The first twelve open tournaments of 1968

[George K]

I can't find a complete list of the first twelve open tennis tournaments authorized for 1968 anywhere (as decided upon by the ILTF on March 30, 1968).

I think I've figured out some of them:

1-3) Fairly obvious: the three grand slams .... French Open, Wimbledon Open, US Open

4-6) Three more BLTA tournaments: British Hard Courts (Bournmouth), Kent Grass Courts (Beckenham), London Grass Courts (Queen's Club)

7) German Open (Hamburg) (Newcombe won DM 10,000 = USD 2,000)

8) Pacific Southwest (LA) (Laver won USD 3,800)

9) Irish Open (Dublin) ? (finalist was Lew Hoad, an "Independent Pro" ..... why would he have participated if no prize money? ..... of course "appearance money" is a possibility as well) ..... prize money amounts?

10) Swiss Open (Gstaad)? (at least 3 of 8 WCT players participated, plus Mal Anderson (independent pro) and Tom Okker (still a "registered player" or turned pro by then? WCT contract pro? ..... He played the US Open as a pro, collecting the USD 14,000 first prize for reaching the finals against amateur Arthur Ashe).

11) Argentine/South American Open? (several of the six NTL contract pros participated) ..... prize money amounts?

12) The Pacific Coast (Berkley) doesn't look like an "Open" ..... perhaps one of the US summer tournaments?
..... Washington Star (a top money tournament in subsequent years), or the US Clay Courts? ..... Penn Grass Courts or Eastern Grass Courts seems unlikely.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[urban]

McCauley in his book gives 10 open events for 1968, the first ten on the list without the Argentine Open, which indeed looked to be open. Maybe an Australian or NZ event in very late December 1968 could count for 1968, too. In Sutters book i found 2 other finals that looked between pros and amateurs, on the British indoor circuit at Aberavon and Torquai, both won by amateur Hewitt over pro Davidson (both November 1968). The Berkley event was won by Smith over McManus (who wrote a book on all tournaments ever), both clear amateurs.

 

[George K]

McCauley in his book gives 10 open events for 1968, the first ten on the list without the Argentine Open, which indeed looked to be open. Maybe an Australian or NZ event in very late December 1968 could count for 1968, too. In Sutters book i found 2 other finals that looked between pros and amateurs, on the British indoor circuit at Aberavon and Torquai, both won by amateur Hewitt over pro Davidson (both November 1968). The Berkley event was won by Smith over McManus (who wrote a book on all tournaments ever), both clear amateurs.

Can't be Aberavon or Torquay as both are British and the BLTA was only awarded 4 out of the 12 opens. I'm wondering Dutch Open or Austrian Open?

 

[elegos7]

I can't find a complete list of the first twelve open tennis tournaments authorized for 1968 anywhere (as decided upon by the ILTF on March 30, 1968).

I think I've figured out some of them:

I think you are right about the first eleven.
The 12th open event was probably the Dutch Open in Hilversum, although no leading professionals seem to have participated there.

 

[George K]

The website "tennis archives" gives great details of tennis championship participants. I found out that the 1968 Swiss Championships (Gstaad) had almost all if not all of the WCT "Handsome Eight" as well as independent pro Mal Anderson ..... so the Swiss was definitely one of the original twelve opens sanctioned by the ILTF for 1968.

 

[George K]

The website "tennis archives" gives great details of tennis championship participants. I found out that the 1968 Swiss Championships (Gstaad) had almost all if not all of the WCT "Handsome Eight" as well as independent pro Mal Anderson ..... so the Swiss was definitely one of the original twelve opens sanctioned by the ILTF for 1968.

 

[George K]

My list of "definitely open" so far in chronological order: (10 out of 12 open tournaments sanctioned as "open" by the ILTF at the March 30,,1968 "Emergency" Meeting.

British Hard Courts (Bournemouth), French Championships (Paris), Kent Grass Courts (Beckenham), London Grass Courts (Queen's Club, London), British Championships (Wimbledon), Swiss International (Gstaad). German International (Hamburg), US Championships (New York), Pacific Southwest (Los Angeles). South American Champioships (Buenos Aires).

