Laver–Rosewall rivalry
Australian tennis player Rod Laver (born 1938) had a long-running and friendly rivalry with countryman Ken Rosewall (born 1934).[1] In 1956 both players toured in the amateur circuit but never faced each other. Rosewall turned professional in January 1957 and the two players did not meet until January 1963 when Laver turned pro. They played many times until 1977 when both semi-retired from the main tour.[2]
Analysis
Including tournaments and one-night stands, they played at least 164 matches with Laver leading 89–75.
Their meetings took place in the span 1963–77. They met in 13 individual years in that span, and in 9 of those 13 Laver had an edge, which can be explained considering that Laver faced an already declining Rosewall: in their first meeting ever, Rosewall was already 28 years of age.[lower-alpha 1]
After their 1969 Roland Garros final, Laver said, "Ken has consistently been my toughest opponent, on any surface, and we've played each other, I don't know, well over 200 times."[3]
Head-to-head tallies
Ken [Rosewall] pushed me around for about 20 years.
— Rod Laver, in 2012
The following is a breakdown of their documented head-to-head results:[4]
Player | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rod Laver | 13 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 89 |
Ken Rosewall | 38 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 75 |
- All matches: Laver 89–75
- All finals: Laver 36–20
- Grand Slams: 1–1
- Pro Slams: Rosewall 6–5
Results per court surface
- Grass courts: Laver 18–13
- Hard courts: Laver 21–13 (18–12 on outdoor hard courts and 3–1 on indoor hard courts)
- Clay courts: Laver 13–11
- Indoor courts (carpet, wood, canvas – not including indoor hard courts and clay courts): Rosewall 38–34
List of all matches
Legend: |
Rod Laver's wins |
Ken Rosewall's wins |
No. | Winner | Win No. | Year | Date | Event | Round | Surface | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ken Rosewall | 1. | 1963 | 6 January | Australasian Tour – Sydney White City[5] | Tour | Grass | 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 |
2 | Ken Rosewall | 2. | 1963 | 12 January | Australasian Tour – Brisbane Milton | Tour | Grass | 3–6, 10–8, 6–2, 6–3 |
3 | Rod Laver | 1. | 1963 | 19 January | Australasian Tour – Melbourne[6] | Tour | Grass | 6–3, 3–6, 7–5, 6–2 |
4 | Ken Rosewall | 3. | 1963 | 20 January | Australasian Tour – Albury | Tour | Grass | 4–6, 6–3, 6–0 |
5 | Ken Rosewall | 4. | 1963 | 21 January | Australasian Tour – Canberra[7] | Tour | Clay | 10–8, 6–3 |
Rod Laver | 2. | 1963 | 25 January | Australasian Tour – Adelaide | Tour | Grass | 6–1, 6–2, 6–2 | |
Ken Rosewall | 5. | 1963 | 28 January | Australasian Tour – Auckland | Tour | Grass | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 6. | 1963 | 29 or 30 January | Australasian Tour – Dunedin | Tour | Grass | 10–8, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 7. | 1963 | 29 or 30 January | Australasian Tour – Napier | Tour | Wood (i) | 6–1, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 8. | 1963 | 31 January | Australasian Tour – Palmerston North | Tour | Wood (i) | 7–9, 6–3, 6–4[lower-alpha 2] | |
Ken Rosewall | 9. | 1963 | 1 or 2 February | Australasian Tour – Masterton | Tour | Wood (i) | 6–2, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 10. | 1963 | 1 or 2 February | Australasian Tour – Wellington | Tour | Grass | 6–3, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 11. | 1963 | 3 February | Australasian Tour – Hamilton | Tour | Wood (i) | 6–3, 7–5[lower-alpha 3] | |
Ken Rosewall | 12. | 1963 | 10 February | North America Tour (group phase) – New York | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 12–10 | |
Ken Rosewall | 13. | 1963 | 14 February | North America Tour (group phase) – College Park (MD) | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 8–5 | |
Ken Rosewall | 14. | 1963 | 17 February | North America Tour (group phase) – Baltimore (MD) | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 8–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 15. | 1963 | 22 February | North America Tour (group phase) – Montreal, Canada | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 8–6 | |
Ken Rosewall | 16. | 1963 | 29 March | North America Tour (group phase) – Kansas City | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 12–10 | |
Rod Laver | 3. | 1963 | 1 April | Cleveland Tournament | 3rd place | Canvas (i) | 9–7 | |
