The men’s singles final at the Austrian Championships (1894-1930)

[treblings]

Originally Posted by newmark401

The Champs of Berlin tournament was often referred to as the Pfingsten tournament, so it was usually held around Whitsun/Pentecost, i.e. between late May and early June, or a little earlier or later.

Mark
-----

i´ve been looking into historic dates of Pentecost in the 20´s to find the correct date for the tournament. problem is, on two occasions that led me to the french championships, so i was just trying to figure out whether Berlin was before or after.
no worry, i´m kinda addicted right now to reading old newspapers in search of old tennis results.

[newmark401]

Apparently an Austrian Championships tournament did take place in Vienna in 1920, from circa 28 June-4 July. I could find only the following details of the two singles finals:

MFI: Count Ludwig von Salm d. Rolf Kinzel [score?]
--

WFI: Frau Ellissen* d. Frau Weinlinger [score?]

* There were two tennis-playing Ellissen sisters from Austria, Lilly and Margit.
--

Maybe this tournament was open only to Austrian players, or maybe very few, if any, overseas players took part in it.
-----

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by newmark401

^^^^ Thanks for the information on the 1929 Championships of Berlin tournament. It's very difficult to find the details of German/Austrian/Swiss tournaments in the early 1920s because those countries' players were barred from most international competitions from circa 1919-27 because of World War One.
--

As for European tournaments in general, during that era most tournaments were usually held at the same time in the same place each year. A schedule of, say, British or German tournaments would be published at the beginning of the season, or even earlier, and kept to throughout the year.

This hadn't necessarily been the practice at the dawn of lawn tennis, but as the number of tournaments grew and grew, it was realised that a more or less fixed schedule would make a great deal of sense from an organisational point of view in particular.

Mark
-----

Mark, Just a little remark: Switzerland cannot have been barred because it was not involved in WW1...

[elegos7]

Originally Posted by newmark401

Apparently an Austrian Championships tournament did take place in Vienna in 1920, from circa 28 June-4 July. I could find only the following details of the two singles finals:

MFI: Count Ludwig von Salm d. Rolf Kinzel [score?]
--

WFI: Frau Ellissen* d. Frau Weinlinger [score?]

* There were two tennis-playing Ellissen sisters from Austria, Lilly and Margit.
--

Maybe this tournament was open only to Austrian players, or maybe very few, if any, overseas players took part in it.
-----

There may have been a tournament like that, but it probably was not the official Austrian Championships. I have a list of winners published in 1933 in a German book, and based on this the Austrian Championships resumed only in 1921.

As for the Berlin event, I have the following results
May 22 1921
Berlin Championships: Otto Froitzheim (GER) - Robert Kleinschroth (GER) 6-3 6-3 6-2
Prussian Championships: Otto Froitzheim (GER) – Robert Kleinschroth (GER) 6-3 6-2 6-3

May 27 1923
Berlin Championships: Béla Kehrling (HUN) - Friedrich Rahe (GER) 7-5 6-3 9-7
Prussian Championships, Berlin: Béla Kehrling (HUN) - Heinz Landmann (GER) 6-2 6-2 6-4

Jun 15 1924
Berlin Championships: Béla Kehrling (HUN) – Heinz Landmann (GER) 6-1 6-3 6-1
Prussian Championships, Berlin: Béla Kehrling (HUN) – Georg Demasius (GER) 6-3 6-2 6-4

Jun 7 1925
Berlin Championships GER: Umberto de Morpurgo (ITA) - Otto Froitzheim (GER) 3-6 4-6 9-7 6-3 (retired)
Prussian Championships, Berlin GER: Friedrich Rahe (GER) – ?

For the other years from 1919 to 1928 I only have the winners from the same German book. As you see this event was usually played concurrently or just before the French Championships.

It is disappointing that players from the defeated countries in WWI were kept out of the World Championships events in the early 1920s. It was the time when Béla Kehrling played his best tennis. He also maintained that Froitzheim played better then before the war. We can only imagine how many World Hard Court titles they could have won (Kehrling played an attacking serve-and-volley game, he might have done very well in his prime in Wimbledon as well). And these are the years when the great German pro Roman Najuch played his best tennis as well. It would be interesting to find any results between him and the leading German players. I read that such matches took place, but I have no details about them.

Central European results from the early 1920s can probably be only found in daily newspapers, as most of the tennis magazines in these countries were suspended after the war.

