The Wembley Championships was a men's professional tennis tournament held from 1934–1990 with some periods of inactivity in between and is often considered to be one of the three major professional tennis tournaments from 1927–1967 until the advent of the open era. Ken Rosewall's and Rod Laver's six singles titles are the record for this event. The tournament only had a men's draw.
| Wembley Championships | |
|---|---|
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Abolished | 1990 |
| Editions | 40 |
| Location | London, England |
| Venue | Empire Pool |
| Surface | Wood (1934–1967) Carpet (1968–1990) |
It was first held in 1934 at the Empire Pool at Wembley Park, Wembley, north-west London.[1] In 1968, it was titled the Jack Kramer Tournament of Champions. In 1970 it was the penultimate event on the Grand Prix Tennis Tour.[2]
Name
editIt was officially called the Wembley Professional Championships, although it was later named the London Indoor Professional Championships.[3] In 1968 it was titled the Jack Kramer Tournament of Champions.
Past finals
edit| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Era | ||||
| 1934 |  Ellsworth Vines |
 Hans Nüsslein |
4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 8–6r1 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1935 | Ellsworth Vines |
Bill Tilden |
6–1, 6–3, 5–7, 3–6, 6–3 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1936 | Not held a [4] | |||
| 1937 | Hans Nüsslein |
Bill Tilden |
6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–2 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1938 | Not held b [4] | |||
| 1939 | Don Budge |
Hans Nüsslein |
13–11, 2–6, 6–4r2 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1940–1948 | Not held | |||
| 1949[5] | Jack Kramer |
Bobby Riggs |
2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1950 | Pancho Gonzales |
Welby Van Horn |
6–3, 6–3, 6–2 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1951 | Pancho Gonzales |
 Pancho Segura |
6–2, 6–2, 2–6, 6–4 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1952 | Pancho Gonzales |
Jack Kramer |
3–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 7–5 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1953 |  Frank Sedgman |
Pancho Gonzales |
6–1, 6–2, 6–2 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1954–1955 | Not held | |||
| 1956 | Pancho Gonzales |
Frank Sedgman |
4–6, 11–9, 11–9, 9–7 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1957 | Ken Rosewall |
Pancho Segura |
1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1958 | Frank Sedgman |
Tony Trabert |
6–4, 6–3, 6–4 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1959 | Mal Anderson |
Pancho Segura |
4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1960 | Ken Rosewall |
Pancho Segura |
5–7, 8–6, 6–1, 6–3 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1961 | Ken Rosewall |
Lew Hoad |
6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1962 | Ken Rosewall |
Lew Hoad |
6–4, 5–7, 15–13, 7–5 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1963 | Ken Rosewall |
Lew Hoad |
6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1964 | Rod Laver |
Ken Rosewall |
7–5, 4–6, 5–7, 8–6, 8–6 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1965 | Rod Laver |
 Andrés Gimeno |
6–2, 6–3, 6–4 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1966 | Rod Laver |
Ken Rosewall |
6–2, 6–2, 6–3 [4] | Wood (i) |
| 1967 | Rod Laver |
Ken Rosewall |
2–6, 6–1, 1–6, 8–6, 6–2 [4] | Wood (i) |
| Open Era | ||||
| 1968 | Ken Rosewall |
John Newcombe |
6–4, 4–6, 7–5, 6–4 | Carpet (i) |
| 1969 | Rod Laver |
Tony Roche |
6–4, 6–1, 6–3 | Carpet (i) |
| 1970 | Rod Laver |
 Cliff Richey |
6–3, 6–4, 7–5 | Carpet (i) |
| 1971 |  Ilie Năstase |
Rod Laver |
3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 | Carpet (i) |
| 1972–1975 | Not held | |||
| 1976 | Jimmy Connors |
Roscoe Tanner |
3–6, 7–6, 6–4 | Carpet (i) |
| 1977 |  Björn Borg |
 John Lloyd |
6–4, 6–4, 6–3 | Carpet (i) |
| 1978 | John McEnroe |
Tim Gullikson |
6–7, 6–4, 7–6, 6–2 | Carpet (i) |
| 1979 | John McEnroe |
Harold Solomon |
6–3, 6–4, 7–5 | Carpet (i) |
| 1980 | John McEnroe |
Gene Mayer |
6–4, 6–3, 6–3 | Carpet (i) |
| 1981 | Jimmy Connors |
John McEnroe |
3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 | Carpet (i) |
| 1982 | John McEnroe |
Brian Gottfried |
6–3, 6–2, 6–4 | Carpet (i) |
| 1983 | John McEnroe |
Jimmy Connors |
7–5, 6–1, 6–4 | Carpet (i) |
| 1984 |  Ivan Lendl |
Andrés Gómez |
7–6, 6–2, 6–1 | Carpet (i) |
| 1985 | Ivan Lendl |
 Boris Becker |
6–7, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 | Carpet (i) |
| 1986 |  Yannick Noah |
Jonas Svensson |
6–2, 6–3, 6–7, 4–6, 7–5 | Carpet (i) |
| 1987 | Ivan Lendl |
Anders Järryd |
6–3, 6–2, 7–5 | Carpet (i) |
| 1988 |  Jakob Hlasek |
Jonas Svensson |
6–7, 3–6, 6–4, 6–0, 7–5 | Carpet (i) |
| 1989 | Michael Chang |
Guy Forget |
6–2, 6–1, 6–1 | Carpet (i) |
| 1990 | Jakob Hlasek |
Michael Chang |
7–6, 6–3 | Carpet (i) |
Notes:
a1936 tournament was cancelled due to Tilden and Vines playing in Japan. This was reported in London Daily Mail on 24 August 1936. There are sources that say Ellsworth Vines defeated Hans Nüsslein 6–4, 6–4, 6–2, but this must have been a different event.
