Jem
Aug 7th, 2003, 05:19 AM
I posted this in Blast from the Past and thought others might be interested in reading about a couple of years in this tournament's storied past. The information comes from the ITF's World of Tennis Yearbook. Here's what I posted in Blast from the Past:
In honor of next week's Canadian Open, or whatever they're calling Toronto this year, here are memories of the 1975-1976 tournaments, which were indeed played in Toronto, although not at the present facility and not on hard courts. It was a clay court tournament back then.
From 1975, here's what my yearbook says:
"Because Margaret Court ran afoul of the young Aussie lefty, Dianne Fromholtz, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, and Julie Heldman stumbled likewise to another kid, South African Delina "Linky" Boshoff 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 -- both in the quarters -- a light woman's draw came apart entirely. Two Americans only slightly known beyond their own households, Marcie Louie of San Francisco and Laura DuPont of Wilmington, N.C., popped up in the final after respective wins over Boshoff (6-0, 6-1) and Fromholtz (7-6, 6-3). Louie, a 21-year-old, won a good-natured baseline duel for the title, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
In the doubles final, Court won her nine-millonth or so national championship of one sort or another, in the company of Julie "Doc" Anthony, 6-2, 6-4, over a pair of lively American colleg e girls, Joanne Russell and Jane Stratton. Russell and Stratton had knocked out the 1974 champions, Heldman and Gail Chanfreau (Lovera), in the semis, 6-2, 7-5."
Manuel Orantes of Spain beat Ilie Natase 7-6, 6-0, 6-1 in the men's final.
Quarterfinals:
Fromholtz def. Court 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Dupont def. Anthony 6-4, 6-4; Louie def. Tine Zwaan, the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-4; Boshoff def. Heldman 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
Semifinals:
Dupont def. Fromholtz 7-6, 6-3; Louie def. Boshoff 6-0, 6-1
Final: Louie def. Dupont 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
FYI -- I believe Dupont did win the Canadian Open a few years later, possibly 1979 or 1980.
For 1976, the yearbook says:
"The women attracted less notice or, as Jane O'Hara put it in the Toronto Sun, 'If the women were the only feature in this $155,000 tournament, the crowds would be staying away in droves.'
Britain's Sue Barker was the top seed but, having played little since Wimbledon, was out of touch and groove and lost to Cynthia Doerner in the quarters. Mrs. Doerner was then beaten by Australia's Lesley Hunt 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 after having match points. Mima Jausovec also saved match points against Regina Marsikova and Virginia Ruzici recovered from 1-5 in the final set to beat Laura Dupont.
Miss Jausovec's final win 6-2, 6-0 over Lesley Hunt was only the sixth women's match played on the sunken centre court during the eight-day meeting. But a near-capacity Sunday afternoon crowd watched that brief encounter."
Guillermo Vilas beat Poland's Wojtek Fibak 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 for the men's title.
Quarterfinals: Doerner, Australia, def. Barker 6-3, 6-2; Hunt def. Kathy May, USA, 6-0, 6-0; Jausovec def. Marsikova 6-7, 7-6, 7-5; Ruzici def. Dupont 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.
Semifinals: Hunt def. Doerner 7-5, 5-7, 7-6; Jausovec def. Ruzici 7-6, 6-1.
Final: Jausovec def. Hunt 6-2, 6-0.
I have no recall -- and the book doesn't say -- who won the women's doubles, but it may have been Jausovec and Ruzici, who were a formidable doubles team in the mid to late 70s.
In honor of next week's Canadian Open, or whatever they're calling Toronto this year, here are memories of the 1975-1976 tournaments, which were indeed played in Toronto, although not at the present facility and not on hard courts. It was a clay court tournament back then.
From 1975, here's what my yearbook says:
"Because Margaret Court ran afoul of the young Aussie lefty, Dianne Fromholtz, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, and Julie Heldman stumbled likewise to another kid, South African Delina "Linky" Boshoff 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 -- both in the quarters -- a light woman's draw came apart entirely. Two Americans only slightly known beyond their own households, Marcie Louie of San Francisco and Laura DuPont of Wilmington, N.C., popped up in the final after respective wins over Boshoff (6-0, 6-1) and Fromholtz (7-6, 6-3). Louie, a 21-year-old, won a good-natured baseline duel for the title, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
In the doubles final, Court won her nine-millonth or so national championship of one sort or another, in the company of Julie "Doc" Anthony, 6-2, 6-4, over a pair of lively American colleg e girls, Joanne Russell and Jane Stratton. Russell and Stratton had knocked out the 1974 champions, Heldman and Gail Chanfreau (Lovera), in the semis, 6-2, 7-5."
Manuel Orantes of Spain beat Ilie Natase 7-6, 6-0, 6-1 in the men's final.
Quarterfinals:
Fromholtz def. Court 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Dupont def. Anthony 6-4, 6-4; Louie def. Tine Zwaan, the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-4; Boshoff def. Heldman 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
Semifinals:
Dupont def. Fromholtz 7-6, 6-3; Louie def. Boshoff 6-0, 6-1
Final: Louie def. Dupont 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
FYI -- I believe Dupont did win the Canadian Open a few years later, possibly 1979 or 1980.
For 1976, the yearbook says:
"The women attracted less notice or, as Jane O'Hara put it in the Toronto Sun, 'If the women were the only feature in this $155,000 tournament, the crowds would be staying away in droves.'
Britain's Sue Barker was the top seed but, having played little since Wimbledon, was out of touch and groove and lost to Cynthia Doerner in the quarters. Mrs. Doerner was then beaten by Australia's Lesley Hunt 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 after having match points. Mima Jausovec also saved match points against Regina Marsikova and Virginia Ruzici recovered from 1-5 in the final set to beat Laura Dupont.
Miss Jausovec's final win 6-2, 6-0 over Lesley Hunt was only the sixth women's match played on the sunken centre court during the eight-day meeting. But a near-capacity Sunday afternoon crowd watched that brief encounter."
Guillermo Vilas beat Poland's Wojtek Fibak 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 for the men's title.
Quarterfinals: Doerner, Australia, def. Barker 6-3, 6-2; Hunt def. Kathy May, USA, 6-0, 6-0; Jausovec def. Marsikova 6-7, 7-6, 7-5; Ruzici def. Dupont 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.
Semifinals: Hunt def. Doerner 7-5, 5-7, 7-6; Jausovec def. Ruzici 7-6, 6-1.
Final: Jausovec def. Hunt 6-2, 6-0.
I have no recall -- and the book doesn't say -- who won the women's doubles, but it may have been Jausovec and Ruzici, who were a formidable doubles team in the mid to late 70s.