Los_Angeles_Open_(tennis)

Los Angeles Open (tennis)

Los Angeles Open (tennis)

Tennis tournament


The Los Angeles Open was a former tennis tournament held in Los Angeles, United States from 1927 until 2012. It included a women's draw until 1974 when Linda Lewis won the last ladies title. Subsequently, it became a men-only event and integrated into the ATP's professional tennis circuit. The inaugural edition of the event, known as the Pacific Southwest Championships, was organized by Perry T. Jones and held at the Los Angeles Tennis Club (LATC) starting in October 1927. Bill Tilden and Kea Bouman were the first singles champions.[1] The tournament quickly became a prestigious event on the tennis calendar.[2]

Quick Facts Defunct tennis tournament, Founded ...

History

The tournament was usually held in September and hosted the top men (and until 1975, women) in the world.[3] Tournament winners from its beginning in 1927 until 1967 included most of the world's No. 1 tennis players: Bill Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Don Budge, Fred Perry, Jack Kramer, Pancho Gonzales and amateur champions Roy Emerson and Barry MacKay. In the open era the event was known by various (sponsored) names including Farmers Classic, Countrywide Classic, Los Angeles Tennis Open, Pacific South West Open and Jack Kramer Open. Jack Kramer became the tournament director in 1970 when Jones retired.[2] In the open era, the tournament was won by Rod Laver twice, a second and third time by Gonzales, Stan Smith, Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Richard Krajicek, and Andre Agassi. In doubles, Bob and Mike Bryan won a record six titles.[4]

From 1975 to 1979 the tournament was played indoors at the Pauley Pavilion.[5][6] Beginning in 1984, the tournament was held at the Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA, which was built to host the 1984 Summer Olympics tennis event. The matches were played on the Straus Stadium court with a capacity of 6,500 and the 1,500-seat capacity Grandstand court. In its last years it was an ATP World Tour 250 series tournament on the ATP Tour and had a 28-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw. The tournament, with prize money of $557,550 in 2012, was one of the events included in the US Open Series. Special events during the tournament's run included Kids Day, Fashion Day, Valspar Performance Challenge, and a Legends Invitational Singles competition.

Colombian investors purchased the tournament's license for $1.5 million at the end of 2012 and moved the tournament to Bogotá where it was named the Claro Open Colombia.[7][8][9]

Main Entrance to the Countrywide Classic at UCLA's L.A. Tennis Center.
Straus Stadium at the L.A. Tennis Center, on the UCLA campus.
Grandstand court at the LA Tennis Open.

Past winners

Men's singles

More information Year, Champions ...

Women's singles

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Men's doubles

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Most titles

More information # of titles, Name ...

Previous names

More information Years, Name ...

See also


References

  1. Wright, Irvine C., ed. (1928). Wright & Ditson's Lawn Tennis Guide for 1928. Boston: Wright & Ditson. pp. 133–134.
  2. Baltzell, E. Digby (1995). Sporting Gentlemen : Men's Tennis from the Age of Honor to the Cult of the Superstar. New York [u.a.]: Free Press. pp. 233–241. ISBN 9780029013151.
  3. Diane Pucin, Bryan twins set tennis record in doubles, Los Angeles Times, August 2, 2010
  4. John Barrett, ed. (1976). World of Tennis '76 : a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 100–101. ISBN 9780362002768. OCLC 650229036.
  5. Adam Karon (July 23, 2000). "L.A. brings a little bit of tinseltown to tournament". Daily Bruin.
  6. "ATP approves event in Bogotá from 2013". www.atpworldtour.com. ATP. December 12, 2012.
  7. Claro Open Colombia, ATP World Tour, 2013

34.070°N 118.448°W / 34.070; -118.448


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