Unable to find two more anywhere. The Irish which included Hoad seems a remote possible. Not sure if "pro" tournaments: the US Pro, French Pro, and late in the year Wembley Pro or Madison Square Garden would have been open to amateurs as well.

 

[elegos7]

Unable to find two more anywhere. The Irish which included Hoad seems a remote possible.

For the ladies the Irish and Dutch Championships as an Open event in that year. I presume it was the same for the men as well, only the Dutch event is a bit uncertain, as none of the leading pros participated there.

 

[Scott_tennis]

Here is the information I have developed regarding the 1968 open events. The twelve tournaments were as follows:


1. Bournemouth / British Hard Court

2. French Open

3. Kent / Beckenham

4. Queen’s Club

5. Wimbledon

6. Irish Open / Dublin

7. Swiss Open / Gstaad

8. Dutch Open / Hilversum

9. German Open / Hamburg

10. US Open

11. PSW Los Angeles

12. South American / Buenos Aires


Bournemouth

Rosewall won

All NTL men participated, but the NTL women did not participate due to prize money

No WCT men participated

Other pros: Ayala and Davidson


French

Rosewall won

All NTL men and women participated

No WCT men particpated


Beckenham

Stolle won

Three of the six NTL men and three of four NTL women participated (King withdrew)

Laver, Rosewall and Gonzales were at the US Pro in Boston this week

No WCT men participated (they were also at the US Pro)

Other pros: Hoad and Sedgman


Queen’s Club

Not finished

Four of the six NTL men and three of four NTL women participated (King did not play)

Four of the eight WCT men participated

Other pros: Hoad, Olmedo, Sedgman, Ayala


Wimbledon

Laver won

All six NTL men and all four NTL women participated

All eight WCT men participated

Other pros: Hoad, Olmedo, Ayala, Davidson, Davies


Irish Open

Okker won

No NTL men participated

Two of four NTL women participated (King and Durr did not play)

No WCT men participated

The NTL men and WCT men were at the French Pro this week

Other pro: Hoad


Gstaad

Drysdale won

No NTL men participated

No NTL women participated

Six WCT men participated (all except Roche and Buchholz)

The NTL men and women were at the NTL event in Los Angeles this week

Other pro: Anderson


Hilversum

Maud won

No NTL men particpated

No NTL women participated

No WCT men participated

The NTL men and women were at the NTL event in Oakland this week

Four of the WCT men were at an event in Bastaad this week

Other pros: None


German

Newcombe won

No NTL men participated

No NTL women participated

Seven of nine WCT men participated (Riessen joined); all except Ralston and Buchholz

The NTL men and women were at the NTL event in Binghamton this week

Other pro: Anderson


US Open

Ashe won

All six NTL men participated

All four NTL women participated

Eight of nine WCT men participated; all except Buchholz

Other pros: Olmedo, Segura, MacKay, Ayala, Anderson


Los Angeles

Laver won

All six NTL men participated

Three of four NTL women participated (King withdrew)

All nine WCT men participated

Other pros: Olmedo, Segura, MacKay, Anderson


Buenos Aires

Emerson won

Four of the NTL men participated (Rosewall and Gonzales played in France this week)

Two of four NTL women participated (King did not play; Durr was in France)

No WCT men participated

Other pros: None

 

[Scott_tennis]

The list of 12 events appears in the USLTA Yearbook as well as the John Dolan book on Women's Tennis from 1968-1984

 

[George K]

The list of 12 events appears in the USLTA Yearbook as well as the John Dolan book on Women's Tennis from 1968-1984

Yes, they're on another website as well (as I just discovered this evening):

The 12 in chronological order are:

British Hard Court
French Open
Kent Grass Court
London Grass Court
Wimbledon
Irish
Swiss
Dutch
German
US Open
Pacific Southwest
South American (Argentine?)

This prize money for the Dutch/Netherlands Open may have been so low that no male pros were interested. Not sure re the women at the Dutch Open.

The other website mentions that at the Swiss, Dutch and German Opens, no prize money was offered for the women. No wonder the "Original Nine" eventually rebelled!