[treblings]

Originally Posted by newmark401

Apparently an Austrian Championships tournament did take place in Vienna in 1920, from circa 28 June-4 July. I could find only the following details of the two singles finals:

MFI: Count Ludwig von Salm d. Rolf Kinzel [score?]
--

WFI: Frau Ellissen* d. Frau Weinlinger [score?]

* There were two tennis-playing Ellissen sisters from Austria, Lilly and Margit.
--

Maybe this tournament was open only to Austrian players, or maybe very few, if any, overseas players took part in it.
-----

from the participants it sounds like mainly austrian. von Salm won against Kinzel 64 64 61

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by treblings

from the participants it sounds like mainly austrian. von Salm won against Kinzel 64 64 61

treblings, Yes they were Austrians. Count Salm was the Nastase of the 1920s: rather nasty...

[treblings]

Originally Posted by BobbyOne

treblings, Yes they were Austrians. Count Salm was the Nastase of the 1920s: rather nasty...

Bobby, i wasn´t making myself clear enough. i was talking about the entire field as mentioned in the Wiener Sportblatt.it seemed Austrian with no foreign players present.
i´m aware of Salm and his exploits, and wasn´t there a tennis playing brother?
and Rolf Kinzel is obviously a pioneer of Austrian tennis

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by treblings

Bobby, i wasn´t making myself clear enough. i was talking about the entire field as mentioned in the Wiener Sportblatt.it seemed Austrian with no foreign players present.
i´m aware of Salm and his exploits, and wasn´t there a tennis playing brother?
and Rolf Kinzel is obviously a pioneer of Austrian tennis

treblings, It was my fault to misinterpret your post.

Yes, probably only Austrian participants.

I don't know about a Salm's brother.

[treblings]

Originally Posted by BobbyOne

treblings, It was my fault to misinterpret your post.

Yes, probably only Austrian participants.

I don't know about a Salm's brother.

that´s quite alright
it´s fascinating to read about the austrian tournament scene in the 20´s, how many participants there were and quite some good competition it seems. many of the players seem to be forgotten nowadays, sadly

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by treblings

that´s quite alright
it´s fascinating to read about the austrian tournament scene in the 20´s, how many participants there were and quite some good competition it seems. many of the players seem to be forgotten nowadays, sadly

treblings,

I think Franz Matejka was the only Austrian of European class in the 1920s and 1930s.

[treblings]

Originally Posted by BobbyOne

treblings,

I think Franz Matejka was the only Austrian of European class in the 1920s and 1930s.

i´m in no way an expert, but if someone would have asked me to name he best austrian player of that era, i would have said Matejka without having to think about it too long. how about Artens though? how would you rate him in comparison?
There was an Otto Salm playing DavisCup from 24-26, btw

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by treblings

i´m in no way an expert, but if someone would have asked me to name he best austrian player of that era, i would have said Matejka without having to think about it too long. how about Artens though? how would you rate him in comparison?
There was an Otto Salm playing DavisCup from 24-26, btw

Thanks for the information.

I rate Artens far below Matejka.

[newmark401]

That's an interesting discussion. Here are some more early Austrian players: Paul von Hertz Hertenried, who played before World War One; Arthur Zborzil; and Fritz (Felix) Pipes.

Not forgetting the brothers Ludwig von Salm (Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten; 1885-1944) and Otto (Viktor Alfred Maria) Graf von Salm-Hoogstraeten (1886-1941).
--

I like reading about early lawn tennis too. However, it's quite frustrating trying to find early results using newspapers as they generally only report on tournaments intermittently, and often only publish the results from men's events, or don't even publish those results, but instead just give the names of the winner and runner-up.

The most reliable sources are lawn tennis or sports publications, but these are very difficult to come by.
-----

[treblings]

Originally Posted by newmark401

That's an interesting discussion. Here are some more early Austrian players: Paul von Hertz Hertenried, who played before World War One; Arthur Zborzil; and Fritz (Felix) Pipes.

Not forgetting the brothers Ludwig von Salm (Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten; 1885-1944) and Otto (Viktor Alfred Maria) Graf von Salm-Hoogstraeten (1886-1941).
--

I like reading about early lawn tennis too. However, it's quite frustrating trying to find early results using newspapers as they generally only report on tournaments intermittently, and often only publish the results from men's events, or don't even publish those results, but instead just give the names of the winner and runner-up.

