World Championship Tennis

World Championship Tennis (WCT) was a tour for professional male tennis players established in 1968 (the first players signed a contract at the end of 1967) and lasted until the emergence of the ATP Tour in 1990. A number of tennis tournaments around the world were affiliated to WCT and players were ranked in a special WCT ranking according to their results in those tournaments.

History

World Championship Tennis was founded by New Orleans sports promoter David Dixon who had earlier witnessed the deplorable conditions of the professional circuit before the open era. WCT became the major professional tennis tour of players under contract of the early seventies. It was also revolutionary; instituting a tie-breaker system and outfitting players with colored clothing, a radical idea at that time. WCT also strongly encouraged the audience to cheer for players, rather than politely applaud, as the more staid tennis audiences had done before. They publicly emphasized their prize money structure and special bonus pool as an incentive to attract players.

After starting with the "Handsome Eight", the original eight players (Dennis Ralston, John Newcombe, Tony Roche, Cliff Drysdale, Earl Buchholz, Niki Pilić, Roger Taylor and Pierre Barthès), the first WCT tournament was held in March 1968 and the WCT circuit grew to 21 tournaments in 1971 (including the Australian Open) around the globe, the first solid professional tour.Fact|date=April 2008 By Spring 1970, the WCT had signed other players (Marty Riessen, Ray Moore, Tom Okker, Arthur Ashe) and absorbed the other major professional organization, the National Tennis League (NTL), which had under contract some of the top-ranked pros of the day, including Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Andrés Gimeno, Pancho Gonzáles, Roy Emerson, and Fred Stolle.

At the end of the 1971 WCT season the top eight players from the regular season were seeded according to their WCT rankings and played a championship tournament in November. This tournament was held about two weeks before the similar championship of the rival Grand Prix circuit, called the The Masters. For commercial reasons, from 1972 this championship was usually held in the spring in Dallas, Texas. This WCT major event was also called Dallas WCT Finals (or WCT Masters to distinguish it from the Grand Prix Masters) and was played on indoor carpet. The last championship was held in 1989.

The WCT tour was merged into the Grand Prix circuit in 1978. The WCT withdrew from 1982 to 1984, and at this time sued the Men's Tennis Council who organized the Grand Prix circuit. An settlement resulted in WCT's reincorporation into the Grand Prix in 1985.

1989 was the last season of WCT. The Association of Tennis Professionals established its own tennis circuit from 1990. Though WCT had had great impact on the evolution of professional tennis, the WCT tournaments were not held in as high regard as other tournaments, with the exception of the Dallas WCT Finals and Tournament of Champions held in Forest Hills during 1980s.

WCT by year

WCT 1985

WCT tournaments returned to the Grand Prix stage after a three-year absence during 1982-84. There were only 4 events. The titles were split between Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe, winning two each. While McEnroe entered into all four, Lendl played just two and won both. McEnroe grabbed WCT Houston title beating Kevin Curren in the final.

The WCT Finals in Dallas saw the unexpected defeat of McEnroe in the quarter-finals by Joakim Nyström in three straight sets. The title was captured by Lendl, whose success completed a triplicate of titles in three weeks: Ft. Myers on hard, Monte Carlo on clay and Dallas on carpet. Other players have won three, even four, tournaments in successive weeks in the Open Era, but never on different surfaces.Fact|date=April 2008

In Atlanta, McEnroe won the final over Paul Annacone, prevailing in three close sets. The WCT Tournament of Champions (WCT ToC) in Forest Hills ended with much anticipated final between Lendl and McEnroe. Despite winning only 2 of his last 12 matches over McEnroe in ATP tournaments, Lendl beat McEnroe 6-3 6-3.

WCT 1988

WCT Men’s Singles Finals

The WCT Finals were usually held in Dallas, Texas. The 1971 quarterfinals and semifinals were played in Houston, and final played at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. The 1972-1979 editions were played at Moody Coliseum, and the 1980-1989 tournaments at Reunion Arena in Dallas.

