The 1970 ILTF Women's Tennis Circuit was the 57th season since the formation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation in 1913, and the 96th season since the first women's tournaments were held in 1876.
Also known as the World Tennis Circuit or simply the ILTF Circuit consisted of a worldwide series of 314 tennis tournaments played across 6 continental tennis circuits and administered by the ILTF and its associate members.
The circuit began in late December 1969 in Valencia, Spain and ended on 26 December 1970 in East London, South Africa.
1970 was a very important year for women's tennis that would see the staging of two women only Virginia Slims events leading to a nascent Virginia Slims Circuit. The Virginia Slims Circuit would then be the platform for the formation of the Women's Tennis Association, which has risen to the structures of today.The Guardian
Summary of season The Open era began with the British Hard Court Championships in Bournemouth in 1968. At the first Open Wimbledon, the prize-fund difference was 2.5:1 in favour of men. Billie Jean King won £750 for taking the title, while Rod Laver took £2,000. The total purses of the competitions were £14,800 for men and £5,680 for women. By the 1970s, the pay difference which had been a 2.5:1 ratio between men and women had increased. In 1969, ratios of 5:1 in terms of pay were common at smaller tournaments; by 1970, these figures increased to 8:1 and even 12:1.King & Starr, p. 120.
The situation came to a head in 1970, when most tournaments offered four times as much prize money to men than they did to women. At the 1970 Italian Open, men's singles champion Ilie Năstase was paid US$3,500 while women's singles champion King received just US$600. On top of this, the USLTA failed to organise any tournaments for women in 1970.
Billie Jean King and eight other female tennis players – Americans Rosemary Casals, Nancy Richey, Peaches Bartkowicz, Kristy Pigeon, Valerie Ziegenfuss, Julie Heldman and Australians Kerry Melville Reid and Judy Tegart Dalton decided to enlist World Tennis magazine publisher Gladys Heldman to help negotiate for greater equality in prize money and provide valuable public relations assistance.The Guardian All the players were putting their tennis careers at risk because the influential USLTA did not back them.The Guardian
Gladys Heldman and the "Original 9" decided to target the Pacific Southwest Championships held in Los Angeles on the grounds that it paid eight times more money to men than it did to women. Heldman attempted to get the tournament chairman, former professional tennis player Jack Kramer, to reduce the inequality between the prize money purses for men and women. Kramer refused, leading the "Original 9" to declare at a press conference held at Forest Hills, New York that they would boycott the Pacific Southwest Championships and play at what would become the first Virginia Slims Circuit event, a US$7,500 Houston Women's Invitation tournament held in Houston, Texas in September 1970The Guardian Despite the USLTA's declaration that it would not sanction this event, the "Original 9" went ahead.The Guardian The Virginia Slims Circuit provided the platform for the formation of the Women's Tennis Association, which has risen to the structures of today.The Guardian
The 1970 ILTF women's tennis circuit began with Coupe Faucombridge tournament in Valencia, Spain. In the four most important tournaments of the year defending champion Margaret Court defeated Kerry Melville in the final, 6–3, 6–1 to win the women's singles tennis title at the Australian Open. It was her ninth Australian title. At the French Open defending champion Margaret Court defeated Helga Niessen in the final, 6–2, 6–4 to win the women's singles tennis title. It was her fourth French Open singles title.
At the Wimbledon Championships Margaret Court defeated Billie Jean King in the final, 14–12, 11–9 to win the ladies' singles tennis title, her third major singles title of the year, and her 19th major singles title overall. At the US Open defending champion Margaret Court defeated Rosie Casals in the final, 6–2, 2–6, 6–1 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1970 US Open. With the win, Court completed the Grand Slam, becoming the second woman to achieve it after Maureen Connolly in (1953), and the first woman in the Open Era to do so. It was her record-breaking 20th major singles title, surpassing Helen Wills Moody's all-time tally. The circuit ended on 26 December 1970 at the Border Championships in East London, South Africa.