Rod Laver | 4. | 1963 | 7 April | North America Tour (group phase) – Louisville (KY) | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 8–3 | |
Rod Laver | 5. | 1963 | 10 April | North America Tour (group phase) – Wheaton (IL) | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 8–6 | |
Rod Laver | 6. | 1963 | 14 April | North America Tour (group phase) – Hamilton, Bermuda | Tour | Clay | 10–8 | |
Rod Laver | 7. | 1963 | 25 April | North America Tour (play-off phase) – San Francisco | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 17. | 1963 | 26 April | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Los Angeles | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 10–8, 7–5 | |
Rod Laver | 8. | 1963 | 28 April | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Salt Lake City | Tour | Concrete (o) | 6–4, 16–18, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 18. | 1963 | 29 April | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Denver | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 6–3, 6–2 | |
Ken Rosewall | 19. | 1963 | 3 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Minneapolis | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 | |
Rod Laver | 9. | 1963 | 5 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Chicago | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 6–4, 7–5 | |
Ken Rosewall | 20. | 1963 | 7 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Muncie, Indiana | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 6–2, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 21. | 1963 | 10 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Hershey (PA) | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 7–5, 4–6, 9–7 | |
Ken Rosewall | 22. | 1963 | 11 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Cherry Hill (NJ) | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 7–5, 6–2 | |
Ken Rosewall | 23. | 1963 | 12 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – New Haven (CT) | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 14–12, 9–7 | |
Rod Laver | 10. | 1963 | 16 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – New York | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 6–0, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 24. | 1963 | 17 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Corvallis (Oregon) | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 10–8, 7–5 | |
Ken Rosewall | 25. | 1963 | 18 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Portland | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 8–6, 6–2 | |
Ken Rosewall | 26. | 1963 | 20 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Medford (Oregon) | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 6–1, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 27. | 1963 | 21 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Eugene (Oregon) | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 6–2, 6–2 | |
Ken Rosewall | 28. | 1963 | 23 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Seattle | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 29. | 1963 | 24 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Vancouver | Tour | Canvas (i) * | 6–3, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 30. | 1963 | 30 May | North America Tour (play-off phase) – Santa Barbara | Tour | Hard | 6–2, 6–8, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 31. | 1963 | June | TV Series – Los Angeles | Tour | Hard | Rosewall's win | |
Ken Rosewall | 32. | 1963 | 16 June | Los Angeles Pro[8] | Final | Hard | 14–12, 6–4, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 33. | 1963 | June | TV Series – Los Angeles | Tour | Hard | Rosewall's win | |
Ken Rosewall | 34. | 1963 | 29 June | U.S. Pro – Forest Hills[9] | Final | Grass | 6–4, 6–2, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 11. | 1963 | 11 August | Kitzbühel Pro | Final | Clay | 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 12. | 1963 | 18 August | Cannes Pro | Final | Wood (i) | 6–2, 6–3, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 35. | 1963 | 7 September | Dublin tour match | Tour | Grass | 6–1, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 36. | 1963 | 15 September | French Pro – Paris Stade Coubertin | Final | Wood (i) | 6–8, 6–4, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 13. | 1963 | 22 September | Brighton | Tour | Wood (i) | 6–3, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 37. | 1963 | 30 September | Italian Pro – Rome | Final | Wood (i) | 6–4, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 38. | 1963 | 3 November | Japan Pro – Osaka[10] | Tour | Wood (i) | 5–7, 6–2 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 14. | 1964 | 5 January | Western Australian Pro – Perth (4-man tournament)[11] | Round robin | Grass | 6–2, 6–1 | |
