While the Australian Championships held at Kooyong was the premier event in Australia, the tournament through the 1970′s and 1980′s was losing its way within the global community. Reasons for this was the timing of the event being late December early January which led to many top players deciding to skip from attending.
Apart from the threat of losing grand slam status, unless the tournament changed which it did with the merging of woman’s and men’s events into the one two week event and the move to Rod Laver arena (Flinders Park), this situation presented an opportunity to create a tournament which did attract the best players to Australia.
Enter, astute tennis player, promoter John Newcombe.
John was totally in tune with the tennis public and was the brainchild behind the creation of a new Indoor Tournament which began in 1973, the Custom Credit Indoor Tennis Championships.
Typically, John took the financial risk before the sponsors were signed by underwriting the event and John himself would use his connections to encourage sponsorship and negotiate the television rights. Custom Credit’s support and that of the LTAA enabled the prize money to be maintained at levels attractive to players. John had been appearing in Custom Credit commercials and had suggested the idea to extend their involvement with tennis by sponsoring the indoor event and a junior development program which they did. Further initial support came from the Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser who with speech writer Alan Jones, broadcaster and handy tennis player himself, organised for an additional $60,000.
Not short on a few mates, John played in the first tournament with Rosewall, Roche and Laver as major drawcards.
Undoubtedly, the presence of Laver at this inaugural contest was a delight for the Australian public. At 35, Rod had not been back to Australia for three years and so his presence became a point of great interest.
From a field of 32 players split into two sections, the groups consisted of many of the top Davis Cup players from a variety of Nations. The tournament comprised Mens Singles and Doubles.
As far as a first tournament went, even with prize money of US$50,000 up for grabs, public awareness and interest was sporadic. At one match between Kim Warwick and Jas Singh there were fewer than 100 spectators, yet the grand final was one of the most spectacular games featuring Rod Laver and his (boss/promoter) John Newcombe.
To get to the finals Rod had to beat Ken Rosewall which he did in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 and John beat Phil Dent 6-3, 6-4 in what was an all Australian affair. Despite their ages, these champions also won the Davis Cup in 1973 forming one of the oldest teams ever assembled. The only conceivable explanation apart from keeping fit, was their exceptional experience in pro tennis events and play over the years which was tennis at the highest level.
The grand final was a top notch thriller with Rod beating Newk in five sets 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Together they went onto to win the doubles and this set the path for Rod Laver to play in his last Davis Cup Final with Newk in the USA where they won 5-0.
After a precarious start, the following year audiences of 3000 flocked to the event and television coverage ensured that it was a commercial success.
When Custom Credit pulled out in 1984, John immediately turned to McDonalds for support of the programme at Junior and tournament levels.
Throughout this period the efforts of Newcombe and sponsor support helped impress upon the need for strong junior programmes and events which would attract the top name players.
1973
Australia Rod Laver defeated Australia John Newcombe 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
Australia Rod Laver / Australia John Newcombe defeated Australia Mal Anderson / Australia Ken Rosewall 7–6, 6–2
1974
Australia John Newcombe defeated United States Cliff Richey 6–4, 6–3, 6–4
Australia Ross Case / Australia Geoff Masters defeated Australia John Newcombe / Australia Tony Roche 6–4, 6–4
1975
United States Stan Smith defeated United States Robert Lutz 7–6, 6–2
United States Brian Gottfried / Mexico Raúl Ramírez defeated Australia Ross Case / Australia Geoff Masters [8–6]