Schedule This is a calendar of all official events that were administered by the International Lawn Tennis Federation in the year 1970, with player progression documented from the quarterfinals stage. The table also includes Grand Slam events, and tournaments on the African, Asian, Australasia, Central American & Caribbean, European, and South American ILTF regional circuits, as part of the annual world tennis circuit.New York Daily News. 27 Aug 1970. p.349. Team events such as the Federation Cup and Wightman Cup are included.
Key Grand Slam eventsAfrican Circuit.The Scotsman (Feb 1970) p.20.Asian Circuit.The Scotsman (Feb 1970) p.20.Australasia Circuit.The Scotsman (Feb 1970) p.20.Central American/Caribbean Circuit.European Circuit.North American Circuit.South American Circuit.The Scotsman (Feb 1970) p.20.Virginia Slims SeriesTeam & Games events
January EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemi finalist Quarter finalist1 Jan.Copa FaulcombridgeValencia, SpainClaySingles - Doubles Carmen Mandarino4–6, 6–3, 6–4 Ilse Buding Elisa Gisbert Stephanie Wowes South Australian ChampionshipsAdelaide, AustraliaGrassSingles - Doubles Lesley Hunt Winnie Shawfinal cancelledrain stopped play Karen Krantzcke Kerry Melville Kerry Harris Helen Kayser Christina Sandberg Janet Young Northern India and Punjab State ChampionshipsAmritsar, IndiaClaySingles - Doubles Aleksandra Ivanova6–1, 6–3 Irena Škulj Nirupama Mankad Alice Tym Judith Dibar Tiiu Kivi Kiran Peshawaria Nirupama Vasant South Island ChampionshipsNelson, New ZealandGrassSingles - Doubles Alice Tym 4–6, 6–2, 6–1 Beverley Vercoe Shirley Collins Marilyn Pryde Stephanie Bardsley Sonia Cox Marion Law Winnie Shaw 3 Jan.Eastern Province ChampionshipsPort Elizabeth, South AfricaHardSingles - Doubles Pat Walkden6–4, 6–2 Ann Haydon Jones Marianna Brummer Helen Gourlay Greta Delport Brenda Kirk Corinne Molesworth Kristy Pigeon Asian International ChampionshipsNew Delhi, IndiaClaySingles - Doubles Rena Azbandaze9–7, 6–3 Aleksandra Ivanova Nirupama Vasant Irena Škulj 4 Jan.Western Australian ChampionshipsPerth, AustraliaGrassSingles - Doubles Margaret Court6–4, 6–4 Kerry Melville Christina Sandberg Winnie Shaw Ann Coleman Lesley Hunt Brenda Jenkins Karen Krantzcke North Island ChampionshipsHutt Valley, New ZealandGrassSingles - Doubles Alice Tym6–3, 6–2 Beverley Vercoe J. Bloxham Robyn Legge Christine Bray Shirley Collins Cecilie Fleming Mrs. B. Ward 5 Jan. Manly Seaside ChampionshipsSydney, AustraliaGrassSingles - Doubles Evonne Goolagong6–2, 4–6, 6–2 Wendy Gilchrist Judy Tegart-Dalton Jan Lehane O'Neill Elizabeth Craig Pat Edwards L Kelisee Lita Liem 10 Jan.Tasmanian Open ChampionshipsHobart, AustraliaGrassSingles - Doubles Margaret Court6–2, 6–2 Kerry Melville Judy Tegart-Dalton Karen Krantzcke Wendy Gilchrist Lesley Hunt Winnie Shaw Christina Sandberg Orange Free State ChampionshipsBloemfontein, South AfricaHardSingles - Doubles Ann Haydon Jones6–4, 8–6 Peaches Bartkowicz Helen Gourlay Pat Walkden Denise Carter Brenda Kirk Kristy Pigeon Valerie Ziegenfuss 11 