Ken Rosewall | 39. | 1964 | 11 January | Melbourne Pro | Final | Grass | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 40. | 1964 | 1 March | New Zealand Tour – Hamilton East | Tour | Clay | 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 | |
Rod Laver | 15. | 1964 | 3 March | New Zealand Tour – Gisborne | Tour | Wood (i) | 6–2, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 16. | 1964 | 8 March | New Zealand Tour – Nelson | Tour | Grass | 7–5, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 17. | 1964 | 13 March | New Zealand Tour – Invercargill | Tour | Hard (i) | 6–3, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 18. | 1964 | 20 June | Monterey California Pro | Semifinal | Hard (o) | 9-11, 6–3, 6-4 | |
Rod Laver | 19. | 1964 | 11 July | U.S. Pro – Brookline | Semifinal | Grass | 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 20. | 1964 | 20 July | Nottingham (UK) | Tour | Wood (i) | 6–2, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 21. | 1964 | 22 July | Knokke-le-Zoute Pro (4-man Tournament) | Semifinal | Clay | 6–1, 6–1 | |
Rod Laver | 22. | 1964 | 25 July | Altrincham | Tour | 6–2, 6–2 | ||
Rod Laver | 23. | 1964 | 31 August | Zurich | Tour | Clay | 2–6, 6–1, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 24. | 1964 | 1 September | Montreux | Tour | Clay | 6–1, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 41. | 1964 | 13 September | French Pro – Paris Stade Coubertin | Final | Wood (i) | 6–3, 7–5, 3–6, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 25. | 1964 | 19 September | Wembley Pro – London | Final | Wood (i) | 7–5, 5–7, 4–6, 8–6, 8–6 | |
Ken Rosewall | 42. | 1964 | 21 September | Cardiff | Tour | Hard (i) | 6–4, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 43. | 1964 | 22 September | Glasgow | Tour | Wood (i) | 6–1 | |
Ken Rosewall | 44. | 1964 | 29 September | Rome | Tour | Wood (i) | 6–3, 9–7 | |
Rod Laver | 26. | 1964 | 6 October | Faenza | Tour | Wood (i) | 7–5, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 27. | 1964 | 8 October | Torino | Tour | Clay (i) | 8–6, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 28. | 1964 | 20 October | Bloemfontein | Tour | Hard** | 8–6, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 29. | 1964 | 27 October | East London | Tour | Hard | 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 30. | 1964 | 29 October | Durban | Tour | Hard | 6–4, 9–7 | |
Ken Rosewall | 45. | 1964 | 31 October | Johannesburg – Ellis Park | Challenge | Hard (o) | 6–4, 6–1, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 46. | 1965 | 16 January | Queensland Pro – Brisbane | Final | Grass | 6–8, 6–2, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 31. | 1965 | 30 January | South Australian Pro – Adelaide | Final | Grass | 6–3, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 32. | 1965 | 13 February | Victorian Pro – Melbourne[12] | Final | Grass | 2–6, 6–1, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 33. | 1965 | 5 June | Greater Seattle Pro | Semifinal | Hard | 6–8, 15–13, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 34. | 1965 | 19 June | Lake Tahoe Pro | Semifinal | Hard | 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 | |
Ken Rosewall | 47. | 1965 | 27 June | Greater Washington Pro – Reston | Final | Clay | 8–6, 6–1 | |
Ken Rosewall | 48. | 1965 | 3 July | St Louis Pro | Semifinal | Clay | 6–1, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 49. | 1965 | 5 July | US Tour – Cincinnati | Tour | Clay | 10–8 | |
Rod Laver | 35. | 1965 | 10 July | Newport Pro | Round robin | Grass | 31–21 | |
Rod Laver | 36. | 1965 | 12 July | Newport Pro | Play-off | Grass | 31–28 | |