The most reliable sources are lawn tennis or sports publications, but these are very difficult to come by.
-----

i read an article yesterday, from 1922 i think it was, that mentioned more than 600 participants in the national championships.
i find that number amazing, having always thought, that tennis in that era was a pastime of only a few
elegos made an interesting point about tennis magazines in central europe not being published after the first world war. do you by any chance know of any pre-war magazines in german language?

[hoodjem]

Originally Posted by newmark401

The Austrian Championships were first held in 1894, when the main events were a men’s singles and a men’s doubles. The tournament was usually held in late May/early June, on clay courts. Up until 1914, it was held in Prague in Bohemia, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War One, during which time the tournament was not held, the Austrian Championships were held in Vienna.

For a good number of years during the tournament’s early history, up until 1905, a Challenge Round was in force in the men’s singles event. This meant that the previous year’s holder did not have to play through, but could sit out and wait to see who won what was known as the All-Comers’ event.

The main sources for the following results are “Sport und Spiel”, “Der Lawn-Tennis-Sport”, “Lawn Tennis and Croquet” and “Lawn Tennis and Badminton”.
--

The men’s singles final at the Austrian Championships (1894-1930)

1894 H.W. Gandon d. Count Viktor Voss (GER) 6-0, 6-1, 6-3
1895 Conway W. Blackwood-Price (GBR) d. H.W. Gandon 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
1896 Herbert Dering (GBR) d. Day 6-3, 6-0, retired
1897 Herbert Dering (GBR) d. H.W. Gandon 6-3, 6-1, retired
1898 Jorge André d. Rolf Kinzl (AUT) 6-1, 0-6, 6-3, 6-3
1899 Herbert Dering (GBR) d. Jorge André, walkover
1900 Major Ritchie (GBR) d. Herbert Dering (GBR), walkover
1901 Major Ritchie (GBR) d. Curt von Wessely (AUT) 6-1, 6-2, 6-1
1902 Major Ritchie (GBR) d. Frederick W. Payn (GBR) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
1903 Major Ritchie (GBR) d. Curt von Wessely (AUT) 6-0, 6-0, 6-2
1904 Herbert Roper-Barrett (GBR) d. Major Ritchie (GBR) 1-6, 6-2, 3-0, retired
1905 Major Ritchie (GBR) d. Curt von Wessely (AUT) 6-3, 8-6, 6-4
1906 Anthony Wilding (NZL) d. Major Ritchie (GBR) 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
1907 Anthony Wilding (NZL) d. Oscar Kreuzer (GER) 6-1, 6-1, 6-1
1908 Tournament not held
1909 Curt von Wessely (AUT) d. Fritz Pipes (AUT) 8-6, 6-1, 7-5
1910 Heinrich Kleinschroth (GER) d. Jaroslav Just 6-2, 6-1, 6-1
1911 Heinrich Kleinschroth (GER) d. Oscar Kreuzer (GER) 5-7, 3-6, 6-1, retired
1912 Otto Froitzheim (GER) d. Oscar Kreuzer (GER) 6-1, 6-1, retired
1913 Oskar Kreuzer (GER) d. Fritz Pipes (AUT) 6-2, 6-3, 7-5
1914 Oskar Kreuzer (GER) d. Robert Kleinschroth (GER) 6-2, 7-5, 6-4
1915-20 Tournament not held due to World War One
1921 Robert Kleinschroth (GER) d. Heinrich Kleinschroth (GER) 7-5, 8-6
1922 Béla Kehrling (HUN) d. Paul Brick 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
1923 Oskar Kreuzer (GER) d. Friedrich Rohrer (TCH) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
1924 Umberto de Morpurgo (ITA) d. Béla Kehrling (HUN) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-4
1925 Jan Kozeluh (TCH) d. Pavel Macenauer (TCH), walkover
1926 Jan Kozeluh (TCH) d. Winterstein 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
1927 Robert George (FRA) d. Antoine Gentien (FRA) 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 1-6, 6-0
1928 Henri Cochet (FRA) d. Franz Matejka 6-3, 7-5, 6-3
1929 Henri Cochet (FRA) d. Franz Matejka 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
1930 William Tilden (USA) d. Franz Matejka 6-3, 6-1, 8-6
-----

Some great names in here: Wilding, Kozeluh, Cochet, and Big Bill.