bNo reports of a 1938 tournament in British newspapers (the Wembley event was always reported in major British newspapers). Ray Bowers in an article on The Tennis Server website states there was no event held. There are sources that tell us Hans Nüsslein defeated Bill Tilden 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, but this must have been held elsewhere.
r1 For 1934, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Vines 5-0 and Nüsslein 4-1 as final standings.
r1 For 1939, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Budge 3-0 and Nüsslein, Tilden and Vines as 1-2 as final standings.
Doubles
edit| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Era | ||||
| 1934 | Wood (i) | |||
| 1935 | Bill Tilden Ellsworth Vines |
George Lott Lester Stoefen |
6–4, 6–4, 7–5 | Wood (i) |
| 1936 | Not held | |||
| 1937 | Hans Nüsslein Martin Plaa |
Lester Stoefen Bill Tilden |
Wood (i) | |
| 1938 | Not held | |||
| 1939 | Wood (i) | |||
| 1938–1948 | Not held | |||
| 1949 | Jack Kramer Bobby Riggs |
Dinny Pails Pancho Segura |
3–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–1 | Wood (i) |
| 1950 | Don Budge Pancho Gonzales |
Bobby Riggs Welby Van Horn |
8–6, 9–7, 4–6, 6–4 | Wood (i) |
| 1951 | Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura |
Bobby Riggs Welby Van Horn |
6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 | Wood (i) |
| 1952 | Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura |
Don Budge Jack Kramer |
6–3, 6–1 | Wood (i) |
| 1953 | Don Budge Frank Sedgman |
Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura |
6–3, 6–3, 6–2 | Wood (i) |
| 1954–1955 | Not held | |||
| 1956 | Pancho Gonzales Tony Trabert |
Rex Hartwig Frank Sedgman |
6–3, 6–4, 6–4 | Wood (i) |
| 1957 | Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall |
Jack Kramer Pancho Segura |
3–6, 6–8, 6–2, 6–1, 6–2 | Wood (i) |
| 1958 | Pancho Gonzales Ken Rosewall |
Jack Kramer Pancho Segura |
6–3, 6–2, 6–3 | Wood (i) |
| 1959 | Lew Hoad Tony Trabert |
Ken Rosewall Pancho Segura |
11–9, 9–7, 6–2 | Wood (i) |
| 1960 | Ken Rosewall Frank Sedgman |
Lew Hoad Tony Trabert |
4–6, 6–3, 7–9, 6–4, 6–2 | Wood (i) |
| 1961 | Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall |
 Alex Olmedo Pancho Segura |
3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 8–6 | Wood (i) |
| 1962 | Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall |
Alex Olmedo Pancho Segura |
6–2, 6–3, 6–3 | Wood (i) |
| 1963 | Alex Olmedo Frank Sedgman |
Butch Buchholz Barry MacKay |
3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 10–8 | Wood (i) |
| 1964 | Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall |
Butch Buchholz Rod Laver |
1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–1 | Wood (i) |
| 1965 | Butch Buchholz Rod Laver |
Frank Sedgman Pancho Segura |
6–3, 6–3, 6–2 | Wood (i) |
| 1966 | Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall |
Butch Buchholz Rod Laver |
6–4, 8–6, 3–6, 6–2 | Wood (i) |
| 1967 | Rod Laver Fred Stolle |
Butch Buchholz Lew Hoad |
7–5, 6–3, 6–4 | Wood (i) |
| Open Era | ||||
| 1968 | John Newcombe Tony Roche |
Andrés Gimeno Pancho Gonzales |
6–3, 9–7 | Carpet (i) |
Source:[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Ray Bowers (1 March 2003). "Wembley and Paris". Forgotten Victories: The Early Pro Tennis Wars. The Tennis Server. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- ^ "1970: ATP World Tour". Results Archive. ATP World Tour. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
- ^ Grasso, John (2011). Historical Dictionary of Tennis. Scarecrow Press. p. 25. ISBN 9780810872370.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "British Pro Championships, Wembley". www.tennis.co.nf.
- ^ "Indoor Lawn Tennis at Wembley". The Indian Express. 19 March 1949.
- ^ McCauley (2000), pp. 256–257.
Bibliography
edit- McCauley, Joe (2000). The History of Professional Tennis. Windsor: The Short Run Book Company Limited.