WCT Finals

The WCT Finals was a tennis tournament that served as the season-ending championship for the World Championship Tennis circuit. The event was held annually in Dallas, Texas, and played on indoor carpet courts. The 1971 quarterfinals and semifinals were played in Houston, and final played at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. The 1972-1979 editions were played at Moody Coliseum, and the 1980-1989 tournaments at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The WCT, in 1974, was the first tennis tournament to experiment with electronic line calling

The first edition of the WCT Finals in 1971 was played in November, just a few days before The Masters, the equivalent of the WCT Finals for the rival Grand Prix circuit. Because of TV pressure, the second edition was held in May 1972 and most of the following editions were organized in between months of March and May.

In 1972 another edition, less important and with half the prize money, was held in November in Rome. The prize money offered to the winner, Arthur Ashe, was US$25,000 compared to the US$50,000 won by Ken Rosewall for the main edition in May. A decade later there were three editions of the WCT Finals; the most important one in Dallas, and the others in autumn in Naples, Italy, and in winter (in January 1983) in Detroit. John McEnroe was the most successful player winning a record five titles out of eight final appearances.

Contents

Sponsorship

Between 1985 and 1986 this event was sponsored by Buick a brand of General Motors and was called the Buick WCT Finals

Records

Results

Year Champion Runner-up Score
1971 Ken Rosewall Rod Laver 6–4, 1–6, 7–6, 7–6
1972 Ken Rosewall Rod Laver 4–6, 6–0, 6–3, 6–7, 7–6
1973 Stan Smith Arthur Ashe 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1974 John Newcombe Björn Borg 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–2
1975 Arthur Ashe Björn Borg 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–0
1976 Björn Borg Guillermo Vilas 1–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–1
1977 Jimmy Connors Dick Stockton 6–7, 6–1, 6–4, 6–3
1978 Vitas Gerulaitis Eddie Dibbs 6–3, 6–2, 6–1
1979 John McEnroe Björn Borg 7–5, 4–6, 6–2, 7–6
1980 Jimmy Connors John McEnroe 2–6, 7–6, 6–1, 6–2
1981 John McEnroe Johan Kriek 6–1, 6–2, 6–4
1982 Ivan Lendl John McEnroe 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1983 John McEnroe Ivan Lendl 6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–7, 7–6
1984 John McEnroe Jimmy Connors 6–1, 6–2, 6–3
1985 Ivan Lendl Tim Mayotte 7–6, 6–4, 6–1
1986 Anders Järryd Boris Becker 6–7, 6–1, 6–1, 6–4
1987 Miloslav Mečíř John McEnroe 6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2
1988 Boris Becker Stefan Edberg 6–4, 1–6, 7–5, 6–2
1989 John McEnroe Brad Gilbert 6–3, 6–3, 7–6

Seasonal finals events

Year Champion Runner-up Score
1972 winter (Rome) Arthur Ashe Bob Lutz 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 7–6
1982 fall (Naples) Ivan Lendl Wojciech Fibak 6–4, 6–2, 6–1
1982 winter (Detroit)[1] Ivan Lendl Guillermo Vilas 7–5, 6–2, 2–6, 6–4

See also

WCT World Doubles

Notes

  1. ^ held in January, 24-30, 1983

External links

WCT Finals
Seasonal finals: 1972 winter · 1982 fall · 1982 winter