Pre-Open Era professional tennis tournaments
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Before the beginning of the Open era in 1968 only amateurs were allowed to compete in mainstream tennis tournaments, including the four Grand Slams. However some top players turned professional, and played in separate professional events, mostly on tours in head-to-head competition.
[edit] The three major professional tournaments
In addition to head-to-head events there were several annual professional tournaments that were called championship tournaments. The most prestigious was the London Indoor Professional Championship at Wembley in England, played between 1934 and 1972, that was unofficially considered the world's championship. The oldest was the United States Professional Championship, played between 1927 and 1999. Between 1955 and 1962 it was played indoors in Cleveland and was called the World Professional Championships. The third major tournament was the French Professional Championship, played between 1930 and 1968. The British and American championships continued into the Open era but devolved to the status of minor tournaments.
The status of the Wembley Championships of 1936 and 1938 is unclear. Two of the three major sources for the professional championships list the results as shown below. Ray Bowers, however, in his Web-site history of professional tennis says flatly that neither of these tournaments ever occurred and offers substantiating evidence for his assertion.
[edit] Wembley Championship:
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Ellsworth Vines (United States) | Hans Nusslein (Germany) |
| 1935 | Ellsworth Vines (United States) | Bill Tilden (United States) |
| 1936? | Vines — possibly not held | Tilden — possibly not held |
| 1937 | Hans Nusslein (Germany) | Bill Tilden (United States) |
| 1938? | Nusslein — possibly not held | Tilden — possibly not held |
| 1939-1946 | not held | not held |
| 1947 | Don Budge (United States) | Bobby Riggs (United States) |
| 1948 | Bobby Riggs (United States) | Don Budge (United States) |
| 1949 | Jack Kramer (United States) | Bobby Riggs (United States) |
| 1950 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Welby Van Horn (United States) |
| 1951 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1952 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Jack Kramer (United States) |
| 1953 | Frank Sedgman (Australia) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1954-1955 | not held | not held |
| 1956 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Frank Sedgman (Australia) |
| 1957 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1958 | Frank Sedgman (Australia) | Tony Trabert (United States) |
| 1959 | Mal Anderson (Australia) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1960 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1961 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1962 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1963 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1964 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Ken Rosewall (Australia) |
| 1965 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Andres Gimeno (Spain) |
| 1966 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Ken Rosewall (Australia) |
| 1967 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Ken Rosewall (Australia) |
| 1968 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | John Newcombe (Australia) |
| 1969 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Tony Roche (Australia) |
| 1970 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Cliff Richey (USA) |
| 1971 | Ilie Năstase (Romania) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1972 | Cliff Richey (United States) | Clark Graebner (United States) |
[edit] United States Pro Championship ("U.S. Pro")
The U.S. Pro Championship was an annual tournament. It has also been known as MFS Pro Championships. The first was organized by player Vinny Richards when promoter C.C. Pyle withdrew interest in the project. It was played on the Notlek courts located at 119th Street and Riverside Drive, Brooklyn. The following four editions were played at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens. The next five were played at various clubs in Chicago and New York.
From 1937 to 1941 a tournament was held a tournament at the Greenbrier Golf and Tennis Club, White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia and called the U.S. Open, as it was open to both pros and amateurs. Because of their participation the latter were later officially barred from future U.S.L.T.A. amateur competition. The 1937 edition of the U.S. Open is also viewed as the U.S. Pro. The U.S. Pro was then played in Chicago or Los Angeles until the 1940s, the 1946 through '49 events played at the West Side in Forest Hills.
From 1950 to 1964 promoter Jack March organized an annual tournament called the World Pro Championship that was held at different sites in Cleveland: in 1950 and from 1952 to 1962 the tournament served as the U.S. Pro. Between 1954 and 1962 it was played indoors at the Cleveland Arena. After playing the 1963 edition at the West Side the tournament had a permanent home at the Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, where it was played from 1964 through 1995 and from 1997 to 1999.
