1973 World Championship Tennis circuit

The 1973 World Championship Tennis circuit was one of the two rival professional male tennis circuits of 1973. It was organized by World Championship Tennis (WCT). In April 1972 WCT signed an agreement with the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) as a result of which the 1973 men's tennis season was divided in a WCT section, which ran from January until May, and a Grand Prix circuit which was held from May onward. The WCT circuit divided the players into two groups of 32 players, with each group playing 11 tournaments of the 22 tournaments. The four highest ranked players from each group qualified for the season finals in Dallas.[1] The total available prize money was almost $1,250,000.[2]

1973 World Championship Tennis circuit
Smith won 7 titles
Details
Duration15 January 1973 – 9 May 1973
Edition6th
Tournaments23
Achievements (singles)
Most tournament titlesUnited States Stan Smith (7)
Most tournament finalsUnited States Stan Smith (8)
Points leaderUnited States Stan Smith (75)
1972
1974

Schedule edit

Key
Tour Finals
Group A Tournaments
Group B Tournaments

January edit

Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
15 Jan Saga Bay Classic
Miami, United States
Group A
Hard – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Rod Laver
7–6(7–2), 6–3, 7–5
  Dick Stockton   Bob Lutz
  John Alexander
  Roy Emerson
  Jim McManus
  Cliff Richey
  Stan Smith
  Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
6–4, 6–4
  Terry Addison
  Colin Dibley
18 Jan Rothmans International
Deeside and London, Great Britain
Group B
Hard (i) – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Brian Fairlie
2–6, 6–2, 6–2, 7–6
  Mark Cox   Arthur Ashe
  Marty Riessen
  Tom Okker
  Ken Rosewall
  Alex Metreveli
  Dick Crealy
  Tom Okker
  Marty Riessen
6–3, 6–3
  Arthur Ashe
  Roscoe Tanner
22 Jan Michelob Pro–Celebrity
La Costa, United States
Group A
Hard – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Colin Dibley
6–3, 7–6(8–6)
  Stan Smith   Rod Laver
  Roy Emerson
  Tom Edlefsen
  John Alexander
  Harold Solomon
  Phil Dent
  Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
6–7, 6–3, 6–4
  Nikola Pilić
  Allan Stone
29 Jan Astor Cup Professional Championships
Milan, Italy
Group B
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Marty Riessen
7–6(7–4), 6–0, 7–6(7–3)
  Roscoe Tanner   Ken Rosewall
  Tom Gorman
  Dick Crealy
  Bob Carmichael
  Mark Cox
  Tom Okker
  Tom Okker
  Marty Riessen
6–3, 6–3
  Ken Rosewall
  Fred Stolle
Fidelity Tournament
Richmond, United States
Group A
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
SinglesDoubles
  Rod Laver
6–4, 6–3
  Roy Emerson   John Alexander
  Dick Stockton
  Cliff Richey
  Bob Lutz
  Stan Smith
  Phil Dent
  Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
3–6, 6–3, 6–4
  Terry Addison
  Colin Dibley

February edit

Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
6 Feb U.S. Professional Indoor
Philadelphia, United States
Group A
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Stan Smith
7–6(7–2), 7–6(7–5), 4–6, 6–4
  Robert Lutz   Bob Maud
  Niki Pilić
  Cliff Richey
  Dick Stockton
  Rod Laver
  Colin Dibley
  Brian Gottfried
  Dick Stockton
4–6, 6–3, 6–4
  Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
11 Feb Rothmans International
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Group A
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Rod Laver
6–3, 6–4
  Roy Emerson   Stan Smith
  Jaime Fillol
  Cliff Richey
  Allan Stone
  Ove Bengtson
  Dick Stockton
  John Alexander
  Phil Dent
3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–2
  Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
12 Feb Professional Championships
Copenhagen, Denmark
Group B
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Roger Taylor
6–2, 6–3, 7–6(7–1)
  Marty Riessen   Brian Fairlie
  Ken Rosewall
  Mark Cox
  Jan Kodeš
  Erik van Dillen
  Dick Crealy
  Tom Gorman
  Erik van Dillen
6–4, 6–4
  Mark Cox
  Graham Stilwell
19 Feb Professional Championships
Cologne, West Germany
Group B
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Jan Kodeš
6–1, 6–3, 6–1
  Brian Fairlie   Mark Cox
  Alex Metreveli
  Marty Riessen
  Ken Rosewall
  Haroon Rahim
  Ismail El Shafei
  Mark Cox
  Graham Stilwell
7–6, 6–3
  Tom Okker
  Marty Riessen
26 Feb Kemper International
Chicago, United States
Group B
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Arthur Ashe
3–6, 7–6(11–9), 7–6(7–2)
  Roger Taylor   Tom Gorman
  Dick Crealy
  Marty Riessen
  Tom Okker
  Ken Rosewall
  Ray Moore
  Ken Rosewall
  Fred Stolle
6–7, 6–4, 6–2
  Ismail El Shafei
  Brian Fairlie