The first edition of the WCT Finals in 1971 was played in November, just a few days before The Masters, the equivalent of the WCT Finals for the rival Grand Prix circuit. Because of TV pressure, the second edition was held in May 1972 and most of the following editions were organized in between months of March and May. Nevertheless in 1972 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.

WCT final standings by year (Top Ten)

; 1971
* 1 Rod Laver
* 2 Tom Okker
* 3 Ken Rosewall
* 4 Cliff Drysdale
* 5 Arthur Ashe
* 6 John Newcombe
* 7 Marty Riessen
* 8 Bob Lutz
* 9 Roy Emerson
* 10 Andres Gimeno

; 1972: (in fact second part of 1971 and first part of 1972)
* 1 Rod Laver
* 2 Ken Rosewall
* 3 Tom Okker
* 4 Cliff Drysdale
* 5 Marty Riessen
* 6 Arthur Ashe
* 7 Bob Lutz
* 8 John Newcombe
* 9 Roy Emerson
* 9 Charlie Pasarell

; 1972 : (second part final standings). The first eight players played the 1972 autumn-winter WCT Finals held in Rome.
* 1 John Newcombe
* 2 Arthur Ashe
* 3 Tom Okker
* 4 Mark Cox
* 5 Cliff Drysdale
* 5 Marty Riessen
* 7 Bob Lutz
* 7 Niki Pilic
* 9 Roy Emerson
* 9 Anthony Roche
* 9 El Shafei

; 1973: the players were separated into two groups, A & B, with each group playing certain tournaments. The top 4 from each group qualified for the final at the end of the season.

Group A
* 1 Stan Smith
* 2 Rod Laver
* 3 Roy Emerson
* 3 John Alexander
* 5 Cliff Richey
* 6 Dick Stockton
* 7 Bob Lutz
* 8 Brian Gottfried
* 9 Colin Dibley
* 10 J Fillol

Group B
* 1 Ken Rosewall
* 2 Arthur Ashe
* 3 Marty Riessen
* 4 Roger Taylor
* 4 Mark Cox
* 6 Brian Fairlie
* 7 Jan Kodes
* 8 Tom Okker
* 9 Roscoe Tanner
* 10 Tom Gorman

; 1974: the group was divided into three groups, Red, Blue and Green and the top 8 points winners qualified for the final (marked with *) : 2 players by group plus the other two players having most points. Each group played separate tournaments except the Philadelphia tournament at the start of the season.

Red Group
* 1 Nastase*
* 2 Okker*
* 3 Gorman
* 4 Drysdale
* 5 Pilic
* 6 Pattison
* 7 John Alexander
* 8 Riessen
* 9 Anthony Roche
* 10 McMillan

Blue Group
* 1 John Newcombe*
* 2 Smith*
* 3 Metreveli
* 4 Stockton
* 5 Hrebec
* 6 Borowiak
* 7 Ross Case
* 8 Ramirez
* 9 Fillol
* 10 Richey

Green Group
* 1 Ashe*
* 2 Rod Laver*
* 3 Borg*
* 4 Kodes*
* 5 Cox
* 6 Tanner
* 7 Dibbs
* 8 Taylor
* 9 Panatta
* 10 Parun

; 1975: the group was divided into three groups again, Red, Blue and Green and the top 8 points winners qualified for the final (marked with *). Each group played separate tournaments except the Philadelphia tournament at the start of the season.

Red Group
* 1 John Alexander*
* 2 Solomon*
* 3 Cox*
* 4 Smith
* 5 Stockton
* 6 Lutz
* 7 Dent
* 8 Drysdale
* 9 Amritraj
* 9 Riessen

Blue Group
* 1 Laver*
* 2 Tanner*
* 3 Ramirez*
* 4 Gottfried
* 5 Gerulaitus
* 6 Fillol
* 7 Stone
* 8 Pattison
* 9 Borowiak
* 9 El Shafei

Green Group
* 1 Ashe*
* 2 Borg*
* 3 Okker
* 4 Mottram
* 5 Hewitt
* 6 Parun
* 7 Warwick
* 8 Higueras
* 9 Dominguez
* 10 Giltinan

; "1976-1983: All the players were put back together and played the same tournaments."

