The 1977 WTA Tour consisted of a number of tennis tournaments for female tennis players. It was composed of the newly streamlined version of the Virginia Slims Circuit (which was now an 11-week tour of the US) and the Colgate Series. The year 1977 also saw the creation of the first official ranking system and these rankings were used to determine acceptance into the tournaments.[1][2]
 Chris Evert finished the year as world No. 1 for the third time in her career. She won twelve singles tournaments during the season, including a major at the US Open, as well as the Virginia Slims Championships. | |
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 17 October 1976 – 28 November 1977 |
| Edition | 5th |
| Tournaments | 49 |
| Categories | Grand Slam (4) WTA championships (3) Virginia Slims Circuit (11) Colgate International Series (18) Non-tour events (11) |
| Achievements (singles) | |
| Most tournament titles |  Chris Evert (12) |
| Most tournament finals | Chris Evert (14) |
| Prize money leader | Chris Evert ($503,134) |
| Points leader | Chris Evert (17.612) |
| Awards | |
| Player of the year |  Virginia Wade |
| Doubles team of the year | Martina Navratilova Betty Stöve |
| Most improved player of the year |  Wendy Turnbull |
| Newcomer of the year | Tracy Austin |
← 1976 1978 → | |
Schedule edit
This is a calendar of all events which were part of either the Virginia Slims circuit or the Colgate International Series in the year 1977, with player progression documented from the quarterfinals stage. Also included are the Grand Slam tournaments, the 1977 Virginia Slims Championships, the 1977 Federation Cup and a number of events not affiliated with either tour.[1]
- Key
| Grand Slam tournaments |
| Virginia Slims/Colgate Series championships |
| Virginia Slims Circuit |
| Colgate International Series |
| Non-tour events |
| Team events |
November (1976) edit
December (1976) edit
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Dec | Toyota Women's Classic Melbourne, Australia Colgate International Series $75,000 – grass Singles – Doubles |
Margaret Court 6–2, 6–2 |
Sue Barker |
Betty Stöve Dianne Fromholtz |
|
| Margaret Court Betty Stöve 6–2, 6–4 |
 Linky Boshoff Ilana Kloss
| ||||
| 26 Dec | Marlboro NSW Open Sydney, Australia Colgate Series $35,000 – grass Singles – Doubles |
Kerry Reid 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
Dianne Fromholtz |
Karen Krantzcke  Renáta Tomanová |
|
| Helen Gourlay Betsy Nagelsen 6–4, 6–1 |
Dianne Fromholtz Renáta Tomanová
|
January edit
February edit
March edit
April edit
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr | Bridgestone Doubles Championships Tokyo, Japan $100,000 – Carpet (i) – 8D Doubles |
Martina Navratilova Betty Stöve 7–5, 6–3 |
 Françoise Dürr Virginia Wade |
Casals / King Jaušovec /  Ruzici |
Newberry / Russell Kemmer / Ziegenfuss Barker / Kiyomura Holladay / May
|
| 12 Apr | L'Eggs World Series Austin, United States Non-tour event – hard – 32S/8D Singles – Doubles |
Chris Evert 6–3, 7–6(5–2) |
Martina Navratilova |
Sue Barker Virginia Wade |
May edit
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 May | German Open Hamburg, West Germany Colgate Series $35,000 – clay Singles – Doubles |
Laura duPont 6–1, 6–4 |
 Heidi Eisterlehner |
Katja Ebbinghaus Regina Maršíková |
|
| Linky Boshoff Ilana Kloss 2–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
Regina Maršíková Renáta Tomanová
| ||||
| 16 May | Italian Open Rome, Italy Colgate Series $35,000 – clay Singles – Doubles |
Janet Newberry 6–3, 7–6(7–5) |
Renáta Tomanová |
 Marie Pinterová Laura duPont |
Mima Jaušovec Iris Riedel Pam Teeguarden Mary Struthers
|
| Brigitte Cuypers Marise Kruger 6–3, 5–7, 2–6 |
Bunny Bruning Sharon Walsh
| ||||
| 23 May 30 May |
French Open Paris, France Grand Slam Clay (red) – 64S/64Q/22D/24X Singles – Doubles – Mixed doubles |
Mima Jaušovec 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 6–1 |
Florența Mihai |