March edit

Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
19 Mar Peachtree Corners Classic
Atlanta, United States
Group A
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
SinglesDoubles
  Stan Smith
6–3, 6–4
  Rod Laver   Cliff Richey
  Cliff Drysdale
  Onny Parun
  Dick Stockton
  Allan Stone
  Robert Maud
  Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
7–6, 6–3
  Robert Maud
  Andrew Pattison
Union Trust Classic
Washington, United States
Group B
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
SinglesDoubles
  Tom Okker
6–3, 6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–3)
  Arthur Ashe   Roger Taylor
  Ken Rosewall
  Ray Moore
  Mark Cox
  Dick Crealy
  Alex Metreveli
  Tom Okker
  Marty Riessen
4–6, 7–6, 6–2
  Arthur Ashe
  Roscoe Tanner
26 Mar Holton Tennis Classic
St. Louis, United States
Group A
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Stan Smith
6–4, 3–6, 6–4
  Rod Laver   Cliff Drysdale
  Niki Pilić
  John Alexander
  Gerald Battrick
  Bob Lutz
  Cliff Richey
  Ove Nils Bengtson
  Jim McManus
6–2, 7–5
  Terry Addison
  Colin Dibley
Rothmans International
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Group B
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Tom Gorman
3–6, 6–2, 7–5
  Jan Kodeš   Roscoe Tanner
  Ken Rosewall
  Fred Stolle
  Erik van Dillen
  Pierre Barthès
  Ray Moore
  Pierre Barthès
  Roger Taylor
5–7, 6–3, 7–6
  Tom Gorman
  Erik van Dillen

April edit

Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
2 Apr River Oaks International Tennis Tournament
Houston, United States
Group B
Clay – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Ken Rosewall
6–4, 6–1, 7–5
  Fred Stolle   Jan Kodeš
  Tom Okker
  Arthur Ashe
  Vladimír Zedník
  Marty Riessen
  Brian Fairlie
  Tom Okker
  Marty Riessen
7–5, 7–5
  Arthur Ashe
  Roscoe Tanner
Munich WCT
Munich, West Germany
Group A
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Stan Smith
6–1, 7–5
  Cliff Richey   John Alexander
  Brian Gottfried
  Robert Lutz
  Rod Laver
  Ove Bengtson
  Dick Stockton
  Nikola Pilić
  Allan Stone
7–5, 5–7, 6–4
  Cliff Drysdale
  Cliff Richey
9 Apr Brussels WCT
Brussels, Belgium
Group A
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Stan Smith
6–2, 6–4, 6–1
  Rod Laver   Dick Stockton
  Roy Emerson
  Cliff Richey
  Cliff Drysdale
  Ove Bengtson
  John Alexander
  Robert Lutz
  Stan Smith
6–4, 7–6
  John Alexander
  Phil Dent
Cleveland Tennis Classic
Cleveland, United States
Group B
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Ken Rosewall
6–3, 6–4
  Roger Taylor   Raymond Moore
  Brian Fairlie
  Arthur Ashe
  Jean-Baptiste Chanfreau
  Marty Riessen
  Jan Kodeš
  Ken Rosewall
  Fred Stolle
6–2, 6–3
  Ismail El Shafei
  Brian Fairlie
16 Apr Carolinas International Tennis Tournament
Charlotte, United States
Group B
Clay – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Ken Rosewall
6–3, 7–6(7–1)
  Arthur Ashe   Roscoe Tanner
  Mark Cox
  Tom Gorman
  Bob Carmichael
  Željko Franulović
  Marty Riessen
  Tom Okker
  Marty Riessen
7–6, 3–6, 6–3
  Tom Gorman
  Erik van Dillen
Johannesburg WCT
Johannesburg, South Africa
Group A
Hard – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Brian Gottfried
W/O[a]
  Jaime Fillol   Ove Bengtson
  Onny Parun
  Robert Lutz
  Andrew Pattison
  Colin Dibley
  Gerald Battrick
  Robert Lutz
  Stan Smith
6–1, 6–4, 6–4
  Frew McMillan
  Allan Stone
23 Apr United Bank Classic
Denver, United States
Group B
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Mark Cox
6–1, 6–1
  Arthur Ashe   Roscoe Tanner
  Ross Case
  Brian Fairlie
  Marty Riessen
  Tom Leonard
  Roger Taylor
  Arthur Ashe
  Roscoe Tanner
3–6, 6–3, 7–6
  Tom Okker
  Marty Riessen
Swedish Pro Tennis Championships
Gothenburg, Sweden
Group A
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
  Stan Smith
5–7, 6–4, 6–2
  John Alexander   Gerald Battrick
  Rod Laver
  Ove Bengtson
  Cliff Richey
  Roy Emerson
  Dick Stockton
  Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
6–7, 6–4, 6–1
  Nikola Pilić
  Allan Stone

