1972 Grand Prix (tennis)

The 1972 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit held that year and organized by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF). It consisted of 33 Grand Prix tournaments in different categories including three of the four Grand Slam tournaments and was followed by a season-ending Masters tournament. The circuit ran from February through November.[1]

1972 Grand Prix circuit
Stan Smith at 2009 US Open
Details
Duration14 February 1972 – 28 November 1972
Edition3rd
Tournaments33
CategoriesGroup AA (3)
Group A (7)
Group B (4)
Group C (14)
Group D (5)
Achievements (singles)
Most tournament titlesUnited States Stan Smith (9)
Most tournament finalsRomania Ilie Năstase (11)
Prize money leaderRomania Ilie Năstase (£21,000)
Points leaderRomania Ilie Năstase (659)
1971
1973

The 1972 Grand Prix circuit ran in competition with the 1972 World Championship Tennis circuit and, to a lesser extent, with the smaller 1972 USLTA Indoor Circuit. Five American indoor tournament in February and March were als part of the USLTA Indoor Circuit.[2] In July 1971 at its annual meeting, the ILTF voted to ban all WCT contract professionals from their tournaments and facilities from the beginning of 1972 onwards. This meant that leading WCT players such as Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Arthur Ashe and John Newcombe did not initially have permission to compete in the Grand Prix circuit and Newcombe could not defend his two consecutive Wimbledon titles of 1970 and 1971. In April 1972, however, an agreement was reached between the ILTF and WCT that divided the 1973 tour in a WCT circuit that ran from January through April and a Grand Prix circuit that was scheduled for the rest of the year.[3] Under the agreement the players contracted by the WCT could play in the Grand Prix events as of September 1972. The deal was ratified at the annual ILTF meeting in July.[4]

Schedule

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Key
Group AA tournaments
Grand Prix Masters
Group A tournaments
Group B tournaments
Group C tournaments
Team events

February

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
14 Feb The May Co. International[a]
Los Angeles, California, US
Group C
32S/16D
  Andrés Gimeno
6–3, 2–6, 6–2
  Pierre Barthès   Jimmy Connors
  Thomaz Koch
  Vladimír Zedník
  Cliff Richey
  Pancho Gonzales
  Ilie Năstase
  Jim Osborne
  Jim McManus
6–2, 5–7, 6–4
  Ilie Năstase
  Ion Țiriac
20 Feb U.S. National Indoor Championships[a]
Salisbury, Maryland, US
Group B
Hard – $50,000 – 64S/32D
  Stan Smith
5–7, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4
  Ilie Năstase   Haroon Rahim
  Gerald Battrick
  Jaime Fillol
  Clark Graebner
  Manuel Orantes
  Tom Gorman
  Manuel Orantes
  Andrés Gimeno
6–4, 6–3
  Juan Gisbert
  Vladimír Zedník
28 Feb Clean Air Classic[a]
New York, US
Group C
64S
  Stan Smith
4–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–1
  Juan Gisbert   Cliff Richey
  Ilie Năstase
  Alejandro Olmedo
  Ove Nils Bengtson
  Andrés Gimeno
  Jimmy Connors

March

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
5 Mar National Indoor Championships[a]
Hampton, Virginia, US
Group C
Hard (i) – 32S/16D
SinglesDoubles
  Stan Smith
6–3, 6–2, 6–7, 6–4
  Ilie Năstase   Andrés Gimeno
  Cliff Richey
  Juan Gisbert
  Jimmy Connors
  Georges Goven
  Ian Crookenden
  Ion Țiriac
  Ilie Năstase
7–5, 7–5
  Andrés Gimeno
  Manuel Orantes
12 Mar Equity Funding International[a]
Washington, D.C., US
Group C
Carpet (i) – $25,000 – 32S/16D
  Stan Smith
6–3, 6–2, 6–7, 6–4
  Jimmy Connors   Tom Gorman
  Manuel Orantes
  Jim Osborne
  Cliff Richey
  Ilie Năstase
  Pierre Barthès
  Cliff Richey
  Tom Edlefsen
6–4, 6–3
  Clark Graebner
  Thomaz Koch
27 Mar Monte Carlo Open Championships
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France
Group C
Clay – $20,000 – 32S/32D
  Ilie Năstase
6–1, 6–0, 6–3
  František Pála   Boro Jovanović
  Jiří Hřebec
  Bernard Mignot
  Ion Țiriac
  Szabolcs Baranyi
  Péter Szőke
  Patrice Beust
  Daniel Contet
3–6, 6–1, 12–10, 6–2
  Jiří Hřebec
  František Pála

