Austin Smith Championships (1946–68) (combined) Austin Smith Championships (1969–70) (men) WLOD Invitational (1969) (women) WLOD International (1970) Fort Lauderdale Invitation (1971) S&H Green Stamp Classic (1972–73) Virginia Slims of Fort Lauderdale (1974)
The Virginia Slims of Fort Lauderdale is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated women's tennis tournament founded in 1946 as a combined men's and women's event called the Austin Smith Championships that was part of the ILTF Circuit.[1] The tournament played at the Fort Lauderdale Tennis Club[2] from 1946 to 1974. It was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the United States and played on outdoor clay courts.
History
The Austin Smith Championships[3] were a combined men's and women's clay court tournament first established in 1946.[1] The event was always played on outdoor clay courts at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. In 1969 the men's tournament continued under its original brand name, whilst the women's event was renamed as the WLOD Invitational.[1] In 1970 the combined event was discontinued as the men's tournament was dropped from the schedule.[1] In 1970 the women's tournament was branded as the WLOD International. In 1971 two versions of the tournament one in January the WLOD Invitational[4] and one in February the Fort Lauderdale Invitation. In 1972 the women's tournament was renamed as the S&H Green Stamp Classic for sponsorship reasons as part of the Virginia Slims Circuit until 1973. In 1974 the last edition the tournament was just branded as the Virginia Slims of Fort Lauderdale.