The  LA Women's Tennis Championships   was a Premier-level  women's tennis  tournament on the WTA Tour  held in Carson, California , a suburb of Los Angeles . The tournament was played on outdoor hard courts  and a part of the US Open Series .
The tournament was founded in 1971 as the Billie Jean King Invitational  as part of the inaugural Virginia Slims Circuit  in Long Beach, California  in 1971 by Jerry Diamond, one of the tour's organizers. In 1973, it moved to Los Angeles. The event was off the tour calendar for three years (1974–1976) when the season-ending championships  were played in Los Angeles. The tournament was an indoor event until 1983, when it switched to outdoor hard courts  in Manhattan Beach  where it stayed for 20 years. IMG  bought the event from Diamond in 1996.[ 1] Carson  in 2003. It was acquired by its new landlord, AEG , in 2004.[ 2] 
In 2009 AEG and USTA  sold the tournament to Octagon , who moved the event to Carlsbad, California . It was renamed the Mercury Insurance Open .[ 3] 
Past finals 
Martina Navratilova a "Tennis Champion" Martina Navratilova was the most successful player winning 8 singles titles. 
Singles 
Year 
Location 
Champion 
Runner-up 
Score 
Name
  
1971   Long Beach Billie Jean King Rosemary Casals 6–1, 6–2 
Billie Jean King Invitational
  
1972   
Rosemary Casals Françoise Dürr 6–2, 6–7(4–5) , 6–3 
Independent Press-Telegram's  
1973 
Los Angeles 
Margaret Court Nancy Gunter 7–5, 6–7(1–5) , 7–5 
British Motor Cars Tournament
  
1974–76 
Not held
  
1977   
Chris Evert Martina Navratilova 6–2, 2–6, 6–1 
Virginia Slims of Los Angeles
  
1978 Martina Navratilova Rosemary Casals 6–3, 6–2
  
1979 Chris Evert  (2) Martina Navratilova 6–3, 6–4 
Avon Championships of Los Angeles
  
1980 Martina Navratilova  (2) Tracy Austin 6–2, 6–0
  
1981 
Martina Navratilova  (3) Andrea Jaeger 6–4, 6–0
  
1982 
Mima Jaušovec Sylvia Hanika 6–2, 7–6(7–4) 
  
1983 
Manhattan Beach Martina Navratilova  (4) Chris Evert 6–1, 6–3 
Virginia Slims of Los Angeles (II)
  
1984 
Chris Evert  (3) Wendy Turnbull 6–2, 6–3
  
1985 
Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Pam Shriver 6–2, 6–4
  
1986 
Martina Navratilova  (5) Chris Evert 7–6(7–5) , 6–3
  
1987 
Steffi Graf Chris Evert 6–3, 6–4
  
1988 
Chris Evert  (4) Gabriela Sabatini 2–6, 6–1, 6–1
  
1989 
Martina Navratilova  (6) Gabriela Sabatini 6–0, 6–2
  
1990 
Monica Seleš Martina Navratilova 6–4, 3–6, 7–6(8–6) 
  
1991 
Monica Seleš  (2) Kimiko Date 6–3, 6–1
  
1992 
Martina Navratilova  (7) Monica Seleš 6–4, 6–2
  
1993 
Martina Navratilova  (8) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 7–5, 7–6(7–4) 
  
1994 
Amy Frazier Ann Grossman 6–1, 6–3
  
1995   
Conchita Martínez Chanda Rubin 4–6, 6–1, 6–3 
Acura Classic
  
1996 
Lindsay Davenport Anke Huber 6–2, 6–3
  
1997 
Monica Seles  (3) Lindsay Davenport 5–7, 7–5, 6–4
  
1998 
Lindsay Davenport  (2) Martina Hingis 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
  
1999 
Serena Williams Julie Halard-Decugis 6–1, 6–4
  
2000   
Serena Williams  (2) Lindsay Davenport 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–1)  
estyle.com Classic
  
2001 
Lindsay Davenport  (3) Monica Seleš 6–3, 7–5
  
2002   Chanda Rubin Lindsay Davenport 5–7, 7–6(7–5) , 6–3 
JPMorgan Chase Open
  
2003 Carson Kim Clijsters Lindsay Davenport 6–1, 3–6, 6–1
  
2004 Lindsay Davenport  (4) Serena Williams 6–1, 6–3
  
2005 Kim Clijsters  (2) Daniela Hantuchová 6–4, 6–1
  
2006 Elena Dementieva Jelena Janković 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
  
2007 Ana Ivanovic Nadia Petrova 7–5, 6–4 
East West Bank Classic 
  
2008 Dinara Safina Flavia Pennetta 6–4, 6–2
  
2009 Flavia Pennetta  Samantha Stosur 6–4, 6–3 
LA Women's Tennis Championships 
 
2010 
Succeeded by San Diego Open 
  
Doubles 
Year 
Location 
Champion 
Runner-up 
Score 
Name
  
1971 
Long Beach Rosemary Casals  Billie Jean King Françoise Dürr  Ann Haydon-Jones 7–5, 6–3 
Billie Jean King Invitational
  
1972 
Rosemary Casals  (2) Virginia Wade Helen Gourlay  Karen Krantzcke 6–4, 5–7, 7–5 
Independent Press-Telegram's  
1973 
Los Angeles 
Rosemary Casals  (3) Julie Heldman Margaret Court  Lesley Hunt walkover 
British Motor Cars Tournament
  