April

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
8 Apr South African Open *
Johannesburg, South Africa
Group A
Hard – 32S/16D
  Cliff Richey
6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 6–4
  Manuel Orantes   Andrés Gimeno
  Jaime Fillol
  Martin Mulligan
  Bob Hewitt
  Andrew Pattison
  Pat Cramer
  Bob Hewitt
  Frew McMillan
6–2, 6–2, 6–4
  Georges Goven
  Ray Moore
16 Apr Melia Trophy International
Madrid, Spain
Group B
Clay – 32S/32D
  Ilie Năstase
6–0, 6–0, 6–1
  František Pála   Jan Kodeš
  Patrick Proisy
  Szabolcs Baranyi
  Andrés Gimeno
  Manuel Orantes
  Adriano Panatta
  Stan Smith
  Ilie Năstase
6–3, 6–4, 6–4
  Andrés Gimeno
  Manuel Orantes
23 Apr Nice International Championships
Nice, France
Group D
Clay – $30,000 – 48S/8D
  Ilie Năstase
6–0, 6–4, 6–3
  Jan Kodeš   Stan Smith
  Boro Jovanović
  Barry Phillips-Moore
  Dick Crealy
  Pierre Barthès
  Gerald Battrick
  Stan Smith
  Jan Kodeš
6–3, 3–6, 7–5
  Frew McMillan
  Ilie Năstase
24 Apr Italian Open
Rome, Italy *
Group A
Clay – $56,000 – 64S/32D
  Manuel Orantes
4–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–2
  Jan Kodeš   Ilie Năstase
  Barry Phillips-Moore
  Andrew Pattison
  Paolo Bertolucci
  Alex Metreveli
  Jean-Loup Rouyer
  Ion Țiriac
  Ilie Năstase
3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 5–3 ret.
  Frew McMillan
  Lew Hoad
Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
13 May British Hard Court Championships
Bournemouth, England *
Group C
Clay – 32S/16D
  Bob Hewitt
6–2, 6–4, 6–3
  Pierre Barthès   Ilie Năstase
  Stan Smith
  Ion Țiriac
  Jimmy Connors
  Pat Cramer
  Jürgen Fassbender
  Frew McMillan
  Bob Hewitt
7–5, 6–2
  Ilie Năstase
  Ion Țiriac
14 May Belgian Open Championships
Brussels, Belgium
Group C
Clay – $25,000 – 32S/16D
  Manuel Orantes
6–4, 6–1, 2–6, 7–5
  Andrés Gimeno   Harold Solomon
  Barry Phillips-Moore
  Patrick Hombergen
  Juan Gisbert
  Harald Elschenbroich
  Vladimír Zedník
  Manuel Orantes
  Juan Gisbert
9–7, 6–3
  Patricio Cornejo
  Jaime Fillol
22 May French Open *
Paris, France
Grand Slam
Group AA
Clay
  Andrés Gimeno
4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 6–1
  Patrick Proisy   Alex Metreveli
  Manuel Orantes
  Adriano Panatta
  Stan Smith
  Harold Solomon
  Jan Kodeš
  Frew McMillan
  Bob Hewitt
6–3, 8–6, 3–6, 6–1
  Patricio Cornejo
  Jaime Fillol
  Evonne Goolagong
  Kim Warwick
6–2, 6–4
  Françoise Dürr
  Jean-Claude Barclay

