1924 FRENCH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dates: June 7-15
Venue: Racing Club de France, Paris, France
Surface: Clay
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Singles (Draw=16)
1st Round
Marguerite Billout d. Daisy Spéranza-Wyns 3-6 6-2 6-1
Suzanne Dévé d. Yvonne Bourgeois 6-4 3-6 6-0
Jeanne Vaussard d. Geneviève Cousin 6-0 6-4
Nanette Le Besnarais d. Germaine Pigueron 6-0 6-4
Germaine Golding d. Marie Danet default
S. Lecaron d. Germaine Charnelet 6-4 6-3
Marie Conquet d. Germaine Le Conte 6-3 6-4
Diddie Vlasto d. Jeanne Matthey 6-1 6-0
Quarterfinals
Billout d. Dévé 0-6 6-2 6-3
Vaussard d. Le Besnarais 7-5 4-6 7-5
Golding d. Lecaron 6-2 6-1
Vlasto d. Conquet 6-3 6-4
Semifinals
Vaussard d. Billout 6-0 6-1
Vlasto d. Golding 6-4 2-6 6-3
Final
Diddie Vlasto d. Jeanne Vaussard 6-2 6-3
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Doubles (Draw=8)
1st Round
Germaine Golding/Jeanne Vaussard d. Nanette Le Besnarais/Germaine Le Conte 6-4 6-3
Germaine Charnelet/Germaine Pigueron d. Mme Florand/S. Lecaron 6-1 6-1
Marie Conquet/Suzanne Dévé d. Geneviève Cousin/Marie Danet 6-4 5-7 6-3
Marguerite Billout/Yvonne Bourgeois d. Hélène Contostavlos/Daisy Spéranza-Wyns 6-2 6-3
Semifinals
Golding-Vaussard d. Charnelet/Pigueron 6-4 6-2
Billout/Bourgeois d. Conquet/Dévé 5-7 6-4 6-2
Final
Marguerite Billout/Yvonne Bourgeois d. Germaine Golding/Jeanne Vaussard 6-3 6-3
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Mixed Doubles (Draw=13 )
1st Round
Marguerite Billout/Jean Borotra-bye
Geneviève Cousin/Marcel Cousin d. Hélène Contostavlos/Roger Danet default
Diddie Vlasto/Henri Cochet d. Yvonne Bourgeois/René Lacoste 6-4 6-0
Nanette Le Besnerais/Toto Brugnon d. Suzanne Dévé/Paul Féret 6-2 6-1
Germaine Golding/Jean Couitéas d. Jeanne Vaussard/Léonce Aslangul default
Germaine Pigueron/Pierre Hirsch d. Marie Conquet/Jean Samazeuilh 6-4 6-2
Daisy Spéranza-Wyns/Coco Gentien-bye
Germaine Charnelet/Raymond Barbas-bye
Quarterfinals
Billout/Borotra d.Cousin/Cousin 6-2 6-3
Le Besnerais/Brugnon d. Vlasto/Cochet 6-3 7-5
Golding/Couitéas d. Pigueron/Hirsch 6-2 7-5
Charnelet/Barbas d. Speranza-Wyns/Gentien 6-2 6-3
Semifinals
Billout/Borotra d. Le Besnerais/Brugnon 6-1 6-1
Golding/Couitéas d. Charnelet/Barbas 7-5 8-6
Final
Marguerite Billout/Jean Borotra d. Germaine Golding/Jean Couitéas 6-2 8-6
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Draw notes:
The draw is in exact draw order.
Genevieve Cousin/Marcel Cousin were related in some way. probably sister and brother, or possibly cousins.
Mme Germaine Pigueron was the sister of Yvonne Bourgeois.
Mme Florand is listed as Mme Florent by Tennis et Golf. There are numerous other examples of a Mme Florand, who always partnered S Lecaron in major events, as she did here. Thus" Mme Florent" is Mme Florand.
Missing full names for:
Mme Florand
Mlle S. Lacaron
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Sources:
Tennis et Golf. June 1924, page 238.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Championnat_de_France_de_tennis_1924
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Summary:
Lenglen was ill much of 1924 and opted not to defend her national title. This opened the door for Diddie Vlasto, ranked #2 in France, to come through. Her toughest match was against Mme Golding, who had been runner-up to Lenglen the last 3 years. Once Diddie got past Golding at 6-4 2-6 6-3 the final was a straight set affair.
The ladies final was held on the 15th.
One year earlier Lenglen had won the women's doubles title with Diddie Vlasto and the mixed doubles title with Jacques Brugnon.
1924 was the very last French Closed National Championships. As a price for joining the International Tennis Federation the United States demanded the ITF discontinue the grandly titled "World Championship" events on Covered Courts (Indoors), Hard Courts (Clay), and Grass.
In practice the Hard Court Championships were held every year in France with the exception of 1922, which was in French speaking Belgium. In essence then it was a French event, and naturally they wanted to keep it that way. As luck would have it the 1924 Olympics were in Paris. As a grand event it filled in nicely for the World Hard Court Championships as a bridge between it and a newly born French International Championships in 1925. This is the modern day "French Open."
Clearly the French Open was really the child of the International World Hard Court event and not the French Nationals. So why does the official list of winners go back to the 1890s and include the French Nationals? Tradition would be first-since it started much earlier (1891) as opposed to the more recent World Championships, which only began in 1912.
French Nationalism may have also played a role. The 1922 event had been in Belgium. Besides, the World Hard Court event didn't carry the word or notion of "French" in the title!