; 1976
* 1 Ashe
* 2 Ramirez
* 3 Vilas
* 4 Dibbs
* 5 Borg
* 6 Stockton
* 7 Lutz
* 8 Solomon
* 9 Gerulaitis
* 10 Gottfried

; 1977
* 1 Stockton
* 2 Dibbs
* 3 Connors
* 4 Nastase
* 5 Drysdale
* 5 Fibak
* 5 Gerulaitis
* 8 Panatta
* 9 Barazzutti
* 10 Solomon
* 10 Rosewall

; 1978
* 1 Gerulaitis
* 2 Borg
* 3 Dibbs
* 4 Ramirez
* 5 Nastase
* 6 S Mayer
* 7 Connors
* 7 Gottfried
* 9 Stockton
* 10 Barazzutti

; 1979
* 1 McEnroe
* 2 Borg
* 3 Gerulaitis
* 4 Connors
* 5 Tanner
* 6 G Mayer
* 7 Ashe
* 7 Vilas
* 9 Masters
* 10 Alexander
* 10 Gottfried
* 10 Nastase

; 1980
* 1 McEnroe
* 2 Scanlon
* 3 Connors
* 4 Lendl
* 4 Tanner
* 6 Gunthardt
* 6 V Amritraj
* 8 Sadri
* 8 Clerc
* 10 Gottfried
* 10 G Mayer

; 1981
* 1 Tanner
* 2 Connors
* 3 Fibak
* 4 Noah
* 5 McEnroe
* 6 V Amritraj
* 7 Gottfried
* 8 Gerulaitis
* 9 S Mayer
* 10 G Mayer

; 1982: WCT expanded from the previous year and broke away from the Grand Prix for the year. There were three finals, Spring (Dallas) the most important one, Fall (Naples, Italy) and Winter (Detroit) and therefore three different points tables for each season :

Spring
* 1 Lendl
* 2 Clerc
* 3 Fibak
* 4 V Amritraj
* 5 Smid
* 6 McNamara
* 7 McEnroe
* 8 Gerulaitis
* 9 Taroczy
* 10 Dibbs

Summer/Fall
* 1 Lendl
* 2 Smid
* 3 Clerc
* 4 Vilas
* 5 Kriek
* 6 Higueras
* 7 Gunthardt
* 7 Fibak
* 9 Tanner
* 10 Bourne

Winter
* 1 Fibak
* 2 Scanlon
* 3 Curren
* 3 Vilas
* 5 Taroczy
* 6 McNamee
* 7 Lendl
* 7 Teacher
* 9 Tom Gullikson
* 9 Smid

; 1983: there were only 9 tournaments and the WCT were back with the Grand Prix circuit.
* 1 Lendl
* 2 McEnroe
* 3 Vilas
* 4 Gerulaitis
* 5 Clerc
* 6 McNamee
* 7 Smid
* 8 Fibak
* 9 Taroczy
* 10 Scanlon

WCT Challenge Cup

Some special events such as the Aetna World Cup (where the Australian pros and the US pros faced in a team event because in 1970, at the start of this event, contract pro players weren't allowed to enter the Davis Cup) or the Challenge Cup (a 8-man tournament) were held by the WCT organization.

List of WCT Challenge Cup winners

*1976 - Honolulu - Ilie Nastase defeated Arthur Ashe, 6–3, 1–6, 6–7, 6–3, 6–1
*1976/7 - Las Vegas - Ilie Nastase defeated Jimmy Connors, 3–6, 7–6, 6–4, 7–5
*1977 - Las Vegas - Jimmy Connors defeated Roscoe Tanner, 6–2, 5–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6–5
*1978 - Montego Bay - Ilie Nastase defeated Peter Fleming, 2–6, 5–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–4
*1979 - Montreal - Björn Borg defeated Jimmy Connors, 6–4, 6–2, 2–6, 6–4
*1980 - Montreal - John McEnroe defeated Vijay Amritraj, 6–1, 6–2, 6–1

Notes

See also

Grand Prix tennis circuit

External links