1972 World Championship Tennis Finals – Singles

Singles
1972 World Championship Tennis Finals
Champion	Ken Rosewall
Runner-up	Rod Laver
Final score	4–6, 6–0, 6–3, 6–7^(3–7), 7–6^(7–5)

Ken Rosewall was the defending champion and won in the final 4–6, 6–0, 6–3, 6–7^(3–7), 7–6^(7–5) against Rod Laver.^[1] The final is credited as the "match that made tennis in the United States" because its unprecedented domestic television audience of 23 million fueled a massive increase in the sport's popularity.^[2][3]

Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.

Rod Laver (Final) Ken Rosewall (Champion) Arthur Ashe (Semifinals) Cliff Drysdale (Quarterfinals)

Marty Riessen (Semifinals) Tom Okker (Quarterfinals) Robert Lutz (Quarterfinals) John Newcombe (Quarterfinals)

Draw

Key

Q = Qualifier WC = Wild Card LL = Lucky Loser

Alt = Alternate SE = Special Exempt PR = Protected Ranking

w/o = Walkover r = Retired d = Defaulted

	Quarterfinals									Semifinals									Final
	1	Rod Laver	6	6	6
	8	John Newcombe	4	4	4
										1	Rod Laver	4	4	6	6	6
										5	Marty Riessen	6	6	1	2	0
	4	Cliff Drysdale	7	6	2	5	3
	5	Marty Riessen	5	4	6	7	6
																			1	Rod Laver	6	0	3	7	6^5
																			2	Ken Rosewall	4	6	6	6	7^7
	6	Tom Okker	4	1	3
	3	Arthur Ashe	6	6	6
										3	Arthur Ashe	4	2	6
										2	Ken Rosewall	6	6	7
	7	Robert Lutz	1	6	3	6	1
	2	Ken Rosewall	6	3	6	4	6

References

1. "ATP – 1972 Dallas WCT Men's Singles Draw". ATP.
2. "1972: The Rod Laver vs. Ken Rosewall WCT Final in Dallas". tennis.com.
3. Only one match has since had a larger U.S. TV audience: the legendary Battle of the Sexes the following year, signifying how popular tennis had become during this boom period.