June

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
5 Jun German Open Championships
Hamburg, West Germany *
Group B
Clay – 32S/32D
  Manuel Orantes
6–3, 9–8, 6–0
  Adriano Panatta   Ilie Năstase
  Stan Smith
  Ion Țiriac
  Jimmy Connors
  Pat Cramer
  Jürgen Fassbender
  Ilie Năstase
  Jan Kodeš
4–6, 6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2
  Bob Hewitt
  Ion Țiriac
17 Jun Bristol Open
Bristol, England *
Group C
Grass – 32S/32D
  Bob Hewitt
6–4, 6–3
  Alejandro Olmedo   François Jauffret
  Clark Graebner
  John De Mendoza
  Colin Dibley
  John Paish
  Andrew Pattison
  Frew McMillan
  Bob Hewitt
6–3, 6–2
  Clark Graebner
  Lew Hoad
26 Jun Wimbledon *
London, England
Grand Slam
Group AA
Grass
  Stan Smith
4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5
  Ilie Năstase   Jan Kodeš
  Manuel Orantes
  Alex Metreveli
  Onny Parun
  Colin Dibley
  Jimmy Connors
  Bob Hewitt
  Frew McMillan
6–2, 6–2, 9–7
  Stan Smith
  Erik van Dillen
  Rosemary Casals
  Ilie Năstase
6–4, 6–4
  Evonne Goolagong
  Kim Warwick

July

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
16 Jul Swedish Open
Båstad, Sweden
Group C
Clay – 32S/16D
  Manuel Orantes
6–4, 6–3, 6–1
  Ilie Năstase   Juan Gisbert
  Balázs Taróczy
  Björn Borg
  Colin Dibley
  Szabolcs Baranyi
  Jose Mandarino
  Manuel Orantes
  Juan Gisbert
6–3, 7–6
  Neale Fraser
  Ilie Năstase
Swiss Open Championships
Gstaad, Switzerland
Group C
Clay – $25,000 – 32S/16D
  Andrés Gimeno
7–5, 9–8, 6–4
  Adriano Panatta   Ion Țiriac
  Barry Phillips-Moore
  Roscoe Tanner
  Jean-Loup Rouyer
  Patrick Hombergen
  Sandy Mayer
  Andrés Gimeno
  Antonio Muñoz
9–8, 4–6, 6–1, 7–5
  Adriano Panatta
  Ion Țiriac
22 Jul Austrian Open
Kitzbühel, Austria
Group D
Clay – 32S/32D
  Colin Dibley
6–1, 6–3, 6–4
  Dick Crealy   Jose Mandarino
  Onny Parun
  Harald Elschenbroich
  Nicholas Kalogeropoulos
  Barry Phillips-Moore
  François Jauffret
  Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
  Jürgen Fassbender
7–6, 6–4, 6–4
  Mal Anderson
  Geoff Masters
23 Jul Buckeye Classic
Columbus, Ohio, US
Group D
Hard – $25,000 – 32S/16D
SinglesDoubles
  Jimmy Connors
7–5, 6–3, 7–5
  Andrew Pattison   Dick Stockton
  Bob Hewitt
  Charles Owens
  Steve Faulk
  Pancho Gonzales
  Jim McManus
  Pancho Gonzales
  Jimmy Connors
6–3, 7–5
  Robert McKinley
  Dick Stockton
30 Jul Tanglewood International Tennis Classic
Clemmons, North Carolina, US
Group D
Clay – $25,000 – 32S/16D
  Bob Hewitt
3–6, 6–3, 6–1
  Andrew Pattison   Dick Stockton
  Steve Faulk
  Butch Seewagen
  Onny Parun
  Ian Fletcher
  Jeff Austin
  Andrew Pattison
  Bob Hewitt
6–4, 6–4
  Jim McManus
  Jim Osborne
31 Jul Cincinnati Open
Cincinnati, Ohio, US *
Group C
Clay – $42,500 – 64S/32D
  Jimmy Connors
6–3, 6–3
  Guillermo Vilas   Jaime Pinto-Bravo
  Frew McMillan
  Barry Phillips-Moore
  Andrew Pattison
  Jun Kamiwazumi
  Sandy Mayer
  Frew McMillan
  Bob Hewitt
7–6, 6–4
  Paul Gerken
  Humphrey Hose