1976
Australia Geoff Masters defeated United States James Delaney 4–6, 6–3, 7–6, 6–3
Egypt Ismail El Shafei / New Zealand Brian Fairlie defeated Australia Syd Ball / Australia Kim Warwick [9–8]
1977
United States Jimmy Connors defeated Australia Ken Rosewall 7–5, 6–4, 6–2
Australia John Newcombe / Australia Tony Roche defeated Australia Ross Case / Australia Geoff Masters 6–7, 6–3, 6–1
1978
United States Jimmy Connors defeated Australia Geoff Masters 6–0, 6–0, 6–4
Australia John Newcombe / Australia Tony Roche defeated Australia Mark Edmondson / Australia John Marks 6–4, 6–3
1979
United States Vitas Gerulaitis defeated Argentina Guillermo Vilas 4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 7–6
Australia Rod Frawley / Paraguay Francisco González defeated India Vijay Amritraj / United States Pat Du Pré by Default
1980
United States John McEnroe defeated United States Vitas Gerulaitis 6–3, 6–4
United States Peter Fleming / United States John McEnroe defeated United States Tim Gullikson / South Africa Johan Kriek 4–6, 6–1, 6–2
1981
United States John McEnroe defeated United States Roscoe Tanner 6–4, 7–5, 6–2
United States Peter Fleming / United States John McEnroe defeated United States Sherwood Stewart / United States Ferdi Taygan 6–7, 7–6, 6–1
1982
United States John McEnroe defeated United States Gene Mayer 6–4, 6–1, 6–4
United States John McEnroe / United States Peter Rennert defeated United States Steve Denton / Australia Mark Edmondson 6–3, 7–6
1983
United States John McEnroe defeated France Henri Leconte 6–1, 6–4, 7–5
Australia Mark Edmondson / United States Sherwood Stewart defeated United States John McEnroe / United States Peter Rennert 6–2, 6–4
1984
Sweden Anders Järryd defeated Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 6–3, 6–2, 6–4
Sweden Anders Järryd / Sweden Hans Simonsson defeated Australia Mark Edmondson / United States Sherwood Stewart 6–4, 6–4
1985
Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl defeated France Henri Leconte 6–4, 6–4, 7–6
Australia John Fitzgerald / Sweden Anders Järryd defeated Australia Mark Edmondson / Australia Kim Warwick 6–3, 6–2
1986
West Germany Boris Becker defeated Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 3–6, 7–6, 6–2, 6–0
West Germany Boris Becker / Australia John Fitzgerald defeated Australia Peter McNamara / Australia Paul McNamee 6–4, 7–6
1987
Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl defeated Australia Pat Cash 6–4, 6–2, 6–4
Australia Darren Cahill / Australia Mark Kratzmann defeated West Germany Boris Becker / United States Robert Seguso 6–3, 6–2
1988
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Živojinović defeated United States Richard Matuszewski 7–6, 6–3, 6–4
Australia Darren Cahill / Australia John Fitzgerald defeated United States Martin Davis / Australia Brad Drewett 6–3, 6-2
1989
Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl defeated Sweden Lars-Anders Wahlgren 6–2, 6–2, 6–1
United States David Pate / United States Scott Warner defeated Australia Darren Cahill / Australia Mark Kratzmann 6–3, 6–7, 7–5
1990
West Germany Boris Becker defeated Sweden Stefan Edberg 7–6, 6–4, 6–4
Australia Broderick Dyke / Sweden Peter Lundgren defeated Sweden Stefan Edberg / Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 6–2, 7–6
1991
Sweden Stefan Edberg defeated United States Brad Gilbert 6–2, 6–2, 6–2
United States Jim Grabb / United States Richey Reneberg defeated United States Luke Jensen / Australia Laurie Warder 6–2, 6–3
1992
Croatia Goran Ivanišević defeated Sweden Stefan Edberg 6–4, 6–2, 6–4
United States Patrick McEnroe / United States Jonathan Stark defeated United States Jim Grabb / United States Richey Reneberg 7–6, 6–3
1993
Peru Jaime Yzaga defeated Czech Republic Petr Korda 6–4, 4–6, 7–6 (7–4), 7–6 (9–7)
United States Patrick McEnroe / United States Richey Reneberg defeated Germany Alexander Mronz / Germany Lars Rehmann 6–3, 7–5
1994
Netherlands Richard Krajicek defeated Germany Boris Becker 7–6 (7–5), 7–6 (9–7), 2–6, 6–3
Netherlands Jacco Eltingh / Netherlands Paul Haarhuis defeated Zimbabwe Byron Black / United States Jonathan Stark 6–4, 7–6
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