U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
U.S. Pro Tennis Championships | |
---|---|
Defunct tennis tournament | |
Event name | U.S. Pro Tennis Championships (1927-99) |
Tour | USA Pro Tour (1927-69), Grand Prix circuit (1970-89), ATP Tour |
Founded | 1927 |
Abolished | 1999 |
Location | Multiple |
The U.S. Pro Tennis Championships (also for a period known as the World Pro Championships) 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. Pancho Gonzales holds the record for most wins with eight.[1] The tournament only had a men's draw.
American's first prominent professional player, Vinny Richards, arranged what became the first U.S. Pro by negotiating with Doc Kelton to have a tournament played on the Notlek courts, located at 119th Street and Riverside Drive in Manhattan, New York, on September 23–25, 1927. 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.
The tournament was subsequently held annually at various locations including the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York City, the South Shore Tennis Club in Chicago, in Rye, New York, at the Terrace Club in Brooklyn, the Chicago Town and Tennis Club in Chicago, at various clubs around Cleveland, Ohio, and Cleveland Arena in Cleveland. 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 major 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 U.S. Open. But when this Grand Slam tournament moved to hardcourts in 1978, the U.S. Pro did not follow suit, electing instead to hold its tournament during the U.S. 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, the U.S. Pro was a non-ATP exhibition event during the early 1990s. It was only in its final three years that the tournament was once again an ATP event and played on hardcourts.
Past winners
Singles
Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score | Site | Surface |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Professional Era | |||||
1927 | Vinny Richards | Howard Kinsey | 11–9, 6–4, 6–3 | Notlek courts, Brooklyn | Grass |
1928 | Vinny Richards | Karel Koželuh | 8–6, 6–3, 0–6, 6–2 | West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills, Queens | 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, 6–3, 7–5 | South Shore Country Club, Chicago | Clay |
1933 | Vinny Richards | Frank Hunter | 6–3, 6–0, 6–2 | Westchester Country Club, Rye, New York | 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 | Charles Wood | 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–3 | Tudor City Tennis Club, New York | Clay |
1937a | Karel Koželuh | Bruce Barnes | 6–2, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–1 | Greenbrier, White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia | Clay |
1938 | Fred Perry | Bruce Barnes | 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 | Chicago Arena, Chicago | Canvas (indoor) |
1939 | Ellsworth Vines | Fred Perry | 8–6, 6–8, 6–1, 20–18 | Beverly Hills Tennis Club, Los Angeles | Hard |
1940 | Don Budge | Fred Perry | 6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 6–3 | Chicago Town and Tennis Club, Chicago | 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 |
1950b | Pancho Segura | Frank Kovacs | 6–1, 1–6, 8–6, 4–4 rtd | Skating Club, Cleveland | Clay (indoor) |
1951 | Pancho Segura | Pancho Gonzales | 6–0, 8–6, 6–1 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
1952 | Pancho Segura | Pancho Gonzales | 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 6–0 | Lakewood, Cleveland | Hard (indoor) |
1953 | Pancho Gonzales | Don Budge | 4–6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–2 | Lakewood, Cleveland | Hard (indoor) |
1954 | Pancho Gonzales | Frank Sedgman | 6–3, 9–7, 3–6, 6–2 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland | Hard (indoor) |
1955 | Pancho Gonzales | Pancho Segura | 21–16, 19–21, 21–8, 20–22, 21–19v | Cleveland Arena | Hard (indoor) |
1956 | Pancho Gonzales | Pancho Segura | 21–15, 13–21, 21–14, 22–20v | Cleveland Arena | Hard (indoor) |
1957 | Pancho Gonzales | Pancho Segura | 6–3, 3–6, 7–5, 6–1 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (indoor) |
1958 | Pancho Gonzales | Lew Hoad | 3–6, 4–6, 14–12, 6–1, 6–4 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (indoor) |
1959 | Pancho Gonzales | Lew Hoad | 6–4, 6–2, 6–4 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (indoor) |
1960 | Alex Olmedo | Tony Trabert | 7–5, 6–4 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (indoor) |
1961 | Pancho Gonzales | Frank Sedgman | 6–3, 7–5 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (indoor) |
1962 | Butch Buchholz | Pancho Segura | 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 | Cleveland Arena | Hard (indoor) |
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 | 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 | Har-Tru |
1975 | Björn Borg | Guillermo Vilas | 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1976 | Björn Borg | Harold Solomon | 6–7, 6–4, 6–1, 6–2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1977 | Manuel Orantes | Eddie Dibbs | 7–6, 7–5, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1978 | Manuel Orantes | Harold Solomon | 6–4, 6–3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1979 | José Higueras | Hans Gildemeister | 6–3, 6–1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1980 | Eddie Dibbs | José Luis Clerc | 6–2, 6–1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1981 | José Luis Clerc | Hans Gildemeister | 0–6, 6–2, 6–2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1982 | Guillermo Vilas | Mel Purcell | 6–4, 6–0 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1983 | José Luis Clerc | Jimmy Arias | 6–3, 3–6, 6–0 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1984 | Aaron Krickstein | José Luis Clerc | 7–6, 3–6, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1985 | Mats Wilander | Martín Jaite | 6–2, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1986 | Andrés Gómez | Martín Jaite | 7–5, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1987 | Mats Wilander | Kent Carlsson | 7–6, 6–1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1988 | Thomas Muster | Lawson Duncan | 6–2, 6–2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1989 | Andrés Gómez | Mats Wilander | 6–1, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1990c | Martín Jaite | Libor Němeček | 7–5, 6–3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1991 | Andrés Gómez | Andrei Cherkasov | 7–5, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
1992 | Ivan Lendl | Richey Reneberg | 6–3, 6–3 | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
1993 | Ivan Lendl | Todd Martin | 5–7, 6–3, 7–6 | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
1994 | Ivan Lendl | MaliVai Washington | 7–5, 7–6 | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
1995 | Not completed due to rain | ||||
1996 | Not held | ||||
1997 | Sjeng Schalken | Marcelo Ríos | 7–5, 6–3 | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
1998 | Michael Chang | Paul Haarhuis | 6–3, 6–4 | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
1999 | Marat Safin | Greg Rusedski | 6–4, 7–6(11) | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
Notes:
a 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).
b These tournaments from 1950–1962, considered as the U.S. Pro for the season, were billed the World Pro Championship with the exception of 1951, where a separate U.S. Pro and World Pro in Cleveland were held.
r For 1951, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Seguara 4–0 and Gonzalez 3–1 as final standings.
v For 1955-56, the matches were played under Van Alen scoring system.
c From 1990 to 1995, the U.S. Pro event appears to have been an exhibition and not part of the ATP tour.
Doubles
See also
- U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945
- U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967
- French Pro Championship
- Wembley Championships
References
- ↑ Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 752. ISBN 978-0942257700.
- ↑ "Connors Upsets Ashe". The Logansport Press. Logansport, IN. United Press Int. 1973-07-24. Retrieved 2015-10-11.