River Oaks International Tennis Tournament

The River Oaks International Tennis Tournament, also known as the River Oaks Invitational Tennis Tournament, was a men's tennis tournament held in early spring from 1931 until 2007 at the River Oaks Country Club, Houston, Texas, USA.[1] The tournament was the oldest in the country to still be played at its original site, in the original stadium. The tournament was founded by cotton broker Jack Norton.[2] From the very beginning, the River Oaks International was an invitational amateur tournament, and was not associated with the professional tennis associations. From the start, the field was filled with a few stars and then local candidates filled out the rest of the field. The inaugural edition in April 1931, which made a loss of $1,500, was won by 19-year-old Ellsworth Vines.[3][4] The tournament was not held during the World War II years 1942–1945.[5]

River Oaks International
Defunct tennis tournament
TourGrand Prix (1971)
WCT (1972–1977)
Grand Prix (1978–1981)
WCT (1982–1984)
Founded1931
Abolished2007
Editions73
LocationHouston, Texas, U.S.
VenueRiver Oaks Country Club
SurfaceClay / outdoor

In 1971 the tournament was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit while from 1973 until 1977 it formed part of the World Championship Tennis circuit.[2][6] One of the landmark tournament events was in 1974, the championship match was broadcast before a national audience; thirty-four-year-old Rod Laver, met heir apparent, seventeen-year-old Björn Borg. Laver, who in 1961 became the first foreign player to win the singles title, won in straight sets and became the first man to hold four singles championships at River Oaks.[7]

In 2008, the River Oaks International was merged with one of the oldest, and last remaining clay court tournaments in the United States, the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships.[8][9]