Jan. New Zealand ChampionshipsWellington, New ZealandGrassSingles - Doubles Marilyn Pryde8–6, 6–1 Robyn Legge Alice Tym Beverley Vercoe Stephanie Bardsley Jill Bloxham Shirley Collins Cecilie Fleming Moscow OpenMoscow, Soviet UnionCarpet (i)Singles - Doubles Olga Morozova6–3, 6–2 Marina Chuvirina Anna Islanova Ludmila Izopaitus Maria Kully Irina Samuelova Zaiga Yansone Anna Yeremeyeva All-India Hard Court ChampionshipsAmaravati, IndiaClaySingles - Doubles Nina Turkherelli 6–4, 6–4 Irena Škulj Judith Dibar Nirupama Vasant Nirupama Mankad Kiran Peshawaria Carol-Ann Prosen Rattan Thadani South Florida ChampionshipsWest Palm Beach, United StatesClaySingles - Doubles Chris Evert6–3, 6–2 Stephanie Johnson Laurie Fleming Astrid Suurbeek Bunny Austib Martha Cochrane Sally Slater Silvia Urroz 17 Jan.Western Province ChampionshipsCape Town, South AfricaHardSingles - Doubles Ann Haydon Jones6–1, 6–2 Peaches Bartkowicz Helen Gourlay Pat Walkden Denise Carter Corinne Molesworth Kristy Pigeon Valerie Ziegenfuss 18 Jan.Auckland ChampionshipsHutt Valley, New ZealandGrassSingles - Doubles Alice Tym 6–3, 7–9, 6–1 Robyn Legge Shirley Collins Cecilie Fleming Stephanie Bardsley Sue Blakely Jill Bloxham Beverley Vercoe Indian International ChampionshipsCalcutta, IndiaClaySingles - Doubles Anna Ivanova6–4, 6–4 Nina Turkherelli Carol-Ann Prosen Olga Morozova Judith Dibar Nirupama Mankad Rattan Thadani Nirupama Vasant Tamil Union ChampionshipsColombo, Sri LankaClaySingles - Doubles Srima Abeyegunawardene6–1, 4–6, retd. Susima Abeyegunawardene Oosha Chanmugam Mala Fernando Sria Gooneratne Ranjani Jayasuriya Wendy Molligoda Lita Liem Florida State Open ChampionshipsOrlando, United StatesClaySingles - Doubles Stephanie Johnson6–2, 6–1 Mona Schallau 25 Jan.West German Indoor ChampionshipsMunich, West GermanyWood (i)Singles - Doubles Virginia Wade6–2, 6–4 Joyce Williams Eva Lundqvist Vlasta Vopičková Ellen Grindvold Birgitta Lindstrom Helga Niessen Alena Palmeová 25 Jan.Fort Lauderdale InvitationalFort Lauderdale, United StatesClaySingles - Doubles Chris Evert6–1, 6–0 Laurie Fleming Patti Ann Reese Stephanie Johnson Sherry Beddingfield Lynne Epstein Carol Gfroerer Kathy Thornbrough Manila Metropolitan ChampionshipsManila, PhilippinesClaySingles - Doubles Ceci Martinez6–1, 6–0 Pay Yngayo Marissa Sanchez Yolanda Soemarno Seabrook Fowlds North Shore ChampionshipsForrest Hill, New ZealandGrassSingles - Doubles Alice Tym4–6, 6–4, 7–5 Robyn Legge Beverley Vercoe Beverley Ward Stephanie Bardsley Christine Bray Shirley Collins Elaine Stephan 27 Jan.Tournaments: 1970. WTAAustralian OpenSydney, AustraliaGrassSingles - Doubles Margaret Court 6–3, 6–1 Kerry Melville Karen Krantzcke Winnie Shaw Judy Dalton Evonne Goolagong Lesley Hunt Christina Sandberg Margaret Court Judy Dalton 6–1, 6–3 Karen Krantzcke Kerry Melville 30 Jan.Scandinavian Indoor ChampionshipsOslo, NorwayCarpet (i)Singles - Doubles Joyce Williams6–2, 6–1 Nell Truman Eva Lundqvist Margareta Strandberg Kirsten Anden Ingrid Löfdahl Bentzer Isabelle Larsson Birgitta Lindström
February