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The Blue Gray Championships was a men's and women's open international tennis tournament was founded in 1949. Also known as the Blue Gray Invitation the tournament was first played at the Montgomery Country Club, Montgomery, Alabama, United States. It was played annually until 1978 as an individual competition when it was discontinued. In 1984 it was revived as team only competition called the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic that is still active.

History

The tournament was conceived by Jack Bushman the President of the Southern Lawn Tennis Association. In 1949 he established the event was based upon the Sugar Bowl Tennis Championships. This tournament was to be played before the Blue–Gray Football Classic was being held and first occurred in 1950. The main difference between this event and the Sugar Bowl tennis event, it was to be an open international tournament for college (university) players rather than junior players. The inaugural winners of the singles events were Jack Tuero (men) and Elinor Shaw (women). The tournament also featured doubles events.

The championships were held at the Montgomery Country Club from inception until 1968. In 1969 he moved location to Huntingdon College but was not held that year. In 1973 it moved the Lagoon Park Tennis Center before moving to the O’Connor Tennis Center during the last few editions all of were in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1978 the event was discontinued as an individual competition, however exhibition events under the brand name the Blue Gray Invitation continued to held. In 1983 the format for the tournament was a changed to become team only competition to be played as a lead up event to the NCAA Championships. In 1984 the first edition of the rebranded Blue Gray National Tennis Classic was held.

Finals

Notes: Where a runner up is not shown or the score sections have been blanked.

Men's singles

Year	Winners	Runners-up	Score
1949	Jack Tuero	Herbert "Buddy" Behrens	6–0, 6–2, 7–9, 9–11, 6–1.
1950	Ricardo Balbiers	Wade Herren	6–4, 6–1, 6–2.
1951	Jack Tuero (2)	Tony Trabert	9–7, 9–7, 0–6, 5–7, 6–1.
1952	Don Kaiser	Wade Herren	6–3, 1–6, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5
1953	Ham Richardson	Don Kaiser	6–1, 6–2, 6–3.
1954	Allen Morris	José Agüero Umatino	9–7, 6–4, 0–6, 6–4.
1955	Eddie Moylan	Allen Morris	3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 15–13.
1956	Wade Herren	Johann Kupferburger	4–6, 7–5, 6–0.
1957	William Quillian	Barry MacKay	6–4, 6–4, 6–4.
1958	Gustavo Palafox	Ronald Holmberg	6–4, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6, 6–4.
1959	Ronald Holmberg	Gerald Moss	6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–4.
1960	Crawford Henry	Henry "Hank" Jungle	7–5 6–4.
1961	Myron Franks	Billy Lenoir	6–1, 8–6, 6–2.
1962	Mike Belkin	Norm Perry	8–6, 4–6, 6–4.
1963	Billy Lenoir	Andrew Lloyd	6–1, 2–6, 6–2.
1964	Andrew Lloyd	Robert Brien	1–6, 6–3, 6–1.
1965	J. W. Bitsy Harrison	Bill Tym	11–9, 6–2.
1966	Tom Edlefsen	Cliff Buchholz	6–2, 6–3.
1967	Mike Belkin (2)	Herb Fitzgibbon	9–11, 7–5, 6–2.
1968	Joaquín Loyo-Mayo	Vicente Zarazúa	6–1, 6–1.
↓  Open era  ↓
1970	Peter van Lingen	Paul Gerken	11–9 4–6 6–3.
1971	Humphrey Hose	Mike Belkin	7–5 6–0 7–6.
1972	Humphrey Hose (2)	Fred McNair	7–6, 6–7, 6–3.
1973	Raz Reid	Sashi Menon	6–3, 7–6.
1974	Victor Amaya	Tim Vann	7–6, 5–7, 7–7.
1975	Butch Walts	Fred DeJesus	6–4, 6–4.
1976	Terry Moor	Nick Saviano	6–4, 6–4.
1977	Terry Moor (2)	Marcelo Lara	6–2, 6–3.
1978	Warren Eber	Eddie Edwards	4–6, 7–6, 6–3.
For the team event see Blue Gray National Tennis Classic