August

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
7 Aug U.S. Clay Court Championships
Indianapolis, Indiana, US *
Group A
Clay – $60,000 – 64S/32D
  Bob Hewitt
7–6, 6–1, 6–2
  Jimmy Connors   Toshiro Sakai
  Frew McMillan
  Patrice Dominguez
  Colin Dibley
  Jan Kodeš
  Paul Gerken
  Frew McMillan
  Bob Hewitt
6–2, 6–3
  Patricio Cornejo
  Jaime Fillol
14 Aug Rothmans Canadian Open Championships
Toronto, Ontario, Canada *
Group A
Clay – $70,000 – 128S/64D
  Ilie Năstase
6–4, 6–3
  Andrew Pattison   Jaime Fillol
  Patrick Proisy
  Jairo Velasco
  Bob Hewitt
  Guillermo Vilas
  Adriano Panatta
  Ion Țiriac
  Ilie Năstase
7–6, 6–3
  Jan Kodeš
  Jan Kukal
28 Aug US Open
Forest Hills, New York, US *
Grand Slam
Group AA
SinglesDoublesMixed doubles
  Ilie Năstase
3–6, 6–3, 6–7, 6–4, 6–3
  Arthur Ashe   Cliff Richey
  Tom Gorman
  Stan Smith
  Frew McMillan
  Fred Stolle
  Roscoe Tanner
  Cliff Drysdale
  Roger Taylor
6–4, 7–6, 6–3
  Owen Davidson
  John Newcombe
  Margaret Court
  Marty Riessen
6–3, 7–5
  Rosemary Casals
  Ilie Năstase

September

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
17 Sep Central California Championships
Sacramento, California, US
Group C
Hard – $25,000 – 32S/16D
  Stan Smith
6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4
  Colin Dibley   Andrew Pattison
  Raymond Moore
  Erik van Dillen
  Rick Fisher
  Tom Edlefsen
  Alejandro Olmedo
  Stan Smith
  Erik van Dillen
4–6, 6–2, 6–4
  Patrice Dominguez
  Patrick Proisy
Rainier International Tennis Classic
Seattle, Washington, US
Group C
Hard – $25,000 – 32S/8D
  Ilie Năstase
6–4, 3–6, 6–3
  Tom Gorman   Bob Hewitt
  Jaime Fillol
  Onny Parun
  Ian Fletcher
  Ross Case
  Sherwood Stewart
  Geoff Masters
  Ross Case
4–6, 7–6, 6–4
  Jean-Baptiste Chanfreau
  Wanaro N'Godrella
25 Sep Golden Gate Pacific Coast Classic
Albany, California, US
Group C
Carpet – $34,000 – 64S/32D
  Jimmy Connors
6–2, 7–6(5–3)
  Roscoe Tanner   Andrew Pattison
  Bob Hewitt
  Frew McMillan
  Jaime Fillol
  Pierre Barthès
  Colin Dibley
  Frew McMillan
  Bob Hewitt
6–2, 2–6, 6–2
  Björn Borg
  Ove Nils Bengtson
Pacific Southwest Open
Los Angeles, California, US
Group A
Hard – $60,000 – 64S/64D
SinglesDoubles
  Stan Smith
6–4, 6–4
  Roscoe Tanner   Tom Okker
  Tom Gorman
  Manuel Orantes
  Ken Rosewall
  Raymond Moore
  Bob Carmichael
  Pancho Gonzales
  Jimmy Connors
6–3, 7–6
  Ismail El Shafei
  Brian Fairlie

