1975 World Championship Tennis circuit

The 1975 World Championship Tennis circuit was one of the two rival professional male tennis circuits of 1975. It was organized by World Championship Tennis (WCT). The 1975 circuit divided the players in three groups, Red, Blue and Green who played 24 tournaments in 12 countries. The first tournament, U.S. Professional Indoor Championships, was a combined event as was the season's final which was played in Dallas by the eight best performers and was won by American Arthur Ashe who defeated Björn Borg from Sweden in four sets.[1]

1975 World Championship Tennis circuit
Ashe left with President Reagan in July 1982
Details
Duration20 January 1975 – 7 May 1975
Edition8th
Tournaments26
Achievements (singles)
Most tournament titlesUnited States Arthur Ashe (5)
Most tournament finalsUnited States Arthur Ashe (7)
Points leaderUnited States Arthur Ashe (760)
1974
1976

Additionally there were three special non–ranking events; the CBS Classic (Puerto Rico, 13–19 January), the Aetna World Cup team contest between Australia and America (Hartford, 6–9 March) and the Rothmans International Trophy an eight-nation contest between 16 players (London, 4–8 March).

The total prize money for the 1975 WCT circuit was $2,068,500 which included $100,000 bonus money.[1]

Overview

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Week Tournament Location Champions Runners-up Score
20 Jan U.S. Pro Indoor Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.   Marty Riessen   Vitas Gerulaitis 7–6(7–1), 5–7, 6–2, 6–7(0–7), 6–3
27 Jan Fidelity Tournament Richmond, Virginia, U.S.   Björn Borg   Arthur Ashe 4–6, 6–4, 6–4
3 Feb St. Petersburg WCT St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.   Raúl Ramírez   Roscoe Tanner 6–0, 1–6, 6–2
6 Feb WCT International Bologna, Italy   Björn Borg   Arthur Ashe 7–6(7–4), 4–6, 7–6(7–4)
10 Feb Rothmans Toronto WCT Toronto, Canada   Harold Solomon   Stan Smith 6–4, 6–1
17 Feb Fort Worth WCT Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.   John Alexander   Dick Stockton 7–6, 4–6, 6–3
17 Feb La Costa WCT La Costa, California, U.S.   Rod Laver   Allan Stone 6–2, 6–2
17 Feb Barcelona WCT Barcelona, Spain   Arthur Ashe   Björn Borg 7–6, 6–3
23 Feb San Antonio WCT San Antonio, Texas, U.S.   Dick Stockton   Stan Smith 7–5, 2–6, 7–6
25 Feb Rotterdam WTT Rotterdam, Netherlands   Arthur Ashe   Tom Okker 3–6, 6–2, 6–4
10 Mar Washington WCT Washington, D.C., U.S.   Mark Cox   Dick Stockton 6–2, 7–6
10 Mar São Paulo WCT São Paulo, Brazil   Rod Laver   Charlie Pasarell 6–4, 6–4
10 Mar Munich WCT Munich, West Germany   Arthur Ashe   Björn Borg 6–4, 7–6
17 Mar Memphis WCT Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.   Harold Solomon   Jiří Hřebec 2–6, 6–1, 6–4
17 Mar Caracas WCT Caracas, Venezuela   Rod Laver   Raúl Ramírez 7–6, 6–2
23 Mar Monte Carlo WCT Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France   Manuel Orantes   Bob Hewitt 6–2, 6–4
24 Mar Atlanta WCT Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.   Mark Cox   John Alexander 6–3, 7–6
24 Mar Orlando WCT Orlando, Florida, U.S.   Rod Laver   Vitas Gerulaitis 6–3, 6–4
7 Apr St. Louis WCT St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.   Vitas Gerulaitis   Roscoe Tanner 2–6, 6–2, 6–3
11 Apr Johannesburg WCT Johannesburg, South Africa   Buster Mottram   Tom Okker 6–4, 6–2
14 Apr Tokyo WCT Tokyo, Japan   Bob Lutz   Stan Smith 6–4, 6–4
14 Apr Denver WCT Denver, Colorado, U.S.   Jimmy Connors   Brian Gottfried 6–3, 6–4
21 Apr Houston Houston, Texas, U.S.   Ken Rosewall   Cliff Drysdale 6–3, 3–6, 6–1
21 Apr Charlotte WCT Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.   Raúl Ramírez   Roscoe Tanner 3–6, 6–4, 6–3
21 Apr Stockholm WCT Stockholm, Sweden   Arthur Ashe   Tom Okker 6–4, 6–2
7 May Dallas WCT Finals Dallas, Texas, U.S.   Arthur Ashe   Björn Borg 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–0

