SA Open, once a great event

[kiki]

No more tennis in Johannesburg and its holly venue, Ellis Park.

But before the USO moved to Flushing Meadows, there is no doubt that the South African was the unofficial World Hardcourt Championships, as Laver has aknowledged in his book.He considered the SA title as his fifth slam in 1969...

Laver,Gonzales,Rosewall,Emmo,Connors,Ashe all did play there on a year basis, but after 1974 the big let down came.It was due to financial problems but basically, because of a new international standpoint on appartheid.Remember that the 1974 DC final didn´t take place because India refused to play South Africa, due to appartheid.In the middle 80´s, we still enjoyed some good SA Open, but Cash win in 1987 was the last time the SA Open was considered an important tournament and it has never come back to its former status.How curious that the end of the regime marked also the end of the SA Open and the end of the presence of good SA players, with the exception of its truly last good player, Wayne Ferreira.

 

[Mustard]

The apartheid regime was evil.

I also have to say that the biggest sporting blow to South Africa during the apartheid era, wasn't any boycott, but what the British Lions did to South Africa's Rugby Union teams in 1974. The British Lions played 22 matches against South African and Rhodesian opposition, winning the first 21 and drawing the last. The last match was also ended 4 minutes early.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_British_Lions_tour_to_South_Africa

 

[BTURNER]

1969 Rod Laver Tom Okker 6–3, 10–8, 6–3
1970 Rod Laver Frew McMillan 4–6, 6–2, 6–1, 6–2
1971 Ken Rosewall Fred Stolle 6–4, 6–0, 6–4
1972 Cliff Richey Manuel Orantes 6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 6–4
1973 Jimmy Connors Arthur Ashe 6–4, 7–6, 6–3
1974 Jimmy Connors Arthur Ashe 7–6, 6–3, 6–1
1975 Harold Solomon Brian Gottfried 6–2, 6–4, 5–7, 6–1
1976 Harold Solomon Brian Gottfried 6–2, 6–7, 6–3, 6–4
1977 Guillermo Vilas Buster Mottram 7–6, 6–3, 6–4
1978 Tim Gullikson Harold Solomon 2–6,7–6, 7–6, 6–7, 6–4
1979 Andrew Pattison Victor Pecci 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–3
1980 Kim Warwick Fritz Buehning 6–2, 6–1, 6–2
1981 Vitas Gerulaitis Jeff Borowiak 6–4, 7–6, 6–1
1982 Vitas Gerulaitis Guillermo Vilas 7–6, 6–2, 4–6, 7–6
1983 Johan Kriek Colin Dowdeswell 6–4, 4–6, 1–6, 7–5, 6–3
1984 Eliot Teltscher Vitas Gerulaitis 6–3, 6–1, 7–6
1985 Matt Anger Brad Gilbert 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1986 Amos Mansdorf Matt Anger 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 7–5
1987 Pat Cash Brad Gilbert 7–6, 4–6, 2–6, 6–0, 6–1


Women
1968 Margaret Court Virginia Wade 6–4, 6–4
1969 Billie Jean King Nancy Richey 6–3, 6–4
1970 Margaret Court Billie Jean King 6–4, 1–6, 6–3
1971 Margaret Court Evonne Goolagong 6–3, 6–1
1972 Evonne Goolagong Virginia Wade 4–6, 6–3, 6–0
1973 Chris Evert Evonne Goolagong 6–3, 6–3
1974 Kerry Melville Dianne Fromholtz 6–3, 7–5
1975 Annette du Plooy Brigitte Cuypers 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
1976 Brigitte Cuypers Laura DuPont 6–7, 6–4, 6–1
1977 Linky Boshoff Brigitte Cuypers 6–1, 6–4
1978 Brigitte Cuypers Linda Siegel 6–1, 6–0
1979 Brigitte Cuypers Tanya Harford 7–6, 6–2
1980 Lesley Charles Rene Uys 7–5, 6–4
1981 Kathleen Horvath Kathy Rinaldi 7–6, 6–4
1982–1983 Not Available
1984 Chris Evert-Lloyd Andrea Jaeger 6–3, 6–0
1985 Not Available
1986 Dinky van Rensburg Rene Mentz 6–3, 6–1
1987 Gretchen Magers Louise Allen 6–7, 7–6, 6–4

 

[Mustard]

When Pat Cash and Thomas Muster met in the first round of the 1988 Australian Open, the match had very vocal anti-apartheid protesters there, accusing Cash of taking blood money.

