U.S. Pro Tennis Championships

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U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Tour (1927–69)
Grand Prix Circuit (1970–89)
ATP World Tour (1997–99)
Founded1927
Abolished1999
LocationUnited States
VenueMultiple
SurfaceGrass, 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 United States Vinny Richards United States Howard Kinsey 11–9, 6–4, 6–3 Notlek Tennis Club, Manhattan Grass
1928 United States Vinny Richards Czechoslovakia Karel Koželuh 8–6, 6–3, 0–6, 6–2 West Side Tennis Club Grass
1929 Czechoslovakia Karel Koželuh United States Vinny Richards 6–4, 6–4, 4–6, 4–6, 7–5 West Side Tennis Club Grass
1930 United States Vinny Richards Czechoslovakia Karel Koželuh 2–6, 10–8, 6–3, 6–4 West Side Tennis Club Grass
1931 United States Bill Tilden United States Vinny Richards 7–5, 6–2, 6–1 West Side Tennis Club Grass
1932 Czechoslovakia Karel Koželuh Weimar Republic Hans Nüsslein 6–2, 6–2, 7–5 South Shore Country Club Clay
1933 United States Vinny Richards United States Frank Hunter 6–3, 6–0, 6–2 Westchester Country Club Grass
1934 Nazi Germany Hans Nüsslein Czechoslovakia Karel Koželuh 6–4, 6–2, 1–6, 7–5 South Shore Country Club Clay
1935 United States Bill Tilden Czechoslovakia Karel Koželuh 0–6, 6–1, 6–4, 0–6, 6–4 Terrace Club, Brooklyn Clay
1936 United States Joe Whalen United States 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–3 Tudor City Tennis Club, New York Clay
1937[a] Czechoslovakia Karel Koželuh United States Bruce Barnes 6–2, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–1 Greenbrier Clay
1938 United Kingdom Fred Perry United States Bruce Barnes 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 Canvas (i)
1939 United States Ellsworth Vines United Kingdom Fred Perry 8–6, 6–8, 6–1, 20–18 Hard
1940 United States Don Budge United Kingdom Fred Perry 6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 6–3 Clay
1941 United Kingdom Fred Perry United States Dick Skeen 6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3 Chicago Town and Tennis Club Clay
1942 United States Don Budge United States Bobby Riggs 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 West Side Tennis Club Grass
1943 United States Bruce Barnes United States John Nogrady 6–1, 7–9, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 Fort Knox Clay
1944 Not held
1945 United States Welby Van Horn United States John Nogrady 6–4, 6–2, 6–2 Rips Tennis Courts, Manhattan Clay
1946 United States Bobby Riggs United States Don Budge 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 West Side Tennis Club Grass
1947 United States Bobby Riggs United States Don Budge 3–6, 6–3, 10–8, 4–6, 6���3 West Side Tennis Club Grass
1948 United States Jack Kramer United States Bobby Riggs 14–12, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 West Side Tennis Club Grass
1949 United States Bobby Riggs United States Don Budge 9–7, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5 West Side Tennis Club Grass
1950 Ecuador Pancho Segura United States Frank Kovacs 6–1, 1–6, 8–6, 4–4 ret. Skating Club, Cleveland Clay (i)
1951 United States Frank Kovacs Ecuador Pancho Segura 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 1–6, 9–7 Lakewood, Cleveland Cement (i)
1951[b][c] Ecuador Pancho Segura United States Pancho Gonzales 6–3, 6–4, 6–2r[31] West Side Tennis Club Grass
1952 Ecuador Pancho Segura United States Pancho Gonzales 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 6–0 Lakewood, Cleveland Cement (i)
1953 United States Pancho Gonzales United States Don Budge 4–6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–2 Lakewood, Cleveland Cement (i)
1954 United States Pancho Gonzales Australia Frank Sedgman 6-3, 9-7, 3-6, 6-2 Cleveland Arena, Cleveland Hard (i)
1954[d] United States Pancho Gonzales Ecuador Pancho Segura 6–4, 4–6, 2–6, 6–2, 6–4[37] Los Angeles Tennis Club Cement
1955[e] United States Pancho Gonzales Ecuador Pancho Segura 21–16, 19–21, 21–8, 20–22, 21–19v Cleveland Arena Hard (i)
1956 United States Pancho Gonzales Ecuador Pancho Segura 21–15, 13–21, 21–14, 22–20v Cleveland Arena Hard (i)
*1956 United States Pauline Betz United States Doris Hart 21-16, 19-21, 21-12 Cleveland Arena (Women's event) Hard (i)
1957 United States Pancho Gonzales Ecuador Pancho Segura 6–3, 3–6, 7–5, 6–1 Cleveland Arena Hard (i)
1958 United States Pancho Gonzales Australia Lew Hoad 3–6, 4–6, 14–12, 6–1, 6–4 Cleveland Arena Hard (i)
1959 United States Pancho Gonzales Australia Lew Hoad 6–4, 6–2, 6–4 Cleveland Arena Hard (i)
1960 Peru Alex Olmedo United States Tony Trabert 7–5, 6–4 Cleveland Arena Hard (i)
*1960 United States Althea Gibson United States Pauline Betz 7-5, 2-6, 6-5 Cleveland Arena (Women's event) Hard (i)