Schedule

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This is the complete schedule of events on the 1975 WCT circuit, with player progression documented until the quarterfinals stage.[2]

January

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
20 Jan U.S. Pro Indoor
Philadelphia, United States
Carpet (i) – $115,000 – 128S/64D
SinglesDoubles
  Marty Riessen
7–6(7–1), 5–7, 6–2, 6–7(0–7), 6–3
  Vitas Gerulaitis   Jaime Fillol
  John Alexander
  Tony Roche
  Paul Gerken
  Arthur Ashe
  Cliff Richey
  Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
3–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–4)
  Dick Stockton
  Erik van Dillen
27 Jan Fidelity Tournament
Richmond, United States
Green group
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
SinglesDoubles
  Björn Borg
4–6, 6–4, 6–4
  Arthur Ashe   Kim Warwick
  Tom Okker
  Jeff Borowiak
  Adriano Panatta
  Onny Parun
  Bob Giltinan
  Fred McNair
  Hans Kary
7–6(8–6), 5–7, 7–6(8–6)
  Paolo Bertolucci
  Adriano Panatta

February

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
3 Feb Havatampa–Raymond James Classic
St. Petersburg, United States
Hard – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Blue group
  Raúl Ramírez
6–0, 1–6, 6–2
  Roscoe Tanner   Rod Laver
  Geoff Masters
  Jaime Fillol
  Sandy Mayer
  Brian Gottfried
  Andrew Pattison
  Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
6–4, 6–4
  Charlie Pasarell
  Roscoe Tanner
6 Feb WCT International
Bologna, Italy
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Green group
SinglesDoubles
  Björn Borg
7–6(7–4), 4–6, 7–6(7–4)
  Arthur Ashe   Tom Okker
  Bob Hewitt
  Niki Pilić
  Onny Parun
  Bob Giltinan
  Adriano Panatta
  Paolo Bertolucci
  Adriano Panatta
6–3, 3–6, 6–3
  Arthur Ashe
  Tom Okker
10 Feb Rothmans Toronto WCT
Toronto, Canada
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Red group
  Harold Solomon
6–4, 6–1
  Stan Smith   Erik van Dillen
  Marty Riessen
  Paul Gerken
  Cliff Richey
  Bob Lutz
  Phil Dent
  Dick Stockton
  Erik van Dillen
6–4, 7–5, 6–1
  Vijay Amritraj
  Ashok Amritraj
17 Feb Fort Worth WCT
Fort Worth, United States
Hard – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Red group
  John Alexander
7–6(7–2), 4–6, 6–3
  Dick Stockton   Cliff Drysdale
  Vijay Amritraj
  Harold Solomon
  Mark Cox
  Jiří Hřebec
  Milan Holeček
  Bob Lutz
  Stan Smith
6–7, 7–6, 6–3
  John Alexander
  Phil Dent
17 Feb Carlsbad WCT
Carlsbad, United States
Hard – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Blue group
  Rod Laver
6–2, 6–2
  Allan Stone   Roscoe Tanner
  Alex Metreveli
  Ismail El Shafei
  Ross Case
  Geoff Masters
  Raymond Moore
  Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
7–5, 6–4
  Charlie Pasarell
  Roscoe Tanner
17 Feb Barcelona WCT
Barcelona, Spain
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Green group
  Arthur Ashe
7–6, 6–3
  Björn Borg   Onny Parun
  José Higueras
  Steve Krulevitz
  Bob Hewitt
  Kjell Johansson
  Kevin Warwick
  Arthur Ashe
  Tom Okker
7–5, 6–1
  Paolo Bertolucci
  Adriano Panatta
23 Feb San Antonio WCT
San Antonio, United States
Hard – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Red group
  Dick Stockton
7–5, 2–6, 7–6
  Stan Smith   John Alexander
  Bob Lutz
  Paul Gerken
  Mike Estep
  Marty Riessen
  Phil Dent
  John Alexander
  Phil Dent
7–6, 4–6, 6–4
  Mark Cox
  Cliff Drysdale
24 Feb Rotterdam WTT
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Green group
SinglesDoubles
  Arthur Ashe
3–6, 6–2, 6–4
  Tom Okker   Patrice Dominguez
  Björn Borg
  Bob Hewitt
  Steve Krulevitz
  Kevin Warwick
  Frew McMillan
  Bob Hewitt
  Frew McMillan
6–2, 6–2
  José Higueras
  Balázs Taróczy

