What World Professional Championship did Karel Kozeluh hold?

[timnz]

Referring to newspaper article ranking tennis players for 1933

http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...pg=993,1284250

It says that Karel Kozeluh "for years holders of the world's championship recognized by the International Professional Federation..."

What was this world's championship that they refer to? Plaa and Nusslein won the World Professioanl Championship in Berlin in 1932 and 1933 respectively, but what was this World Championship they refer to Kozeluh winning?

Possible answers I might suggest. Perhaps it wasnt a tournament but the world ranking given to Kozeluh in the pro ranks. Or possibly it could be the Bristol Cup which Kozeluh won many times?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Cup#Bristol_Cup

Any ideas?

Note: Here are some other newspaper articles where Kozeluh referred to as a World professional champion:-

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...=kozeluh&hl=en

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/arti...&searchLimits=

http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Ar...4.2.100.8.aspx

http://newspaperarchive.com/kokomo-t...10-16/page-15/

http://newspaperarchive.com/ogden-st...-01-02/page-12

What title established Kozeluh as the World's Professional Champion? The Bristol Cup?

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by timnz

Referring to newspaper article ranking tennis players for 1933

http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...pg=993,1284250

It says that Karel Kozeluh "for years holders of the world's championship recognized by the International Professional Federation..."

What was this world's championship that they refer to? Plaa and Nusslein won the World Professioanl Championship in Berlin in 1932 and 1933 respectively, but what was this World Championship they refer to Kozeluh winning?

Possible answers I might suggest. Perhaps it wasnt a tournament but the world ranking given to Kozeluh in the pro ranks. Or possibly it could be the Bristol Cup which Kozeluh won many times?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Cup#Bristol_Cup

Any ideas?

Note: Here are some other newspaper articles where Kozeluh referred to as a World professional champion:-

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...=kozeluh&hl=en

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/arti...&searchLimits=

http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Ar...4.2.100.8.aspx

http://newspaperarchive.com/kokomo-t...10-16/page-15/

http://newspaperarchive.com/ogden-st...-01-02/page-12

What title established Kozeluh as the World's Professional Champion? The Bristol Cup?

Yes, Karel Kozeluh was entitled professional champion because he won the Bristol Cup at Beaulieu seven times and before the event at Deauville once.

The Bristol Cup lost a good deal of its importance with the begin of the 1930s.

For 1931 and 1932 we have two pro champions: In 1931 Kozeluh and Tilden, in 1932 Kozeluh and Plaa.

Kozeluh was announced the seven times world's professional champion at Tilden's pro debut at Madison Square Garden.

[timnz]

Originally Posted by BobbyOne

Yes, Karel Kozeluh was entitled professional champion because he won the Bristol Cup at Beaulieu seven times and before the event at Deauville once.

The Bristol Cup lost a good deal of its importance with the begin of the 1930s.

For 1931 and 1932 we have two pro champions: In 1931 Kozeluh and Tilden, in 1932 Kozeluh and Plaa.

Kozeluh was announced the seven times world's professional champion at Tilden's pro debut at Madison Square Garden.

"In 1931 Kozeluh and Tilden," Kozeluh won the Bristol Cup in 1931, what did Tilden win in 1931 that was a 'World's Championship'? (Was it because he won the series of matches against Kozeluh?)

"he won the Bristol Cup at Beaulieu seven times and before the event at Deauville once." you mean six times at Beaulieu and Deauville once, right?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Cup#Bristol_Cup

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by timnz

"In 1931 Kozeluh and Tilden," Kozeluh won the Bristol Cup in 1931, what did Tilden win in 1931 that was a 'World's Championship'?

"he won the Bristol Cup at Beaulieu seven times and before the event at Deauville once." you mean six times at Beaulieu and Deauville once, right?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Cup#Bristol_Cup

Tilden did not win any event in 1931 that was labelled the World Pro Championships for that year but was commonly acknowledged the pro champ as he won the US Pro, the world series against Kozeluh and generally was the No.1 player.

I made a little mistake: Kozeluh won the Deauville world pro champ.s in 1925 and the Beaulieu Cup at Bristol 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932. Thus only six Bristol Cups. In 1927 there probably was no Bristol Cup at all.

