U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
U.S. Pro Tennis Championships | |
---|---|
Defunct tennis tournament | |
Tour | (1927–69) Grand Prix Circuit (1970–89) ATP World Tour (1997–99) |
Founded | 1927 |
Abolished | 1999 |
Location | United States |
Venue | Multiple |
Surface | Grass, Clay, Wood, Hard |
The U.S. Pro Tennis Championships (for a period from 1951 to 1962 billed as the Cleveland International Pro or Cleveland World Pro Tennis Championships[1]) was the oldest professional tennis tournament played until its final year of 1999 and is considered as a part of the professional Grand Slam from 1927–1967 until the advent of Open Era. In 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1960, the Cleveland World Pro had a women's draw, with Pauline Betz winning the first three of these, and defeating the reigning U.S. women's champion Doris Hart in the 1956 final.[2] Althea Gibson defeated Pauline Betz in the 1960 women's final.[3]
American's first prominent professional player, Vinny Richards, arranged what became the first U.S. Professionals by negotiating with to have a tournament played at the Notlek Tennis Club, located at 119th Street and Riverside Drive in Manhattan, New York, on September 23–25, 1927.[4][5] Richards, tour pro Howard Kinsey and teaching pros from the eastern U.S. comprised the field, with Richards defeating Kinsey in the final in straight sets, a victory which earned him $1,000 first-prize money.[5]
The tournament was subsequently held annually at various locations including the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York City, the in Chicago, in Rye, New York, at the Terrace Club in Brooklyn, the in Chicago, at the L.A. Tennis Club in Los Angeles, at various clubs around Cleveland, Ohio, and Cleveland Arena in Cleveland. In 1954, the USPLTA authorized Kramer to hold the U.S. Pro Championships at the L.A. Tennis Club in California, Gonzales winning the event, and the Benrus Cup (emblematic of the U.S. Pro) was awarded to Gonzales.[6] Its final permanent home was the Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, where it was held from 1964 to 1999. It became part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour shortly after the advent of open tennis in 1968. Between 1970 and 1977 it was a prominent tournament of the Grand Prix Super Series. It then became a tennis event within the ATP Tour with reorganization of the top tier of pro tour tennis.
The tournament was later played on Har-Tru clay courts and was initially an important tune-up event for the US Open. But when this Grand Slam tournament moved to hardcourts in 1978, the U.S. Professionals did not follow suit, electing instead to hold its tournament during the US clay court season in early summer instead of during its hitherto pre-Open era (late summer) time slot. Remaining a clay event into the 1990s, it was a non-ATP exhibition event from 1990 through 1995. During the last stint of the tournament, from 1997 to 1999, it was again an ATP event and was played on hardcourts.
Pancho Gonzales holds the record for most wins with nine.[5][7]
Past finals[]
Singles[]
Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score | Venue | Surface |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Professional era | |||||
1927 | Vinny Richards | Howard Kinsey | 11–9, 6–4, 6–3 | Notlek Tennis Club, Manhattan | Grass |
1928 | Vinny Richards | Karel Koželuh | 8–6, 6–3, 0–6, 6–2 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1929 | Karel Koželuh | Vinny Richards | 6–4, 6–4, 4–6, 4–6, 7–5 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1930 | Vinny Richards | Karel Koželuh | 2–6, 10–8, 6–3, 6–4 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1931 | Bill Tilden | Vinny Richards | 7–5, 6–2, 6–1 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1932 | Karel Koželuh | Hans Nüsslein | 6–2, 6–2, 7–5 | South Shore Country Club | Clay |
1933 | Vinny Richards | Frank Hunter | 6–3, 6–0, 6–2 | Westchester Country Club | Grass |
1934 | Hans Nüsslein | Karel Koželuh | 6–4, 6–2, 1–6, 7–5 | South Shore Country Club | Clay |
1935 | Bill Tilden | Karel Koželuh | 0–6, 6–1, 6–4, 0–6, 6–4 | Terrace Club, Brooklyn | Clay |
1936 | Joe Whalen | 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–3 | Tudor City Tennis Club, New York | Clay | |
1937[a] | Karel Koželuh | Bruce Barnes | 6–2, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–1 | Greenbrier | Clay |
1938 | Fred Perry | Bruce Barnes | 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 | Canvas (i) | |