March

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
10 Mar Xerox Tennis Classic
Washington, D.C., United States
Hard – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Red group
  Mark Cox
6–2, 7–6
  Dick Stockton   Stan Smith
  Haroon Rahim
  John Alexander
  Bob Lutz
  Phil Dent
  Eddie Dibbs
  Mike Estep
  Jeff Simpson
7–6, 6–3
  Vijay Amritraj
  Ashok Amritraj
10 Mar São Paulo WCT
São Paulo, Brazil
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Blue group
  Rod Laver
6–4, 6–4
  Charlie Pasarell   Thomas Koch
  Roscoe Tanner
  Vitas Gerulaitis
  Alex Metreveli
  Ray Ruffels
  Brian Fairlie
  Ross Case
  Geoff Masters
6–7, 7–6, 7–6
  Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
10 Mar Munich WCT
Munich, West Germany
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Green group
Singles
  Arthur Ashe
6–4, 7–6
  Björn Borg   Niki Pilić
  Buster Mottram
  Kjell Johansson
  Balázs Taróczy
  Corrado Barazzutti
  Bob Hewitt
  Bob Hewitt
  Frew McMillan
6–3, 6–4
  Corrado Barazzutti
  Antonio Zugarelli
17 Mar Memphis WCT
Memphis, United States
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Red group
  Harold Solomon
2–6, 6–1, 6–4
  Jiří Hřebec   John Alexander
  Mark Cox
  Cliff Richey
  Vijay Amritraj
  Bob Lutz
  Phil Dent
  Dick Stockton
  Erik van Dillen
1–6, 7–5, 6–4
  Mark Cox
  Cliff Drysdale
17 Mar Caracas WCT
Caracas, Venezuela
Hard – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Blue group
  Rod Laver
7–6, 6–2
  Raúl Ramírez   Jeff Borowiak
  Roscoe Tanner
  Ismail El Shafei
  Allan Stone
  Raymond Moore
  Roy Emerson
  Ross Case
  Geoff Masters
7–5, 4–6, 6–2
  Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
23 Mar Monte Carlo WCT
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Clay – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Green group
  Manuel Orantes
6–2, 6–4
  Bob Hewitt   José Higueras
  John Lloyd
  Dick Crealy
  Adriano Panatta
  Buster Mottram
  Björn Borg
  Bob Hewitt
  Frew McMillan
6–3, 6–2
  Arthur Ashe
  Tom Okker
24 Mar First National Bank Classic
Atlanta, United States
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Red group
  Mark Cox
6–3, 7–6(7–3)
  John Alexander   Cliff Richey
  Harold Solomon
  Stan Smith
  Phil Dent
  Dick Stockton
  Milan Holeček
  Vijay Amritraj
  Ashok Amritraj
6–3, 6–2
  Mark Cox
  Cliff Drysdale
24 Mar Orlando WCT
Orlando, United States
Hard – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Blue group
  Rod Laver
6–3, 6–4
  Vitas Gerulaitis   Brian Gottfried
  Andrew Pattison
  Jeff Borowiak
  Roscoe Tanner
  Raúl Ramírez
  Allan Stone
  Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
6–4, 6–4
  Colin Dibley
  Ray Ruffels

