1972 Grand Prix (tennis)
The 1972 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit held that year and organized by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF). It consisted of 33 Grand Prix tournaments in different categories including three of the four Grand Slam tournaments and was followed by a season-ending Masters tournament. The circuit ran from February through November.[1]
Details | |
---|---|
Duration | 14 February 1972 – 28 November 1972 |
Edition | 3rd |
Tournaments | 33 |
Categories | Group AA (3) Group A (7) Group B (4) Group C (14) Group D (5) |
Achievements (singles) | |
Most tournament titles | Stan Smith (9) |
Most tournament finals | Ilie Năstase (11) |
Prize money leader | Ilie Năstase (£21,000) |
Points leader | Ilie Năstase (659) |
← 1971 1973 → |
The 1972 Grand Prix circuit ran in competition with the 1972 World Championship Tennis circuit and, to a lesser extent, with the smaller 1972 USLTA Indoor Circuit. Five American indoor tournament in February and March were als part of the USLTA Indoor Circuit.[2] In July 1971 at its annual meeting, the ILTF voted to ban all WCT contract professionals from their tournaments and facilities from the beginning of 1972 onwards. This meant that leading WCT players such as Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Arthur Ashe and John Newcombe did not initially have permission to compete in the Grand Prix circuit and Newcombe could not defend his two consecutive Wimbledon titles of 1970 and 1971. In April 1972, however, an agreement was reached between the ILTF and WCT that divided the 1973 tour in a WCT circuit that ran from January through April and a Grand Prix circuit that was scheduled for the rest of the year.[3] Under the agreement the players contracted by the WCT could play in the Grand Prix events as of September 1972. The deal was ratified at the annual ILTF meeting in July.[4]
Schedule
- Key
Group AA tournaments |
Grand Prix Masters |
Group A tournaments |
Group B tournaments |
Group C tournaments |
Team events |
February
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 Feb | The May Co. International[lower-alpha 1] Los Angeles, California, US Group C 32S/16D |
Andrés Gimeno 6–3, 2–6, 6–2 |
Pierre Barthès | Jimmy Connors Thomaz Koch |
Vladimír Zedník Cliff Richey Pancho Gonzales Ilie Năstase |
Jim Osborne Jim McManus 6–2, 5–7, 6–4 |
Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac | ||||
20 Feb | U.S. National Indoor Championships[lower-alpha 1] Salisbury, Maryland, US Group B Hard – $50,000 – 64S/32D |
Stan Smith 5–7, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4 |
Ilie Năstase | Haroon Rahim Gerald Battrick |
Jaime Fillol Clark Graebner Manuel Orantes Tom Gorman |
Manuel Orantes Andrés Gimeno 6–4, 6–3 |
Juan Gisbert Vladimír Zedník | ||||
28 Feb | Clean Air Classic[lower-alpha 1] New York, US Group C 64S |
Stan Smith 4–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–1 |
Juan Gisbert | Cliff Richey Ilie Năstase |
Alejandro Olmedo Ove Nils Bengtson Andrés Gimeno Jimmy Connors |
March
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 Mar | National Indoor Championships[lower-alpha 1] Hampton, Virginia, US Group C Hard (i) – 32S/16D Singles – Doubles |
Stan Smith 6–3, 6–2, 6–7, 6–4 |
Ilie Năstase | Andrés Gimeno Cliff Richey |
Juan Gisbert Jimmy Connors Georges Goven Ian Crookenden |
Ion Țiriac Ilie Năstase 7–5, 7–5 |
Andrés Gimeno Manuel Orantes | ||||
12 Mar | Equity Funding International[lower-alpha 1] Washington, D.C., US Group C Carpet (i) – $25,000 – 32S/16D |
Stan Smith 6–3, 6–2, 6–7, 6–4 |
Jimmy Connors | Tom Gorman Manuel Orantes |
Jim Osborne Cliff Richey Ilie Năstase Pierre Barthès |
Cliff Richey Tom Edlefsen 6–4, 6–3 |
Clark Graebner Thomaz Koch | ||||
27 Mar | Monte Carlo Open Championships Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France Group C Clay – $20,000 – 32S/32D |
Ilie Năstase 6–1, 6–0, 6–3 |
František Pála | Boro Jovanović Jiří Hřebec |
Bernard Mignot Ion Țiriac Szabolcs Baranyi Péter Szőke |
Patrice Beust Daniel Contet 3–6, 6–1, 12–10, 6–2 |
Jiří Hřebec František Pála |
April
May
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 May | British Hard Court Championships Bournemouth, England * Group C Clay – 32S/16D |
Bob Hewitt 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 |
Pierre Barthès | Ilie Năstase Stan Smith |
Ion Țiriac Jimmy Connors Pat Cramer Jürgen Fassbender |
Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt 7–5, 6–2 |
Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac | ||||
14 May | Belgian Open Championships Brussels, Belgium Group C Clay – $25,000 – 32S/16D |
Manuel Orantes 6–4, 6–1, 2–6, 7–5 |
Andrés Gimeno | Harold Solomon Barry Phillips-Moore |
Patrick Hombergen Juan Gisbert Harald Elschenbroich Vladimír Zedník |
Manuel Orantes Juan Gisbert 9–7, 6–3 |
Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol | ||||
22 May | French Open * Paris, France Grand Slam Group AA Clay |
Andrés Gimeno 4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 |
Patrick Proisy | Alex Metreveli Manuel Orantes |
Adriano Panatta Stan Smith Harold Solomon Jan Kodeš |
Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt 6–3, 8–6, 3–6, 6–1 |
Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol | ||||
Evonne Goolagong Kim Warwick 6–2, 6–4 |
Françoise Dürr Jean-Claude Barclay |
June
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 Jun | German Open Championships Hamburg, West Germany * Group B Clay – 32S/32D |
Manuel Orantes 6–3, 9–8, 6–0 |
Adriano Panatta | Ilie Năstase Stan Smith |
Ion Țiriac Jimmy Connors Pat Cramer Jürgen Fassbender |
Ilie Năstase Jan Kodeš 4–6, 6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
Bob Hewitt Ion Țiriac | ||||
17 Jun | Bristol Open Bristol, England * Group C Grass – 32S/32D |
Bob Hewitt 6–4, 6–3 |
Alejandro Olmedo | François Jauffret Clark Graebner |
John De Mendoza Colin Dibley John Paish Andrew Pattison |
Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt 6–3, 6–2 |
Clark Graebner Lew Hoad | ||||
26 Jun | Wimbledon * London, England Grand Slam Group AA Grass |
Stan Smith 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5 |
Ilie Năstase | Jan Kodeš Manuel Orantes |
Alex Metreveli Onny Parun Colin Dibley Jimmy Connors |
Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan 6–2, 6–2, 9–7 |
Stan Smith Erik van Dillen | ||||
Rosemary Casals Ilie Năstase 6–4, 6–4 |
Evonne Goolagong Kim Warwick |
July
August
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 Aug | U.S. Clay Court Championships Indianapolis, Indiana, US * Group A Clay – $60,000 – 64S/32D |
Bob Hewitt 7–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
Jimmy Connors | Toshiro Sakai Frew McMillan |
Patrice Dominguez Colin Dibley Jan Kodeš Paul Gerken |
Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt 6–2, 6–3 |
Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol | ||||
14 Aug | Rothmans Canadian Open Championships Toronto, Ontario, Canada * Group A Clay – $70,000 – 128S/64D |
Ilie Năstase 6–4, 6–3 |
Andrew Pattison | Jaime Fillol Patrick Proisy |
Jairo Velasco Bob Hewitt Guillermo Vilas Adriano Panatta |
Ion Țiriac Ilie Năstase 7–6, 6–3 |
Jan Kodeš Jan Kukal | ||||
28 Aug | US Open Forest Hills, New York, US * Grand Slam Group AA Singles – Doubles – Mixed doubles |
Ilie Năstase 3–6, 6–3, 6–7, 6–4, 6–3 |
Arthur Ashe | Cliff Richey Tom Gorman |
Stan Smith Frew McMillan Fred Stolle Roscoe Tanner |
Cliff Drysdale Roger Taylor 6–4, 7–6, 6–3 |
Owen Davidson John Newcombe | ||||
Margaret Court Marty Riessen 6–3, 7–5 |
Rosemary Casals Ilie Năstase |
September
October
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
23 Oct | Trofeo Conde de Godó Barcelona, Spain Group A Clay – $66,250 – 32S/32D |
Jan Kodeš 6–3, 6–2, 6–3 |
Manuel Orantes | Stan Smith Ilie Năstase |
Andrew Pattison Colin Dibley Andrés Gimeno Tom Gorman |
Manuel Orantes Juan Gisbert 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 |
Frew McMillan Ilie Năstase | ||||
30 Oct | Jean Becker Open Paris, France Group B Hard – $50,000 – 32S/32D Singles – Doubles |
Stan Smith 6–2, 6–2, 7–5 |
Andrés Gimeno | Jan Kodeš Tom Gorman |
Patrice Dominguez Raymond Moore Jimmy Connors Ilie Năstase |
François Jauffret Pierre Barthès 6–3, 6–2 |
Andrés Gimeno Juan Gisbert |
November
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 Nov | Stockholm Open Stockholm, Sweden Group A Hard – $63,000 – 64S/32D |
Stan Smith 6–4, 6–3 |
Tom Okker | Marty Riessen Ilie Năstase |
Nikola Pilić Roger Taylor Andrew Pattison Cliff Drysdale |
Marty Riessen Tom Okker 7–5, 7–6 |
Colin Dibley Roy Emerson | ||||
18 Nov | Dewar Cup Nottingham/London, England Carpet – 32S/16D |
Ilie Năstase 6–4, 6–3 |
Tom Gorman | Jimmy Connors Onny Parun |
Patrick Proisy Frew McMillan Barry Phillips-Moore Andrew Pattison |
28 Nov | Masters Barcelona, Spain Hard (i) – $55,000 – 8S |
Ilie Năstase 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 6–3 |
Stan Smith |
* Tournaments combined with a women's Grand Prix tour event.