Thanks that you raised that interesting chapter of tennis history

[kiki]

Tilden refeered to Kozelhu as the best player he met

[timnz]

Originally Posted by BobbyOne

Tilden did not win any event in 1931 that was labelled the World Pro Championships for that year but was commonly acknowledged the pro champ as he won the US Pro and generally was the No.1 player.

I made a little mistake: Kozeluh won the Deauville world pro champ.s in 1925 and the Beaulieu Cup at Bristol 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932. Thus only six Bristol Cups. In 1927 there probably was no Bristol Cup at all.

Thanks that you raised that interesting chapter of tennis history

Wasn't the head to head series with Tilden and Kozeluh in 1931 regarded as a World Championship series?

It's clear then that if the Bristol Cup had the ability to confer 'World Pro Champion' status, then it should be regarded as a Pro. Major. (I think there is really no problem with it in the early 1930's as there really only was one year 1932 that Tilden was a pro. during the running of the tournament. All other occurrences were before Tilden turned pro and it seems the 'World Professional Championship' drifted away from the Bristol Cup.

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by kiki

Tilden refeered to Kozelhu as the best player he met

Yes he did but I think he exaggerated Kozeluh's strength because he also had seen Lacoste and Cochet who were stronger than the Czechoslovak.

Tilden in 1930 lost a practice match against Kozeluh in four sets.

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by timnz

Wasn't the head to head series with Tilden and Kozeluh in 1931 regarded as a World Championship series?

It's clear then that if the Bristol Cup had the ability to confer 'World Pro Champion' status, then it should be regarded as a Pro. Major. (I think there is really no problem with it in the early 1930's as there really only was one year 1932 that Tilden was a pro. during the running of the tournament. All other occurrences were before Tilden turned pro and it seems the 'World Professional Championship' drifted away from the Bristol Cup.

Yes, I think you are right that the hth series (Tilden won 63:13) was regarded and announced as a world championship series.

[timnz]

So it would appear that the Bristol Cup was indeed a Pro Major. Since the only other event that that convered 'World Pro Champion' status was the head to head series of Tilden vs Kozeluh in 1931......then the Bristol Cup up to the January 1931 occurrence of the tournament (which was played earlier in 1931 before Tilden played Kozeluh in their series) was the 'only game in town' confering World Champion status. So only the 1932 January Bristol Cup could be in doubt as a major. Only 1 year then of its entire life.

[timnz]

Originally Posted by BobbyOne

Yes, I think you are right that the hth series (Tilden won 63:13) was regarded and announced as a world championship series.

Tilden also won a 'World Professional Series' against Vincent Richards in May 1931. If Richards had won that series - then who would have been World Pro Champion for 1931? Was it like Boxing? ie Tilden won over reigning Pro Champion Kozeluh and then later that year accepted a challenge from Richards?

[timnz]

Originally Posted by BobbyOne

Tilden did not win any event in 1931 that was labelled the World Pro Championships for that year but was commonly acknowledged the pro champ as he won the US Pro, the world series against Kozeluh and generally was the No.1 player.

I made a little mistake: Kozeluh won the Deauville world pro champ.s in 1925 and the Beaulieu Cup at Bristol 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932. Thus only six Bristol Cups. In 1927 there probably was no Bristol Cup at all.

Thanks that you raised that interesting chapter of tennis history

The US Pro though wouldn't confer World Champion status though (because it hadn't in the past - after all Kozeluh was regarded as the incunbent World Champion even though he wasn't the US Pro champion) - you think it was the combination of beating Kozeluh and the US Pro established it?

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by timnz

Tilden also won a 'World Professional Series' against Vincent Richards in May 1931. If Richards had won that series - then who would have been World Pro Champion for 1931? Was it like Boxing? ie Tilden won over reigning Pro Champion Kozeluh and then later that year accepted a challenge from Richards?

Yes, it could have been that way although the Tilden/Richards series was very short.

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by timnz

The US Pro though wouldn't confer World Champion status though (because it hadn't in the past - after all Kozeluh was regarded as the incunbent World Champion even though he wasn't the US Pro champion) - you think it was the combination of beating Kozeluh and the US Pro established it?

However, Tilden was clearly the world champion in 1931.