Ken Rosewall | 50. | 1965 | 19 July | U.S. Pro – Brookline | Final | Grass | 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 51. | 1965 | 12 September | French Pro – Paris Stade Coubertin | Final | Wood (i) | 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 37. | 1965 | 19 September | Brighton (UK) | Tour | Wood (i) | 1–6, 6–2, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 38. | 1965 | 22 September | Stalybridge (UK) | Tour | Wood (i) | 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 39. | 1965 | 3 October | Varese, Italy | Tour | Wood (i) | 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 40. | 1965 | 4 October | Bologna | Tour | Wood (i) | 6–3, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 52. | 1965 | 6 October | Torino | Tour | Clay (i) | 9–7, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 41. | 1965 | 12 October | Nairobi Pro | Final | Clay | 6–1, 4–6, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 42. | 1965 | 17 October | Rhodesian Pro – Bulawayo and Salisbury | Final | Hard | 3–6, 6–4, 6–1 | |
Rod Laver | 43. | 1965 | 30 October | Natal Pro – Durban | Final | Hard | 6–2, 8–6 | |
Rod Laver | 44. | 1965 | 29 October | East London | Tour | Hard | 7–5, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 45. | 1965 | 3 November | Western Province Pro – Cape Town | Final | Hard | 4–6, 6–3, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 46. | 1965 | 6 November | Johannesburg – Ellis Park | Challenge | Hard | 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 47. | 1966 | 22 January | Victorian Pro – Melbourne | Final | Grass | 6–3, 6–0 | |
Rod Laver | 48. | 1966 | 23 January | Warrnambool | Tour | Grass | 6–2, 6–0 | |
Ken Rosewall | 53. | 1966 | 24 January | Shepparton | Tour | Grass | 7–5, 9–7 | |
Rod Laver | 49. | 1966 | 29 January | Western Australian Pro – Perth | Final | Grass | 6–2, 10–8 | |
Ken Rosewall | 54. | 1966 | 26 March | Madison Square Garden Pro – New York City[13] | Final | Carpet (i) | 6–3, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 50. | 1966 | 12 June | Forest Hills Pro | Round robin | Grass | 31–20 | |
Rod Laver | 51. | 1966 | 12 June | Forest Hills Pro | Final | Grass | 31–29 | |
Ken Rosewall | 55. | 1966 | 26 June | San Rafael Pro | Round robin | Hard | 31–29 | |
Ken Rosewall | 56. | 1966 | 5 July | Cincinnati | Tour | Clay | 8–5 | |
Rod Laver | 52. | 1966 | 5 July | Cincinnati | Tour | Clay | 21–18 | |
Ken Rosewall | 57. | 1966 | 10 July | Newport Pro | Round robin | Grass | 31–23 | |
Rod Laver | 53. | 1966 | 17 July | U.S. Pro – Brookline[14] | Final | Grass | 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 8–10, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 54. | 1966 | 17 September | Wembley Pro – London[15] | Final | Wood (i) | 6–2, 6–2, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 58. | 1966 | 2 October | French Pro – Paris Stade Coubertin[16] | Final | Wood (i) | 6–3, 6–2, 14–12 | |
Ken Rosewall | 59. | 1966 | 20 October | Johannesburg Pro[lower-alpha 4] | Final | Hard | 31–26 | |
Rod Laver | 55. | 1966 | 23 October | Western Province Pro – Cape Town | Final | Hard | 5–7, 6–4, 7–5 | |
Ken Rosewall | 60. | 1966 | 24 October | Port Elizabeth | Tour | Hard | 6–3, 7–5 | |
Rod Laver | 56. | 1966 | 28 October | Pretoria | Tour | 8–6, 6–2 | ||
Rod Laver | 57. | 1967 | 28 March | Boston Pro[lower-alpha 5] | Final | Carpet (i) | 6–4, 6–0 | |
Rod Laver | 58. | 1967 | 9 April | Paris Pro – Stade Coubertin[lower-alpha 6] | Final | Wood (i) | 6–0, 10–8, 10–8 | |
Ken Rosewall | 61. | 1967 | 28 May | Los Angeles Pro | Final | Carpet | 6–2, 2–6, 7–5[lower-alpha 7] | |
Ken Rosewall | 62. | 1967 | 4 June | Pacific Coast Pro – Berkeley | Final | Hard | 4–6, 6–3, 8–6 | |
Rod Laver | 59. | 1967 | 10 June | Madison Square Garden Pro, New York City | Final | Carpet (i) | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 63. | 1967 | 25 June | Newport Beach Pro | Final | Hard | 6–3, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 60. | 1967 | 3 July | World Pro – Oklahoma City | Final | Hard | 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 61. | 1967 | 23 July | Newport Pro | Round robin | Grass | 31–20 | |
Rod Laver | 62. | 1967 | 28 August | Wimbledon Pro, England[17] | Final | Grass | 6–2, 6–2, 12–10 | |
Ken Rosewall | 64. | 1967 | 6 September | Transvaal Pro – Pretoria, Benoni and Klerksdorp | 3rd place | Hard | 6–3, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 63. | 1967 | 11 September | East London Pro | 3rd place | Hard | 8–5 | |
Ken Rosewall | 65. | 1967 | 24 September | Mbabane | Tour | Hard** | 6–2, 8–6 | |
