ECC Antwerp

Last updated
ECC Antwerp
Defunct tennis tournament
Event nameEuropean Champions' Championship (1982–1985)
The European Community Championship (1986–1998)
TourInvitational/Exhibition (1982–1991)
World Series (1992–1994)
Championship Series (1996–1998)
Founded1982
Abolished1998
Editions16
Location Antwerp, Belgium
Venue Sportpaleis
Surface Carpet (indoor) (1982–1996)
Hard (indoor) (1997–1998)

The European Community Championship was a men's professional tennis tournament held from 1982 until 1998 in Antwerp, Belgium. The tournament was held as a special invitational/exhibition event run outside the Grand Prix series and did not distribute any ATP ranking points until 1992, when the tournament became part of the ATP Tour. While an exhibition tournament, invitations were extended to players who won a tournament title in Europe during that year. The surface of the tournament was indoor carpet.

Contents

The inaugural event was held in December 1982, with a $700,000 purse on offer for 24 players. At that time, the high level (Super Series) European Grand Prix events like the Italian Open or indoor tournament in Wembley, London offered only $300,000 and $200,000 respectively.

It was called the European Champions' Championship and from 1986 was renamed the European Community Championship (ECC). Its nickname was the "Gold Racquet" tournament because if a player won the tournament thrice within a 5-year span, he would also receive a special trophy, a life-size, 13.2-pound gold racquet studded with 1,420 diamonds valued at $1,000,000, created by the artist Varozza. This inspired the Proximus Diamond Games, a WTA Tour event held in Antwerp since 2002, to have a similar trophy system.

In 1985, Ivan Lendl won his third title within 4 years and received the $200,000 winners prize together with the Gold Racquet. In 1991, Boris Becker spoiled Lendl's quest for a $1,250,000 million prize ($250,000 prize money plus the $1,000,000 racquet) at the ECC in Antwerp by beating him in the semifinals. Had Lendl won, he would have kept the gold-and-diamond racquet trophy valued at about $1,000,000, adding to his from 1985. He was in the running for a second after victories in 1987 and 1989, but wound up with only $100,000 that year.

Past finals

Singles

YearDate FinalPrize MoneyChampionRunner-upScore
Special / Invitational event
1982Dec 5
$700,000
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Ivan Lendl Flag of the United States.svg John McEnroe 3–6, 7–6(7–2), 6–3, 6–3
1983Nov 20
$750,000
Flag of the United States.svg John McEnroe Flag of the United States.svg Gene Mayer 6–4, 6–3, 6–4
1984Nov 18
$800,000
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Ivan Lendl Flag of Sweden.svg Anders Järryd 6–1, 6–2, 6–2
1985Nov 3
$850,000
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Ivan Lendl Flag of the United States.svg John McEnroe 1–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–2, 6–2
1986Nov 10
$940,000
Flag of the United States.svg John McEnroe Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Miloslav Mečíř 6–3, 1–6, 7–6(7–5), 5–7, 6–2
1987Nov 1
$940,000
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Ivan Lendl Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Miloslav Mečíř 5–7, 6–1, 6–4, 6–3
1988Nov 6
$940,000
Flag of the United States.svg John McEnroe Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Andrei Chesnokov 6–1, 7–5, 6–2
1989Oct 29
$1,000,000
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Ivan Lendl Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Miloslav Mečíř 6–2, 6–2, 1–6, 6–4
1990Oct 21
$1,100,000
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Goran Ivanišević Flag of France.svg Henri Leconte 6–2, 7–6(8–6), 4–6, 4–6, 6–1
1991Dec 8
$1,250,000
Flag of the United States.svg Aaron Krickstein Flag of Germany.svg Boris Becker walkover
ATP Tour
1992Nov 15
$1,000,000
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Richard Krajicek Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Woodforde 6–2, 6–2
1993Nov 14
$1,100,000
Flag of the United States.svg Pete Sampras Flag of Sweden.svg Magnus Gustafsson 6–1, 6–4
1994Nov 13
$1,100,000
Flag of the United States.svg Pete Sampras Flag of Sweden.svg Magnus Larsson 7–6(7–5), 6–4
1995Not held
1996 Feb 19
$1,100,000
Flag of Germany.svg Michael Stich Flag of Croatia.svg Goran Ivanišević 6–3, 6–2, 7–6(7–5)
1997 Feb 23
$1,000,000
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Rosset Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tim Henman 6–2, 7–5, 6–4
1998 Feb 23
$1,000,000
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Greg Rusedski Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Rosset 7–6(7–3), 3–6, 6–1, 6–4

Doubles

YearWinnersRunners-upScore
1992 Flag of the United States.svg John Fitzgerald
Flag of Sweden.svg Anders Järryd
Flag of the United States.svg Jared Palmer
Flag of the United States.svg Patrick McEnroe
6–2, 6–2
1993 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Grant Connell
Flag of the United States.svg Patrick Galbraith
Flag of South Africa.svg Wayne Ferreira
Flag of Spain.svg Javier Sánchez
6–3, 7–6
1994 Flag of Sweden.svg Jan Apell
Flag of Sweden.svg Jonas Björkman
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Hendrik Jan Davids
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sébastien Lareau
4–6, 6–1, 6–2
1995Not held
1996 Flag of Sweden.svg Jonas Björkman
Flag of Sweden.svg Nicklas Kulti
Flag of Russia.svg Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Menno Oosting
6–4, 6–4
1997 Flag of South Africa.svg David Adams
Flag of France.svg Olivier Delaître
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Sandon Stolle
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Cyril Suk
3–6, 6–2, 6–1
1998 Flag of South Africa.svg Wayne Ferreira
Flag of Russia.svg Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Flag of Spain.svg Tomás Carbonell
Flag of Spain.svg Francisco Roig
7–5, 3–6, 6–2

See also

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References