Tennis Masters Cup

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Sports events

The Tennis Masters Cup is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.

Unlike all the other events on the men's tour, the Tennis Masters Cup is not a straightforward knock-out tournament. The eight players are divided into two groups of four, and play three round-robin matches each against the other three players in their group. From there, the two players with the best records in each group progress to the semi-finals, with the semi-final winners meeting in the final to determine the champion.

The event is actually the third evolution of a championship which began in 1970. It was originally known simply as The Masters tournament, and was organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The Masters was a year-end showpiece event between the best players on the men's tour, but did not count for any world ranking points. In 1990, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) took over the running of the men's tour and replaced the Masters with the ATP Tour World Championship. World ranking points were now at stake, with an undefeated champion earning the same number of points they would for winning one of the four Grand Slam events. The ITF, who continued to run the Grand Slam tournaments, created a rival year-end event known as the Grand Slam Cup, which was contested by the 16 players with the best records in Grand Slam competitions that year. In December 1999, the ATP and ITF agreed to discontinue the two separate events and create a new jointly-owned event called the Tennis Masters Cup. As with the Masters and the ATP Tour World Championships, the Tennis Masters Cup is contested by eight players. However under the rules of the Tennis Masters Cup, the player who is ranked number eight in the ATP Champion's Race world rankings does not have a guaranteed spot. If a player who wins one of the year's Grand Slam events finishes the year ranked outside the top eight but still within the top 20, he can be included in the Tennis Masters Cup instead of the eight-ranked player. If two players outside the top eight win Grand Slam events, the higher placed player in the world rankings will take the final spot in the Tennis Masters Cup.

For many years, the doubles event was held as a separate tournament the week after the singles competition. But more recently they have been held together in the same week and venue. Like the singles competition, the doubles involves the eight most successful teams on the tour each year and starts with a group phase with each team playing three round-robin matches.

Past Singles Finals

Tennis Masters Cup
Year	Venue	Champion	Runner-up	Score in final
2006	Shanghai	Roger Federer	James Blake	6-0, 6-3, 6-4
2005	Shanghai	David Nalbandian	Roger Federer	6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6
2004	Houston	Roger Federer	Lleyton Hewitt	6-3, 6-2
2003	Houston	Roger Federer	Andre Agassi	6-3, 6-0, 6-4
2002	Shanghai	Lleyton Hewitt	Juan Carlos Ferrero	7-5, 7-5, 2-6, 2-6, 6-4
2001	Sydney	Lleyton Hewitt	Sebastien Grosjean	6-3, 6-3, 6-4
2000	Lisbon	Gustavo Kuerten	Andre Agassi	6-4, 6-4, 6-4
ATP Tour World Championships
Year	Venue	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1999	Hannover	Pete Sampras	Andre Agassi	6-1, 7-5, 6-4
1998	Hannover	Àlex Corretja	Carlos Moyà	3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-5
1997	Hannover	Pete Sampras	Yevgeny Kafelnikov	6-3, 6-2, 6-2
1996	Hannover	Pete Sampras	Boris Becker	3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4
1995	Frankfurt	Boris Becker	Michael Chang	7-6, 6-0, 7-6
1994	Frankfurt	Pete Sampras	Boris Becker	4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
1993	Frankfurt	Michael Stich	Pete Sampras	7-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-2
1992	Frankfurt	Boris Becker	Jim Courier	6-4, 6-3, 7-5
1991	Frankfurt	Pete Sampras	Jim Courier	3-6, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4
1990	Frankfurt	Andre Agassi	Stefan Edberg	5-7, 7-6, 7-5, 6-2
The Masters
Year	Venue	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1989	New York	Stefan Edberg	Boris Becker	4-6, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1
1988	New York	Boris Becker	Ivan Lendl	5-7, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6
1987	New York	Ivan Lendl	Mats Wilander	6-2, 6-2, 6-3
1986	New York	Ivan Lendl	Boris Becker	6-4, 6-4, 6-4
1985	New York	Ivan Lendl	Boris Becker	6-2, 7-6, 6-3
1984	New York	John McEnroe	Ivan Lendl	7-5, 6-0, 6-4
1983	New York	John McEnroe	Ivan Lendl	6-3, 6-4, 6-4
1982	New York	Ivan Lendl	John McEnroe	6-4, 6-4, 6-2
1981	New York	Ivan Lendl	Vitas Gerulaitis	6-7, 2-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4
1980	New York	Björn Borg	Ivan Lendl	6-4, 6-2, 6-2
1979	New York	Björn Borg	Vitas Gerulaitis	6-2, 6-2
1978	New York	John McEnroe	Arthur Ashe	6-7, 6-3, 7-5
1977	New York	Jimmy Connors	Björn Borg	6-4, 1-6, 6-4
1976	Houston	Manuel Orantes	Wojtek Fibak	5-7, 6-2, 0-6, 7-6, 6-1
1975	Stockholm	Ilie Năstase	Björn Borg	6-2, 6-2, 6-1
1974	Melbourne	Guillermo Vilas	Ilie Năstase	7-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
1973	Boston	Ilie Năstase	Tom Okker	6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
1972	Barcelona	Ilie Năstase	Stan Smith	6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3
1971	Paris	Ilie Năstase	Stan Smith	5-7, 7-6, 6-3
1970	Tokyo	Stan Smith	Rod Laver	4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Doubles Champions