April

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
7 Apr St. Louis Tennis Classic
St. Louis, United States
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Blue group
  Vitas Gerulaitis
2–6, 6–2, 6–3
  Roscoe Tanner   Rod Laver
  Brian Gottfried
  Jeff Borowiak
  Brian Fairlie
  Jaime Fillol
  Raúl Ramírez
  Colin Dibley
  Ray Ruffels
6–4, 6–4
  Ross Case
  Geoff Masters
11 Apr Johannesburg WCT
Johannesburg, South Africa
Hard – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Green group
  Buster Mottram
6–4, 6–2
  Tom Okker   Björn Borg
  Frew McMillan
  Bob Hewitt
  Onny Parun
  Kevin Warwick
  Arthur Ashe
  Arthur Ashe
  Tom Okker
6–3, 6–2
  Bob Hewitt
  Frew McMillan
14 Apr Tokyo WCT
Tokyo, Japan
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Red group
  Bob Lutz
6–4, 6–4
  Stan Smith   John Alexander
  Mark Cox
  Harold Solomon
  Dick Stockton
  Cliff Drysdale
  Marty Riessen
  Bob Lutz
  Stan Smith
6–4, 6–7(6–8), 6–2
  John Alexander
  Phil Dent
14 Apr Denver WCT
Denver, United States
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Blue group
  Jimmy Connors
6–3, 6–4
  Brian Gottfried   Sandy Mayer
  Ismail El Shafei
  Thomas Koch
  Raúl Ramírez
  Vitas Gerulaitis
  Jaime Fillol
  Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
6–2, 3–6, 7–5
  Bob Carmichael
  Allan Stone
21 Apr Houston WCT
Houston, United States
Clay – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Red group
  Ken Rosewall
6–3, 3–6, 6–1
  Cliff Drysdale   Harold Solomon
  Vijay Amritraj
  John Alexander
  Phil Dent
  Bob Lutz
  Eddie Dibbs
  Bob Lutz
  Stan Smith
7–5, 7–6
  Mike Estep
  Russell Simpson
21 Apr Charlotte WCT
Charlotte, United States
Clay – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Blue group
  Raúl Ramírez
3–6, 6–4, 6–3
  Roscoe Tanner   Rod Laver
  Andrew Pattison
  Iván Molina
  Jaime Fillol
  Brian Fairlie
  Brian Gottfried
  Patricio Cornejo
  Jaime Fillol
6–3, 5–7, 6–4
  Ismail El Shafei
  Brian Fairlie
21 Apr Stockholm WCT
Stockholm, Sweden
Carpet (i) – $60,000 – 32S/16D
Green group
  Arthur Ashe
6–4, 6–2
  Tom Okker   Onny Parun
  Fred McNair
  Buster Mottram
  José Higueras
  Corrado Barazzutti
  Tenny Svensson
  Arthur Ashe
  Tom Okker
6–3, 7–6
  Patrice Dominguez
  Kevin Warwick
Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
7 May WCT Finals
Dallas, United States
WCT Finals
Carpet – $100,000 – 8S
Singles
  Arthur Ashe
3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–0
  Björn Borg   John Alexander
  Rod Laver
  Mark Cox
  Raúl Ramírez
  Roscoe Tanner
  Harold Solomon

Standings

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Blue group

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Player Tournaments played Tournaments won Matches won Matches lost Points Prize money
  Rod Laver * 9 4 30 5 700 $109,731
  Roscoe Tanner * 9 0 25 9 590 $52,962
  Raúl Ramírez * 9 2 22 7 550 $86,680
  Brian Gottfried 9 0 19 9 450 $68,300
  Vitas Gerulaitis 6 1 19 5 420 $40,300
  Jaime Fillol 9 0 14 9 390 $22,200
  Allan Stone 9 0 10 9 350 $19,000
  Andrew Pattison 9 0 11 9 420 $26,328
  Jeff Borowiak 9 0 11 9 330 $22,610
  Ismail El Shafei 9 0 11 9 330 $15,600

Green group

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Player Tournaments played Tournaments won Matches won Matches lost Points Prize money
  Arthur Ashe * 9 4 35 5 760 $177,161
  Björn Borg * 9 2 27 7 640 $78,140
  Tom Okker 8 0 19 8 470 $41,292
  Buster Mottram 9 1 15 8 400 $27,250
  Bob Hewitt 8 0 15 8 395 $33,370
  Onny Parun 8 0 13 8 350 $18,250
  Kim Warwick 8 0 12 8 340 $18,700
  José Higueras 9 0 9 9 330 $16,750
  Patrice Dominguez 9 0 9 9 290 $13,350
  Bob Giltinan 9 0 8 9 280 $11,930

Red group

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Player Tournaments played Tournaments won Matches won Matches lost Points Prize money
  John Alexander * 9 1 26 8 610 $94,075
  Harold Solomon * 9 2 22 7 540 $46,950
  Mark Cox * 9 2 22 7 520 $75,822
  Stan Smith 9 0 19 9 500 $46,189
  Dick Stockton 9 1 19 8 490 $60,275
  Bob Lutz 9 1 19 7 470 $41,647
  Phil Dent 9 0 14 9 390 $25,200
  Cliff Drysdale 9 0 14 9 390 $40,408
  Vijay Amritraj 9 0 11 9 350 $25,750
  Marty Riessen 9 0 8 9 350 $42,259

* Qualified for the WCT Finals. The best two players from each group qualified plus the next two players with the highest points total.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b John Barrett, ed. (1977). World of Tennis '76. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 141–152. ISBN 0362002754.
  2. ^ "1975 Grand Prix and WCT circuits calendar". Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
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