French Pro Championship
Introduction The '''French Pro Championship''' was major tennis tournament founded in 1930 by the "Association Française des Professeurs de Tennis (AFPT)" and ran annually until 1968 when it was discontinued.
History In 1930 the "Association Française des Professeurs de Tennis (AFPT)" held its first pro tournament, titled "Championnat International de France Professionnel" (French Pro Championships) June 18–22, 1930, and is considered as a part of the professional major from 1927 to 1967 till the advent of Open Era. The tournament only had a men's draw.From 1930 the French Pro Championship were always played at Paris, on outdoor clay at Roland Garros except from 1963 to 1967 where it was held at Stade Pierre de Coubertin on indoor wood. Ken Rosewall holds the record for 8 wins overall and 7 consecutive wins.There was a professional tournament at Roland Garros in 1952 held on a round robin basis, in which Segura finished first, winning the decider over Pancho Gonzales, Kramer third, and Budge fourth. There is no indication yet of recognition by the AFPT as the official French Pro.There were tournaments played on indoor cement in 1950 and 1953 at the Palais des Sports. They are listed in the table below, but there is no suggestion that they were seen as official French Pro titles.
Champions === Singles ===YearChampionRunner-upScoreVenueSurface '''Professional Era'''1930   Karel Koželuh   Albert Burke  6–1, 6–2, 6–1   Roland Garros  Clay1931   Martin Plaa   Robert Ramillon  6–3, 6–1, 3–6, 6–2    Roland Garros  Clay1932   Robert Ramillon   Martin Plaa  6–4, 3–6, 8–6, 6–4   Roland Garros  Clay1933 ''Not held''1934   Bill Tilden   Martin Plaa  6–2, 6–4, 7–5   Roland Garros  Clay1935   Ellsworth Vines   Hans Nüsslein  10–8, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1   Roland Garros  Clay1936   Henri Cochet   Robert Ramillon  6–3, 6–1, 6–1   Roland Garros  Clay1937   Hans Nüsslein   Henri Cochet  6–2, 8–6, 6–3   Roland Garros  Clay1938  Hans Nüsslein   Bill Tilden  6–0, 6–1, 6–2   Roland Garros  Clay1939   Don Budge   Ellsworth Vines  6–2, 7–5, 6–3   Roland Garros  Clay1940–1949  ''Not held''1950 '' Pancho Segura*'' '' Jack Kramer''  Palais des Sports  Hard (i)1951  ''Not held''1952 '' Pancho Segura*'' '' Jack Kramer'' 6-3, 6-2 Roland Garros Clay 1953 '' Frank Sedgman*'' '' Pancho Gonzales''  Palais des Sports Hard (i)1954–1955  ''Not held''1956   Tony Trabert   Pancho Gonzales 6–3, 4–6, 5–7, 8–6, 6–2   Roland Garros  Clay 1957  ''Not held''1958   Ken Rosewall   Lew Hoad 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–0   Roland Garros  Clay1959   Tony Trabert   Frank Sedgman 6–4, 6–4, 6–4   Roland Garros  Clay1960   Ken Rosewall   Lew Hoad 6–2, 2–6, 6–2, 6–1   Roland Garros  Clay1961   Ken Rosewall   Pancho Gonzales  2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 8–6   Roland Garros  Clay1962   Ken Rosewall   Andrés Gimeno  3–6, 6–2, 7–5, 6–2   Roland Garros  Clay1963   Ken Rosewall   Rod Laver  6–8, 6–4, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4   Stade Pierre de Coubertin Wood (i)1964   Ken Rosewall   Rod Laver  6–3, 7–5, 3–6, 6–3  Stade Pierre de Coubertin  Wood (i)1965   Ken Rosewall   Rod Laver  6–3, 6–2, 6–4  Stade Pierre de Coubertin   Wood (i)1966   Ken Rosewall   Rod Laver 6–3, 6–2, 14–12  Stade Pierre de Coubertin   Wood (i)1967   Rod Laver   Andrés Gimeno  6–4, 8–6, 4–6, 6–2  Stade Pierre de Coubertin   Wood (i) '''Open Era'''1968   Rod Laver   John Newcombe  6–2, 6–2, 6–3Roland Garros   Clay'''Notes:'''=== Doubles ===YearChampionRunner-upScoreVenueSurface '''Professional Era'''1930   Karel Koželuh Roman Najuch   Albert Burke Edmund Burke  6–4, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1  Roland Garros  Clay1931Roland