Finals

Singles
Year Champions Runners-up Score
1931 Ellsworth Vines Bruce Barnes6–3, 6–4, 10–8
1932 Wilmer Allison Jake Hess8–6, 6–3, 6–2
1933 Frank Parker George Lott7–5, 10–12, 6–4, 6–2
1934 Lester Stoefen Wilmer Allison6–2, 6–2, 6–2
1935 Bryan Grant Wilmer Allison6–3, 1–6, 6–4, 6–4
1936 Bryan Grant Wilmer Allison6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–0
1937 Bryan Grant Wilmer Allison4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 7–5
1938 Wayne Sabin Ernest Sutter6–4, 4–6, 4–6, 6–0, 6–2
1939 Frank Guernsey Frank Kovacs4–6, 7–5, 6–1, 6–3
1940 Robert Riggs Bryan Grant7–5, 6–3, 7–5
1941 Frank Kovacs Bryan Grant6–4, 2–6, 7–5, 6–3
1942No competition (due to WWII)
1943
1944
1945
1946 Gardnar Mulloy William Talbert6–4, 4–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4
1947 Jack Kramer Gardnar Mulloy6–1, 6–0, 6–2
1948 Frank Parker William Talbert9–7, 6–2, 6–1
1949 Ted Schroeder William Talbert6–4, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4
1950 Robert Falkenburg Ted Schroeder6–0, 15–13, 3–6, 6–4
1951 Arthur Larsen Herbert Flam6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 10–8
1952 Gardnar Mulloy Arthur Larsen6–3, 3–6, 3–6, 8–6, 6–4
1953 Gardnar Mulloy Vic Seixas6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2
1954 Dick Savitt Ham Richardson4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–5
1955 Tony Trabert Vic Seixas6–0, 6–1, 6–4
1956 Ham Richardson Vic Seixas7–5, 6–0, 3–6, 6–4
1957 Herbert Flam Mervyn Rose7–5, 6–1, 6–4
1958 Barry MacKay Luis Ayala8–10, 6–4, 6–3, 6–3
1959 Bernard Bartzen Dick Savitt2–6, 7–5, 4–6, 0–2 retired
1960 Barry MacKay Neale Fraser7–5, 6–3, 6–4
1961 Rod Laver Roy Emerson7–5, 7–5, 1–6, 6–3
1962 Rod Laver Roy Emerson6–1, 7–5, 7–5
1963 Manuel Santana Chuck McKinley6–4, 13-11, 3–6, 2–6, 6–4
1964 Roy Emerson Nikola Pilić6–1, 6–4, 6–2
1965 Ramanathan Krishnan Cliff Richey6–4, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3
1966 Marty Mulligan Nikola Pilić6–2, 3–6, 6–4, 0–6, 4–5
1967 John Newcombe Tony Roche6–2, 7–5, 6–3
1968 Cliff Richey Boro Jovanović6–4, 6–1, 6–0
1969 Željko Franulović Rafael Osuna7–5, 6–3, 6–2
1970 Clark Graebner Cliff Richey2–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–3, 6–2
1971 Cliff Richey Clark Graebner6–1, 6–2, 6–2
1972 Rod Laver Ken Rosewall6–2, 6–4
1973 Ken Rosewall Fred Stolle6–4, 6–1, 7–5
1974 Rod Laver Björn Borg7–6, 6–2
1975 Ken Rosewall Cliff Drysdale6–4, 6–7, 6–4
1976 Harold Solomon Ken Rosewall6–4, 1–6, 6–1
1977 Adriano Panatta Vitas Gerulaitis7–6, 6–7, 6–1
1978 Brian Gottfried Ilie Năstase3.6, 6–2, 6–1
1979 José Higueras Gene Mayer6–3, 2–6, 7–6
1980 Ivan Lendl Eddie Dibbs6–1, 6–3
1981 Guillermo Vilas Sammy Giammalva Jr.6–2, 6–3
1982 Ivan Lendl José Luis Clerc3–6, 7–6, 6–0, 1–4 retired
1983 Ivan Lendl Paul McNamee6–2, 6–0, 6–3
1984 Mark Dickson Sammy Giammalva Jr.6–3, 6–2
1985 Paul McNamee Anders Järryd7–6, 4–6, 6–4
1986 Jimmy Arias Mats Wilander6–2, 2–6, 6–1
1987 Jimmy Arias Jonas Svensson6–2, 6–4
1988 Henri Leconte Michael Chang4–6, 7–6, 6–3
1989 Magnus Gustafsson Bruno Orešar6–2, 6–0
1990 Richey Reneberg Magnus Gustafsson6–4, 6–4
1991 Magnus Gustafsson Magnus Larsson6–7, 7–6, 6–1
1992 Bryan Shelton Jeff Tarango4–6, 6–3, 6–2
1993 Richey Reneberg Todd Martin5–7, 6–3, 6–3
1994 Magnus Larsson Richey Reneberg6–4, 6–2
1995 Mikael Tillström Richard Fromberg6–3, 6–4
1996 Christian Ruud Jeff Tarango3–6, 6–3, 7–5
1997 Jason Stoltenberg Alex O'Brien6–2, 4–6, 7–5
1998 Mariano Zabaleta Xavier Malisse7–6, 6–2
1999 Vince Spadea Jason Stoltenberg6–4, 6–2
2000 Magnus Larsson Roger Federer3–6, 6–1, 7–5
2001 Andrei Pavel Christian Ruud6–3, 6–4
2002 Michel Kratochvil Wayne Ferreira6–4, 4–6, 7–6
2003 James Blake Wayne Ferreira6–2, 4–6, 6–3
2004 Jiří Novák &
Hugo Armando		Title shared
2005 James Blake Dmitri Tursunov6–2, 6–3
2006 Victor Hănescu Juan Mónaco6–7, 6–4, 7–5
2007 Dmitri Tursunov Nicolás Massú2–6, 1–0 retired
2008see U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships

See also

References
  1. "River Oaks: Showcase Of Tennis". Sports Illustrated. April 20, 1959. pp. 22–26.
  2. Robertson, Max (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. p. 307. ISBN 9780047960420.
  3. Dale Robertson (April 4, 2004). "River Oaks stages 70th edition of quaint event that boasts legend-filled history". www.chron.com. Houston Chronicle.
  4. "River Oaks Tennis Title Won by Vines". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Apr 13, 1931.
  5. Dale Robertson (April 7, 2012). "On tennis: Players love center court at River Oaks". The Houston Chronicle.
  6. "River Oaks Tennis To Have New Look". Schenectady Gazette. Apr 2, 1973.
  7. "Laver Snaps River Oaks Tennis Jinx". The Pittsburgh Press. Apr 17, 1961.
  8. "U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships". www.mensclaycourt.com. ROCC.
  9. "River Oaks tennis tourney finds way to endure". The Houston Chronicle. April 5, 2009.
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