1970 Rawlings Tennis Classic

Last updated
1970 Rawlings Tennis Classic
DateMay 25– June 1
Edition1st
Category World Championship Tennis (WCT)
Draw20S / 10D
Prize money$30,000
SurfaceHard / outdoor
Hard / indoor (final)
Location St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Venue Dwight Davis Tennis Center, Forest Park
Washington University Field House (final)
Champions
Singles
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver [1]
Doubles
Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg Andrés Gimeno / Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Newcombe [2]
St. Louis WCT ·  1972  

The 1970 Rawlings Tennis Classic, also known as the St. Louis WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the 1970 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on outdoor hard courts at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was scheduled from May 25 through June 1, 1970 but both finals were delayed due to a power outage on the day before the finals and rain on the day of the finals. The singles finalists then had to travel to New York to compete in the Tennis Champions Classic before returning. Due to persistent bad weather the singles final was played indoor at the Washington University Field House on June 4, 1970. First-seeded Rod Laver won the singles title and earned $8,000 first-prize money. [3] [4] The doubles finalists Andrés Gimeno and John Newcombe had to travel to Casablanca, Morocco for the Moroccan Pro Championships and their final was rescheduled and played on August 24, 1970. [5] [6] This was followed by a Rawlings Challenge Cup match between tournament winner Rod Laver and Wimbledon champion John Newcombe which was won by Laver 6–3, 8–6. [7]

Contents

Finals

Singles

Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver defeated Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Rosewall 6–1, 6–4

Doubles

Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg Andrés Gimeno / Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Newcombe defeated Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson / Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver 6–4, 6–2

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Laver</span> Australian tennis player (born 1938)

Rodney George Laver is an Australian former tennis player. Laver was ranked the world number 1 professional player indisputably for five years from 1965 to 1969 and by some sources also in 1964 and 1970. He was also ranked as the number 1 amateur in 1961 and 1962. Laver won 198 singles titles which is the most won by a player in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Rosewall</span> Australian tennis player (born 1934)

Kenneth Robert Rosewall is an Australian former world top-ranking professional tennis player. Rosewall won 147 singles titles, including a record 15 Pro Majors and 8 Grand Slam titles for a total 23 titles at pro and amateur majors. He also won 15 Pro Majors in doubles and 9 Grand Slam doubles titles. Rosewall achieved a Pro Slam in singles in 1963 by winning the three Pro Majors in one year and he completed the Career Grand Slam in doubles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Roche</span> Australian tennis player

Anthony Dalton Roche AO MBE is an Australian former professional tennis player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrés Gimeno</span> Spanish tennis player (1937–2019)

Andrés Gimeno Tolaguera was a Spanish tennis player. His greatest achievement came in 1972, when he won the French Open and became the oldest first-time Grand Slam champion in the Open era at 34 years of age.

Rod Laver defeated Andrés Gimeno in the final, 6–3, 6–4, 7–5 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1969 Australian Open. It was his eighth Grand Slam tournament singles title, and the first step in an eventual Grand Slam for Laver. This was the first edition of the Australian Open to be open to professional players, marking a period in tennis history known as the Open Era.

John Newcombe defeated Ken Rosewall in the final, 5–7, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 to win the gentlemen's singles tennis title at the 1970 Wimbledon Championships. It was his second Wimbledon singles title and his third major singles title overall. Rosewall was attempting to complete the career Grand Slam.

Ken Rosewall defeated Tony Roche in the final, 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(5–2), 6–3 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1970 US Open. It was his second US Open singles title and seventh Grand Slam tournament singles title overall.

Rod Laver defeated the defending champion Ken Rosewall in a rematch of the previous year's final, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1969 French Open. It was his second French title and ninth Grand Slam tournament singles title overall. It was the second leg of his eventual second Grand Slam, which remains the only Grand Slam achieved in men's singles tennis in the Open Era.

The 1972 U.S. Professional Indoor was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States that was part of the 1972 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was the fifth edition of the tournament and was held from February 8 through February 13, 1972. Total attendance for the tournament was 57,282. First-seeded Rod Laver won the singles title, his third at the event after 1969 and 1970.

The 1981 World Championship Tennis Finals was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 11th edition of the WCT Finals and was part of the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix. The tournament was played at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas in the United States and was held from April 27 through May 3, 1981. The winners of the eight WCT tournaments that were part of the 1981 Grand Prix circuit qualified for the tournament augmented by the next best performers in the WCT points standings. Guillermo Vilas qualified by winning the last tournament held just before the WCT Finals, the River Oaks Tournament in Houston, but was unavailable to play. Jimmy Connors withdrew before the tournament due to gastroenteritis and Yannick Noah could not participate due to a shoulder injury. They were replaced by Sandy Mayer and Sam Giammalva respectively. First-seeded John McEnroe won the title and $100,000 prize money.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Laver career statistics</span>

This is a list of the main career statistics of Australian former tennis player Rod Laver whose playing career ran from 1956 until 1977. He played as an amateur from 1956 until the end of 1962 when he joined Jack Kramer's professional circuit. As a professional he was banned from playing the Grand Slam tournaments as well as other tournaments organized by the national associations of the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF). In 1968, with the advent of the Open Era, the distinction between amateurs and professionals disappeared and Laver was again able to compete in most Grand Slam events until the end of his career in 1977. During his career he won eleven Grand Slam tournaments, eight Pro Slam tournaments and five Davis Cup titles.

