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, United States. 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. 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. The tournament was not held during the World War II years 1942–1945.

In 1971 the tournament was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit while from 1973 until 1984 it formed part of the World Championship Tennis circuit. 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.

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.

Finals

Singles YearChampionsRunners-upScore1931 Ellsworth Vines Bruce Barnes 6–3, 6–4, 10–81932 Wilmer Allison Jake Hess 8–6, 6–3, 6–21933 Frank Parker George Lott 7–5, 10–12, 6–4, 6–21934 Lester Stoefen Wilmer Allison 6–2, 6–2, 6–21935 Bryan Grant Wilmer Allison 6–3, 1–6, 6–4, 6–41936 Bryan Grant Wilmer Allison 6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–01937 Bryan Grant Wilmer Allison 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 7–51938 Wayne Sabin Ernest Sutter 6–4, 4–6, 4–6, 6–0, 6–21939 Frank Guernsey Frank Kovacs 4–6, 7–5, 6–1, 6–31940 Robert Riggs Bryan Grant 7–5, 6–3, 7–51941 Frank Kovacs Bryan Grant 6–4, 2–6, 7–5, 6–3 1942 No competition (due to WWII) 1943 1944 19451946 Gardnar Mulloy William Talbert 6–4, 4–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–41947 Jack Kramer Gardnar Mulloy 6–1, 6–0, 6–21948 Frank Parker William Talbert 9–7, 6–2, 6–11949 Ted Schroeder William Talbert 6–4, 4–6, 6–1, 6–41950 Robert Falkenburg Ted Schroeder 6–0, 15–13, 3–6, 6–41951 Arthur Larsen Herbert Flam 6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 10–81952 Gardnar Mulloy Arthur Larsen 6–3, 3–6, 3–6, 8–6, 6–41953 Gardnar Mulloy Vic Seixas 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–21954 Dick Savitt Ham Richardson 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–51955 Tony Trabert Vic Seixas 6–0, 6–1, 6–41956 Ham Richardson Vic Seixas 7–5, 6–0, 3–6, 6–41957 Herbert Flam Mervyn Rose 7–5, 6–1, 6–41958 Barry MacKay Luis Ayala 8–10, 6–4, 6–3, 6–31959 Bernard Bartzen Dick Savitt 2–6, 7–5, 4–6, 0–2 retired1960 Barry MacKay Neale Fraser 7–5, 6–3, 6–41961 Rod Laver Roy Emerson 7–5, 7–5, 1–6, 6–31962 Rod Laver Roy Emerson 6–1, 7–5, 7–51963 Manuel Santana Chuck McKinley 6–4, 13-11, 3–6, 2–6, 6–41964 Roy Emerson Nikola Pilić 6–1, 6–4, 6–21965 Ramanathan Krishnan Cliff Richey 6–4, 2–6, 6–4, 6–31966 Marty Mulligan Nikola Pilić 6–2, 3–6, 6–4, 0–6, 4–51967 John Newcombe Tony Roche 6–2, 7–5, 6–31968 Cliff Richey Boro Jovanović 6–4, 6–1, 6–01969 Željko Franulović Rafael Osuna 7–5, 6–3, 6–21970 Clark Graebner Cliff Richey 2–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–3, 6–21971 Cliff Richey Clark Graebner 6–1, 6–2, 6–21972 Rod Laver Ken Rosewall 6–2, 6–41973 Ken Rosewall Fred Stolle 6–4, 6–1, 7–51974 Rod Laver Björn Borg 7–6, 6–21975 Ken Rosewall Cliff Drysdale 6–4, 6–7, 6–41976 Harold Solomon Ken Rosewall 6–4, 1–6, 6–11977 Adriano Panatta Vitas Gerulaitis 7–6, 6–7, 6–11978 Brian Gottfried Ilie Năstase 3–6, 6–2, 6–11979 José Higueras Gene Mayer 6–3, 2–6, 7–61980 Ivan Lendl Eddie Dibbs 6–1, 6–31981 Guillermo Vilas Sammy Giammalva Jr. 6–2, 6–41982 Ivan Lendl José Luis Clerc 3–6, 7–6, 6–0, 1–4 retired1983 Ivan Lendl Paul McNamee 6–2, 6–0, 6–31984 Mark Dickson Sammy Giammalva Jr. 6–3, 6–21985 Paul McNamee Anders Järryd 7–6, 4–6, 6–41986 Jimmy Arias Mats Wilander 6–2, 2–6, 6–11987 Jimmy Arias Jonas Svensson 6–2, 6–41988 Henri Leconte Michael Chang 4–6, 7–6, 6–31989 Magnus Gustafsson Bruno Orešar 6–2, 6–01990 Richey Reneberg Magnus Gustafsson 6–4, 6–41991 Magnus Gustafsson Magnus Larsson 6–7, 7–6, 6–11992 Bryan Shelton Jeff Tarango 4–6, 6–3, 6–21993 Richey Reneberg Todd Martin 5–7, 6–3, 6–31994 Magnus Larsson Richey Reneberg 6–4, 6–21995 Mikael Tillström Richard Fromberg 6–3, 6–41996 Christian Ruud Jeff Tarango 3–6, 6–3, 7–51997 Jason Stoltenberg Alex O'Brien 6–2, 4–6, 7–51998 Mariano Zabaleta Xavier Malisse 7–6, 6–21999 Vince Spadea Jason Stoltenberg 6–4, 6–22000 Magnus Larsson Roger Federer 3–6, 6–1, 7–52001 Andrei Pavel Christian Ruud 6–3, 6–42002 Michel Kratochvil Wayne Ferreira 6–4, 4–6, 7–62003 James Blake Wayne Ferreira 6–2, 4–6, 6–32004 Jiří Novák & Hugo Armando Title shared2005 James Blake Dmitri Tursunov 6–2, 6–32006 Victor Hănescu Juan Mónaco 6–7, 6–4, 7–52007 Dmitri Tursunov Nicolás Massú 2–6, 1–0 retired2008 see U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships

See also

U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships

Notes

References

External links ATP – Tournament Profile