GarrosClay1932Roland GarrosClay1933''Not held''1934Roland GarrosClay1935   Bill Tilden Ellsworth Vines   Albert Burke Hans Nüsslein  6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 6–4  Roland Garros  Clay1936   Henri Cochet Albert Burke   Martin Plaa Robert Ramillon  6–1, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3  Roland Garros  Clay1937   Lester Stoefen Bill Tilden   Henri Cochet Robert Ramillon  6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3  Roland Garros  Clay1938  Martin Plaa Robert Ramillon   Hans Nüsslein Bill Tilden  6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4  Roland Garros  Clay1939   Don Budge Ellsworth Vines   Henri Cochet Robert Ramillon  6–4, 6–4, 2–6, 6–4  Roland Garros  Clay1940–1949  ''Not held''1950Palais des SportsHard (i)1951''Not held''1952Roland GarrosClay1953'' Don Budge* Frank Sedgman*'''' Pancho Gonzales Pancho Segura''2–6, 9–7, 6–4Palais des SportsHard (i)1954–1955  ''Not held''1956   Pancho Gonzales Tony Trabert   Rex Hartwig Frank Sedgman 6–3, 2–6, 6–1  Roland Garros  Clay 1957  ''Not held''1958   Lew Hoad Tony Trabert   Pancho Gonzales Ken Rosewall 6–4, 2–6, 6–1  Roland Garros  Clay1959   Lew Hoad Tony Trabert   Mervyn Rose Frank Sedgman 14–12, 6–4, 6–2  Roland Garros  Clay1960   Lew Hoad Tony Trabert   Ken Rosewall Frank Sedgman 6–4, 6–0, 6–1  Roland Garros  Clay1961   Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall   Pancho Gonzales Tony Trabert  6–1, 6–3, 8–10, 13–11  Roland Garros  Clay1962   Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall   Mal Anderson Ashley Cooper  6–1, 6–3, 6–3  Roland Garros  Clay1963   Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall   Mal Anderson Rod Laver  6–2, 7–5, 8–6  Stade Pierre de Coubertin Wood (i)1964   Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall   Luis Ayala Andrés Gimeno  6–8, 6–4, 6–4 Stade Pierre de Coubertin  Wood (i)1965   Mal Anderson Ken Rosewall   Butch Buchholz Rod Laver  10–8, 4–6, 8–6, 2–6, 10–8 Stade Pierre de Coubertin   Wood (i)1966   Butch Buchholz Rod Laver   Pierre Barthès Andrés Gimeno 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 Stade Pierre de Coubertin   Wood (i)1967   Pierre Barthès Andrés Gimeno   Rod Laver Fred Stolle  6–3, 6–4 Stade Pierre de Coubertin   Wood (i) '''Open Era'''1968   Roy Emerson Rod Laver   Ken Rosewall Fred Stolle  1–6, 3–6, 11–9, 6–3, 6–2Roland Garros   ClaySource:
Bristol Cup and other French professional events Before 1930 some tournaments were sometimes labelled "Professional Championships of France": the Bristol Cup (held from 1920 to 1932), the most important pro tournament in the world in the 1920s, was sometimes referred as the French Pro as well as the World Pro tournament held at Deauville in 1925.Therefore, two different tournaments were both considered as French Pro Championships in 1925 (World Pro at Deauville and Bristol Cup at Cannes) and from 1930 to 1932 (Roland Garros and Bristol Cup at Beaulieu).
Records ===Men's singles===Source: French Pro Championships, (1930–68): The Tennisbase included Most titles Ken Rosewall8Most finals Ken Rosewall8Most consecutive titles Ken Rosewall7Most consecutive finals Ken Rosewall7Most matches played Ken Rosewall32Most matches won Ken Rosewall30Most consecutive matches won Ken Rosewall25Most editions played Ken Rosewall11Best winning % Ken Rosewall93.75%Title won with the fewest games lost Karel Koželuh20''(1930)''Youngest champion Don Budge23y, 7m, 14d''(1939)''Oldest champion Bill Tilden41y, 7m, 7d''(1934)''
See also * French Pro Championship draws – ''Professional Era (1930–1967)''* U.S. Pro Tennis Championships* Wembley Championships* Major professional tennis tournaments before the Open Era
References
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