WCT Finals

WCT Finals
Tournament information
Founded 1971
Abolished 1989
Location Dallas
USA
Venue Moody Coliseum (1972–1979)
Reunion Arena (1980–1989)
Category Year-end championships
Surface Carpet / Indoor

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.[1] The 1972–1979 editions were played at Moody Coliseum, and the 1980–1989 tournaments at Reunion Arena in Dallas.[2] 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 and 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.[3][4] 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 January 1983) in Detroit.

Sponsorship

Between 1985 and 1986 this event was sponsored by Buick, a brand of General Motors, and was called the Buick WCT Finals

Records

Results

Year Champion Runner-up Score
1971Australia Ken RosewallAustralia Rod Laver6–4, 1–6, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–4)
1972Australia Ken RosewallAustralia Rod Laver4–6, 6–0, 6–3, 6–7(3–7), 7–6(7–5)
1973United States Stan SmithUnited States Arthur Ashe6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1974Australia John NewcombeSweden Björn Borg4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–2
1975United States Arthur AsheSweden Björn Borg3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–0
1976Sweden Björn BorgArgentina Guillermo Vilas1–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–1
1977United States Jimmy ConnorsUnited States Dick Stockton6–7(5–7), 6–1, 6–4, 6–3
1978United States Vitas GerulaitisUnited States Eddie Dibbs6–3, 6–2, 6–1
1979United States John McEnroeSweden Björn Borg7–5, 4–6, 6–2, 7–6(7–5)
1980United States Jimmy ConnorsUnited States John McEnroe2–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–1, 6–2
1981United States John McEnroeUnited States Johan Kriek6–1, 6–2, 6–4
1982Czechoslovakia Ivan LendlUnited States John McEnroe6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1983United States John McEnroeCzechoslovakia Ivan Lendl6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–7(5–7), 7–6(7–0)
1984United States John McEnroeUnited States Jimmy Connors6–1, 6–2, 6–3
1985Czechoslovakia Ivan LendlUnited States Tim Mayotte7–6, 6–4, 6–1
1986Sweden Anders JärrydWest Germany Boris Becker6–7, 6–1, 6–1, 6–4
1987Czechoslovakia Miloslav MečířUnited States John McEnroe6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2
1988West Germany Boris BeckerSweden Stefan Edberg6–4, 1–6, 7–5, 6–2
1989United States John McEnroeUnited States Brad Gilbert6–3, 6–3, 7–6

Seasonal finals events

Year Champion Runner-up Score
1972 winter (Rome)United States Arthur AsheUnited States Bob Lutz6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 7–6
1982 fall (Naples)Czechoslovakia Ivan LendlPoland Wojciech Fibak6–4, 6–2, 6–1
1982 winter (Detroit)[5]Czechoslovakia Ivan LendlArgentina Guillermo Vilas7–5, 6–2, 2–6, 6–4

See also

References

  1. Lamar Hunt (April 1986). "Lamar Hunt muses on 16 years of the WCT". D Magazine.
  2. George Hardie (March 1988). "George Hardie Remembers...". D Magazine.
  3. "1972: The Rod Laver vs. Ken Rosewall WCT Final in Dallas". tennis.com.
  4. Only one match has since had a larger U.S. TV audience: the legendary Battle of the Sexes the following year, signifying how popular tennis had become during this boom period.
  5. held in January, 24-30, 1983
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