The Coral Beach Invitation^[1] also known as the Coral Beach Club Invitation was combined tennis tournament played on green clay courts at the Coral Beach Club resort, Warwick, Bermuda. It was founded in 1940 and ran annually until 1978 when it was discontinued.^[1] The tournament was part of the ILTF North American Circuit.^[1]

History

In 1939, the first two ‘Bermuda Clay’ courts were laid down (now Har-Tru).^[2] A few months later in 1940 the invitation tournament was held.^[3] The winner of the men's singles, W. Donald McNeill, the same year, won the United States Lawn Tennis Championship at Forest Hills.^[3] The first lady champion, Miss Gracyn Wheeler, defeated Mrs. Sarah Palfrey Cooke who later also at Forest Hills.^[3] The tournament was part of the ILTF North American Circuit.

Finals

Men's Singles

(incomplete roll)

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
1940	Don McNeill	Elwood Thomas Cooke	6–8, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4.[1]
1952	Vic Seixas	Gustavo Palafox	6–4, 9–7, 6–3.[1]
1953[4]	Don McNeill	Lorne Main	7–5, 6–4, 6–2.
1966	Bill Tym	Ellis Slack	6–4, 6–1.[1]
1979	Stephen Alger	King Van Nostrand	6–2, 6–1.[1]

Women's Singles

(incomplete roll)

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
1940[3]	Gracyn Wheeler	Sarah Palfrey Cooke	10–8, 6–3
1953[5]	Louise Brough	Thelma Coyne Long	6–3, 6–4
1961	Dottie Head Knode	Barbara Scofield Davidson	6–1, 7–5
1970	Sally Fuller	Kay Hubbell	6–2, 6–1

References