Ellen Roosevelt won the singles tennis title by defeating reigning champion Bertha Townsend 6–2, 6–2 in the Challenge Round of the 1890 U.S. Women's National Singles Championship in front of a crowd of nearly 2,000 people. Roosevelt had won the right to challenge Townsend by defeating Lida Voorhees 6–3, 6–1 in the final of the All Comers' competition. The event was played on outdoor grass courts and held at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia from June 10 through June 13, 1890.[1][2][3][4][5]
^"Miss Roosevelt wins the ladies' singles championships". The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 13, 1890. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com. Miss Townsend, who was smarting under her late defeat, was anxious to retrieve her lost laurels and played steadily for a few games, but she soon attempted some brilliant shots which, however, failed to materialize, while her opponent was the personification of steadiness.
