Tennis at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Demonstration men's singles

Since the 1968 Summer Olympics did not feature tennis as an official sport, two unofficial tournaments were held during the Games: a Demonstration tournament and an Exhibition tournament.[1]

Demonstration men's singles
Tennis at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Champion	Manuel Santana
Runner-up	Manuel Orantes
Final score	2–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4

Main article: Tennis at the 1968 Summer Olympics

The Demonstration tournament was played from 14 to 20 October 1968 at three venues in Guadalajara, Mexico: Guadalajara Country Club, Atlas Sports Club and Guadalajara Sports Club; all of them featured clay courts.[2] All matches were played at best-of-five sets; since the tiebreak rule was not implemented until the 1970s, a player had to win a set by a two-game margin in case of a 6–6 draw.

Spaniard Manuel Santana won the tournament by defeating his compatriot Manuel Orantes 2–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 in the final. American Herb Fitzgibbon won the third place.

Seeds

1.  Manuel Santana (ESP) (Champion, gold medalist)
2.  Herb Fitzgibbon (USA) (Semifinals, bronze medalist)
3.  Joaquín Loyo Mayo (MEX) (Quarterfinals)
4.  Juan Gisbert Sr. (ESP) (Quarterfinals)
5.  Rafael Osuna (MEX) (Semifinals, fourth place)
6.  Nicola Pietrangeli (ITA) (Second round)
7.  Pierre Darmon (FRA) (Second round)
8.  Jim Osborne (USA) (First round)

Draw

Finals

	Semifinals									Final (Gold Medal Match)
	1	Manuel Santana (ESP)	6	6	6
	5	Rafael Osuna (MEX)	3	4	3
										1	Manuel Santana (ESP)	2	6	3	6	6
											Manuel Orantes (ESP)	6	3	6	3	4
		Manuel Orantes (ESP)	6	6	6
	2	Herb Fitzgibbon (USA)	4	4	3					Bronze Medal Match
										5	Rafael Osuna (MEX)	4	3	5
										2	Herb Fitzgibbon (USA)	6	6	7

Top Half

	First Round									Second Round									Quarterfinals									Semifinals
	1	M Santana (ESP)	6	6	6
		H Camarotti (CUB)	1	1	2					1	M Santana (ESP)	6	7	6
		I Buding (FRG)	6	2	4	2					I Buding (FRG)	3	5	4
		J Kamiwazumi (JPN)	4	6	6	2	r												1	M Santana (ESP)	6	6	6
	8	J Osborne (USA)	3	5	3															V Zarazúa (MEX)	1	0	2
		J Ulrich (DEN)	6	7	6						J Ulrich (DEN)	4	1	1
		V Zarazúa (MEX)	7	6	0	6					V Zarazúa (MEX)	6	6	6
		M di Domenico (ITA)	5	4	6	2																						1	M Santana (ESP)	6	6	6
	4	J Gisbert Sr. (ESP)	6	6	6																							5	R Osuna (MEX)	3	4	3
		Y Shretta (KEN)	3	1	0					4	J Gisbert Sr. (ESP)	6	8	6
		J McManus (USA)	6	2	3	6	7				J McManus (USA)	2	6	2
		A Volkov (URS)	2	6	6	4	5												4	J Gisbert Sr. (ESP)	4	6	6	6	1
	5	R Osuna (MEX)	6	6	6														5	R Osuna (MEX)	6	4	1	8	6
		S Pasarell (USA)	3	2	2					5	R Osuna (MEX)	6	6	6
		M Olvera (ECU)	6	6	6						M Olvera (ECU)	4	3	4
		T Ortiz (PUR)	1	0	0

Bottom Half

	First Round									Second Round									Quarterfinals									Semifinals
		T Sakai (JPN)	3	8	0
		M Orantes (ESP)	6	10	6						M Orantes (ESP)	3	6	6	7
		M Abdul-Aziz (KEN)	1	3	2					6	N Pietrangeli (ITA)	6	1	3	5
	6	N Pietrangeli (ITA)	6	6	6															M Orantes (ESP)	2	6	6	6
		J Fassbender (FRG)	7	4	4	2													3	J Loyo Mayo (MEX)	6	2	4	1
		T Kakulia (URS)	5	6	6	6					T Kakulia (URS)	7	1	3	7	3
		JM Brito (CUB)	0	0	1					3	J Loyo Mayo (MEX)	5	6	6	5	6
	3	J Loyo Mayo (MEX)	6	6	6																								M Orantes (ESP)	6	6	6
		P Guzmán (ECU)	8	5	2	r																						2	H Fitzgibbon (USA)	4	4	3
		T Ulrich (DEN)	6	7	5						T Ulrich (DEN)	6	2	6	1	7
		A Carrero (PUR)	1	8	1					7	P Darmon (FRA)	2	6	3	6	5
	7	P Darmon (FRA)	6	10	6															T Ulrich (DEN)	3	2	1
		V Korotkov (URS)	4	2	2														2	H Fitzgibbon (USA)	6	6	6
		E Castigliano (ITA)	6	6	6						E Castigliano (ITA)	5	2	3
		H Nerell (SWE)	6	4	3	5				2	H Fitzgibbon (USA)	7	6	6
	2	H Fitzgibbon (USA)	3	6	6	7

References

1. "Mexico 68, Vol. 3: The Games" (PDF). Organizing Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad. 1969. pp. 74 (491). Retrieved 15 April 2017. After a lapse of more than four decades, tennis was reintroduced to Olympic Games spectators as one of two demonstration sports. Forty-six competitors from fifteen nations displayed their skill in singles and doubles matches on courts in the capital and in Guadalajara, and the tournament was received with enthusiasm by both players and fans.
2. "Mexico 68, Vol. 2: The Organization" (PDF). Organizing Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad. 1969. pp. 78 (79). Retrieved 15 April 2017. For the demonstration sports—fronton and tennis—the following installations were employed. In Mexico City: Frontón México, fronton and tennis courts of the Chapultepec Sports Center, fronton courts of the Asturian Sports Center, the Lebanese Sports Center and the Frontón Metropolitano. In other cities: fronton courts of the Acapulco Jai-Alai; and the tennis courts of the Guadalajara Country Club, the Atlas Sports Club and the Guadalajara Sports Club, all in the city of Guadalajara

External links

• Official Results Archive (ITF)