The 1977 season of the World Championship Tennis (WCT) circuit was one of the two rival professional male tennis circuits of 1977. It was organized by World Championship Tennis (WCT) and consisted of a preliminary series of twelve tournaments leading up to a singles play-off in Dallas and doubles play-off in Kansas City in May. 23 players participated and the season final was played by the eight best performers. It was won by American Jimmy Connors who defeated compatriot Dick Stockton in four sets. The total prize money for the 1977 WCT circuit was $2,400,000.

Additionally there were three special events that did not count towards the standings; the Aetna World Cup held in Hartford between America and Australia (10–13 March), the $320,000 Challenge Cup in Las Vegas (14–20 November) and the Tournament of Champions held in Lakeway, Texas (10–13 March, 10–13 July) and Madison Square Garden, New York (17 September).

Borg lawsuit In February the WCT sued Björn Borg, as well as his management company IMG claiming that Borg had committed a breach of contract by electing to participate in the competing 1977 Grand Prix circuit instead of the WCT circuit. Borg eventually played a single WCT event, the Monte Carlo WCT, and won the tournament. As part of the settlement Borg committed to playing six or eight WCT events in 1978 which were then part of the Grand Prix circuit.

Overview DateTournamentLocationDrawPrize MoneySurfaceWinnerFinalistScore 12 January Alabama WCT Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. 16S / 8D $175,000 Carpet (i) Jimmy Connors Bill Scanlon 6–3, 6–3 24 January U.S. Pro Indoor Philadelphia, U.S. 64S / 32D $200,000 Carpet (i) Dick Stockton Jimmy Connors 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1, 6–2 31 January Richmond Tennis Classic Richmond, Virginia, U.S. 16S / 8D $100,000 Carpet (i) Tom Okker Vitas Gerulaitis 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 7 February Mexico City WCT Mexico City, Mexico 16S / 8D $100,000 Carpet (i) Ilie Năstase Wojciech Fibak 4–6, 6–2, 7–6 15 February Toronto Indoor WCT Toronto, Canada 16S / 8D $100,000 Carpet (i) Dick Stockton Jimmy Connors 5–6, ret. 1 March Monterrey WCT Monterrey, Mexico 16S / 8D $100,000 Carpet (i) Wojciech Fibak Vitas Gerulaitis 6–4, 6–3 16 March St. Louis WCT St. Louis, U.S. 16S / 8D $100,000 Hard (i) Jimmy Connors John Alexander 7–6, 6–2 22 March Rotterdam WCT Rotterdam, Netherlands 16S / 8D $100,000 Carpet (i) Dick Stockton Ilie Năstase 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 28 March London WCT London, UK 16S / 8D $100,000 Carpet (i) Eddie Dibbs Vitas Gerulaitis 7–6, 6–7, 6–4 5 April Monte Carlo WCT Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France 16S / 8D $100,000 Clay Björn Borg Corrado Barazzutti 6–3, 7–5, 6–0 11 April Houston WCT Houston, U.S. 16S / 8D $100,000 Har-Tru Adriano Panatta Vitas Gerulaitis 7–6, 6–7, 6–1 18 April Charlotte WCT Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. 16S / 8D $100,000 Har-Tru Corrado Barazzutti Eddie Dibbs 7–6, 6–0 4 May Kansas WCT Doubles Finals Kansas City, U.S. 8D $200,000 Carpet (i) Vijay Amritraj Dick Stockton Vitas Gerulaitis Adriano Panatta 7–6, 7–6, 4–6, 6–3 10 May Dallas WCT Singles Finals Dallas, Texas, U.S. 8S $200,000 Carpet (i) Jimmy Connors Dick Stockton 6–7, 6–1, 6–4, 6–3

Schedule The schedule of events on the 1977 WCT circuit, with player progression documented until the quarterfinals stage.

January WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists12 Jan Alabama WCT Birmingham, United States Carpet (i) – $100,000 – 16S/8D Jimmy Connors6–3, 6–3 Bill Scanlon Eddie Dibbs Ray Moore Cliff Drysdale Sandy Mayer Vitas Gerulaitis Ilie Năstase Wojciech Fibak Tom Okker6–3, 6–4 Billy Martin Bill Scanlon24 Jan U.S. Pro Indoor Philadelphia, United States Carpet (i) – $200,000 – 64S/32D Singles – Doubles Dick Stockton3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1, 6–2 Jimmy Connors Jeff Borowiak Cliff Drysdale Ken Rosewall Vijay Amritraj Bernard Mitton Tony Roche Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan7–5, 6–3 Wojciech Fibak Tom Okker31 Jan Fidelity TournamentRichmond, United States Carpet (i) – $50,000 – 32S/16D Tom Okker3–6, 6–3, 6–4 Vitas Gerulaitis Corrado Barazzutti Tony Roche Ross Case Adriano Panatta Manuel Orantes Ilie Năstase Wojciech Fibak Tom Okker6–4, 6–4 Ross Case Tony Roche

February WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists7 Feb Mexico City WCT Mexico City, Mexico Carpet (i) – $100,000 – 16S/8D Ilie Năstase4–6, 6–2, 7–6 Wojciech Fibak Adriano Panatta Ken Rosewall Cliff Drysdale Jan Kodeš Vitas Gerulaitis Manuel Orantes Wojciech Fibak Tom Okker6–2, 6–3 Ilie Năstase Adriano Panatta16 Feb Toronto IndoorToronto, Canada Dick Stockton5–6 ret. Jimmy Connors Eddie Dibbs Tom Okker Rod Laver Ken Rosewall Tony Roche Ross Case Wojciech Fibak Tom Okker6–4, 6–1 Ross Case Tony Roche28 Feb Monterrey WCT Monterrey, Mexico Carpet (i) – $100,000 – 16S/8D Wojciech Fibak6–4, 6–3 Vitas Gerulaitis Cliff Drysdale Bill Scanlon Manuel Orantes Raúl Ramírez Harold Solomon Eddie Dibbs Ross Case Wojciech Fibak3–6, 6–3, 6–4 Billy Martin Bill Scanlon

March WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists16 Mar St. Louis Tennis Classic Carpet (i) – $100,000 – 16S/8D St. Louis, United States Jimmy Connors7–6, 6–2 John Alexander Harold Solomon Ilie Năstase Cliff Drysdale Raz Reid Ken Rosewall Bernard Mitton Ilie Năstase Adriano Panatta6–4, 3–6, 7–6 Vijay Amritraj Dick Stockton22 Mar ABN World Tennis Tournament WCTRotterdam, Netherlands Carpet (i) – $100,000 – 16S/8D Singles Dick Stockton2–6, 6–3, 6–3 Ilie Năstase Wojciech Fibak Mark Cox Vijay Amritraj John Alexander Corrado Barazzutti Cliff Drysdale Tom Okker Wojciech Fibak6–4, 6–4 Vijay Amritraj Dick Stockton28 Mar Rothmans International LondonLondon, UK Carpet (i) – $100,000 – 16S/8D Eddie Dibbs7–6, 6–7, 6–4 Vitas Gerulaitis Vijay Amritraj Dick Stockton Ilie Năstase Ross Case Wojciech Fibak Harold Solomon Ilie Năstase Adriano Panatta7–6(7–5), 6–7(3–7), 6–3 Mark Cox Eddie Dibbs

April WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists5 Apr Monte Carlo WCT Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay – $100,000 – 16S/8D Björn Borg6–3, 7–5, 6–0 Corrado Barazzutti Jan Kodeš Guillermo Vilas Balázs Taróczy Wojciech Fibak Eddie Dibbs Adriano Panatta François Jauffret Jan Kodeš 2–6, 6–3, 6–2 Wojciech Fibak Tom Okker11 Apr Houston OpenHouston, United States Adriano Panatta7–6, 6–7, 6–1 Vitas Gerulaitis Eddie Dibbs Ilie Năstase Ken Rosewall Harold Solomon Tony Roche Ross Case Ilie Năstase Adriano Panatta6–3, 6–4 John Alexander Phil Dent18 Apr Charlotte Tennis Classic Charlotte, United States Clay – $200,000 – 16S/8D Corrado Barazzutti7–6, 6–0 Eddie Dibbs Adriano Panatta John Alexander Tom Okker Cliff Drysdale Harold Solomon Tony Roche Tom Okker Ken Rosewall6–1, 3–6, 7–6 Corrado Barazzutti Adriano Panatta

May WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists10 May WCT Finals Dallas, United StatesTour FinalsCarpet (i) – $100,000 – 8SSingles Jimmy Connors6–7, 6–1, 6–4, 6–3 Dick Stockton Eddie Dibbs Vitas Gerulaitis Adriano Panatta Cliff Drysdale Ilie Năstase Wojciech Fibak

Special events These WCT events did not count towards the standings.

Week ofTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists10 Mar World Cup Hartford, United States 7–0 AustraliaN.A. N.A.25 Apr Caesar's Palace ChallengeLas Vegas, United States $100,000 Ilie Năstase3–6, 7–6, 6–4, 7–5 Jimmy Connors N.A. N.A.10 Mar – 10 Jul – 17 Sep Shakeys Tournament of Champions Lakeway, United States New York City, United States (final) Harold Solomon6–5(7–5), 6–2, 2–6, 0–6, 6–3 Ken Rosewall Dick Stockton Eddie Dibbs Phil Dent Jimmy Connors Ilie Năstase Vijay Amritraj

Standings

PlayerTournaments PlayedTournaments WonMatches WonMatches LostPoints Dick Stockton * 7 3 15 4 520 Eddie Dibbs * 9 1 17 8 500 Jimmy Connors * 5 2 12 3 460 Ilie Năstase * 8 1 15 7 440 Cliff Drysdale * 9 0 10 8 420 Wojtek Fibak * 9 1 11 8 420 Vitas Gerulaitis * 7 0 15 7 420 Adriano Panatta * 9 1 11 8 400 Corrado Barazzutti 7 1 10 6 330 Ken Rosewall 8 0 7 8 320 Harold Solomon 9 0 7 8 320 * Qualified for the WCT Finals.

See also 1977 Grand Prix circuit

References

External links ATP 1977 results archive