U.S. Pro Tennis Championships Explained

U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
Type:	defunct
Tour:	Pro tours (1927–69) Grand Prix Circuit (1970–89) ATP World Tour (1997–99)
Founded:	1927
Ended:	1999
Location:	United States
Venue:	Multiple
Surface:	Grass, 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 to have been a professional major 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]

History

American's first prominent professional player, Vincent Richards, arranged what became the first U.S. Professionals by negotiating with Doc Kelton 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] 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.

The tournament was 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 the L.A. Tennis Club in Los Angeles; at various clubs around Cleveland, Ohio and Cleveland Arena in Cleveland. In 1951, two U.S. Pro events were held, one at Cleveland won by Frank Kovacs and another at Forest Hills won by Pancho Segura. 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.^[5] There are two U.S. Pro events listed here for both 1951 (Cleveland and Forest Hills) and for 1954 (Cleveland and L.A. Tennis Club). Gonzales won two U.S. Pro titles in 1954. 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. From 1970 to 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, two of those wins in the multiple year of 1954.^{[6] [7]}

Past finals

Singles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score	Venue	Surface
Professional era
			11–9, 6–4, 6–3	Notlek Tennis Club, Manhattan	Grass
	Vinny Richards		8–6, 6–3, 0–6, 6–2		Grass
	Karel Koželuh	Vinny Richards	6–4, 6–4, 4–6, 4–6, 7–5	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
	Vinny Richards	Karel Koželuh	2–6, 10–8, 6–3, 6–4	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
		Vinny Richards	7–5, 6–2, 6–1	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
	Karel Koželuh		6–2, 6–2, 7–5		Clay
	Vinny Richards		6–3, 6–0, 6–2		Grass
	Hans Nüsslein	Karel Koželuh	6–4, 6–2, 1–6, 7–5	South Shore Country Club	Clay
	Bill Tilden	Karel Koželuh	0–6, 6–1, 6–4, 0–6, 6–4	Terrace Club, Brooklyn	Clay
			4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–3	Tudor City Tennis Club, New York	Clay
1937	Karel Koželuh		6–2, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–1		Clay
		Bruce Barnes	6–3, 6–2, 6–4	Chicago Arena	Canvas (i)
		Fred Perry	8–6, 6–8, 6–1, 20–18	Beverly Hills Tennis Club	Hard
		Fred Perry	6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 6–3	Chicago Town and Tennis Club	Clay
	Fred Perry		6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3	Chicago Town and Tennis Club	Clay
	Don Budge		6–2, 6–2, 6–2	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
	Bruce Barnes		6–1, 7–9, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3	Fort Knox	Clay
1944	not held
		John Nogrady	6–4, 6–2, 6–2	Rips Tennis Courts, Manhattan	Clay
	Bobby Riggs	Don Budge	6–3, 6–1, 6–1	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
	Bobby Riggs	Don Budge	3–6, 6–3, 10–8, 4–6, 6–3	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
		Bobby Riggs	14–12, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
	Bobby Riggs	Don Budge	9–7, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1950			6–1, 1–6, 8–6, 4–4 ret.	Skating Club, Cleveland	Clay (i)
1951	Frank Kovacs	Pancho Segura	6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 1–6, 9–7	Lakewood, Cleveland	Cement (i)
1951	Pancho Segura		6–3, 6–4, 6–2^r^[8]	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
	Pancho Segura	Pancho Gonzales	3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 6–0	Lakewood, Cleveland	Cement (i)
	Pancho Gonzales	Don Budge	4–6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–2	Lakewood, Cleveland	Cement (i)
	Pancho Gonzales	Frank Sedgman	6-3, 9-7, 3-6, 6-2	Cleveland Arena, Cleveland	Hard (i)
1954	Pancho Gonzales	Pancho Segura	6–4, 4–6, 2–6, 6–2, 6–4^[9]		Cement
1955	Pancho Gonzales	Pancho Segura	21–16, 19–21, 21–8, 20–22, 21–19^v	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
	Pancho Gonzales	Pancho Segura	21–15, 13–21, 21–14, 22–20^v	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
1956			21-16, 19-21, 21-12	Cleveland Arena (Women's event)	Hard (i)
	Pancho Gonzales	Pancho Segura	6–3, 3–6, 7–5, 6–1	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
	Pancho Gonzales		3–6, 4–6, 14–12, 6–1, 6–4	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
	Pancho Gonzales	Lew Hoad	6–4, 6–2, 6–4	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
			7–5, 6–4	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
1960		Pauline Betz	7-5, 2-6, 6-5	Cleveland Arena (Women's event)	Hard (i)
	Pancho Gonzales		6–3, 7–5	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
		Pancho Segura	6–4, 6–3, 6–4	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
			6–4, 6–2, 6–2	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
	Rod Laver	Pancho Gonzales	4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Grass
	Ken Rosewall	Rod Laver	6–4, 6–3, 6–3	Longwood Cricket Club	Grass
	Rod Laver	Ken Rosewall	6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 8–10, 6–3	Longwood Cricket Club	Grass
	Rod Laver		4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–5	Longwood Cricket Club	Grass
Open Era
	Rod Laver		6–4, 6–4, 9–7	Longwood Cricket Club	Grass
	Rod Laver	John Newcombe	7–5, 6–2, 4–6, 6–1	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
		Rod Laver	3–6, 6–4, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
	Ken Rosewall		6–4, 6–3, 6–0	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
			6–4, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
1973^[10]			6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
		Tom Okker	7–6, 6–1, 6–1	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	Björn Borg		6–3, 6–4, 6–2	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	Björn Borg		6–7, 6–4, 6–1, 6–2	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			7–6, 7–5, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	Manuel Orantes	Harold Solomon	6–4, 6–3	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			6–3, 6–1	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	Eddie Dibbs		6–2, 6–1	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	José Luis Clerc	Hans Gildemeister	0–6, 6–2, 6–2	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	Guillermo Vilas		6–4, 6–0	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	José Luis Clerc		6–3, 3–6, 6–0	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
		José Luis Clerc	7–6, 3–6, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			6–2, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
		Martín Jaite	7–5, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	Mats Wilander		7–6, 6–1	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			6–2, 6–2	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	Andrés Gómez	Mats Wilander	6–1, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
1990	Martín Jaite		7–5, 6–3	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
1991	Andrés Gómez		7–5, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
1992			6–3, 6–3	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
1993	Ivan Lendl		5–7, 6–3, 7–6	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
1994	Ivan Lendl		7–5, 7–6	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
1995	not completed due to rain
1996	not held
1997			7–5, 6–3	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
1998			6–3, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
1999			6–4, 7–6^(13–11)	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard

Notes:

Doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score	Venue	Surface
Professional era
1927	no doubles event			Notlek Tennis Club, Manhattan	Grass
1928	no doubles event			West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1929	Karel Koželuh Vincent Richards	Wallace Johnson Howard Kinsey	5–7, 6–1, 6–3, 6–1	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1930	Howard Kinsey Vincent Richards	Karel Koželuh Roman Najuch	6–2, 15–13, 7–5	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1931	Howard Kinsey Vincent Richards	Frank Hunter Bill Tilden	7–9, 7–5, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1932	Bruce Barnes Bill Tilden	Albert Burke Karel Koželuh	6–2, 6–1, 6–3		Clay
1933	Vincent Richards Charles Wood	Frank Hunter Theodore Rericha	6–4, 6–3, 5–7, 6–3		Grass
1934	Bruce Barnes Emmett Paré	Paul Heston Ellsworth Vines	6–1, 6–4, 7–5	South Shore Country Club	Clay
1935	George Lott Lester Stoefen	Morty Bernstein Alfred Chapin	6–2, 6–3, 6–3	Terrace Club, Brooklyn	Clay
1936	Harold Blauer Charles Wood	William Ellis William Kenney	6–4, 4–1, 6–2^[11]	Tudor City Tennis Club, New York	Clay
1937	George Lott Vincent Richards	Bruce Barnes Karel Koželuh	1–6, 6–8, 6–3, 7–5, 9–7		Clay
1938	Fred Perry Vincent Richards	Bruce Barnes Berkeley Bell	6–4, 2–6, 7–5, 13–11		Canvas (i)
1939	Bruce Barnes Keith Gledhill	Fred Perry Ellsworth Vines	6–2, 7–5, 11–9		Hard
1940	Don Budge Fred Perry	Vincent Richards Bill Tilden	7–5, 6–3, 9–7^[12]		Clay
1941	Don Budge Fred Perry	Keith Gledhill Lester Stoefen	6–4, 6–4, 6–3	Chicago Town and Tennis Club	Clay
1942	Don Budge Bobby Riggs	Bruce Barnes Frank Kovacs	2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–3	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1943	Bruce Barnes Gene Mako	Berkeley Bell John Nogrady	6–4, 6–0, 6–0	Fort Knox	Clay
1944	not held
1945	Vincent Richards Bill Tilden	Dick Skeen Welby Van Horn	7–5, 6–4, 6–2	Rips Tennis Courts, Manhattan	Clay
1946	Frank Kovacs Fred Perry	Bobby Riggs Welby Van Horn	1–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4^[13]	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1947	Don Budge Bobby Riggs	Frank Kovacs Fred Perry	7–5, 9–7, 4–6, 11–9	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1948	Jack Kramer Pancho Segura	Don Budge Bobby Riggs	4–6, 5–7, 6–2, 7–5, 8–6	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1949	Don Budge Frank Kovacs	Carl Earn John Faunce	6–2, 6–2, 6–4	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1950	Frank Kovacs Welby Van Horn	Frank Parker Pancho Segura	1–6, 6–4, 6–4	Skating Club, Cleveland	Clay (i)
1951	no doubles event			Lakewood, Cleveland	Cement (i)
1951	Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura	Frank Parker Bobby Riggs		West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1952	no doubles event			Lakewood, Cleveland	Cement (i)
1953	Don Budge Pancho Gonzales	Carl Earn Bob Rogers^[14]	6–1, 6–4	Lakewood, Cleveland	Cement (i)
1954	Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura		11-9, 3-6, 6-3	Cleveland Arena, Cleveland	Hard (i)
1954	Frank Sedgman Jack Kramer	Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura	6–2, 6–2, 6–4^[15]		Cement
1955	Jack Kramer Pancho Segura	Don Budge Pancho Gonzales	24–22, 21–16, 21–18^[16]	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
1956		Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura	18–21, 21–11, 21–14, 13–21, 23–21	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
1957		Dinny Pails Pancho Segura	6–1, 6–4	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
1958	Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura	Lew Hoad Tony Trabert	W/O	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
1959	no doubles event			Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
1960		Pancho Segura Tony Trabert	6–3, 6–4	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
1961	Andrés Gimeno Frank Sedgman		7–5, 7–5	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
1962	Butch Buchholz Barry MacKay	Don Budge Pancho Segura	6–2, 6–3	Cleveland Arena	Hard (i)
1963	Rod Laver Ken Rosewall	Butch Buchholz Alex Olmedo	10–8, 8–6, 6–4	West Side Tennis Club	Grass
1964	no doubles event			Longwood Cricket Club	Grass
1965	no doubles event			Longwood Cricket Club	Grass
1966	Butch Buchholz Rod Laver	Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall	6–4, 2–6, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Grass
1967	Dennis Ralston Ken Rosewall	Pierre Barthès Andrés Gimeno	16–14, 7–5	Longwood Cricket Club	Grass
Open Era
1968	no doubles event			Longwood Cricket Club	Grass
	Pancho Gonzales Rod Laver		6–4, 5–7, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
	Roy Emerson Rod Laver		6–1, 7–6	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
	Roy Emerson Rod Laver		6–4, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
	John Newcombe Tony Roche		6–3, 1–6, 7–6	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
		Ismail El Shafei Marty Riessen	4–6, 6–4, 7–5	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
	Bob Lutz Stan Smith	Hans-Jürgen Pohmann Marty Riessen	3–6, 6–4, 6–3	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			4–6, 6–3, 7–6	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			3–6, 6–3, 7–6	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	Bob Lutz Stan Smith		6–3, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			6–3, 3–6, 6–1	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			not played	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			1–6, 6–4, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	Raúl Ramírez Pavel Složil	Hans Gildemeister Andrés Gómez	6–4, 7–6	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			6–2, 6–3	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			7–5, 6–3	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			6–4, 6–4	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			2–6, 6–4, 7–6	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
	Hans Gildemeister Andrés Gómez		4–6, 7–5, 6–0	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			7–6, 3–6, 6–1	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			6–2, 7–5	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
			7–6, 6–2	Longwood Cricket Club	Clay
1990–96	not held
1997			6–3, 7–6^(7–3)	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
1998	Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis	Chris Haggard Jack Waite	6–3, 6–2	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard
1999			5–7, 7–6^(7–2), 6–3	Longwood Cricket Club	Hard