1961 United States Pancho Gonzales Australia Frank Sedgman 6–3, 7–5 Cleveland Arena Hard (i)
1962 United States Butch Buchholz Ecuador Pancho Segura 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 Cleveland Arena Hard (i)
1963 Australia Ken Rosewall Australia Rod Laver 6–4, 6–2, 6–2 West Side Tennis Club Grass
1964 Australia Rod Laver United States Pancho Gonzales 4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 Longwood Cricket Club Grass
1965 Australia Ken Rosewall Australia Rod Laver 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 Longwood Cricket Club Grass
1966 Australia Rod Laver Australia Ken Rosewall 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 8–10, 6–3 Longwood Cricket Club Grass
1967 Australia Rod Laver Spain Andrés Gimeno 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–5 Longwood Cricket Club Grass
Open era
1968 Australia Rod Laver Australia John Newcombe 6–4, 6–4, 9–7 Longwood Cricket Club Grass
1969 Australia Rod Laver Australia John Newcombe 7–5, 6–2, 4–6, 6–1 Longwood Cricket Club Hard
1970 Australia Tony Roche Australia Rod Laver 3–6, 6–4, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2 Longwood Cricket Club Hard
1971 Australia Ken Rosewall South Africa Cliff Drysdale 6–4, 6–3, 6–0 Longwood Cricket Club Hard
1972 United States Bob Lutz Netherlands Tom Okker 6–4, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 Longwood Cricket Club Hard
1973[38] United States Jimmy Connors United States Arthur Ashe 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 Longwood Cricket Club Hard
1974 Sweden Björn Borg Netherlands Tom Okker 7–6, 6–1, 6–1 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1975 Sweden Björn Borg Argentina Guillermo Vilas 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1976 Sweden Björn Borg United States Harold Solomon 6–7, 6–4, 6–1, 6–2 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1977 Spain Manuel Orantes United States Eddie Dibbs 7–6, 7–5, 6–4 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1978 Spain Manuel Orantes United States Harold Solomon 6–4, 6–3 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1979 Spain José Higueras Chile Hans Gildemeister 6–3, 6–1 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1980 United States Eddie Dibbs Argentina José Luis Clerc 6–2, 6–1 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1981 Argentina José Luis Clerc Chile Hans Gildemeister 0–6, 6–2, 6–2 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1982 Argentina Guillermo Vilas United States Mel Purcell 6–4, 6–0 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1983 Argentina José Luis Clerc United States Jimmy Arias 6–3, 3–6, 6–0 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1984 United States Aaron Krickstein Argentina José Luis Clerc 7–6, 3–6, 6–4 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1985 Sweden Mats Wilander Argentina Martín Jaite 6–2, 6–4 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1986 Ecuador Andrés Gómez Argentina Martín Jaite 7–5, 6–4 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1987 Sweden Mats Wilander Sweden Kent Carlsson 7–6, 6–1 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1988 Austria Thomas Muster United States Lawson Duncan 6–2, 6–2 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1989 Ecuador Andrés Gómez Sweden Mats Wilander 6–1, 6–4 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1990[f] Argentina Martín Jaite Czechoslovakia Libor Němeček 7–5, 6–3 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1991 Ecuador Andrés Gómez Soviet Union Andrei Cherkasov 7–5, 6–4 Longwood Cricket Club Clay
1992 United States Ivan Lendl United States Richey Reneberg 6–3, 6–3 Longwood Cricket Club Hard
1993 United States Ivan Lendl United States Todd Martin 5–7, 6–3, 7–6 Longwood Cricket Club Hard
1994 United States Ivan Lendl United States MaliVai Washington 7–5, 7–6 Longwood Cricket Club Hard
1995 Not completed due to rain
1996 Not held
1997 Netherlands Sjeng Schalken Chile Marcelo Ríos 7–5, 6–3 Longwood Cricket Club Hard
1998 United States Michael Chang Netherlands Paul Haarhuis 6–3, 6–4 Longwood Cricket Club Hard
1999 Russia Marat Safin United Kingdom Greg Rusedski 6–4, 7–6(13–11) Longwood Cricket Club Hard

Notes:

  1. ^ 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).
  2. ^ 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]
  3. ^ For 1951, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Segura 4–0 and Gonzalez 3–1 as final standings.
  4. ^ 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]
  5. ^ For 1955–56, the matches were played under Van Alen scoring system.
