennis tournaments in the United States