The Moscow International Indoor Championships^[1] was a men's and women's open international indoor tennis tournament founded in 1956 as the Moscow International Covered Court Championships.^[2] The tournament was organised by the Tennis Federation of the USSR was played initially on wood courts switching to carpet courts later in Moscow, Soviet Union until 1975.

The event occasionally carried the joint denomination of USSR International Covered Court Championships or USSR International Indoor Championships.^[2] The championships were part ILTF European Circuit a sub circuit of the ILTF World Circuit until 1972 then became part of the ILTF Independent Tour from 1973 until it was discontinued.^[2]

History

In the mid-1950s confrontational relations between the Western Bloc and Soviet Union eased in part the Khrushchev Thaw a policy of de-Stalinization by then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev,^[3] meant that Soviet players were free to travel to overseas international tournaments, while foreign players could take part in a limited number of tournaments within the USSR, mainly in the capital Moscow.

The two prominent international tournaments for foreign players to participate in were the Moscow International Indoor Championships, usually late winter in February to early spring in March.^[2] The second international tennis event was Moscow International Championships or (USSR International Championships) usually staged in the summer at the end of July, beginning of August and was played on clay courts.^[2] Additionally two closed tournaments were also held in Moscow for Soviet players only the Moscow Indoor Championships and the Moscow Outdoor Championships.^[2]

Finals

Men's singles

(incomplete roll)

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
↓  ILTF World Circuit  ↓
1956	József Asbóth	Sergei Andreev	7-9, 6–4, 6–2.[2]
1957	Jiri Javorsky	Sergei Andreev	6-4, 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2.[2]
1958	Robert Haillet	Jacques Brichant	6-2, 7–5, 2–6, 6–2.[2]
1960	Gérard Pilet	Wilhelm Bungert	6-1, 6–1, 6–0.[2]
1961	Tomas Lejus	Alan Mills	6-2, 6–3, 5–7, 7–5.[2]
1962	Tomas Lejus (2)	Sergio Jacobini	7-5, 8–6, 6–4.[2]
1963	Tomas Lejus (3)	Jan Leschly	6-0, 1–6, 6–3, 6–2.[2]
1964	Alexander Metreveli	Tomas Lejus	7-5, 6–4, 1–6, 2–6, 7–5.[2]
1965	Tomas Lejus (4)	Alexander Metreveli	6-4, 7–5, 8–6.[2]
1967	Pierre Darmon	Alexander Metreveli	4-6, 17–15, 6–2, 2–6, 9–7.[2]
1968	Alexander Metreveli (2)	Tomas Lejus	6-4, 4–6, 9–7, 6–4.[2]
↓  Open era  ↓
1969	Tomas Lejus (5)	Vladimir Karlovich Palman	6-4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4.[2]
1971	Alexander Metreveli (3)	Anatoli Volkov	6-3, 2–6, 6–4, 6–2.[2]
↓  ILTF Independent Tour  ↓
1973	Teimuraz Kakulia	Balazs Taroczy	5-7, 6–4, 6–3, 6–2.[2]
1974	Anatoli Volkov	Vladimir Korotkov	6-1, 7–6, 6–7, 7–5.[2]
1975	Anatoli Volkov (2)	Jewgeni Bobojedow	6-3, 6–1, 4–6, 6–3.[2]

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
↓  ILTF World Circuit  ↓
1957	Vera Puzejova	Olga Miskova Gazdikova	6-3, 6-1
1958	Christiane Mercelis	Suzanne Schmitt	9-7, 6-0
1959	Christiane Mercelis (2)	Suzanne Schmitt	7-5, 6-2
1960	Irina Ryazanova	Aline Nenot	6-4, 7-5
1961	Irina Ryazanova (2)	Silvana Lazzarino	6-8, 6–4, 6-0
1962	Anna Dmitrieva	Lea Pericoli	6-2, 7-5
1963	Anna Dmitrieva (2)	?	RR event
1964	Anna Dmitrieva (3)	Valeria Kuzmenko Titova	8-6, 6-2
1965	Helga Schultze	Tiiu Kivi	2-6, 8–6, 6-3
1966	Galina Baksheeva	Maria Kull	6-0, 6–8, 7-5
1967	Anna Dmitrieva (4)	Galina Baksheeva	9-7, 6-4
1968	Virginia Wade	Galina Baksheeva	6-1, 6–8, 6-4
↓  Open era  ↓
1969	Olga Morozova	Betty Stöve	6-2, 6-2
1970	Helga Niessen	Olga Morozova	7-5, 2–6, 6-3
1971	Olga Morozova (2)	Maria Kull	6-1, 7-5
1972	Evgenia Biryukova	Anna Dmitrieva	6-4, 6-3
↓  ILTF Independent Tour  ↓
1973	Olga Morozova (3)	Galina Baksheeva	6-2, 6-3
1974	Olga Morozova (4)	Marina Kroshina	6-3, 6-1

References