1939 | Ellsworth Vines | Fred Perry | 8–6, 6–8, 6–1, 20–18 | Hard | |
1940 | Don Budge | Fred Perry | 6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 6–3 | Clay | |
1941 | Fred Perry | Dick Skeen | 6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3 | Chicago Town and Tennis Club | Clay |
1942 | Don Budge | Bobby Riggs | 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1943 | Bruce Barnes | John Nogrady | 6–1, 7–9, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 | Fort Knox | Clay |
1944 | Not held | ||||
1945 | Welby Van Horn | John Nogrady | 6–4, 6–2, 6–2 | Rips Tennis Courts, Manhattan | Clay |
1946 | Bobby Riggs | Don Budge | 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1947 | Bobby Riggs | Don Budge | 3–6, 6–3, 10–8, 4–6, 6���3 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1948 | Jack Kramer | Bobby Riggs | 14–12, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1949 | Bobby Riggs | Don Budge | 9–7, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1950 | Pancho Segura | Frank Kovacs | 6–1, 1–6, 8–6, 4–4 ret. | Skating Club, Cleveland | Clay (i) |
1951 | Frank Kovacs | Pancho Segura | 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 1–6, 9–7 | Lakewood, Cleveland | Cement (i) |
1951[b][c] | Pancho Segura | Pancho Gonzales | 6–3, 6–4, 6–2r[31] | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1952 | Pancho Segura | Pancho Gonzales | 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 6–0 | Lakewood, Cleveland | Cement (i) |
1953 | Pancho Gonzales | Don Budge | 4–6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–2 | Lakewood, Cleveland | Cement (i) |
1954 | Pancho Gonzales | Frank Sedgman | 6-3, 9-7, 3-6, 6-2 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland | Hard (i) |
1954[d] | Pancho Gonzales | Pancho Segura | 6–4, 4–6, 2–6, 6–2, 6–4[37] | Los Angeles Tennis Club | Cement |
1955[e] | Pancho Gonzales | Pancho Segura | 21–16, 19–21, 21–8, 20–22, 21–19v | Cleveland Arena | Hard (i) |
1956 | Pancho Gonzales | Pancho Segura | 21–15, 13–21, 21–14, 22–20v | Cleveland Arena | Hard (i) |
*1956 | Pauline Betz | Doris Hart | 21-16, 19-21, 21-12 | Cleveland Arena (Women's event) | Hard (i) |
1957 | Pancho Gonzales | Pancho Segura | 6–3, 3–6, 7–5, 6–1 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (i) |
1958 | Pancho Gonzales | Lew Hoad | 3–6, 4–6, 14–12, 6–1, 6–4 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (i) |
1959 | Pancho Gonzales | Lew Hoad | 6–4, 6–2, 6–4 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (i) |
1960 | Alex Olmedo | Tony Trabert | 7–5, 6–4 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (i) |
*1960 | Althea Gibson | Pauline Betz | 7-5, 2-6, 6-5 | Cleveland Arena (Women's event) | Hard (i) |
1961 | Pancho Gonzales | Frank Sedgman | 6–3, 7–5 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (i) |
1962 | Butch Buchholz | Pancho Segura | 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (i) |
1963 | Ken Rosewall | Rod Laver | 6–4, 6–2, 6–2 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1964 | Rod Laver | Pancho Gonzales | 4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Grass |
1965 | Ken Rosewall | Rod Laver | 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Grass |
1966 | Rod Laver | Ken Rosewall | 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 8–10, 6–3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Grass |
1967 | Rod Laver | Andrés Gimeno | 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–5 | Longwood Cricket Club | Grass |
Open era | |||||
1968 | Rod Laver | John Newcombe | 6–4, 6–4, 9–7 | Longwood Cricket Club | Grass |
1969 | Rod Laver | John Newcombe | 7–5, 6–2, 4–6, 6–1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
1970 | Tony Roche | Rod Laver | 3–6, 6–4, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
1971 | Ken Rosewall | Cliff Drysdale | 6–4, 6–3, 6–0 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
1972 | Bob Lutz | Tom Okker | 6–4, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
1973[38] | Jimmy Connors | Arthur Ashe | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
