1969 Australian Open

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1969 Australian Open

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1969 Australian Open
Date:   20–27 January 1969
Edition:   57th
Category:   Grand Slam (ITF)
Surface:   Grass
Location:   Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Venue:   Milton Courts
Champions
Men's Singles
Australia Rod Laver
Women's Singles
Australia Margaret Court
Men's Doubles
Australia Rod Laver / Australia Roy Emerson
Women's Doubles
Australia Margaret Court / Australia Judy Tegart Dalton
Mixed Doubles
Australia Margaret Court / United States Marty Riessen
United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones / Australia Fred Stolle
Australian Open
 < 1968 1970 > 

The 1969 Australian Open was the first Australian Open and the final Grand Slam to allow both amateur and professionals. The tournament was played in Brisbane on Milton's grass courts between a men's field of 48 and a women's field of 32. The semifinal between Rod Laver and Tony Roche was played in 105-degree heat. That contest dragged on for more than four hours, both players putting wet cabbage leaves in their hats to help them keep cool. The Men's singles title was eventually won by Rod Laver defeating Andres Gimeno. Margaret Court took her 8th singles title and the $1,500 prize from Billie Jean King and swept the tournament with Women's doubles and Mixed. The 1969 Australian Open was the only year in the Open era that a mixed doubles championship was staged, until resumption in 1986. Marty Riessen and Margaret Court shared the title with Fred Stolle and Anne Haydon Jones because the final was never played. It was also the last year that a junior mixed doubles championship was played, Aussies Geoff Masters and Barbara Hawcroft taking the title.[1] Laver's win was the first step towards his second Grand Slam.

Contents

Seniors

Men's singles

Australia Rod Laver def. Spain Andres Gimeno, 6–3, 6–4, 7–5

Women's singles

Australia Margaret Court def. United States Billie Jean King, 6–4, 6–1

Men's doubles

Australia Rod Laver / Australia Roy Emerson def. Australia Ken Rosewall / Australia Fred Stolle, 6–4, 6–4

Women's doubles

Australia Margaret Court / Australia Judy Tegart Dalton def. United States Rosemary Casals / United States Billie Jean King, 6–4, 6–4

Mixed doubles

Australia Margaret Court / United States Marty Riessen and United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones / Australia Fred Stolle (Shared title – final not played)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Australian Open:History (Year by year)". Australian Open. http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/event_guide/history/year_by_year.html. 
Preceded by
1968 Australian Championships
Australian Open Succeeded by
1970 Australian Open
Preceded by
1968 U.S. Open
Grand Slams Succeeded by
1969 French Open

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