Wembley Championships

"Benson & Hedges Championships" redirects here. For the snooker tournament formerly named as Benson & Hedges Championship, see Masters Qualifying Event.

The Wembley Championships was a men's professional tennis tournament held from 1934–1990 with some periods of inactivity in between and is often considered to be one of the three major professional tennis tournaments from 1927–1967 until the advent of the open era. Ken Rosewall's and Rod Laver's six singles titles are the record for this event. The tournament only had a men's draw.

Wembley Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded	1934
Abolished	1990
Editions	40
Location	London, England
Venue	Empire Pool
Surface	Wood (1934–1967) Carpet (1968–1990)

It was first held in 1934 at the Empire Pool at Wembley Park, Wembley, north-west London.^[1] In 1968, it was titled the Jack Kramer Tournament of Champions. In 1970 it was the penultimate event on the Grand Prix Tennis Tour.^[2]

Name

It was officially called the Wembley Professional Championships, although it was later named the London Indoor Professional Championships.^[3] In 1968 it was titled the Jack Kramer Tournament of Champions.

Past finals

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score	Surface
Professional Era
1934	Ellsworth Vines	Hans Nüsslein	4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 8–6r1 [4]	Wood (i)
1935	Ellsworth Vines	Bill Tilden	6–1, 6–3, 5–7, 3–6, 6–3 [4]	Wood (i)
1936	Not held a [4]
1937	Hans Nüsslein	Bill Tilden	6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–2 [4]	Wood (i)
1938	Not held b [4]
1939	Don Budge	Hans Nüsslein	13–11, 2–6, 6–4r2 [4]	Wood (i)
1940–1948	Not held
1949[5]	Jack Kramer	Bobby Riggs	2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 [4]	Wood (i)
1950	Pancho Gonzales	Welby Van Horn	6–3, 6–3, 6–2 [4]	Wood (i)
1951	Pancho Gonzales	Pancho Segura	6–2, 6–2, 2–6, 6–4 [4]	Wood (i)
1952	Pancho Gonzales	Jack Kramer	3–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 7–5 [4]	Wood (i)
1953	Frank Sedgman	Pancho Gonzales	6–1, 6–2, 6–2 [4]	Wood (i)
1954–1955	Not held
1956	Pancho Gonzales	Frank Sedgman	4–6, 11–9, 11–9, 9–7 [4]	Wood (i)
1957	Ken Rosewall	Pancho Segura	1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 [4]	Wood (i)
1958	Frank Sedgman	Tony Trabert	6–4, 6–3, 6–4 [4]	Wood (i)
1959	Mal Anderson	Pancho Segura	4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6 [4]	Wood (i)
1960	Ken Rosewall	Pancho Segura	5–7, 8–6, 6–1, 6–3 [4]	Wood (i)
1961	Ken Rosewall	Lew Hoad	6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 [4]	Wood (i)
1962	Ken Rosewall	Lew Hoad	6–4, 5–7, 15–13, 7–5 [4]	Wood (i)
1963	Ken Rosewall	Lew Hoad	6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 [4]	Wood (i)
1964	Rod Laver	Ken Rosewall	7–5, 4–6, 5–7, 8–6, 8–6 [4]	Wood (i)
1965	Rod Laver	Andrés Gimeno	6–2, 6–3, 6–4 [4]	Wood (i)
1966	Rod Laver	Ken Rosewall	6–2, 6–2, 6–3 [4]	Wood (i)
1967	Rod Laver	Ken Rosewall	2–6, 6–1, 1–6, 8–6, 6–2 [4]	Wood (i)
Open Era
1968	Ken Rosewall	John Newcombe	6–4, 4–6, 7–5, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1969	Rod Laver	Tony Roche	6–4, 6–1, 6–3	Carpet (i)
1970	Rod Laver	Cliff Richey	6–3, 6–4, 7–5	Carpet (i)
1971	Ilie Năstase	Rod Laver	3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1972–1975	Not held
1976	Jimmy Connors	Roscoe Tanner	3–6, 7–6, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1977	Björn Borg	John Lloyd	6–4, 6–4, 6–3	Carpet (i)
1978	John McEnroe	Tim Gullikson	6–7, 6–4, 7–6, 6–2	Carpet (i)
1979	John McEnroe	Harold Solomon	6–3, 6–4, 7–5	Carpet (i)
1980	John McEnroe	Gene Mayer	6–4, 6–3, 6–3	Carpet (i)
1981	Jimmy Connors	John McEnroe	3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2	Carpet (i)
1982	John McEnroe	Brian Gottfried	6–3, 6–2, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1983	John McEnroe	Jimmy Connors	7–5, 6–1, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1984	Ivan Lendl	Andrés Gómez	7–6, 6–2, 6–1	Carpet (i)
1985	Ivan Lendl	Boris Becker	6–7, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1986	Yannick Noah	Jonas Svensson	6–2, 6–3, 6–7, 4–6, 7–5	Carpet (i)
1987	Ivan Lendl	Anders Järryd	6–3, 6–2, 7–5	Carpet (i)
1988	Jakob Hlasek	Jonas Svensson	6–7, 3–6, 6–4, 6–0, 7–5	Carpet (i)
1989	Michael Chang	Guy Forget	6–2, 6–1, 6–1	Carpet (i)
1990	Jakob Hlasek	Michael Chang	7–6, 6–3	Carpet (i)