1974 | Björn Borg | Tom Okker | 7–6, 6–1, 6–1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1975 | Björn Borg | Guillermo Vilas | 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1976 | Björn Borg | Harold Solomon | 6–7, 6–4, 6–1, 6–2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1977 | Manuel Orantes | Eddie Dibbs | 7–6, 7–5, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1978 | Manuel Orantes | Harold Solomon | 6–4, 6–3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1979 | José Higueras | Hans Gildemeister | 6–3, 6–1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1980 | Eddie Dibbs | José Luis Clerc | 6–2, 6–1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1981 | José Luis Clerc | Hans Gildemeister | 0–6, 6–2, 6–2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1982 | Guillermo Vilas | Mel Purcell | 6–4, 6–0 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1983 | José Luis Clerc | Jimmy Arias | 6–3, 3–6, 6–0 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1984 | Aaron Krickstein | José Luis Clerc | 7–6, 3–6, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1985 | Mats Wilander | Martín Jaite | 6–2, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1986 | Andrés Gómez | Martín Jaite | 7–5, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1987 | Mats Wilander | Kent Carlsson | 7–6, 6–1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1988 | Thomas Muster | Lawson Duncan | 6–2, 6–2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1989 | Andrés Gómez | Mats Wilander | 6–1, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1990[f] | Martín Jaite | Libor Němeček | 7–5, 6–3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1991 | Andrés Gómez | Andrei Cherkasov | 7–5, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Clay |
1992 | Ivan Lendl | Richey Reneberg | 6–3, 6–3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
1993 | Ivan Lendl | Todd Martin | 5–7, 6–3, 7–6 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
1994 | Ivan Lendl | MaliVai Washington | 7–5, 7–6 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
1995 | Not completed due to rain | ||||
1996 | Not held | ||||
1997 | Sjeng Schalken | Marcelo Ríos | 7–5, 6–3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
1998 | Michael Chang | Paul Haarhuis | 6–3, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
1999 | Marat Safin | Greg Rusedski | 6–4, 7–6(13–11) | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
Notes:
- ^ This tournament, the first pro event open to amateur players, is considered by some as both the U.S. Pro Tennis Championship and first "U.S. Open" event (then the U.S. Open was again held from 1938 to 1941 at Greenbrier but as a separate event from the U.S. Pro held in Chicago or in L.A).
- ^ These tournaments from 1951–1962, were billed as the Cleveland International Pro or Cleveland World Pro Championship. In 1951, a U.S. Pro was held at Forest Hills authorized by the USPLTA, and an International Pro was held at Cleveland, which was designated as the U.S. Pro by the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association). The Cleveland event in 1951 awarded the Benrus Cup, emblematic of the U.S. Pro. There was no USPLTA U. S. Pro event held in 1952 or 1953, but the Cleveland International Pro was held in those years and was regarded as the U. S. Pro by the PTPA.[8][9][10][11][12] In 1954, the USPLTA authorized Kramer to hold the U.S. Pro at L.A. Tennis Club in Los Angeles (this was the successor tournament to the 1951 U.S. Pro at Forest Hills and Segura was the defending champion).[13] The International Pro and World Pro events at Cleveland from 1951-62 were not authorized by the USPLTA to be the U.S. Pro, and were not billed as the U.S. Pro.[14] The USPLTA were an organisation of teaching professionals but some of the touring professionals did enter the Cleveland World Pro (or U. S. Pro) events in this period.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] In some interviews in the 1950s, Gonzales and Segura referred to the Cleveland World Pro as "the National" or the "U. S. National Professional Championships".[23] There were many newspaper and magazine articles in the 1950s that also referred to the Cleveland World Pro as the U. S. Pro.[24][16][25][26][27][28][29][30]
- ^ For 1951, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Segura 4–0 and Gonzalez 3–1 as final standings.
- ^ In 1954, the USPLTA authorized Kramer to hold the U.S. Pro Championship at the Los Angeles Tennis Club, Gonzales winning the final over Segura in five sets.[13] The Benrus Cup was awarded to Gonzales. This tournament was the successor event to the 1951 Forest Hills U.S. Pro, and Segura was deemed to be defending champion of this version of the U.S. Pro,[13] but there were U. S. Pro events held at Cleveland in 1951, 1952, 1953, and 1954.[32][33][34][35][36]
- ^ For 1955–56, the matches were played under Van Alen scoring system.
- ^ From 1990 to 1995, the U.S. Pro was an exhibition event and not part of the ATP tour.