Regina Maršíková Janet Newberry |
Pam Teeguarden Renáta Tomanová Linky Boshoff Kathy May
|
| Regina Maršíková Pam Teeguarden 5–7, 6–4, 6–2 |
Rayni Fox Helen Gourlay Cawley
| ||||
| Mary Carillo John McEnroe 7–6, 6–3 |
Florența Mihai  Iván Molina
|
June edit
July edit
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul | Swiss Open Gstaad, Switzerland Non-tour event Clay Singles – Doubles |
Lesley Hunt 4–6, 7–5, 6–1 |
Helen Gourlay Cawley |
||
| Helen Gourlay Cawley Rayni Fox 6–0, 6–4 |
Mary Carillo Lesley Hunt
| ||||
| Swedish Open Båstad, Sweden Non-tour event Clay Singles – Doubles |
Florența Mihai 6–4, 6–4 |
Mary Struthers |
|||
Cynthia Doerner Raquel Giscafré6–2, 7–5 |
 Helena Anliot Florența Mihai
| ||||
| 11 Jul | Colgate Trophy Kitzbühel, Austria Non-tour event Clay Singles – Doubles |
Renáta Tomanová 6–3, 7–5 |
Katja Ebbinghaus |
||
| Helen Gourlay Cawley Rayni Fox 6–1, 6–4 |
Lesley Charles Jackie Fayter
|
August edit
September edit
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Sep | Toray Sillook Open Osaka & Tokyo, Japan Colgate Series $100,000 – carpet (i) Singles |
Virginia Wade 7–5, 5–7, 6–4 |
Martina Navratilova |
Wendy Turnbull Sue Barker |
Mima Jaušovec Terry Holladay Julie Anthony Michelle Tyler
|
| 19 Sep | World Invitational Tennis Classic Hilton Head Island, United States Non-tour event Clay Draw |
Virginia Wade 6–3, 6–7, 6–3 |
Evonne Goolagong Cawley |
||
| Evonne Goolagong Cawley Kerry Reid 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 |
Dianne Fromholtz Virginia Wade
| ||||
| 26 Sep | Florida Federal Open Palm Harbor, United States Colgate Series $35,000 – hard Singles – Doubles |
Virginia Ruzici 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 |
Laura duPont |
Marise Kruger Mona Guerrant |
|
| Linky Boshoff Ilana Kloss 6–7, 6–2, 6–2 |
Brigitte Cuypers Marise Kruger
|
October edit
November edit
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov | Wightman Cup Williamsburg, United States Hard (i) Team event |
United States 7–0 |
Great Britain |
||
| 21 Nov | Gunze Invitational Tokyo, Japan Non-tour event Hard (i) |
Billie Jean King 7–5, 5–7, 6–1 |
Martina Navratilova |
Françoise Dürr Rosie Casals |
Wendy Overton Kristien Shaw Terry Holladay Mimmi Wikstedt
|
Rankings edit
Below are the 1977 WTA year-end rankings (December 31, 1977) in both singles and doubles competition:
| Singles Year-end Ranking[3] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Player Name | Points | 1976 | Change |
| 1 | Chris Evert (USA)
|
17.612 | 1 | = |
| 2 | Billie Jean King (USA)
|
12.244 | NR | NR |
| 3 | Martina Navratilova (USA)
|
11.881 | 4 | +1 |
| 4 | Virginia Wade (GBR)
|
10.185 | 3 | -1 |
| 5 | Sue Barker (GBR)
|
9.515 | 10 | +5 |
| 6 | Rosie Casals (USA)
|
7.693 | 6 | = |
| 7 | Betty Stöve (NED)
|
6.617 | 7 | = |
| 8 | Dianne Fromholtz (AUS)
|
6.462 | 5 | -3 |
| 9 | Wendy Turnbull (AUS)
|
6.326 | 30 | +21 |
| 10 | Kerry Melville (AUS)
|
6.061 | 8 | -2 |
| 11 | Mima Jaušovec (YUG)
|
5.738 | 11 | = |
| 12 | Tracy Austin (USA)
|
5.065 | NR | NR |
| 13 | Greer Stevens (RSA)
|
4.989 | 17 | +4 |
| 14 | Terry Holladay (USA)
|
4.313 | 13 | -1 |
| 15 | JoAnne Russell (USA)
|
4.244 | 18 | +3 |
| 16 | Virginia Ruzici (ROU)
|
3.951 | 26 | +10 |
| 17 | Kristien Shaw (USA)
|
3.875 | 32 | +15 |
| 18 | Janet Newberry (USA)
|
3.813 | 28 | +10 |
| 19 | Katja Ebbinghaus (FRG)
|
3.759 | NR | NR |
| 20 | Regina Maršíková (TCH)
|
3.700 | +3 | 23 |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "WTA Tour Finals" (PDF). www.wtatennis.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-01. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^ "About the WTA". www.wtatennis.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^ "Women's International Computerized Rankings" (PDF). Women's Tennis Association (WTA). 31 December 1977.
External links edit
- Women's Tennis Association (WTA) official website
- International Tennis Federation (ITF) official website