1980 World Championship Tennis Finals

Last updated
1980 World Championship Tennis Finals
DateApril 28 – May 4
Edition10th
Draw8S
Prize money$250,000
Surface Carpet / indoor
Location Dallas, Texas, US
Venue Reunion Arena
Champions
Singles
Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Connors [1]
  1979  · WCT Finals ·  1981  

The 1980 World Championship Tennis Finals was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 10th edition of the WCT Finals and was part of the 1980 Volvo Grand Prix. It was played at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas in the United States and was held from April 28 through May 4, 1980. [2]

Contents

Final

Singles

Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Connors defeated Flag of the United States.svg John McEnroe 2–6, 7–6, 6–1, 6–2

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Björn Borg</span> Swedish tennis player (born 1956)

Björn Rune Borg is a Swedish former world No. 1 tennis player. Between 1974 and 1981, he became the first man in the Open Era to win 11 Grand Slam singles titles with six at the French Open and five consecutively at Wimbledon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McEnroe</span> American tennis player (born 1959)

John Patrick McEnroe Jr. is an American former professional tennis player. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court behavior, which frequently landed him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities.

World Championship Tennis (WCT) was a tour for professional male tennis players established in 1968 and lasted until the emergence of the ATP Tour in 1990. A number of tennis tournaments around the world were affiliated with WCT and players were ranked in a special WCT ranking according to their results in those tournaments.

The WCT Finals was a men's tennis tournament that served as the season-ending championship for the World Championship Tennis circuit. From 1971–1989 the event was held annually in Texas 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 1974 edition was the first tennis tournament to experiment with electronic line calling. The first edition of the WCT Finals was in November 1971, just a few days before the equivalent event of the rival Grand Prix circuit. But the second edition occurred just six months later to accommodate NBC's new tennis coverage; the tournament final between Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver is credited as "the match that made tennis in the United States" because its unprecedented domestic television audience of 23 million fueled a massive increase in the sport's popularity. The ensuing editions were also held in the spring. John McEnroe had the most overall success, winning a record five titles. Because of the popularity of the 1972 final, 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 Detroit. The tournament was sponsored by Buick between 1985 and 1986, a brand of General Motors, and was called the "Buick WCT Finals".

The 1980 U.S. Pro Indoor was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts that was part of World Championship Tennis (WCT) category of tournaments of the 1980 Volvo Grand Prix circuit. It was played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States and was held from January 21 through January 27, 1980. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the singles title after a final that lasted three hours and 30 minutes and earned $40,000 first-prize money. It was his fourth singles title at the tournament which equalled the record held by Rod Laver.

The 1979 World Championship Tennis Finals was a men's professional tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 9th edition of the WCT Finals and was part of the 1979 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix. It was played at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas in the United States and was held from May 1 through May 6, 1979. Third-seeded John McEnroe won the title.

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.

The 1982 World Championship Tennis Spring Finals was a tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 12th edition of the WCT Finals and was part of the 1982 World Championship Tennis circuit since World Championship Tennis had split from the Grand Prix tennis circuit. It was played at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas in the United States and was held from April 20 through April 26, 1982. Second-seeded Ivan Lendl won the title.

The 1983 World Championship Tennis Finals was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 13th edition of the WCT Finals and was part of the 1983 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was played at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas in the United States and was held from April 26 through May 1, 1983. Second-seeded John McEnroe won the title, his third at the tournament, and the accompanying $150,000 first-prize money after defeating defending champion Ivan Lendl in a five-set final that lasted 4 hours and 16 minutes.

The 1984 World Championship Tennis Finals, also known by its sponsored name Buick WCT Finals, was a tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 14th edition of the WCT Finals and was part of the 1984 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was played at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas in the United States and was held from April 24 through April 30, 1984. First-seeded and defending champion John McEnroe won the title and the accompanying $150,000 first-prize money. It was his fourth WCT Finals title, a record, and his sixth successive final.

The 1987 WCT Finals was a season-ending men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 17th edition of the WCT Finals and was part of the 1987 Nabisco Grand Prix. It was played at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas in the United States from April 7 through April 13, 1987. The best eight players on the Grand Prix circuit qualified for the tournament. Winners of a Grand Slam tournament automatically qualified. Unseeded Miloslav Mečíř won the title.

The 1989 WCT Finals was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 19th and last edition of the WCT Finals and was part of the 1989 Nabisco Grand Prix. It was played at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas in the United States from February 28 through March 6, 1989. First-seeded John McEnroe won his record fifth singles title at the event after 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 Grand Prix (tennis)</span> Tennis circuit

The 1982 Volvo Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments. The circuit was administered by the Men's International Professional Tennis Council (MIPTC). On 30 April 1981 World Championship Tennis (WCT) announced its withdrawal from the Grand Prix circuit, which it had been incorporated into since 1978, and the re-establishment of its own tour calendar for the 1982 season. To counter the threat of player leaving the Grand Prix tour for the WCT the MIPTC introduced a mandatory commitment to play at least 10 Grand Prix Super Series tournaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 Grand Prix (tennis)</span> Tennis circuit

The 1981 Volvo Grand Prix was the only men's professional tennis circuit held that year. It consisted of the four Grand Slam tournaments and the Grand Prix tournaments. The World Championship Tennis (WCT) Tour was incorporated into the Grand Prix circuit. The WCT tour consisted of eight regular tournaments, a season's final, three tournaments categorized as special events and a doubles championship. In total 89 tournaments were held divided over 29 countries. The circuit was administered by the Men's International Professional Tennis Council (MIPTC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Connors career statistics</span>

This is a list of the main career statistics of former tennis player Jimmy Connors.

The 1981 Cuore Cup was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Palazzo dello Sport in Milan, Italy. The event was part WCT Tour which was incorporated into the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix circuit. It was the fourth edition of the tournament and was held from 23 March through 29 March 1981. Second-seeded John McEnroe won his third consecutive singles title at the event and earned $35,000 first-prize money.

The 1981 WCT Tournament of Champions was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City in the United States and part of the 1981 Grand Prix circuit. It was the fifth edition of the tournament and was held from May 4 through May 10, 1981. The event was open to players who had won a tournament worth at least $25,000 during the previous 12 months. Tenth-seeded Eddie Dibbs won the singles title and the accompanying first prize of $100,000 plus $3,050 in bonus money.

The 1980 WCT Tournament of Champions was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City in the United States and part of the 1980 Grand Prix circuit. It was the fourth edition of the tournament and was held from May 5 through May 11, 1980. Third-seeded Vitas Gerulaitis won the singles title.

The 1980 Milan Indoor, also known by its sponsored name Ramazzotti Cup, was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Palazzo dello Sport in Milan, Italy. The event was part WCT Tour which was incorporated into the 1980 Volvo Grand Prix circuit. It was the third edition of the tournament and was held from 24 March through 30 March 1980. First-seeded John McEnroe won the singles title.

The 1980 United Virginia Bank Classic, also known as the Richmond WCT, was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia, United States. The event was part of World Championship Tennis category of the 1980 Volvo Grand Prix circuit. It was the 15th edition of the tournament and was held from January 28 through February 3, 1980. First-seeded John McEnroe won the singles title and the $30,200 first-prize money.

References

  1. "1980 Dallas – Singles draw". Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
  2. John Barrett, ed. (1981). Slazengers World of Tennis 1981 : the official yearbook of the International Tennis Federation . London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 173–174. ISBN   9780362020342.