1974–76 
Not held
  
1977 
Rosemary Casals  (4) Chris Evert Martina Navratilova  Betty Stöve 6–2, 6–4 
Virginia Slims of Los Angeles
  
1978 
Betty Stöve  Virginia Wade  (2) Greer Stevens  Pam Teeguarden 6–3, 6–2
  
1979 
Rosemary Casals  (5) Chris Evert  (2) Martina Navratilova  Anne Smith 6–4, 1–6, 6–3 
Avon Championships of Los Angeles
  
1980 
Rosemary Casals  (6) Martina Navratilova Kathy Jordan  Anne Smith 7–6, 6–2
  
1981 
Sue Barker  Ann Kiyomura Marita Redondo  Peanut Louie 6–1, 4–6, 6–1
  
1982 
Kathy Jordan  Anne Smith Barbara Potter  Sharon Walsh 6–3, 7–5
  
1983 
Manhattan Beach Martina Navratilova  (2) Pam Shriver Betsy Nagelsen  Virginia Ruzici 6–1, 6–0 
Virginia Slims of Los Angeles (II)
  
1984 
Chris Evert Lloyd  (3) Wendy Turnbull Bettina Bunge  Eva Pfaff 6–2, 6–4
  
1985 
Claudia Kohde-Kilsch  Helena Suková Hana Mandlíková  Wendy Turnbull 6–4, 6–2
  
1986 
Martina Navratilova  (3) Pam Shriver  (2) Claudia Kohde-Kilsch  Helena Suková 6–4, 6–3
  
1987 
Martina Navratilova  (4) Pam Shriver  (3) Zina Garrison  Lori McNeil 6–3, 6–4
  
1988 
Patty Fendick  Jill Hetherington Gigi Fernández  Robin White 7–6(7–2) , 5–7, 6–4
  
1989 
Martina Navratilova  (5) Wendy Turnbull  (2) Claudia Kohde-Kilsch  Mary Joe Fernández 5-2 retired
  
1990 
Gigi Fernández  Jana Novotná Mercedes Paz  Gabriela Sabatini 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
  
1991 
Larisa Savchenko  Natalia Zvereva Gretchen Rush Magers  Robin White 6–1, 2–6, 6–2
  
1992 
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario  Helena Suková  (2) Zina Garrison  Pam Shriver 6–4, 6–2
  
1993 
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario  (2) Helena Suková  (3) Gigi Fernández  Natalia Zvereva 7–6(7–3) , 6–3
  
1994 
Julie Halard  Nathalie Tauziat Jana Novotná  Lisa Raymond 6–1, 0–6, 6–1
  
1995 
Gigi Fernández  (2) Natasha Zvereva  (2) Gabriela Sabatini  Larisa Savchenko Neiland 7–5, 6–7(2–7) , 7–5 
Acura Classic
  
1996 
Lindsay Davenport  Natasha Zvereva  (3) Amy Frazier  Kimberly Po 6–1, 6–4
  
1997 
Yayuk Basuki  Caroline Vis Larisa Savchenko Neiland  Helena Suková 7–6(9–7) , 6–3
  
1998 
Martina Hingis  Natasha Zvereva  (4) Tamarine Tanasugarn  Elena Tatarkova 6–4, 6–2
  
1999 
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario  (3) Larisa Savchenko Neiland Lisa Raymond  Rennae Stubbs 6–2, 6–7(5–7) , 6–0
  
2000 
Els Callens  Dominique Monami Van Roost Kimberly Po  Anne-Gaëlle Sidot 6–2, 7–5 
estyle.com Classic
  
2001 
Kimberly Po-Messerli  Nathalie Tauziat  (2) Nicole Arendt  Caroline Vis 6–3, 7–5
  
2002 
 Kim Clijsters  Jelena Dokić  
Daniela Hantuchová  Ai Sugiyama 6–2, 6–3 
JPMorgan Chase Open
  
2003 
Carson Mary Pierce  Rennae Stubbs Elena Bovina  Els Callens 6–3, 6–3
  
2004 
Nadia Petrova  Meghann Shaughnessy Conchita Martínez  Virginia Ruano Pascual 6–7(2–7) , 6–4, 6–3
  
2005 
Elena Dementieva  Flavia Pennetta Angela Haynes  Bethanie Mattek 6–2, 6–4
  
2006 
Virginia Ruano Pascual  Paola Suárez Daniela Hantuchová  Ai Sugiyama 6–3, 6–4
  
2007 Květa Hrdličková Peschke Rennae Stubbs  (2) Alicia Molik Mara Santangelo 6–0, 6–1 
East West Bank Classic
  
2008 Yung-jan Chan Chia-Jung Chuang Eva Hrdinová Vladimíra Uhlířová 2–6, 7–5, (10-4)
  
2009 Chia-Jung Chuang  (2) Yan Zi Maria Kirilenko Agnieszka Radwańska 6–0, 4–6, 10–7 
LA Women's Tennis Championships
  
2010 
Succeeded by San Diego Open 
  
See also 
References 
Tournaments by year Premier Mandatory Premier 5 tournaments Premier tournaments