The 1970 season of the World Championship Tennis (WCT) circuit was one of the two rival professional male tennis circuits of 1970. It was organized by World Championship Tennis (WCT).

Ken Rosewall and Fred Stolle defeated Roy Emerson and Rod Laver 6–3, 6–4, 6–3 in the final to win the men's doubles title at the 1968 French Open tennis tournament. John Newcombe and Tony Roche were the defending champions but chose not to defend their title.

The 1968 British Hard Court Championships was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at The West Hants Club in Bournemouth in England. It was the first tournament in the Open Era of tennis. The tournament was held from 22 April to 27 April 1968. Ken Rosewall and Virginia Wade won the first open singles titles while the men's team of Roy Emerson and Rod Laver and the women's team of Christine Truman Janes and Nell Truman won the first open doubles titles.

The 1970 First National Tennis Classic, also known as the Louisville Open, was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Louisville Tennis Center in Louisville, Kentucky in the United States. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was held from July 29 through August 3, 1970. The tournament was part of both the 1970 Grand Prix tennis circuit, categorized in Class 2, as well as the 1970 World Championship Tennis season and had total prize money of $25,000. The singles final was won by Rod Laver who earned $5,000 first-prize money as well as eight ranking points.

The 1970 Atlanta Tennis Classic, also known as the Atlanta WCT, was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the DeKalb Tennis Center in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States that was part of the 1970 World Championship Tennis season. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was held from May 6 through May 10, 1970. Tom Okker, who survived a match point in his semifinals match against John Newcombe, won the singles title and the accompanying $5,000 first-prize money.

The 1971 Rothmans International Vancouver, also known as the Vancouver WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the 1971 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on indoor carpet courts at the PNE Agrodome in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. It was the second edition of the tournament and was held from 3 October through 11 October 1971. Fourth-seeded Ken Rosewall won the singles title and earned $10,000 first-prize money.

The 1970 Rothmans International Vancouver, also known as the Vancouver WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the 1970 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on indoor carpet courts at the PNE Agrodome in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was held from 29 September through 3 October 1970. Rod Laver won the singles title and earned $10,000 first-prize money.

The 1970 Rawlings Tennis Classic – Singles was an event of the 1970 Rawlings Tennis Classic men's tennis tournament that was played at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States from May 26 through June 4, 1970. The draw comprised 20 players and eight were seeded. First-seeded Rod Laver won the singles title, defeating second-seeded Ken Rosewall in the final, 6–1, 6–4. The final was played indoor at the Washington University Field House due to bad weather. Roy Emerson won 6–4, 6–1 against Fred Stolle in a third-place playoff match.

The 1970 Rawlings Tennis Classic – Doubles was an event of the 1970 Rawlings Tennis Classic men's tennis tournament that was played at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States< The event was scheduled from May 26 through June 1, 1970 but the final was delayed due to a power outage followed by bad weather at which point the doubles finalists Andrés Gimeno and John Newcombe had to travel to Casablanca, Morocco for the Moroccan Pro Championships. Subsequently, the doubles final was rescheduled to and played on August 24, 1970. The draw comprised 10 teams of which four were seeded. Fourth-seeded Andrés Gimeno and John Newcombe won the doubles title, defeating second-seeded Roy Emerson and Rod Laver in the final, 6–4, 6–2. The final was played indoor at the Washington University Field House due to bad weather.

References

  1. "1970 St. Louis WCT – Singles draw". Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
  2. "1970 St. Louis WCT – Doubles draw". Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
  3. Jerry Stack (June 4, 1970). "Laver's returns net him $8000 in Rawlings tennis" . St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 1C via Newspapers.com.
  4. John Barrett, ed. (1971). World of Tennis '71 : a BP yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 143. ISBN   978-0-362-00091-7.
  5. "Rawlings doubles are set Aug. 24" . St. Louis Post-Dispatch. August 12, 1970. p. 2B via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Gimeno, Newcombe top Laver, Emerson for double crown" . The Cumberland News. UPI. August 25, 1970. p. 14 via Newspapers.com.
  7. John J. Archibald (August 25, 1970). "King Laver's 1-2 service punch stops Newcombe" . St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4C via Newspapers.com.