Notes:

^a1936 tournament was cancelled due to Tilden and Vines playing in Japan. This was reported in London Daily Mail on 24 August 1936. There are sources that say Ellsworth Vines defeated Hans Nüsslein 6–4, 6–4, 6–2, but this must have been a different event.

^bNo reports of a 1938 tournament in British newspapers (the Wembley event was always reported in major British newspapers). Ray Bowers in an article on The Tennis Server website states there was no event held. There are sources that tell us Hans Nüsslein defeated Bill Tilden 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, but this must have been held elsewhere.

^r1 For 1934, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Vines 5-0 and Nüsslein 4-1 as final standings.

^r1 For 1939, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Budge 3-0 and Nüsslein, Tilden and Vines as 1-2 as final standings.

Doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score	Surface
Professional Era
1934				Wood (i)
1935	Bill Tilden Ellsworth Vines	George Lott Lester Stoefen	6–4, 6–4, 7–5	Wood (i)
1936	Not held
1937	Hans Nüsslein Martin Plaa	Lester Stoefen Bill Tilden		Wood (i)
1938	Not held
1939				Wood (i)
1938–1948	Not held
1949	Jack Kramer Bobby Riggs	Dinny Pails Pancho Segura	3–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–1	Wood (i)
1950	Don Budge Pancho Gonzales	Bobby Riggs Welby Van Horn	8–6, 9–7, 4–6, 6–4	Wood (i)
1951	Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura	Bobby Riggs Welby Van Horn	6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3	Wood (i)
1952	Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura	Don Budge Jack Kramer	6–3, 6–1	Wood (i)
1953	Don Budge Frank Sedgman	Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura	6–3, 6–3, 6–2	Wood (i)
1954–1955	Not held
1956	Pancho Gonzales Tony Trabert	Rex Hartwig Frank Sedgman	6–3, 6–4, 6–4	Wood (i)
1957	Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall	Jack Kramer Pancho Segura	3–6, 6–8, 6–2, 6–1, 6–2	Wood (i)
1958	Pancho Gonzales Ken Rosewall	Jack Kramer Pancho Segura	6–3, 6–2, 6–3	Wood (i)
1959	Lew Hoad Tony Trabert	Ken Rosewall Pancho Segura	11–9, 9–7, 6–2	Wood (i)
1960	Ken Rosewall Frank Sedgman	Lew Hoad Tony Trabert	4–6, 6–3, 7–9, 6–4, 6–2	Wood (i)
1961	Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall	Alex Olmedo Pancho Segura	3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 8–6	Wood (i)
1962	Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall	Alex Olmedo Pancho Segura	6–2, 6–3, 6–3	Wood (i)
1963	Alex Olmedo Frank Sedgman	Butch Buchholz Barry MacKay	3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 10–8	Wood (i)
1964	Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall	Butch Buchholz Rod Laver	1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–1	Wood (i)
1965	Butch Buchholz Rod Laver	Frank Sedgman Pancho Segura	6–3, 6–3, 6–2	Wood (i)
1966	Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall	Butch Buchholz Rod Laver	6–4, 8–6, 3–6, 6–2	Wood (i)
1967	Rod Laver Fred Stolle	Butch Buchholz Lew Hoad	7–5, 6–3, 6–4	Wood (i)
Open Era
1968	John Newcombe Tony Roche	Andrés Gimeno Pancho Gonzales	6–3, 9–7	Carpet (i)

Source:^[6]

See also

• Wembley Professional Championships draws - Professional Era (1934–1967)
• U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
• French Pro Championship
• Major professional tennis tournaments before the Open Era

References

1. Ray Bowers (1 March 2003). "Wembley and Paris". Forgotten Victories: The Early Pro Tennis Wars. The Tennis Server. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
2. "1970: ATP World Tour". Results Archive. ATP World Tour. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
3. Grasso, John (2011). Historical Dictionary of Tennis. Scarecrow Press. p. 25. ISBN 9780810872370.
4. "British Pro Championships, Wembley". www.tennis.co.nf.
5. "Indoor Lawn Tennis at Wembley". The Indian Express. 19 March 1949.
6. McCauley (2000), pp. 256–257.

Bibliography

• McCauley, Joe (2000). The History of Professional Tennis. Windsor: The Short Run Book Company Limited.