Singles Titles Matrix

Honour Roll

Tennis Masters Cup (since 2000):

• Updated up to November 18, 2006.

Player	Years Qual.	Matches	W-L	W Rate	Years Comp	Best Result
Andre Agassi	5	16	8-8	.500	2000-01-02-03-05	F (2000,2003)
James Blake	1	5	3-2	.600	2006	F (2006)
Guillermo Coria	3	8	1-7	.125	2003-04-05	RR (2003,2005)
Àlex Corretja	1	3	1-2	.333	2000	RR (2000)
Albert Costa	1	3	1-2	.333	2002	RR (2002)
Nikolay Davydenko	2	7	4-3	.571	2005-06	SF (2005)
Roger Federer	5	24	22-2	.917	2002-2006	W (2003,2004, 2006)
Juan Carlos Ferrero	3	12	6-6	.500	2001-02-03	F (2002)
Gastón Gaudio	2	7	2-5	.286	2004-05	SF (2005)
Fernando González	1	2	1-1	.500	2005 (Alt.)	RR (2005)
Sébastien Grosjean	1	5	3-2	.600	2001	F (2001)
Tim Henman	1	3	1-2	.333	2004	RR (2004)
Lleyton Hewitt	4	18	13-5	.722	2000-01-02-04	W (2001,2002)
Goran Ivanišević	1	3	1-2	.333	2001	RR (2001)
Thomas Johansson	1	1	0-1	.000	2002 (Alt.)	RR (2002)
Yevgeny Kafelnikov	2	7	4-3	.571	2000-01	SF (2001)
Gustavo Kuerten	2	8	4-4	.500	2000-01	W (2000)
Ivan Ljubičić	2	6	2-4	.333	2005-06	RR (2005)
Carlos Moyà	3	10	5-5	.500	2002-03-04	SF (2002)
Rafael Nadal	1	4	2-2	.500	2006	SF (2006)
David Nalbandian	3	13	6-7	.462	2003-05-06	W (2005)
Magnus Norman	1	3	0-3	.000	2000	RR (2000)
Jiří Novák	1	3	1-2	.333	2002	RR (2002)
Mariano Puerta	1	3	0-3	.000	2005	RR (2005)
Patrick Rafter	1	3	0-3	.000	2001	RR (2001)
Tommy Robredo	1	3	1-2	.333	2006	RR (2006)
Andy Roddick	3	11	6-5	.545	2003-04-06	SF (2003,2004)
Marat Safin	3	11	4-7	.363	2000-02-04	SF (2000,2004)
Pete Sampras	1	4	2-2	.500	2000	SF (2000)
Rainer Schuettler	1	4	2-2	.500	2003	SF (2003)

Facts

• Players who won the tournament undefeated (since 1990):
  1. Michael Stich, Germany, 1993
  2. Lleyton Hewitt, Australia, 2001
  3. Roger Federer, Switzerland, 2003-2004, 2006
• Players who won back-to-back titles:
  1. Ilie Năstase, Romania, 1971-1973
  2. Björn Borg, Sweden, 1979-80
  3. Ivan Lendl (2), Czechoslovakia, 1981-1982; 1985-1987
  4. John McEnroe, United States, 1983-1984
  5. Pete Sampras, United States, 1996-1997
  6. Lleyton Hewitt, Australia, 2001-2002
  7. Roger Federer, Switzerland, 2003-2004
• Most consecutive titles:

1. Ivan Lendl, 3

1. Ilie Nastase, 3

• Most consecutive finals:

1. Ivan Lendl, Czechoslovakia, 9 (1980-1988)

2. Ilie Nastase, Romania, 5 (1971-1975)

3. Roger Federer, Switzerland, 4 (2003-2006)

4. Stan Smith, United States, 3 (1970-1972)

4. Boris Becker, Germany, 3 (1994-1996)