The St. Petersburg Masters Invitational^[1] was a ILTF Circuit affiliated combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1953 as the Masters Invitational in St Augustine, Florida.^[2] 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 1971. After the men's event St Petersburg Masters Invitational was discontinued in 1971 the women's event continued as the Virginia Slims Masters St Petersburg. In 1974 the mens tournament was revived as St. Petersburg WCT until 1975 when it was abolished. the women's tournament continued under various brand names and at various locations in the Tampa Bay Area until it was discontinued 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,^[3] where it remained under that brand name until 1965. In 1966 the tournaments 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 Florida–Caribbean Circuit which was a major feature of the international tennis scene in from the 1950s to 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 and rebranded 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.

Finals

Men's singles

Results included:^[4][5]

Masters Invitational
Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1953[6]	Art Larsen	Gardnar Mulloy	6–3, 6–2, 6–3
1954	Art Larsen (2)	Kurt Nielsen	6–2, 6–1, 6–3
1955	Art Larsen (3)	Herb Flam	7–5, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
1956	Vic Seixas	Art Larsen	6–4, 6–3, 6–2
1957	Vic Seixas (2)	Mervyn Rose	7–5, 6–1, 7–9, 9–7
1958	Luis Ayala	Mervyn Rose	6–3, 1–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–2
1959	Mario Llamas	Francisco Contreras	6–3, 6–4
1960	Neale Fraser	Roy Emerson	6–4, 6–0, 9–7
1961	Roy Emerson	Luis Ayala	6–4, 6–2, 6–0
1962	Roy Emerson (2)	Rod Laver	6–2, 6–4, 6–1
1963	Manuel Santana	Roy Emerson	6–4, 6–4, 6–8, 3–6, 6–3
1964	Roy Emerson (3)	Frank Froehling	6–3, 6–4, 6–2
1965	Ramanathan Krishnan	Mike Belkin	4–6, 6–1, 6–4, 6–3
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1966	Niki Pilić	Cliff Richey	9–7, 7–5, 8–6
1967	Allen Fox	Niki Pilić	6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
Open era
1968[7]	Mike Belkin	Jaime Fillol	2–6, 6–0, 7–5, 6–4
1969[8]	Željko Franulović	Jaime Fillol	6–4, 6–3
1970[9]	Jan Kodeš	Joaquín Loyo-Mayoo	6–4, 6–2, 6–4
1971[10]	Mike Belkin (2)	Harald Elschenbroich	7–5, 7–6, 6–1
For continuation of the mens event see St. Petersburg WCT

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

Masters Invitational
Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1953	Doris Hart	Shirley Fry	6–3, 6–3
1959	Christiane Mercelis	Marie Toomey Martin	6–3, 6–4
1960	Ann Haydon	Donna Floyd	6–1, 6–3
1961	Suzy Körmöczy	Ann Haydon	6–2, 6–0
1962	Maria Bueno	Darlene Hard	6–2, 4–6, 6–4
1963	Maria Bueno (2)	Lesley Turner	6–2, 11–9
1964	Nancy Richey	Judy Alvarez	6–3, 6–4
1965	Nancy Richey (2)	Margaret Smith	6–3, 6–2
St. Petersburg Masters Invitational
1966	Nancy Richey (3)	Betty Stöve	6–2, 6–2
1967	Ann Haydon-Jones (2)	Jan Lehane O'Neill	6–4, 1–6, 6–3
Open era
1968[11]	Nancy Richey (4)	Lesley Turner Bowrey	7–5, 6–0
1969	Kerry Melville	Lesley Turner Bowrey	6–4, 6–3
1970	Nancy Richey (5)	Judy Alvarez	6–0, 6–2
For continuation of the women's event see Virginia Slims Masters St Petersburg

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 1975

Event names

• 1953–1965 Masters Invitational
• 1966–1971 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
• 1975–1976 St. Petersburg WCT

Tournament records

• Most mens titles: Art Larsen & Roy Emerson (3)
• Most mens finals: Art Larsen & Roy Emerson (4)
• Most women's titles: Nancy Richey (5)
• Most women's finals: Nancy Richey (5)

See also

• Eckerd Open (for continuation of the women's event)
• St. Petersburg WCT (for the revived mens event)
• Tampa Open – men's tournament (1981–1983) held in Tampa, Florida

References