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 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]

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

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

February

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

March

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

April

Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
8 AprSouth African Open *
Johannesburg, South Africa
Group A
Hard – 32S/16D
United States Cliff Richey
6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 6–4
Spain Manuel Orantes Spain Andrés Gimeno
Chile Jaime Fillol
Australia Martin Mulligan
South Africa Bob Hewitt
Rhodesia Andrew Pattison
South Africa Pat Cramer
South Africa Bob Hewitt
South Africa Frew McMillan
6–2, 6–2, 6–4
France Georges Goven
South Africa Ray Moore
16 AprMelia Trophy International
Madrid, Spain
Group B
Clay – 32S/32D
Romania Ilie Năstase
6–0, 6–0, 6–1
Czechoslovakia František Pála Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš
France Patrick Proisy
Hungary Szabolcs Baranyi
Spain Andrés Gimeno
Spain Manuel Orantes
Italy Adriano Panatta
United States Stan Smith
Romania Ilie Năstase
6–3, 6–4, 6–4
Spain Andrés Gimeno
Spain Manuel Orantes
23 Apr Nice International Championships
Nice, France
Group D
Clay – $30,000 – 48S/8D
Romania Ilie Năstase
6–0, 6–4, 6–3
Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš United States Stan Smith
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Boro Jovanović
Australia Barry Phillips-Moore
Australia Dick Crealy
France Pierre Barthès
United Kingdom Gerald Battrick
United States Stan Smith
Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš
6–3, 3–6, 7–5
South Africa Frew McMillan
Romania Ilie Năstase
24 AprItalian Open
Rome, Italy *
Group A
Clay – $56,000 – 64S/32D
Spain Manuel Orantes
4–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–2
Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš Romania Ilie Năstase
Australia Barry Phillips-Moore
Rhodesia Andrew Pattison
Italy Paolo Bertolucci
Soviet Union Alex Metreveli
France Jean-Loup Rouyer
Romania Ion Țiriac
Romania Ilie Năstase
3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 5–3 ret.
South Africa Frew McMillan
Australia Lew Hoad

May

Week Tournament Champions Runners-up Semifinalists Quarterfinalists
13 May British Hard Court Championships
Bournemouth, England *
Group C
Clay – 32S/16D
South Africa Bob Hewitt
6–2, 6–4, 6–3
France Pierre Barthès Romania Ilie Năstase
United States Stan Smith
Romania Ion Țiriac
United States Jimmy Connors
South Africa Pat Cramer
West Germany Jürgen Fassbender
South Africa Frew McMillan
South Africa Bob Hewitt
7–5, 6–2
Romania Ilie Năstase
Romania Ion Țiriac
14 May Belgian Open Championships
Brussels, Belgium
Group C
Clay – $25,000 – 32S/16D
Spain Manuel Orantes
6–4, 6–1, 2–6, 7–5
Spain Andrés Gimeno United States Harold Solomon
Australia Barry Phillips-Moore
Belgium Patrick Hombergen
Spain Juan Gisbert
West Germany Harald Elschenbroich
Czechoslovakia Vladimír Zedník
Spain Manuel Orantes
Spain Juan Gisbert
9–7, 6–3
Chile Patricio Cornejo
Chile Jaime Fillol
22 MayFrench Open *
Paris, France
Grand Slam
Group AA
Clay
Spain Andrés Gimeno
4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 6–1
France Patrick Proisy Soviet Union Alex Metreveli
Spain Manuel Orantes
Italy Adriano Panatta
United States Stan Smith
United States Harold Solomon
Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš
South Africa Frew McMillan
South Africa Bob Hewitt
6–3, 8–6, 3–6, 6–1
Chile Patricio Cornejo
Chile Jaime Fillol
Australia Evonne Goolagong
Australia Kim Warwick
6–2, 6–4
France Françoise Dürr
France Jean-Claude Barclay

June

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

July

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

August

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

September

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

October

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

November

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

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

Points distribution

CategoryWFSFQFR16R32R64
Group AA tournaments100755025126
Group A tournaments755237189
Group B tournaments503625186
Group C tournaments30201053
Group D tournaments201264

No points were awarded for first round losers

Standings

Player Tournaments played Points Prize money
Romania Ilie Năstase 24 659 £21,000
United States Stan Smith 19 587 £14,700
Spain Manuel Orantes 19 468 £10,500
Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš 14 332 £8,400
Spain Andrés Gimeno 20 319 £6,720
South Africa Bob Hewitt 15 263 £5,460
United States Jimmy Connors 22 251 £5,040
United States Tom Gorman 19 227 £4,620
Rhodesia Andrew Pattison 21 204 £4,200
France 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

As of 1 January 1972
RankName
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) Steady =
2  Ilie Năstase (ROM) Increase +6
3  Ken Rosewall (AUS) Steady =

List of tournament winners

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

Notes

References

  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.

Further reading

  • 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.
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