Tribuno starts a Women’s Tour

Hilary Hilton (left) and Louise Gengler Hilary Hilton (left) and Louise Gengler

The circuit proved almost as popular as the men’s. The 1976–77 season kickoff was the Tribuno Platform Tennis Tournament of Cleveland, followed by Canoe Brook (New Jersey), Norwalk (Connecticut), Bronxville (New York), Detroit, and the World Championship at Forest Hills, New York. The prize money for the Women’s World Championship was $15,000.

Because Tribuno offered equal prize money to men and women for the World Championships, the women voted to play three out of five sets, like the men did. In the semifinals, the spectators got their money’s worth as they watched Gengler and Hilton beat Wendy Chase and Linda Wolf (7–6, 6–3, 4–6, 1–6, 6–4).