Wembley Championships

"Benson & Hedges Championships" redirects here. For the snooker tournament formerly named as Benson & Hedges Championship, see Masters Qualifying Event.
Wembley Championship
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded 1934
Abolished 1990
Location London, England
Venue Empire Pool
Surface Indoor (Wood)

The Wembley Championships was a men's professional tennis tournament held from 1934–1990 with some periods of inactivity in between and is considered as a part of the professional grand slam from 1927–1967 until the advent of the open era. Ken Rosewall's and Rod Laver's six singles titles are the record for this event. The tournament only had a men's draw.

It was first held in 1934 at the Empire Pool at Wembley Park, Wembley, north-west London.[1]

In the mid-1960s it was considered as one of the three major professional tournaments, alongside the United States Professional Championship and French Professional Championship.[2]

In 1970 it was the penultimate event on the Grand Prix Tennis Tour.[3]

Name

It was officially called the Wembley Professional Championships, although it was later named the London Indoor Professional Championships.

Champions

Year Champion Runner-up Score Surface
Professional Era
1934 United States Ellsworth Vines Germany Hans Nüsslein 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 8–6r1 Indoor
1935 United States Ellsworth Vines United States Bill Tilden 6–1, 6–3, 5–7, 3–6, 6–3 Indoor
1936 United States Ellsworth Vines Germany Hans Nüsslein 6–4, 6–4, 6–2 Indoor
1937 Germany Hans Nüsslein United States Bill Tilden 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–2 Indoor
1938 Germany Hans Nüsslein United States Bill Tilden 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 Indoor
1939 United States Don Budge Germany Hans Nüsslein 13–11, 2–6, 6–4r2 Indoor
1940–1948 Not Held
1949 [4] United States Jack Kramer United States Bobby Riggs 2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 Indoor
1950 United States Pancho Gonzales United States Welby Van Horn 6–3, 6–3, 6–2 Indoor
1951 United States Pancho Gonzales United States Pancho Segura 6–2, 6–2, 2–6, 6–4 Indoor
1952 United States Pancho Gonzales United States Jack Kramer 3–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 7–5 Indoor
1953 Australia Frank Sedgman United States Pancho Gonzales 6–1, 6–2, 6–2 Indoor
1954–1955 Not Held
1956 United States Pancho Gonzales Australia Frank Sedgman 4–6, 11–9, 11–9, 9–7 Indoor
1957 Australia Ken Rosewall United States Pancho Segura 1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 Indoor
1958 Australia Frank Sedgman United States Tony Trabert 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 Indoor
1959 Australia Mal Anderson United States Pancho Segura 4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6 Indoor
1960 Australia Ken Rosewall United States Pancho Segura 5–7, 8–6, 6–1, 6–3 Indoor
1961 Australia Ken Rosewall Australia Lew Hoad 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 Indoor
1962 Australia Ken Rosewall Australia Lew Hoad 6–4, 5–7, 15–13, 7–5 Indoor
1963 Australia Ken Rosewall Australia Lew Hoad 6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 Indoor
1964 Australia Rod Laver Australia Ken Rosewall 7–5, 4–6, 5–7, 8–6, 8–6 Indoor
1965 Australia Rod Laver Spain Andrés Gimeno 6–2, 6–3, 6–4 Indoor
1966 Australia Rod Laver Australia Ken Rosewall 6–2, 6–2, 6–3 Indoor
1967 Australia Rod Laver Australia Ken Rosewall 2–6, 6–1, 1–6, 8–6, 6–2 Indoor
Open Era
1968 Australia Ken Rosewall Australia John Newcombe 6–4, 4–6, 7–5, 6–4 Indoor
1969 Australia Rod Laver Australia Tony Roche 6–4, 6–1, 6–3 Indoor
1970 Australia Rod Laver United States Cliff Richey 6–3, 6–4, 7–5 Indoor
1971 Romania Ilie Năstase Australia Rod Laver 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 Indoor
1972–1975 Not Held
1976 United States Jimmy Connors United States Roscoe Tanner 3–6, 7–6, 6–4 Indoor
1977 Sweden Björn Borg United Kingdom John Lloyd 6–4, 6–4, 6–3 Indoor
1978 United States John McEnroe United States Tim Gullikson 6–7, 6–4, 7–6, 6–2 Indoor
1979 United States John McEnroe United States Harold Solomon 6–3, 6–4, 7–5 Indoor
1980 United States John McEnroe United States Gene Mayer 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 Indoor
1981 United States Jimmy Connors United States John McEnroe 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 Indoor
1982 United States John McEnroe United States Brian Gottfried 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 Indoor
1983 United States John McEnroe United States Jimmy Connors 7–5, 6–1, 6–4 Indoor
1984 Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl Ecuador Andrés Gómez 7–6, 6–2, 6–1 Indoor
1985 Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl West Germany Boris Becker 6–7, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 Indoor
1986 France Yannick Noah Sweden Jonas Svensson 6–2, 6–3, 6–7, 4–6, 7–5 Indoor
1987 Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl Sweden Anders Järryd 6–3, 6–2, 7–5 Indoor
1988 Switzerland Jakob Hlasek Sweden Jonas Svensson 6–7, 3–6, 6–4, 6–0, 7–5 Indoor
1989 United States Michael Chang France Guy Forget 6–2, 6–1, 6–1 Indoor
1990 Switzerland Jakob Hlasek United States Michael Chang 7–6, 6–3 Indoor

Notes:

r1 For 1934, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Vines 5-0 and Nüsslein 4-1 as final standings.

r1 For 1939, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Budge 3-0 and Nüsslein, Tilden and Vines as 1-2 as final standings.

See also

References

  1. Ray Bowers (1 March 2003). "Wembley and Paris". Forgotten Victories: The Early Pro Tennis Wars. The Tennis Server. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  2. Marianne Bevis (12 January 2012). "Rod Laver: The modest champion at the heart of the Australian Open". Tennis: Australian Open. The Sport Review. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  3. "1970: ATP World Tour". Results Archive. ATP World Tour. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  4. "Indoor Lawn Tennis at Wembley". The Indian Express. Mar 19, 1949.


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