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

Year	Winners	Runners-up	Score
1949	Elinor Shaw	Ewing McAllester	6–4, 8–6
1950	Suzanne Herr	Lucy Masterson	3–6, 6–4, 6–4
1953	Jean Clarke	Laura Lou Kunnen	6–4, 6–4
1954	Jean Clarke (2)	Pat Stewart	6–3, 6–3
1955	Yola Ramirez	Jean Clarke	7–9, 6–3, 6–3
1956	Karol Fageros	Yola Ramirez	6–3, 6–3
1957	Owen McHaney	Raymonde Veber Jones	6–4, 3–6, 6–4
1958	Owen McHaney (2)	Marta Hernández	8–6, 6–4
1959	Carol Hanks	Marie Martin	6–4, 7–5
1960	Susan Butt	Linda Vail	6–2, 6–2
1961	Roberta Alison	Mary Habicht	6–4, 2–6, 6–1
1962	Roberta Alison (2)	Mary Habicht	6–0, 6–3
1963	Justina Bricka	Stephanie DeFina	3–6, 8–6, 6–2
1964	Roberta Alison (3)	Becky Vest	6–0, 6–4
1965	Roberta Alison (4)	Stephanie DeFina	3–6, 7–5, 6–0
1966	Becky Vest	Linda Tuero	6–3, 2–6, 6–2
1968	Linda Tuero	Emilie Burrer	6–0, 6–4
↓  Open era  ↓
1970	Laura duPont	Kathy Kraft	6–1, 6–2
1972	Pat Bostrom	Beverly Barger	6–4, 6–2
1973	Betsy Butler	Susan Vinton	6–4, 3–6, 6–2
1974	Linda Rupert	Betsy Butler	6–1, 6–4
1975	Beth Norton	Candy Reynolds	6–2, 6–3
1977	Kate Latham	Kathy Kuykendall	7–6, 6–2
For the team event see Blue Gray National Tennis Classic

References

1. ^ "History". www.bluegraytennis.com. Blue Gray National Tennis Classic. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
2. ^ "Tournaments: Blue Gray Championships". The Tennis Base. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
3. "Donald Kaiser: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
4. "Wade Herren: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
5. "Henry Jungle: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
6. "BLUE-GRAY TENNIS: Amaya Defeats Vann". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, georgia: newspapers.com. 9 Jun 1974. p. 85. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
7. "Butch Walts wins". The Peninsula Times Tribune. Pal Alto, California: newspapers.com. 16 Jun 1975. p. 23. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
8. "Warren Eber: Overview". ATP Tour. ATP. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
9. "Eber wins Blue-Gray". The Columbus Ledger. Columbus, Georgia: newspapers.com. 26 Jun 1978. p. 10. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
10. "Ricardo Balbiers Cops Blue-Gray Net Crown". Alabama Journal. Montgomery, Alabama: newspapers.com. 19 Jun 1950. p. 8. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
11. "Jean Clarke (USA) – Ladies' Singles" (PDF). Wimbledon. AELTC. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
12. Hudson, John (15 Jun 1970). "Van Lingen Captures B-G Net Championship". The Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama: newspapers.com. p. 13. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
13. "Nelson, Whaling Beaten in Semis". The Austin American. Austin, Texas: newspapers.com. 10 Jun 1973. p. 67. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
14. "Blue-Gray Tourney". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida: newspapers.com. 10 Jun 1974. p. 30. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
15. "TENNIS: Blue-Gray Tennis Championships". The San Bernardino County Sun. San Bernardino, California: newspapers.com. 15 Jun 1975. p. 45. Retrieved 13 January 2024.

• Defunct tennis tournaments in the United States