October

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
23 Oct Trofeo Conde de Godó
Barcelona, Spain
Group A
Clay – $66,250 – 32S/32D
  Jan Kodeš
6–3, 6–2, 6–3
  Manuel Orantes   Stan Smith
  Ilie Năstase
  Andrew Pattison
  Colin Dibley
  Andrés Gimeno
  Tom Gorman
  Manuel Orantes
  Juan Gisbert
6–3, 3–6, 6–4
  Frew McMillan
  Ilie Năstase
30 Oct Jean Becker Open
Paris, France
Group B
Hard – $50,000 – 32S/32D
SinglesDoubles
  Stan Smith
6–2, 6–2, 7–5
  Andrés Gimeno   Jan Kodeš
  Tom Gorman
  Patrice Dominguez
  Raymond Moore
  Jimmy Connors
  Ilie Năstase
  François Jauffret
  Pierre Barthès
6–3, 6–2
  Andrés Gimeno
  Juan Gisbert

November

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Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
12 Nov Stockholm Open
Stockholm, Sweden
Group A
Hard – $63,000 – 64S/32D
  Stan Smith
6–4, 6–3
  Tom Okker   Marty Riessen
  Ilie Năstase
  Nikola Pilić
  Roger Taylor
  Andrew Pattison
  Cliff Drysdale
  Marty Riessen
  Tom Okker
7–5, 7–6
  Colin Dibley
  Roy Emerson
18 Nov Dewar Cup
Nottingham/London, England
Carpet – 32S/16D
  Ilie Năstase
6–4, 6–3
  Tom Gorman   Jimmy Connors
  Onny Parun
  Patrick Proisy
  Frew McMillan
  Barry Phillips-Moore
  Andrew Pattison
28 Nov Masters
Barcelona, Spain
Hard (i) – $55,000 – 8S
  Ilie Năstase
6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 6–3
  Stan Smith

* Tournaments combined with a women's Grand Prix tour event.

Points distribution

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Category W F SF QF R16 R32 R64
Group AA tournaments 100 75 50 25 12 6
Group A tournaments 75 52 37 18 9
Group B tournaments 50 36 25 18 6
Group C tournaments 30 20 10 5 3
Group D tournaments 20 12 6 4

No points were awarded for first round losers

Standings

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Player Tournaments played Points Prize money
  Ilie Năstase 24 659 £21,000
  Stan Smith 19 587 £14,700
  Manuel Orantes 19 468 £10,500
  Jan Kodeš 14 332 £8,400
  Andrés Gimeno 20 319 £6,720
  Bob Hewitt 15 263 £5,460
  Jimmy Connors 22 251 £5,040
  Tom Gorman 19 227 £4,620
  Andrew Pattison 21 204 £4,200
  Patrick Proisy 13 172 £3,780

Cliff Richey, Roscoe Tanner, Alex Metreveli, Tom Okker and Arthur Ashe played too few Grand Prix tournaments to qualify for prize money.

Grand Prix rankings

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As of 1 January 1972
Rank Name
1 (tie)   Stan Smith (USA)
1 (tie)   John Newcombe (AUS)
3   Ken Rosewall (AUS)
4   Rod Laver (AUS)
5   Jan Kodeš (TCH)
6   Tom Okker (NED)
7   Arthur Ashe (USA)
8   Ilie Năstase (ROM)
9   Cliff Drysdale (RSA)
10   Marty Riessen (USA)
Year-end rankings (December 1972)
Rank Name Change
1   Stan Smith (USA)   =
2   Ilie Năstase (ROM)   +6
3   Ken Rosewall (AUS)   =

List of tournament winners

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The list of winners and number of singles titles won, alphabetically by last name:

The following players won their first Grand Prix title in 1972:

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e Also part of the 1972 USLTA Indoor Circuit

References

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  1. ^ Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-0942257700.
  2. ^ Jim Caffrey (23 January 1972). "USLTA adds Salisbury to circuit". The Baltimore Sun. p. B7 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "ITF – History". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Archived from the original on 2016-08-13. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
  4. ^ John Barrett, ed. (1973). World of Tennis '73. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 13–15. ISBN 9780671216238.
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Further reading

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  • Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book (2nd ed.). New York: New Chapter Press. ISBN 978-0-942257-70-0.