The following are the pre-Open tennis results for the U.S. Pro Championship:
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Vincent Richards (United States) | Howard Kinsey (United States) |
| 1928 | Vincent Richards (United States) | Karel Koželuh (Czechoslovakia) |
| 1929 | Karel Koželuh (Czechoslovakia) | Vincent Richards (United States) |
| 1930 | Vincent Richards (United States) | Karel Koželuh (Czechoslovakia) |
| 1931 | Bill Tilden (United States) | Vincent Richards (United States) |
| 1932 | Karel Koželuh (Czechoslovakia) | Hans Nusslein (Germany) |
| 1933 | Vincent Richards (United States) | Frank Hunter (United States) |
| 1934 | Hans Nusslein (Germany) | Karel Koželuh (Czechoslovakia) |
| 1935 | Bill Tilden (United States) | Karel Koželuh (Czechoslovakia) |
| 1936 | Joe Whalen (United States) | Charles Wood (United States) |
| 1937 | Karel Koželuh (Czechoslovakia) | Bruce Barnes (United States) |
| 1938 | Fred Perry (England) | Bruce Barnes (United States) |
| 1939 | Ellsworth Vines (United States) | Fred Perry (England) |
| 1940 | Don Budge (United States) | Fred Perry (England) |
| 1941 | Fred Perry (England) | Dick Skeen (United States) |
| 1942 | Don Budge (United States) | Bobby Riggs (United States) |
| 1943 | Bruce Barnes (United States) | John Nogrady (United States) |
| 1944 | not held | not held |
| 1945 | Welby Van Horn (United States) | John Nogrady (United States) |
| 1946 | Bobby Riggs (United States) | Don Budge (United States) |
| 1947 | Bobby Riggs (United States) | Don Budge (United States) |
| 1948 | Jack Kramer (United States) | Bobby Riggs (United States) |
| 1949 | Bobby Riggs (United States) | Don Budge (United States) |
| 1950 | Pancho Segura (United States) | Frank Kovacs (United States) |
| 1951 | Pancho Segura (United States) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1952 | Pancho Segura (United States) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1953 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Don Budge (United States) |
| 1954 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Frank Sedgman (Australia) |
| 1955 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1956 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1957 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1958 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1959 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1960 | Alex Olmedo (United States) | Tony Trabert (United States) |
| 1961 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Frank Sedgman (Australia) |
| 1962 | Butch Buchholz (United States) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1963 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1964 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1965 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1966 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Ken Rosewall (Australia) |
| 1967 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Andres Gimeno (Spain) |
[edit] French Pro Championship:
always played at Paris,
on outdoor clay at Roland Garros
except in 1953 on indoor wood at the Palais des Sports and from 1963 to 1967 still on indoor wood but at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin.
It is not sure :
a) that 1953 tournament was considered at the time as an official French Pro,
b) that there were French Pro editions between 1930 and 1933 though contrary information is given in many sources. In History of the Pro Tennis Wars, by Ray Bowers (http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines-archive.html), a Web site where in eleven chapters, Bowers gives a very detailed account of the first sixteen years of the professional tennis tours, from a modest beginning in 1926 with Suzanne Lenglen and Vincent Richards as the main attractions, on through 1941, there is no mention of French Pro tournaments between 1930 and 1933. According to Bowers in 1933 the only professional competition played at Roland Garros was a USA-France meeting, September 22-24, in the Davis Cup format won by the USA 4-1 where Cochet overcame Barnes, Tilden defeated Plaa and Cochet, Barnes beat Plaa, and Americans then closed out the doubles. Many sources probably wrongly considered the Tilden-Cochet match as a final of a supposed French Pro.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Karel Koželuh (Czechoslovakia) — probably not held | Albert Burke (Ireland)— probably not held |
| 1931 | Martin Plaa (France) — probably not held | Robert Ramillon (France) — probably not held |
| 1932 | Robert Ramillon (France) — probably not held | Martin Plaa (France) — probably not held |
| 1933 | not held | not held |
| 1934 | Bill Tilden (United States) | Martin Plaa (France) |
| 1935 | Ellsworth Vines (United States) | Hans Nusslein (Germany) |
| 1936 | Henri Cochet (France) | Robert Ramillon (France) |
| 1937 | Hans Nusslein (Germany) | Henri Cochet (France) |
| 1938 | Hans Nusslein (Germany) | Bill Tilden (United States) |
| 1939 | Don Budge (United States) | Ellsworth Vines (United States) |
| 1940-1952 | not held | not held |
| 1953 | Frank Sedgman (Australia) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1954-1955 | not held | not held |
| 1956 | Tony Trabert (United States) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1957 | not held | not held |
| 1958 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1959 | Tony Trabert (United States) | Frank Sedgman (Australia) |
| 1960 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1961 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1962 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Andres Gimeno (Spain) |
| 1963 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1964 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1965 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1966 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1967 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Andres Gimeno (Spain) |
| 1968 | Rod Laver (Australia) | John Newcombe (Australia) |
[edit] External links
- History of the Pro Tennis Wars
- Chapter I: Suzanne Lenglen and the First Pro Tour
- Chapter II, Part 1: The eminence of Karel Kozeluh and Vincent Richards 1927-1928
- Chapter II, Part 2: Deja vu 1929-1930
- Chapter III: Tilden's Year of Triumph in 1931
- Chapter IV: Tilden and Nusslein, 1932-1933
- Chapter V: The Early Ascendancy of Vines, 1934
- Chapter VI: Vines's Second Year: 1935
- Chapter VII: Awaiting Perry, 1936
- Chapter VIII: Perry and Vines, 1937
- Chapter IX: Readying for Budge, 1938
- Chapter X: Budge's Great Pro Year, 1939
- Chapter XI: America, 1940-1941
