Tournament of Champions (tennis)

The Tournament of Champions was a series major professional tennis tournament held at various locations around the world between 1957 and 1968.

For the World Championship Tennis tour event, see WCT Tournament of Champions.

Tournament of Champions
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded	1957
Abolished	1968
Location	Forest Hills, New York (1957–1959) London (1968)
Surface	Grass >(1957–1959)

History

The tournament was held on the grass-courts of Forest Hills, New York, between 1957 and 1959, and an Australian version was held on grass-courts at White City, Sydney 1957, at Kooyong stadium in Melbourne in 1958, and at White City again in 1959. The 1957 and 1958 [1] Forest Hills tournaments were both a round robin format, while the 1959 Forest Hills tournament was an elimination format with 10 players. The 1958 Kooyong Tournament of Champions was a round robin format with a final and a match for third place,[2] while the 1957 and 1959 White City, Sydney tournaments were an elimination format.

The 1958 Kooyoong Tournament of Champions, with 10,000 AUS£ prize money, was one of the richest tournaments of the era.

The Forest Hills Tournament of Champions was broadcast nationally in the USA on the CBS television network, the only professional tournament in the U.S.A. to achieve this status. The Forest Hills Tournament of Champions in 1957, 1958, and 1959 all featured a Pancho Gonzales vs. Lew Hoad singles match on the final day.

The tournament was picked up again in 1968 for a one off tournament during the open era and called Jack Kramer's Tournament of Champions held at Wembley Arena.

Sponsors

The Australian Tournament of Champions was sponsored by Ampol Petroleum as the Ampol Tournament of Champions. The prize money for the 1957 Sydney TOC was 7,500 AUS£, for the 1958 Kooyong TOC it was 10,000 AUS£, and for the 1959 Sydney TOC it was 5,000 AUS£.[3][4][5]

Singles

Forest Hills (1957-1958-1959) Tournament of Champions

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1957	Pancho Gonzales [6]	Frank Sedgman	(Round Robin)
1958	Pancho Gonzales [7]	Ken Rosewall	(Round Robin)
1959	Lew Hoad [8]	Pancho Gonzales	6–1, 5–7, 6–2, 6–1

Australian Tournament of Champions

Year	Location	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1957	Sydney, White City Stadium	Pancho Segura	Frank Sedgman	7–5, 6–0, 6–4
1958	Melbourne, Kooyong Stadium	Lew Hoad [9]	Frank Sedgman	(Round Robin)
1959	Sydney, White City Stadium	Pancho Gonzales	Lew Hoad	11–9, 6–1, 6–1

London Tournament of Champions

Year	Location	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1968	London, Wembley Arena	Ken Rosewall	John Newcombe	6–4, 4–6, 7–5, 6–4

Draws

Forest Hills 1959

	First round									Quarterfinals									Semifinals									Final
											Lew Hoad	6	6	6
		Mervyn Rose	2	4							Mal Anderson	8	3	4
		Mal Anderson	6	6																Lew Hoad	5	6	7	6
																				Ken Rosewall	7	4	5	4
											Pancho Segura	1	5
											Ken Rosewall	6	7
																													Lew Hoad	6	5	6	6
																													Pancho Gonzales	1	7	2	1
											Tony Trabert	6	28	6
											Frank Sedgman	8	26	2
																				Tony Trabert	2	1	8	8
		Ashley Cooper	6	6																Pancho Gonzales	6	6	6	10
		Sam Giammalva	1	3							Ashley Cooper	3	2
											Pancho Gonzales	6	6

London 1968

	First round									Quarterfinals									Semifinals									Final
		Rod Laver	3	7
		Roy Emerson	6	9							Roy Emerson	3	r.
		Fred Stolle	10	6							Fred Stolle	2
		Butch Buchholz	8	3																Fred Stolle	6	2	4
		John Newcombe	10	7																John Newcombe	3	6	6
		Marty Riessen	8	5							John Newcombe	7	9
		Dennis Ralston	3	6	6						Dennis Ralston	5	7
		Roger Taylor	6	3	4																								John Newcombe	4	6	5	4
		Andrés Gimeno	3	6	6																								Ken Rosewall	6	4	7	6
		Pierre Barthes	6	1	4						Andrés Gimeno	6	16
		Tony Roche	8	6							Tony Roche	4	14
		Ray Moore	6	0																Andrés Gimeno	5	1
		Pancho Gonzales	8	9	3															Ken Rosewall	7	6
		Niki Pilić	6	11	6						Niki Pilić	1	3
		Cliff Drysdale	4	5							Ken Rosewall	6	6
		Ken Rosewall	6	7

References

1. Talbert, William Franklin (6 July 1959). "The Kramer cast lacks a plot The pro tennis troupe winds up its U.S. tour at Forest Hills amid apathy. The author suggests a future remedy". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
2. "Hoad Fancied For Ampol Round Robin". Canberra Times. 29 January 1958. p. 12. Retrieved 25 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "Tournament of Champions". Western Herald. Bourke, NSW. 1 February 1957. p. 11. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
4. "Draw For Ampol Tennis Fixed". Canberra Times. 15 January 1958. p. 11 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "World Tennis Championship". Cumberland Argus. Parramatta, NSW. 23 September 1959. p. 5. Retrieved 25 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
6. McCauley (2000), pp. 75–77, 206
7. McCauley (2000), pp. 84, 209
8. McCauley (2000), pp. 93, 212–213
9. "Hoad defeats Sedgman to take Tourney". Canberra Times. 31 January 1958. p. 16. Retrieved 28 November 2019 – via National Library of Australia.

Sources

• McCauley, Joe (2000). The History of Professional Tennis. Windsor: The Short Run Book Company Limited.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)