May edit

Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
3 May Masters Doubles WCT
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tour Finals
Carpet – $200,000 – 8D
  Robert Lutz
  Stan Smith
6–2, 7–6(7–1), 6–0
  Tom Okker
  Marty Riessen
  Emerson /   Laver
  Rosewall /   Stolle
  Addison /   Dibley
  Pilić /   Stone
  Cox /   Stilwell
  Ashe /   Tanner
9 May WCT Finals
Dallas, United States
Tour Finals
Carpet – $100,000 – 8S
Singles
  Stan Smith
6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
  Arthur Ashe   Rod Laver
  Ken Rosewall
  John Alexander
  Roy Emerson
  Marty Riessen
  Roger Taylor

Statistical information edit

Titles won by player edit

Key
Tour Finals
Regular Tournaments
All titles
Total Player  Singles   Doubles   Singles   Doubles   Singles   Doubles 
10   Stan Smith (USA) 1 1 6 2 7 3
8   Rod Laver (AUS) 3 5 3 5
6   Marty Riessen (USA) 1 5 1 5
6   Tom Okker (NED) 1 5 1 5
5   Ken Rosewall (AUS) 3 2 3 2
5   Roy Emerson (AUS) 5 5
3   Robert Lutz (USA) 1 2 3
2   Roger Taylor (GBR) 1 1 1 1
2   Arthur Ashe (USA) 1 1 1 1
2   Tom Gorman (USA) 1 1 1 1
2   Brian Gottfried (USA) 1 1 1 1
2   Mark Cox (GBR) 1 1 1 1
2   Fred Stolle (AUS) 2 2
1   Brian Fairlie (AUS) 1 1
1   Colin Dibley (AUS) 1 1
1   Jan Kodeš (TCH) 1 1
1   Dick Stockton (USA) 1 1
1   John Alexander (AUS) 1 1
1   Phil Dent (AUS) 1 1
1   Erik Van Dillen (USA) 1 1
1   Graham Stilwell (GBR) 1 1
1   Pierre Barthès (FRA) 1 1
1   Ove Bengtson (SWE) 1 1
1   Jim McManus (USA) 1 1
1   Nikola Pilić (YUG) 1 1
1   Allan Stone (AUS) 1 1
1   Roscoe Tanner (USA) 1 1

Titles won by nation edit

Key
Tour Finals
Group A Tournaments
Group B Tournaments
All titles
Total Nation  Singles   Doubles   Singles   Doubles   Singles   Doubles   Singles   Doubles 
23   United States (USA) 1 1 7 4 3 7 11 12
17   Australia (AUS) 4 7 4 2 8 9
6   Netherlands (NED) 1 5 1 5
4   Great Britain (GBR) 2 2 2 2
1   Czechoslovakia (TCH) 1 1
1   France (FRA) 1 1
1   Sweden (SWE) 1 1
1   Yugoslavia (YUG) 1 1

Standings edit

Key
Qualified for Tour Finals
Group A
Rk Name Country Matches Played Matches Won Points Prize Money (USD)
1 Stan Smith   USA 46 41 75 154,100
2 Rod Laver   AUS 44 37 63 78,200
3 Roy Emerson   AUS 29 20 28 41,350
3 John Alexander   AUS 33 22 28 31,300
5 Cliff Richey   USA 34 23 27 24,350
6 Dick Stockton   USA 31 20 25 23,200
7 Bob Lutz   USA 27 17 21 41,800
8 Brian Gottfried   USA 20 10 20 20,300
9 Colin Dibley   AUS 23 13 18 22,750
10 Jaime Fillol   CHI 22 13 17 14,300
Group B
Rk Name Country Matches Played Matches Won Points Prize Money (USD)
1 Ken Rosewall   AUS 42 34 53 66,400
2 Arthur Ashe   USA 36 26 41 63,150
3 Marty Riessen   USA 36 26 35 47,200
4 Roger Taylor   GBR 31 21 34 42,800
4 Mark Cox   GBR 33 23 34 31,950
6 Brian Fairlie   AUS 32 22 33 30,900
7 Jan Kodeš   TCH 27 19 28 23,800
8 Tom Okker   NED 29 19 25 34,400
9 Roscoe Tanner   USA 27 16 24 25,250
10 Tom Gorman   USA 25 16 23 28,200

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Fillol defaulted before the final due to illness (flu).[3]

References edit

  1. ^ *Collins Bud History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book (2nd ed.). USA: New Chapter Press. 2010. ISBN 0-942257-70-7.
  2. ^ John Barrett, ed. (1974). World of Tennis '74. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 167. ISBN 9780362001679.
  3. ^ "Gottfried wins". Star-News. Apr 24, 1973.

External links edit