Points distribution
Category | W | F | SF | QF | R16 | R32 | R64 |
Group AA tournaments | 100 | 75 | 50 | 25 | 12 | 6 | – |
Group A tournaments | 75 | 52 | 37 | 18 | 9 | – | – |
Group B tournaments | 50 | 36 | 25 | 18 | 6 | – | – |
Group C tournaments | 30 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 3 | – | – |
Group D tournaments | 20 | 12 | 6 | 4 | – | – | – |
No points were awarded for first round losers
Standings
Player | Tournaments played | Points | Prize money |
---|---|---|---|
Ilie Năstase | 24 | 659 | £21,000 |
Stan Smith | 19 | 587 | £14,700 |
Manuel Orantes | 19 | 468 | £10,500 |
Jan Kodeš | 14 | 332 | £8,400 |
Andrés Gimeno | 20 | 319 | £6,720 |
Bob Hewitt | 15 | 263 | £5,460 |
Jimmy Connors | 22 | 251 | £5,040 |
Tom Gorman | 19 | 227 | £4,620 |
Andrew Pattison | 21 | 204 | £4,200 |
Patrick Proisy | 13 | 172 | £3,780 |
Cliff Richey, Roscoe Tanner, Alex Metreveli, Tom Okker and Arthur Ashe played too few Grand Prix tournaments to qualify for prize money.
Grand Prix rankings
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List of tournament winners
The list of winners and number of singles titles won, alphabetically by last name:
- Jimmy Connors (6) Roanoke, Queen's Club, Columbus, Cincinnati, Albany, Jacksonville
- John Cooper (1) Hilversum
- Colin Dibley (1) Kitzbühel
- Tom Edlefsen (1) Kansas City
- Andrés Gimeno (3) Los Angeles, French Open, Eastbourne, Gstaad
- Pancho Gonzalez (1) Des Moines
- Bob Hewitt (4) Bournemouth, Bristol, Tanglewood, Indianapolis
- Jan Kodeš (1) Barcelons
- Karl Meiler (1) Buenos Aires
- Alex Metreveli (3) Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide
- Ilie Năstase (11) Baltimore, Omaha, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Nice, Düsseldorf, Montreal, South Orange, Seattle, US Open, London, Masters
- Manuel Orantes (5) Caracas, Rome, Brussels, Hamburg, Båstad
- Cliff Richey (2) London Indoor, Johannesburg
- Stan Smith (7) Salisbury, Hampton, Wimbledon, Washington, D.C., Sacramento, Los Angeles, Paris Bercy, Stockholm
- Roger Taylor (1) Merion
The following players won their first Grand Prix title in 1972:
- Colin Dibley Kitzbühel
- Bob Hewitt Bournemouth
See also
Notes
- Also part of the 1972 USLTA Indoor Circuit
References
- Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-0942257700.
- Jim Caffrey (23 January 1972). "USLTA adds Salisbury to circuit". The Baltimore Sun. p. B7 – via Newspapers.com.
- "ITF – History". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Archived from the original on 2016-08-13. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
- John Barrett, ed. (1973). World of Tennis '73. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 13–15. ISBN 9780671216238.
External links
Further reading
- Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book (2nd ed.). New York: New Chapter Press. ISBN 978-0-942257-70-0.