Doubles[]
Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
---|---|---|---|
1969 | Pancho Gonzales Rod Laver |
John Newcombe Tony Roche |
6–4, 5–7, 6–4 |
1970 | Roy Emerson Rod Laver |
Ismail El Shafei Torben Ulrich |
6–1, 7–6 |
1971 | Roy Emerson Rod Laver |
Tom Okker Marty Riessen |
6–4, 6–4 |
1972 | John Newcombe Tony Roche |
Arthur Ashe Bob Lutz |
6–3, 1–6, 7–6 |
1973 | Stan Smith Erik van Dillen |
Ismail El Shafei Marty Riessen |
4–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
1974 | Bob Lutz Stan Smith |
Hans-Jürgen Pohmann Marty Riessen |
3–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
1975 | Brian Gottfried Raúl Ramírez |
John Andrews Mike Estep |
4–6, 6–3, 7–6 |
1976 | Ray Ruffels Allan Stone |
Mike Cahill John Whitlinger |
3–6, 6–3, 7–6 |
1977 | Bob Lutz Stan Smith |
Brian Gottfried Bob Hewitt |
6–3, 6–4 |
1978 | Víctor Pecci Balázs Taróczy |
Heinz Günthardt Van Winitsky |
6–3, 3–6, 6–1 |
1979 | Syd Ball Kim Warwick |
Heinz Günthardt Pavel Složil |
Not played |
1980 | Gene Mayer Sandy Mayer |
Hans Gildemeister Andrés Gómez |
1–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
1981 | Raúl Ramírez Pavel Složil |
Hans Gildemeister Andrés Gómez |
6–4, 7–6 |
1982 | Craig Wittus Steve Meister |
Freddie Sauer Schalk van der Merwe |
6–2, 6–3 |
1983 | Mark Dickson Cássio Motta |
Hans Gildemeister Belus Prajoux |
7–5, 6–3 |
1984 | Ken Flach Robert Seguso |
Gary Donnelly Ernie Fernandez |
6–4, 6–4 |
1985 | Libor Pimek Slobodan Živojinović |
Peter McNamara Paul McNamee |
2–6, 6–4, 7–6 |
1986 | Hans Gildemeister Andrés Gómez |
Dan Cassidy Mel Purcell |
4–6, 7–5, 6–0 |
1987 | Hans Gildemeister Andrés Gómez |
Mats Wilander Joakim Nyström |
7–6, 3–6, 6–1 |
1988 | Jorge Lozano Todd Witsken |
Bruno Orešar Jaime Yzaga |
6–2, 7–5 |
1989 | Andrés Gómez Alberto Mancini |
Todd Nelson Phil Williamson |
7–6, 6–2 |
1990–96 | Not held | ||
1997 | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis |
Dave Randall Jack Waite |
6–3, 7–6(7–3) |
1998 | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis |
Chris Haggard Jack Waite |
6–3, 6–2 |
1999 | Guillermo Cañas Martín García |
Marius Barnard T. J. Middleton |
5–7, 7–6(7–2), 6–3 |
See also[]
- U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945
- U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967
- French Pro Championship
- Wembley Championships
- Major professional tennis tournaments before the Open Era
References[]
- ^ Sports Illustrated, 22 April 1957, "...officially known as the World Pro Tennis Championships." https://vault.si.com/vault/1957/04/22/a-class-reunion
- ^ http://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/player.cgi?p=PaulineBetz
- ^ McCauley, p. 100
- ^ "24 Sep 1927, Page 7, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle". bklyn.newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Collins, Bud (2016). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (3rd ed.). New York: New Chapter Press. pp. 793–795. ISBN 978-1-937559-38-0.
- ^ The Los Angeles Times, 14 June 1954
- ^ Kramer, Jack (1981). The game : my 40 years in tennis. London: Deutsch. p. 244. ISBN 0233973079.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c The Los Angeles Times, 11 May 1954
- ^ "Renowned players grace USPTA Championships". USPTA. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Harold E. Donohue (July 1956). "Pancho Gonzales: Mixed-Up Champion". Pageant. p. 112.
- ^ "Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Times (Shreveport), 16 February 1956". newspapers.com.
- ^ "Star Press (Muncie), 18 March 1957". newspapers.com.
- ^ Man with a racket: The autobiography of Pancho Gonzales (1959), p.111
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Times (Shreveport), 16 February 1956". newspapers.com.
- ^ "Star Press (Muncie), 18 March 1957". newspapers.com.
- ^ "05 Jul 1951, Page 20, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle". bklyn.newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953". newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Los Angeles Times, 14 June 1954". newspapers.com.
- ^ "Connors Upsets Ashe". The Logansport Press. Logansport, IN. United Press Int. 1973-07-24. Retrieved 2015-10-11.
- U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
- Major tennis tournaments
- Defunct tennis tournaments in the United States
- Grand Prix tennis circuit
- Professional tennis tournaments before the Open Era