10-Year Anniversary
Sept. 4, 1993 – Mats Wilander finally defeats Mikael Pernfors 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in a four-hour-and-one-minute match that concludes at 2:26 a.m – the latest ever conclusion of a US Open match. In the post-match press conference, when asked if he had ever played this late in the evening, Wilander dead-panned, “Played what?”
Sept. 10, 1983 – Martina Navratilova wins her first US Open women’s singles championship, defeating Chris Evert Lloyd in the final 6-1, 6-3.
Sept. 11, 1983 – Jimmy Connors wins his second consecutive, fifth and final singles title at the US Open, defeating Ivan Lendl in the final 6-3, 6-7, 7-5, 6-0.
Aug. 29, 1978 – The gates open at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., for the facility’s grand opening. Bjorn Borg and Bob Hewitt play the first match at the new facility with Borg winning the best-of-three set first round match 6-0, 6-2.
Aug. 30, 1978 – The USTA National Tennis Center hosts its first full day of US Open tennis. Arthur Ashe plays the most exciting match of the day, saving three match points in the second-set tie-break to defeat Ross Case 4-6, 7-6, 6-1 in a best-of-three-set first round match. Ashe calls the new USTA National Tennis Center “The greatest thing since sliced bread.”
Sept. 10, 1978 – Jimmy Connors becomes the first player to win the US Open on three different surfaces as he defeats Bjorn Borg, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in the men’s final played on the Deco Turf II courts at the new USTA National Tennis Center. Connors previously won the 1974 U.S. Open on grass and the 1976 U.S. Open on clay courts. Chris Evert wins her fourth straight US Open women’s singles title, defeating 16-year-old Pam Shriver 7-5, 6-4 in the final.
Sept. 8, 1973 – Margaret Court wins her final Grand Slam title defeating Evonne Goolagong in the women’s final 7-6, 5-7, 6-2.
Aug. 27, 1968 – Open tennis begins at the U.S. Championships and Billie Jean King plays the first stadium match at the US Open, defeating Long Island dentist and alternate player Dr. Vija Vuskains 6-1, 6-0. Amateurs Ray Moore and Jim Osborne register upset wins over professionals; Moore defeating No. 10 seed Andres Gimeno 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 and Osborne defeating Barry MacKay 8-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Sept. 9, 1968 – Arthur Ashe wins the first US Open defeating Tom Okker in the final 14-12, 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Ashe is the first African-American male to win a Grand Slam tournament.
Sept. 8, 1963 – Rafael Osuna of Mexico becomes the first man from Latin America to win the U.S. singles title when he defeats Frank Froehling in the singles final. Maria Bueno of Brazil makes it an Hispanic double at Forest Hills as she wins her second U.S. singles title defeating Margaret Smith in the final.
Sept. 7, 1953 – Maureen Connolly becomes the first woman to complete a “Grand Slam” when she defeats Doris Hart 6-2, 6-4 in the women’s singles final. American tennis icon Tony Trabert wins his first U.S. men’s singles title, defeating Vic Seixas 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in men’s final.
Sept. 6, 1943 – In a U.S. singles final played between U.S. servicemen, U.S. Naval Officer Joseph Hunt defeats Jack Kramer of the U.S. Coast Guard to win his first U.S. singles title. Hunt, who wins his title while on military leave, is killed in a plane crash while training off the coast of Florida five months after his U.S. singles triumph.
Aug. 27, 1903 – Laurie Doherty of Great Britain becomes the first non-American player to win the U.S. Championships, defeating William Larned 6-0, 6-3, 10-8 in the final in Newport, R.I.
