1953 French Championships (tennis) Hart / Shirley Fry defeated Maureen Connolly / Julia Sampson 6–4, 6–3 Doris Hart / Vic Seixas defeated Maureen Connolly / Mervyn Rose 4–6, 6–4, 6–0 1953 French Championships (tennis) The 1953 French Championships (now known as the French Open) was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor clay courts at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France. The tournament ran from 19 May until 30 May. It was the 57th staging of the French Championships, and the second Grand Slam tennis event of 1953. Ken Rosewall and Maureen Connolly won the singles titles. Ken Rosewall defeated Vic Seixas
Tennis court Slam tournament to use clay courts. Clay courts slow down the ball and produce a high bounce in comparison to grass or hard courts. For this reason, the clay court takes away many of the advantages of big serves, which makes it hard for serve-based players to dominate on the surface. Clay courts are cheaper to construct than other types of tennis courts, but a clay surface costs more to maintain. Clay courts need to be rolled to preserve flatness. The clay's water content must be balanced; green clay courts generally require the courts to be sloped to allow water