[newmark401]

<<elegos made an interesting point about tennis magazines in central europe not being published after the first world war. do you by any chance know of any pre-war magazines in german language?>>

I'm not sure whether any tennis magazines were published in Central Europe between 1919 and 1939. As for the years before 1914, the German publication "Der Lawn-Tennis-Sport" was published from about 1904 to 1908; this was followed by "Lawn-Tennis und Golf", which was published until about 1916. Newspapers and sports publications such as "Die Neue Sportwoche" and "Sport und Spiel" also covered lawn tennis regularly. Most of these are availabe in the Sporthochschule in Cologne and the German National Library in Leipzig.

There were also yearbooks in German before World War One, possibly not just covering lawn tennis in Germany. These were definitely published again in the interwar years; also in Austria and Switzerland. I thought "Lawn-Tennis und Golf" was published again after World War One, but would have to check that.

"Der Rasensport" (circa 1900-29) is probably also a good source for lawn tennis results and other related information, but it features other sports too, especially football.

Here are a couple of related German-language links:

https://portal.dnb.de/opac.htm?metho...entPosition=10

http://stabikat.de/DB=1/SET=1/TTL=11/NXT?FRST=1

Mark
-----

[treblings]

Originally Posted by newmark401

<<elegos made an interesting point about tennis magazines in central europe not being published after the first world war. do you by any chance know of any pre-war magazines in german language?>>

I'm not sure whether any tennis magazines were published in Central Europe between 1919 and 1939. As for the years before 1914, the German publication "Der Lawn-Tennis-Sport" was published from about 1904 to 1908; this was followed by "Lawn-Tennis und Golf", which was published until about 1916. Newspapers and sports publications such as "Die Neue Sportwoche" and "Sport und Spiel" also covered lawn tennis regularly. Most of these are availabe in the Sporthochschule in Cologne and the German National Library in Leipzig.

There were also yearbooks in German before World War One, possibly not just covering lawn tennis in Germany. These were definitely published again in the interwar years; also in Austria and Switzerland. I thought "Lawn-Tennis und Golf" was published again after World War One, but would have to check that.

"Der Rasensport" (circa 1900-29) is probably also a good source for lawn tennis results and other related information, but it features other sports too, especially football.

Here are a couple of related German-language links:

https://portal.dnb.de/opac.htm?metho...entPosition=10

http://stabikat.de/DB=1/SET=1/TTL=11/NXT?FRST=1

Mark
-----

thanks for all the info
i´ll post more results if and when i can find them
as far as yearbooks are concerned, i have a german Lawn-Tennis Handbuch from 1909/10 lying in front of me. found it years ago at a second-hand bookshop, but have never found the time to read it

[newmark401]

Originally Posted by treblings

thanks for all the info
i´ll post more results if and when i can find them
as far as yearbooks are concerned, i have a german Lawn-Tennis Handbuch from 1909/10 lying in front of me. found it years ago at a second-hand bookshop, but have never found the time to read it

As far as I'm aware - and I've had a look at some of them - most of the German Lawn Tennis Handbooks/Annuals don't include the results even from tournament finals, just the names of the winners and runners-up. A couple of years ago I was able to go through all of "Der Lawn-Tennis-Sport" and "Lawn-Tennis und Golf" up to 1915, so got a lot of results and information from them. The period 1919-27 really needs a good look at where tennis in Central Europe is concerned.

Mark
-----

[urban]

Tennis must have been quite popular in Austria and Germany in the period before and after the First War. The Austrian poet Robert Musil wrote some lengthy excellent pieces about tennis, ditto the German writer Erich Kästner, who lived at Berlin and later was banned by the NS.
Ther also was a distinct aristocratic element in Austrian (and European) Tennis. Count Ludi Salm was quite a character.

[urban]

In the book Tennis Faszination, by Paula Stuck von Resnicek, Roman Najuch gives some accounts of matches with Wilding at the Riviera. From the context it seems clear, that Najuch was already club coach, that means teaching pro, at Berlin. He was taught tennis by George Kerr, and had become teaching pro with 18. He tells about some matches with Wilding, around 1911 at Nizza, In the first match he loses 4-6-3-6. In the second match he wins a set against Wilding, losing ultimately 6-8, 6-2, 4-6.
Najuch also tells some anecdotes about Ludi Salm, was was obviously a ladies man and always on the hunt.