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]
Stan Smith at 2009 US Open | |
Details | |
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Duration | 14 February – 28 November |
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 | |
Most tournament finals | |
Prize money leader | |
Points leader | |
← 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. 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.[2] 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.[3]
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 |
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14 Feb | The May Co. International Los Angeles, California, USA Group C 32S/16D |
6–3, 2–6, 6–2 |
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6–2, 5–7, 6–4 |
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20 Feb | U.S. National Indoor Championships[lower-alpha 1] Salisbury, Maryland, USA Group B Hard – 64S/32D |
6–3, 2–6, 6–2 |
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6–4, 6–3 |
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28 Feb | Clean Air Classic New York, USA Group C S64 |
4–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–1 |
March
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 Mar | National Indoor Championships Hampton, Virginia, USA Group C Hard – 32S/16D |
6–3, 6–2, 6–7, 6–4 |
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7–5, 7–5 |
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12 Mar | Equity Funding International[lower-alpha 1] Washington, D.C., USA Group C Carpet – 32S/16D |
6–3, 6–2, 6–7, 6–4 |
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6–4, 6–3 |
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27 Mar | Monte Carlo Open Championships WCT Monte Carlo, Monaco Group D Clay – $20,000 – 32S/32D |
6–1, 6–0, 6–3 |
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3–6, 6–1, 12-10, 6–2 |
April
May
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 May | British Hard Court Championships Bournemouth, England * Group C Clay – 32S/16D |
6–2, 6–4, 6–3 |
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7–5, 6–2 |
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14 May | Belgian Open Championships Brussels, Belgium Group C Clay – 32S/16D |
6–4, 6–1, 2–6, 7–5 |
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9–7, 6–3 |
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22 May | French Open * Paris, France Group AA Clay |
4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 |
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6–3, 8–6, 3–6, 6–1 |
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6–2, 6–4 |
June
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 Jun | German Open Championships Hamburg, Germany * Group B Clay – 32S/32D |
6–3, 9–8, 6–0 |
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4–6, 6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
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17 Jun | Bristol Open Bristol, England * Group C Grass – 32S/32D |
6–4, 6–3 |
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6–3, 6–2 |
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26 Jun | Wimbledon * London, England Group AA Grass |
4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5 |
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6–2, 6–2, 9–7 |
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6–4, 6–4 |
July
August
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 Aug | U.S. Clay Court Championships Indianapolis, Indiana, USA * Group A Clay – $60,000 – 64S/32D |
7–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
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6–2, 6–3 |
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14 Aug | Rothmans Canadian Open Championships Toronto, Ontario, Canada * Group A Clay – $70,000 – 128S/64D |
6–4, 6–3 |
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7–6, 6–3 |
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28 Aug | US Open Forest Hills, New York, USA * Group AA |
3–6, 6–3, 6–7, 6–4, 6–3 |
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6–4, 7–6, 6–3 |
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6–3, 7–5 |
September
October
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
23 Oct | Trofeo Conde de Godó Barcelona, Spain Group A Clay – 32S/32D |
6–3, 6–2, 6–3 |
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6–3, 3–6, 6–4 |
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30 Oct | Paris Indoor Paris, France Group B Hard – 32S/32D |
6–2, 6–2, 7–5 |
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6–3, 6–2 |
November
Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 Nov | Stockholm Open Stockholm, Sweden Group A Hard – 64S/32D |
6–4, 6–3 |
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7–5, 7–6 |
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18 Nov | Dewar Cup Nottingham/London, England Carpet – 32S/16D |
6–4, 6–3 |
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28 Nov | Masters Barcelona, Spain Hard (i) – $55,000 – S8 |
6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 6–3 |
* 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 |
---|---|---|---|
24 | 659 | £21,000 | |
19 | 587 | £14,700 | |
19 | 468 | £10,500 | |
14 | 332 | £8,400 | |
20 | 319 | £6,720 | |
15 | 263 | £5,460 | |
22 | 251 | £5,040 | |
19 | 227 | £4,620 | |
21 | 204 | £4,200 | |
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
- 1972 World Championship Tennis circuit
- 1972 Women's Grand Prix
- 1972 Virginia Slims Circuit
- 1972 USLTA Indoor Circuit
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.
- "ITF – History". International Tennis Federation (ITF).
- 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.