1969 Howard Hughes Invitational Tournament

[gzhpcu]

There is a very cool 2005 Tennis Channel Documentary Film on Richard Gonzalez winning the Howard Hughes Invitational Tournament in Las Vegas. It provides a nice insight into his fighting spirit and personality.

He beat John Newcombe (Wimbledon Champ) 6-1, 6-2, Ken Rosewall (French Champ) 6-3, 6-4 and Arthur Ashe in the final 6-0!, 6-1, 6-4. All at the age of 41!

Seems like one of the most incredible runs for someone his age ever!

[gzhpcu]

Found the video on this tournament from tennis channel on YouTube...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wo9v33t6xI

[stotty]

Pancho...and anoraks (British expression)

In terms of comparing levels of play through generations this is the most significant milestone I have ever been able to find. Pancho at 41 beat all those players, and easily, when they were in their pomp. Yet Pancho at his pomp had several tight matches with Don Budge (losing one) when Budge was 38. I have always found such facts difficult to explain away…and perhaps one shouldn’t try because such facts are genuine.

On balance, taking an abundance of things into consideration, it’s likely Pancho is the greatest player to have ever played tennis. You are looking at 20 grand slams plus here had he been eligible to compete. And others of his era would likely have had far less titles their mantelpiece.

It’s anoraks like us who should do all we can to point this out to folk…just my two cents.

[gzhpcu]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Moines_Open

He won the Des Moines Open at the age of 45 against Georges Goven. The final was a 5 setter!

He became the oldest player to have ever won a professional tournament, winning the Des Moines Open over 24-year-old Georges Goven when he was three months shy of his 44th birthday. In spite of the fact that he was still known as a serve-and-volley player, in 1971, when he was 43 and Jimmy Connors was 19, he beat the great young baseliner by playing him from the baseline at the Pacific Southwest Open.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...4380%2C6286036

His career win statistics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancho_...eer_statistics

(Wikipedia)
In 1961, Pancho Gonzales, aged 41, won the men's singles at the Pacific Southwest Open title, 20 years after winning it for the first time. He beat Cliff Richey in the final: 6-0!, 7-5

[johnyandell]

Guys we have the incredible documentary of that event in the history section. It was produced by my friend Gino Tanasescu and is listed under his name.

I've said it before, Pancho was the most likely guy to have been able to compete had he been a modern era player.

[klacr]

I remember watching these clips on tennisplayer.net some time ago.

It was a 4 part series.
here is part 1. You'll see the rest on the history page.
http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...cho_part1.html

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

Guys we have the incredible documentary of that event in the history section. It was produced by my friend Gino Tanasescu and is listed under his name.

I've said it before, Pancho was the most likely guy to have been able to compete had he been a modern era player.

Sorry John!

[johnyandell]

Happy Phil! That documentary is one of the best films every done on tennis.

[gzhpcu]

Absolutely! Pancho really comes alive as a person! And the match play scenes are impressionistic!