Thanks for your considered and thoughtful feedback.
My reflection on 'Stockholm' being the 'Most important indoor tournament putting the Masters down the scale is this.
1/ This is just one reporters view. And point (2) below solidifies that....
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2/ Doesn't that also move the WCT finals down the scale? After all if the Masters isn't the most important and Stockholm is - then the WCT finals isn't the most important either. The blade cuts both ways....
Worth looking at:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091998/index.htm
It also contradicts other things that were going in those mid-1970's years. In January 1977 the Pepsi Grand Slam made ups its 4 contestants from the winners of the previous years Majors. The Sports Illustrated I quote above reports that there was a Problem because Borg had won 2 of them in 1976 - the WCT finals and Wimbledon and Connors had won 1, and Panatta had won the other - the French. Hence, they only had 3. The decision was next to go to the Masters tournament to decide who to make up the next player. No mention of Stockholm anywhere.
So here we have an example of only 1 year after the article you quote as rating the WCT finals and the Masters above Stockholm.
Perhaps another way to read that article you quote is regarding Stockholm as the top indoor tournament outside the Season end finals. I wonder if the journalist is getting confused because that year (1975) the Masters itself was held in Stockholm (indoors).
I do agree with you though that the WCT finals was the more important event in the early to mid 1970's then the Masters took over from there. However, it still was a very important tournament that had deep fields and was hotly contested. (McEnroe/Lendl 1983 - tie break in the 5th set!). Every year (except 1978) they had a player in the last match of the tournament who was number 1 some time in their career:
1971 Ken Rosewall Rod Laver 6–4, 1–6, 7–6, 7–6
1972 Ken Rosewall Rod Laver 4–6, 6–0, 6–3, 6–7, 7–6
1973 Stan Smith Arthur Ashe 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1974 John Newcombe Björn Borg 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–2
1975 Arthur Ashe Björn Borg 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–0
1976 Björn Borg Guillermo Vilas 1–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–1
1977 Jimmy Connors Dick Stockton 6–7, 6–1, 6–4, 6–3
1978 Vitas Gerulaitis Eddie Dibbs 6–3, 6–2, 6–1
1979 John McEnroe Björn Borg 7–5, 4–6, 6–2, 7–6
1980 Jimmy Connors John McEnroe 2–6, 7–6, 6–1, 6–2
1981 John McEnroe Johan Kriek 6–1, 6–2, 6–4
1982 Ivan Lendl John McEnroe 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1983 John McEnroe Ivan Lendl 6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–7, 7–6
1984 John McEnroe Jimmy Connors 6–1, 6–2, 6–3
1985 Ivan Lendl Tim Mayotte 7–6, 6–4, 6–1
1986 Anders Järryd Boris Becker 6–7, 6–1, 6–1, 6–4
1987 Miloslav Mečíř John McEnroe 6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2
1988 Boris Becker Stefan Edberg 6–4, 1–6, 7–5, 6–2
1989 John McEnroe Brad Gilbert 6–3, 6–3, 7–6
When you say that 1977 is a cut-off point - can you please elaborate? In your thinking does Connors 1977 WCT finals win get included and his January 1978 masters win not get included (that masters was regarded as part of the 1977 season). So Connors 1977 masters doesn't get included but is 1977 WCT finals does but his 1980 WCT finals doesn't? But wasn't Connors Masters win in New York and with a deep field? Wasn't it a really big deal when he beat Borg in the final?
Thanks again for your contributions. I very much respect your tennis history knowledge.