The Eckerd Open is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated women's tennis tournament founded in 1953 as a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament called the Masters Invitational tournament in St Augustine, Florida. 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 1974. After the combined event the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational finished in 1970. The womens event continued under various brand names and various locations in the Tampa Bay Area until it was abolished 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, where it remained under that brand name until 1965. In 1966 the tournament's name was changed to the St. Petersburg Masters Invitational until 1970 when the womens 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 the 1960s and 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 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.

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 1974, Palm Harbor, Florida in 1977, in Clearwater, Florida in 1978 and in Tampa, Florida from 1979 to 1990.

Event names

• 1953–1965 Masters Invitational
• 1966–1970 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
• 1971–1972 Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
• 1973 St Petersburg Masters Invitational
• 1974 Barnett Bank Masters
• 1977–1985 Florida Federal Open
• 1986–1990 Eckerd Open

Results

Singles

For previous winners of this event see St. Petersburg Masters Invitational
Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971	Chris Evert	Julie Heldman	6–1, 6–2
1972	Nancy Gunter	Chris Evert	6–3, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973	Chris Evert	Evonne Goolagong	6–2, 0–6, 6–4
Barnett Bank Masters
1974	Chris Evert	Kerry Reid	6–0, 6–1
1975/1976	Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977	Virginia Ruzici	Laura duPont	6–4, 4–6, 6–2
1978	Virginia Wade	Anna-Maria Fernandez	6–4, 7–6(7–1)
1979	Evonne Goolagong Cawley	Virginia Wade	6–0, 6–3
1980	Andrea Jaeger	Tracy Austin	Walkover
1981	Martina Navratilova	Bettina Bunge	5–7, 6–2, 6–0
1982	Chris Evert-Lloyd	Andrea Jaeger	3–6, 6–1, 6–4
1983	Martina Navratilova	Pam Shriver	6–3, 6–2
1984	Michelle Torres	Carling Bassett	6–1, 7–6
1985	Stephanie Rehe	Gabriela Sabatini	6–4, 6–7, 7–5
Eckerd Open
1986	Lori McNeil	Zina Garrison	2–6, 7–5, 6–2
1987	Chris Evert-Lloyd	Kate Gompert	6–3, 6–2
1988	Chris Evert	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	7–6, 6–4
1989	Conchita Martínez	Gabriela Sabatini	6–3, 6–2
1990	Monica Seles	Katerina Maleeva	6–1, 6–0

Doubles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
Virginia Slims Masters of St Petersburg
1971	Françoise Dürr Ann Haydon-Jones	Judy Tegart Julie Heldman	7–6, 3–6, 6–3
1972	Karen Krantzcke Wendy Overton	Judy Tegart Françoise Dürr	7–5, 6–4
St Petersburg Masters Invitational
1973	Chris Evert Jeanne Evert	Evonne Goolagong Janet Young	6–2, 7–6
Barnett Bank Masters
1974	Olga Morozova Betty Stöve	Chris Evert Evonne Goolagong	6–4, 6–2
1975/1976	Not held
Florida Federal Open
1977	Delina Ann Boshoff Ilana Kloss	Brigitte Cuypers Marise Kruger	6–7, 6–2, 6–2
1978	Martina Navratilova Anne Smith	Kerry Reid Wendy Turnbull	7–6(7–4), 6–3
1979	Virginia Ruzici Anne Smith	Ilana Kloss Betty Ann Grubb Stuart	7–5, 4–6, 7–5
1980	Rosemary Casals Candy Reynolds	Anne Smith Paula Smith	7–6, 7–5
1981	Rosemary Casals Wendy Turnbull	Martina Navratilova Renáta Tomanová	6–3, 6–4
1982	Ann Kiyomura Paula Smith	Mary-Lou Piatek Wendy White	6–2, 6–4
1983	Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver	Bonnie Gadusek Wendy White	6–0, 6–1
1984	Carling Bassett Elizabeth Sayers	Mary-Lou Piatek Wendy White	6–4, 6–3
1985	Carling Bassett Gabriela Sabatini	Lisa Bonder Laura Arraya	6–0, 6–0
Eckerd Open
1986	Elise Burgin Rosalyn Fairbank	Gigi Fernández Kim Sands	7–5, 6–2
1987	Chris Evert-Lloyd Wendy Turnbull	Elise Burgin Rosalyn Fairbank	6–4, 6–3
1988	Terry Phelps Raffaella Reggi	Cammy MacGregor Cynthia MacGregor	6–2, 6–4
1989	Brenda Schultz Andrea Temesvári	Elise Burgin Rosalyn Fairbank	7–6, 6–4
1990	Mercedes Paz Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	Sandra Cecchini Laura Gildemeister	6–2, 6–0

See also

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

References

• WTA Results Archive