Source:

See also

• U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945
• U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967
• French Pro Championship
• Wembley Championships
• Major professional tennis tournaments before the Open Era

Bibliography

• Book: McCauley, Joe . The History of Professional Tennis . The Short Run Book Company Limited . 2000 . Windsor.

Notes and 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. Web site: Tennis Abstract: Pauline Betz Match Results, Splits, and Analysis .
3. McCauley, p. 100
4. Web site: 24 Sep 1927, Page 7, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. bklyn.newspapers.com.
5. The Los Angeles Times, 14 June 1954
6. Book: Collins, Bud. Bud Collins. The Bud Collins History of Tennis. 2016. New Chapter Press. New York. 978-1-937559-38-0. 793–795. 3rd.
7. Book: Kramer . Jack . The game : my 40 years in tennis . 1981 . Deutsch . London . 0233973079 . 244.
8. Web site: 05 Jul 1951, Page 20, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. bklyn.newspapers.com.
9. Web site: The Los Angeles Times, 14 June 1954. newspapers.com.
10. News: . Connors Upsets Ashe . The Logansport Press . Logansport, IN. . United Press Int. . 1973-07-24 . 2015-10-11.
11. News: 1936-07-19 . Miami Star Defeat Wood In Title Round . 14 . .
12. News: 1940-09-30 . Budge Beats Perry for Pro Tennis Crown . 20 . Chicago Tribune .
13. News: 1946-07-15 . Riggs Crushes Budge In Pro Tennis Finals . 8 . The San Bernardino Sun .
14. News: 1953-06-22 . Gonzales Pounds Out Victory Over Budge For Pro Crown . 17 . Arizona Republic .
15. News: 1954-06-14 . Gonzales Scores Gruelling 5-Set Victory Over Segura . 76 . Los Angeles Times.
16. News: 1955-04-04 . Gonzales Defends Net Honors . 19 . .