French Pro Championship Explained

French Pro Championships
Type:defunct
Founded:1930
Ended:1968
Location:Paris, France
Venue:Stade Roland Garros (1930–39,1956–1962,1968)
Palais des Sports (1950–1953)
Stade Pierre de Coubertin (1963–67)
Surface:Clay, Hard, Wood

The French Pro Championship was a major tennis tournament founded in 1930 by the "Association Française des Professeurs de Tennis (AFPT)" and ran annually until 1968 when it was discontinued.

History

In 1930 the "Association Française des Professeurs de Tennis (AFPT)" held its first pro tournament, titled "Championnat International de France Professionnel" (French Pro Championships) June 18–22, 1930,[1] and is considered as a part of the professional major from 1927 to 1967 till the advent of Open Era. The tournament only had a men's draw.

From 1930 the French Pro Championship were always played at Paris, on outdoor clay at Roland Garros except from 1963 to 1967 where it was held at Stade Pierre de Coubertin on indoor wood. Ken Rosewall holds the record for 8 wins overall and 7 consecutive wins.

There was a professional tournament at Roland Garros in 1952 held on a round robin basis, in which Segura finished first, winning the decider over Pancho Gonzales, Kramer third, and Budge fourth. There is no indication yet of recognition by the AFPT as the official French Pro.

There were tournaments played on indoor cement in 1950 and 1953 at the Palais des Sports. They are listed in the table below, but there is no suggestion that they were seen as official French Pro titles.

Champions

Singles

YearChampionRunner-upScoreVenueSurface
Professional Era
6–1, 6–2, 6–1 [2] Roland Garros Clay
6–3, 6–1, 3–6, 6–2 Roland Garros Clay
Robert Ramillon Martin Plaa 6–4, 3–6, 8–6, 6–4 Roland Garros Clay
1933Not held
Martin Plaa 6–2, 6–4, 7–5 Roland Garros Clay
10–8, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 Roland Garros Clay
Robert Ramillon 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 Roland Garros Clay
Hans Nüsslein Henri Cochet 6–2, 8–6, 6–3 Roland Garros Clay
Hans Nüsslein Bill Tilden 6–0, 6–1, 6–2 Roland Garros Clay
Ellsworth Vines 6–2, 7–5, 6–3 Roland Garros Clay
1940–1949 Not held
1950 Pancho Segura* Jack Kramer Palais des Sports Hard (i)
1951 Not held
1952 Pancho Segura* Jack Kramer 6-3, 6-2[3] Roland GarrosClay
1953 Frank Sedgman* Pancho Gonzales Palais des SportsHard (i)
1954–1955 Not held
Pancho Gonzales 6–3, 4–6, 5–7, 8–6, 6–2 Roland Garros Clay
1957 Not held
3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–0 Roland Garros Clay
Tony Trabert Frank Sedgman 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 Roland Garros Clay
Ken Rosewall Lew Hoad 6–2, 2–6, 6–2, 6–1 Roland Garros Clay
Ken Rosewall Pancho Gonzales 2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 8–6 Roland Garros Clay
Ken Rosewall 3–6, 6–2, 7–5, 6–2 Roland Garros Clay
Ken Rosewall 6–8, 6–4, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4 Stade Pierre de CoubertinWood (i)
Ken Rosewall Rod Laver 6–3, 7–5, 3–6, 6–3 Stade Pierre de Coubertin Wood (i)
Ken Rosewall Rod Laver 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 Stade Pierre de Coubertin Wood (i)
Ken Rosewall Rod Laver 6–3, 6–2, 14–12 Stade Pierre de Coubertin Wood (i)
Rod Laver Andrés Gimeno 6–4, 8–6, 4–6, 6–2 Stade Pierre de Coubertin Wood (i)
Open Era
Rod Laver 6–2, 6–2, 6–3Roland Garros Clay

Notes:

Doubles

YearChampionRunner-upScoreVenueSurface
Professional Era
1930 6–4, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 Roland Garros Clay
1931Roland GarrosClay
1932Roland GarrosClay
1933Not held
1934Roland GarrosClay
1935 6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 6–4 Roland Garros Clay
1936 Henri Cochet
Albert Burke
6–1, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3 Roland Garros Clay
1937 Lester Stoefen
Bill Tilden
Henri Cochet
Robert Ramillon
6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 Roland Garros Clay
1938 Martin Plaa
Robert Ramillon
Hans Nüsslein
Bill Tilden
6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 Roland Garros Clay
1939 Don Budge
Ellsworth Vines
Henri Cochet
Robert Ramillon
6–4, 6–4, 2–6, 6–4 Roland Garros Clay
1940–1949 Not held
1950Palais des SportsHard (i)
1951Not held
1952Roland GarrosClay
1953 Don Budge*
Frank Sedgman*
Pancho Gonzales
Pancho Segura
2–6, 9–7, 6–4Palais des SportsHard (i)
1954–1955 Not held
1956 Rex Hartwig
Frank Sedgman
6–3, 2–6, 6–1 Roland Garros Clay
1957 Not held
1958 Lew Hoad
Tony Trabert
6–4, 2–6, 6–1 Roland Garros Clay
1959 Lew Hoad
Tony Trabert
Mervyn Rose
Frank Sedgman
14–12, 6–4, 6–2 Roland Garros Clay
1960 Lew Hoad
Tony Trabert
Ken Rosewall
Frank Sedgman
6–4, 6–0, 6–1 Roland Garros Clay
1961 Lew Hoad
Ken Rosewall
Pancho Gonzales
Tony Trabert
6–1, 6–3, 8–10, 13–11 Roland Garros Clay
1962 Lew Hoad
Ken Rosewall
6–1, 6–3, 6–3 Roland Garros Clay
1963 Lew Hoad
Ken Rosewall
6–2, 7–5, 8–6 Stade Pierre de CoubertinWood (i)
1964 Lew Hoad
Ken Rosewall
6–8, 6–4, 6–4 Stade Pierre de Coubertin Wood (i)
1965 Mal Anderson
Ken Rosewall
Butch Buchholz
Rod Laver
10–8, 4–6, 8–6, 2–6, 10–8 Stade Pierre de Coubertin Wood (i)
1966 Butch Buchholz
Rod Laver
Pierre Barthès
Andrés Gimeno
6–3, 6–3, 6–4 Stade Pierre de Coubertin Wood (i)
1967 Pierre Barthès
Andrés Gimeno
6–3, 6–4 Stade Pierre de Coubertin Wood (i)
Open Era
1968 Roy Emerson
Rod Laver
Ken Rosewall
Fred Stolle
1–6, 3–6, 11–9, 6–3, 6–2Roland Garros Clay
Source:

Bristol Cup and other French professional events

See main article: Bristol Cup.

Before 1930 some tournaments were sometimes labelled "Professional Championships of France": the Bristol Cup (held from 1920 to 1932), the most important pro tournament in the world in the 1920s, was sometimes referred as the French Pro[4] as well as the World Pro tournament held at Deauville in 1925.[5] Therefore, two different tournaments were both considered as French Pro Championships in 1925 (World Pro at Deauville and Bristol Cup at Cannes) and from 1930 to 1932 (Roland Garros and Bristol Cup at Beaulieu).[6]

Records

Men's singles

Source: French Pro Championships, (1930–68): The Tennisbase included [7]

Most titles Ken Rosewall8
Most finals Ken Rosewall8
Most consecutive titles Ken Rosewall
7
Most consecutive finals Ken Rosewall
7
Most matches played Ken Rosewall32
Most matches won Ken Rosewall30
Most consecutive matches won Ken Rosewall25
Most editions played Ken Rosewall11
Best winning % Ken Rosewall93.75%
Title won with the fewest games lost Karel Koželuh20
(1930)
Youngest champion Don Budge23y, 7m, 14d
(1939)
Oldest champion Bill Tilden41y, 7m, 7d
(1934)

See also

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Le Tennis en France 1875–1955
  2. Web site: French Pro Championships. www.tennis.co.nf. 2017-09-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20170903204233/http://www.tennis.co.nf/frenchpro.htm. 2017-09-03. dead.
  3. Michel Lejard (June 28, 1952). "Segura volontaire a pris une option sur le tournoi des "Pros"". L'Equipe (in French). p. 6. Segura b. Kramer : 6-3, 7-5.
  4. Lowe's Lawn Tennis Annual
  5. Ayres' Lawn Tennis Almanack 1925
  6. Book: Alan. Little. The Golden Days of Tennis on the French Riviera 1874–1939. 2014. Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. London. 9780906741542. 452.
  7. Web site: Garcia. Gabriel. Tournament Records: French Pro Championships. thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. 14 December 2017. Madrid, Spain.