Rod Laver | 64. | 1967 | 28 October | Wembley Pro – London | Final | Wood (i) | 2–6, 6–1, 1–6, 8–6, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 65. | 1968 | 17 April | BBC2 World Invitation Champs Pro – Wembley | Final | Wood (i) | 6–3, 10–8 | |
Ken Rosewall | 66. | 1968 | 28 April | Bournemouth Open | Final | Clay | 3–6, 6–2, 6–0, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 66. | 1968 | 7 May | NTL Wembley Invitation Pro | Final | Wood (i) | 6–0, 6–1, 6–0 | |
Rod Laver | 67. | 1968 | 18 May | NTL Madison Square Garden Pro – New York City | Final | Carpet (i) | 4–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 67. | 1968 | 9 June | French Open – Stade Roland Garros Paris | Final | Clay | 6–3, 6–1, 2–6, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 68. | 1968 | 22 September | Pacific Southwest Open – Los Angeles | Final | Hard (i) | 4–6, 6–0, 6–0[lower-alpha 8] | |
Rod Laver | 69. | 1968 | 10 December | Nashville – Dixie Tennis Classic | Final | Carpet (i) | 6–2, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 70. | 1969 | 8 February | Philadelphia Open | Semifinal | Carpet (i) | 6–4, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 71. | 1969 | 11 February | Orlando Pro | Final | Clay | 6–3, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 72. | 1969 | 25 February | Oakland Pro | Semifinal | Carpet (i) | 6–3, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 73. | 1969 | 21 May | BBC2 World Pro – Wembley | Final | Wood (i) | 8–6, 6–0 | |
Rod Laver | 74. | 1969 | 22–24 May | Dutch Pro Champs – Amsterdam and Eindhoven | Round robin | Clay | 6–2, 1–6, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 75. | 1969 | 8 June | French Open – Stade Roland Garros Paris | Final | Clay | 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 76. | 1969 | 14 July | U.S. Pro – Brookline | Semifinal | Hard | 6–3, 5–7, 6–2, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 77. | 1969 | 17 August | Fort Worth Pro | Final | Hard | 6–3, 6–2 | |
Ken Rosewall | 68. | 1969 | 17 October | Hamburg – One-night stand | Single match | Carpet (i) | 0–6, 6–4, 8–6 | |
Rod Laver | 78. | 1970 | 22 March | Dunlop Sydney Open – White City[18] | Final | Grass | 3–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 79. | 1970 | 1 June | St Louis WCT | Final | Carpet (i) | 6–1, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 80. | 1970 | 16 July | Tennis Champions Classic Pro – New York City | Final | Carpet (i) | 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 | |
Rod Laver | 81. | 1970 | 1 August | Louisville WCT | Semifinal | Clay | 6–4, 1–6, 6–1 | |
Rod Laver | 82. | 1970 | 15 December | Masters, Tokyo | Round robin | Carpet (i) | 5–6, 6–3, 6–5 | |
Rod Laver | 83. | 1971 | 2 January | Tennis Champions Classic Pro – New York | Carpet (i) | 6–3, 6–2, 7–5 | ||
Ken Rosewall | 69. | 1971 | 15 July | Washington WCT | Round of 16 | Clay | 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 | |
Rod Laver | 84. | 1971 | 1 August | Fort Worth WCT | Quarterfinal | Hard | 7–5, 5–7, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 85. | 1971 | 3 October | Berkeley WCT | Final | Hard | 6–4, 6–4, 7–6(7–3) | |
Ken Rosewall | 70. | 1971 | 18 November | WCT Finals, Houston and Dallas | Final | Carpet (i) | 6–4, 1–6, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–4) | |
Rod Laver | 86. | 1972 | 13 February | U.S. Pro Indoor – Philadelphia WCT | Final | Carpet (i) | 4–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 87. | 1972 | 20 February | Toronto WCT | Final | Carpet (i) | 6–1, 6–4 | |
Rod Laver | 88. | 1972 | 9 April | Houston River Oaks WCT | Final | Clay | 6–2, 6–4 | |
Ken Rosewall | 71. | 1972 | 14 May | WCT Finals, Dallas | Final | Carpet (i) | 4–6, 6–0, 6–3, 6–7(3–7), 7–6(7–5) | |
Ken Rosewall | 72. | 1973 | 12 May | WCT Finals, Dallas | 3rd place | Carpet (i) | 6–3, 6–2 | |
Rod Laver | 89. | 1973 | 10 November | Australian Indoors, Sydney | Semifinal | Hard (i) | 6–4, 3–6, 8–6 | |
Ken Rosewall | 73. | 1976 | 15 February | WCT Avis Challenge Cup | Round robin | Carpet | 6–4, 6–1, 6–3[lower-alpha 9] | |
Ken Rosewall | 74. | 1976 | 8 April | Houston River Oaks WCT (first Tour) | Round of 16 | Clay | 3–6, 6–4, 6–3 | |
Ken Rosewall | 75. | 1977 | 4 February | Green Bay, Wisconsin | Tour | Carpet (i) | 7–6, 7–5 |
The star(*) means it was most probably canvas. During the World Tour in 63, they used their portable canvas surface .It's possible (but very unlikely) that in some stops they played on wood.
