Tennis-Through-Time Interesting facts ❤️🎾😊
In the year 1900, Wimbledon, the French and US championships were all up and running, but Australia as a nation didn’t even exist, let alone the Australian tennis championships.
In 1900, Australia was still a collection of British colonies. It wasn’t until January 1, 1901, that those colonies became states of a federation.
A few years later, Australia had a national tennis federation, the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia, a team in the new Davis Cup competition and in 1905 a national tennis championship.
Well, sort of. From 1905 to 1926, the event was the “Australasian” championships. That means New Zealand as well.
In those days Australia and New Zealand were almost joined at the hip. Strong bonds had been forged in World War 1. The ANZAC’s (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), were the stuff of legend.
So the second Australasian championships were conducted in New Zealand – at Hagley Park in Christchurch – and the men’s singles event was won by the New Zealand champion, Anthony Wilding.
Again in 1912, the tournament returned to “The Land of the Long White Cloud” – this time to the town of Hastings. An Irishman, James Cecil Parke, won it.
Finally in 1927, also the year the tournament’s Melbourne home became the new Kooyong stadium, it became the Australian Championships.
Meanwhile, Wimbledon was turning 50.
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