The 1970 Rawlings Tennis Classic, also known as the St. Louis WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the 1970 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on outdoor hard courts at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was scheduled from May 25 through June 1, 1970 but both finals were delayed due to a power outage on the day before the finals and rain on the day of the finals. The singles finalists then had to travel to New York to compete in the Tennis Champions Classic before returning. Due to persistent bad weather the singles final was played indoor at the Washington University Field House on June 4, 1970. First-seeded Rod Laver won the singles title and earned $8,000 first-prize money.[3][4] The doubles finalists Andrés Gimeno and John Newcombe had to travel to Casablanca, Morocco for the Moroccan Pro Championships and their final was rescheduled and played on August 24, 1970.[5][6] This was followed by a Rawlings Challenge Cup match between tournament winner Rod Laver and Wimbledon champion John Newcombe which was won by Laver 6–3, 8–6.[7]
| 1970 Rawlings Tennis Classic | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 25– June 1 |
| Edition | 1st |
| Category | World Championship Tennis (WCT) |
| Draw | 20S / 10D |
| Prize money | $30,000 |
| Surface | Hard / outdoor Hard / indoor (final) |
| Location | St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Venue | Dwight Davis Tennis Center, Forest Park Washington University Field House (final) |
| Champions | |
| Singles | |
 Rod Laver[1] | |
| Doubles | |
 Andrés Gimeno / John Newcombe[2] | |
Finals
editSingles
edit Rod Laver defeated Ken Rosewall 6–1, 6–4
- It was Laver's 4th singles title of the year and the 32nd of his career in the Open Era.
Doubles
edit Andrés Gimeno / John Newcombe defeated Roy Emerson / Rod Laver 6–4, 6–2
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "1970 St. Louis WCT – Singles draw". Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
- ^ "1970 St. Louis WCT – Doubles draw". Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
- ^ Jerry Stack (June 4, 1970). "Laver's returns net him $8000 in Rawlings tennis". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 1C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ John Barrett, ed. (1971). World of Tennis '71 : a BP yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-362-00091-7.
- ^ "Rawlings doubles are set Aug. 24". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. August 12, 1970. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gimeno, Newcombe top Laver, Emerson for double crown". The Cumberland News. UPI. August 25, 1970. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ John J. Archibald (August 25, 1970). "King Laver's 1-2 service punch stops Newcombe". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4C – via Newspapers.com.