The double star(**) means it was most probably hard, but not yet confirmed.
Other matches:
- 1964, 30 January – Brisbane tour match. Rain stopped match when Laver was ahead 4–6, 8–6, 1–0.
- 1965, 24 January – Manly Tour. Rain stopped match when Rosewall was ahead 6–2, 3–2.
- 1966, October–November – Tour in Nairobi, Entebbe, Accra and Lagos.
- 1967, August – Italian Tour, four cities with the pro troupe.
- 1967, October – Spain Tour with Laver, Rosewall, Gimeno and Stolle.
Notes
- Jack Kramer claimed in "Tennis de France N°174 Octobre 1967" that Rosewall's peak career was in 1961–1962.
- Fourth match on the NZ Tour. Two matches were played between Auckland and Palmerston North, two between Palmerston North and Hamilton.
- Rosewall won 6–3, 7–5 or 6–3, 7–6. They may have played a final game to finish the set off.
- Not to be confused with: South African Pro – Johannesburg.
- Not to be confused with: U.S. Pro.
- Not to be confused with: French Pro.
- Tournament played on AstroTurf carpet surface on Center Court and on cement on the secondary court.
- Last four days of the tournament held indoors at Los Angeles Sports Arena.
- Tournament started on Supreme Court carpet surface. Because of extreme heat, they changed to plexipave hardcourt.
References
- Conner, Floyd (2002). Tennis's Most Wanted : the top 10 book of baseline blunders, clay court wonders, and lucky lobs (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: Brassey's, Inc. p. 224. ISBN 978-1574883633.
- Eben Harrell (8 September 2010). "Top 10 Tennis Rivalries". Time.
- Dick Roraback (9 June 1969). "Rod and Ken: Still Another Point of View". International Herald Tribune (European Edition). p. 13.
- Bud Collins (29 January 2006). "A rivalry for the ages". The Age.
- "Laver 'Crushed' In 65 Minutes – Grand Slam Champion Beaten By Rosewall". The Canberra Times. 7 January 1963. p. 16 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Laver Downs Ken Rosewall". The Canberra Times. 21 January 1963. p. 20 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Laver Down Before £850 Gate". The Canberra Times. 22 January 1963. p. 20 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Rosewall Wins Pro. Title". The Canberra Times. 18 June 1963. p. 28 – via National Library of Australia.
- "LAVER LOSES TO ROSEWALL". The Canberra Times. 2 July 1963. p. 24 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Hoad Wins". The Canberra Times. 4 November 1963. p. 20 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Laver in Form". The Canberra Times. 6 January 1964. p. 16 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Rosewall down to Laver". The Canberra Times. 15 February 1965. p. 14 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Professional tennis to Ken Rose wall". The Canberra Times. 28 March 1966. p. 23 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Laver hits top again". The Canberra Times. 19 July 1966. p. 16 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Layer outclasses Rosewall with swift efficiency". The Canberra Times. 19 September 1966. p. 13 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Rosewall's singles title". The Canberra Times. 5 October 1966. p. 29 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Wimbledon pro title to Laver". The Canberra Times. 30 August 1967. p. 36 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Tennis thriller – Layer wins 'greatest game ever'". The Canberra Times. 23 March 1970. p. 20 – via National Library of Australia.
Sources
- Joe McCauley, The History of Professional Tennis, London 2001
- World Tennis (The US Magazine)
- World of Tennis (Annuals edited by John Barrett)
- Tony Trabert in Tennis de France (French magazine)
- Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Laver – Rosewall head to head
External links
- A rivalry for the ages by Bud Collins, at Australian newspaper The Age