 

[kiki]

1969 Rod Laver Tom Okker 6–3, 10–8, 6–3
1970 Rod Laver Frew McMillan 4–6, 6–2, 6–1, 6–2
1971 Ken Rosewall Fred Stolle 6–4, 6–0, 6–4
1972 Cliff Richey Manuel Orantes 6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 6–4
1973 Jimmy Connors Arthur Ashe 6–4, 7–6, 6–3
1974 Jimmy Connors Arthur Ashe 7–6, 6–3, 6–1
1975 Harold Solomon Brian Gottfried 6–2, 6–4, 5–7, 6–1
1976 Harold Solomon Brian Gottfried 6–2, 6–7, 6–3, 6–4
1977 Guillermo Vilas Buster Mottram 7–6, 6–3, 6–4
1978 Tim Gullikson Harold Solomon 2–6,7–6, 7–6, 6–7, 6–4
1979 Andrew Pattison Victor Pecci 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–3
1980 Kim Warwick Fritz Buehning 6–2, 6–1, 6–2
1981 Vitas Gerulaitis Jeff Borowiak 6–4, 7–6, 6–1
1982 Vitas Gerulaitis Guillermo Vilas 7–6, 6–2, 4–6, 7–6
1983 Johan Kriek Colin Dowdeswell 6–4, 4–6, 1–6, 7–5, 6–3
1984 Eliot Teltscher Vitas Gerulaitis 6–3, 6–1, 7–6
1985 Matt Anger Brad Gilbert 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1986 Amos Mansdorf Matt Anger 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 7–5
1987 Pat Cash Brad Gilbert 7–6, 4–6, 2–6, 6–0, 6–1


Women
1968 Margaret Court Virginia Wade 6–4, 6–4
1969 Billie Jean King Nancy Richey 6–3, 6–4
1970 Margaret Court Billie Jean King 6–4, 1–6, 6–3
1971 Margaret Court Evonne Goolagong 6–3, 6–1
1972 Evonne Goolagong Virginia Wade 4–6, 6–3, 6–0
1973 Chris Evert Evonne Goolagong 6–3, 6–3
1974 Kerry Melville Dianne Fromholtz 6–3, 7–5
1975 Annette du Plooy Brigitte Cuypers 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
1976 Brigitte Cuypers Laura DuPont 6–7, 6–4, 6–1
1977 Linky Boshoff Brigitte Cuypers 6–1, 6–4
1978 Brigitte Cuypers Linda Siegel 6–1, 6–0
1979 Brigitte Cuypers Tanya Harford 7–6, 6–2
1980 Lesley Charles Rene Uys 7–5, 6–4
1981 Kathleen Horvath Kathy Rinaldi 7–6, 6–4
1982–1983 Not Available
1984 Chris Evert-Lloyd Andrea Jaeger 6–3, 6–0
1985 Not Available
1986 Dinky van Rensburg Rene Mentz 6–3, 6–1
1987 Gretchen Magers Louise Allen 6–7, 7–6, 6–4

Thanks for this track record

We see the names

 

[kiki]

When Pat Cash and Thomas Muster met in the first round of the 1988 Australian Open, the match had very vocal anti-apartheid protesters there, accusing Cash of taking blood money.

Politics and Sports should never mix

Even if most marxist regimes have used it to promote their superiority, and even Hitler and Mussolini did it so

 

[Mustard]

Politics and Sports should never mix

Even if most marxist regimes have used it to promote their superiority, and even Hitler and Mussolini did it so

Jimmy Carter's US administration led an international boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

 

[kiki]

Jimmy Carter's US administration led an international boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

That is why I always felt sports should never mix up with politics. it never has a good effect on sports

 

[70sHollywood]

When Pat Cash and Thomas Muster met in the first round of the 1988 Australian Open, the match had very vocal anti-apartheid protesters there, accusing Cash of taking blood money.

I know McEnroe-Borg were offered a lot of money to play there in the early 80's and McEnroe has made it known on a number of occasions that he refused.
Does anyone know what Borgs feelings on the matter were?

Worth noting that in 1970, when Court won her much maligned Grand Slam, she beat King in the final in South Africa. You could say she still won the 4 biggest events of the year.

 

[kiki]

I know McEnroe-Borg were offered a lot of money to play there in the early 80's and McEnroe has made it known on a number of occasions that he refused.
Does anyone know what Borgs feelings on the matter were?

Worth noting that in 1970, when Court won her much maligned Grand Slam, she beat King in the final in South Africa. You could say she still won the 4 biggest events of the year.

True, Court is the equal of Laver

Connors and Lendl played there, as did Gerulatis,Vilas,Clerc,Pecci and some other top players of the era.Borg went by his government, which is widely known as one of the most ferocious anti appartehid governments in the 70´s and 80´s.