  6. ^ 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 United States Pancho Gonzales
Australia Rod Laver
Australia John Newcombe
Australia Tony Roche
6–4, 5–7, 6–4
1970 Australia Roy Emerson
Australia Rod Laver
Egypt Ismail El Shafei
Denmark Torben Ulrich
6–1, 7–6
1971 Australia Roy Emerson
Australia Rod Laver
Netherlands Tom Okker
United States Marty Riessen
6–4, 6–4
1972 Australia John Newcombe
Australia Tony Roche
United States Arthur Ashe
United States Bob Lutz
6–3, 1–6, 7–6
1973 United States Stan Smith
United States Erik van Dillen
Egypt Ismail El Shafei
United States Marty Riessen
4–6, 6–4, 7–5
1974 United States Bob Lutz
United States Stan Smith
Germany Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
United States Marty Riessen
3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1975 United States Brian Gottfried
Mexico Raúl Ramírez
United States John Andrews
United States Mike Estep
4–6, 6–3, 7–6
1976 United States Ray Ruffels
Australia Allan Stone
United States Mike Cahill
United States John Whitlinger
3–6, 6–3, 7–6
1977 United States Bob Lutz
United States Stan Smith
United States Brian Gottfried
South Africa Bob Hewitt
6–3, 6–4
1978 Paraguay Víctor Pecci
Hungary Balázs Taróczy
Switzerland Heinz Günthardt
United States Van Winitsky
6–3, 3–6, 6–1
1979 Australia Syd Ball
Australia Kim Warwick
Switzerland Heinz Günthardt
Czechoslovakia Pavel Složil
Not played
1980 United States Gene Mayer
United States Sandy Mayer
Chile Hans Gildemeister
Ecuador Andrés Gómez
1–6, 6–4, 6–4
1981 Mexico Raúl Ramírez
Czechoslovakia Pavel Složil
Chile Hans Gildemeister
Ecuador Andrés Gómez
6–4, 7–6
1982 United States Craig Wittus
United States Steve Meister
South Africa Freddie Sauer
South Africa Schalk van der Merwe
6–2, 6–3
1983 United States Mark Dickson
Brazil Cássio Motta
Chile Hans Gildemeister
Chile Belus Prajoux
7–5, 6–3
1984 United States Ken Flach
United States Robert Seguso
United States Gary Donnelly
Puerto Rico Ernie Fernandez
6–4, 6–4
1985 Belgium Libor Pimek
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Živojinović
Australia Peter McNamara
United States Paul McNamee
2–6, 6–4, 7–6
1986 Chile Hans Gildemeister
Ecuador Andrés Gómez
United States Dan Cassidy
United States Mel Purcell
4–6, 7–5, 6–0
1987 Chile Hans Gildemeister
Ecuador Andrés Gómez
Sweden Mats Wilander
Sweden Joakim Nyström
7–6, 3–6, 6–1
1988 Mexico Jorge Lozano
United States Todd Witsken
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Bruno Orešar
Peru Jaime Yzaga
6–2, 7–5
1989 Ecuador Andrés Gómez
Argentina Alberto Mancini
United States Todd Nelson
United States Phil Williamson
7–6, 6–2
1990–96 Not held
1997 Netherlands Jacco Eltingh
Netherlands Paul Haarhuis
United States Dave Randall
United States Jack Waite
6–3, 7–6(7–3)
1998 Netherlands Jacco Eltingh
Netherlands Paul Haarhuis
South Africa Chris Haggard
United States Jack Waite
6–3, 6–2
1999 Argentina Guillermo Cañas
Argentina Martín García
South Africa Marius Barnard
United States T. J. Middleton
5–7, 7–6(7–2), 6–3

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Sports Illustrated, 22 April 1957, "...officially known as the World Pro Tennis Championships." https://vault.si.com/vault/1957/04/22/a-class-reunion
  2. ^ http://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/player.cgi?p=PaulineBetz
  3. ^ McCauley, p. 100
  4. ^ "24 Sep 1927, Page 7, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle". bklyn.newspapers.com.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ The Los Angeles Times, 14 June 1954
  7. ^ Kramer, Jack (1981). The game : my 40 years in tennis. London: Deutsch. p. 244. ISBN 0233973079.
  8. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953". newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953". newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953". newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953". newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953". newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b c The Los Angeles Times, 11 May 1954
  14. ^ "Renowned players grace USPTA Championships". USPTA. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  15. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953". newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b Harold E. Donohue (July 1956). "Pancho Gonzales: Mixed-Up Champion". Pageant. p. 112.
  17. ^ "Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953". newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953". newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953". newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953". newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "The Times (Shreveport), 16 February 1956". newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Star Press (Muncie), 18 March 1957". newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Man with a racket: The autobiography of Pancho Gonzales (1959), p.111
  24. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953". newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953". newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953". newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953". newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953". newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "The Times (Shreveport), 16 February 1956". newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Star Press (Muncie), 18 March 1957". newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "05 Jul 1951, Page 20, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle". bklyn.newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953". newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953". newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953". newspapers.com.
  35. ^ "The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953". newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953". newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "The Los Angeles Times, 14 June 1954". newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Connors Upsets Ashe". The Logansport Press. Logansport, IN. United Press Int. 1973-07-24. Retrieved 2015-10-11.
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