List of South African Open men's singles champions

The South African Open, formerly the South African Championships, was an annual tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts from 1891 to 2011. The tournament was not played from 1900 to 1902 due to the Boer War, from 1915 to 1919 due to World War I, and from 1941 to 1945 due to World War II. It was also suspended from 1996 until 2006.

Sets were played on advantage until 1971; "lingering death" tie-breaks at six games all were subsequently adopted. Finals were the best-of-five-sets until the tournament's suspension in 1990; upon its return in 1992 finals were reduced to the best-of-three-sets.

The most successful male player at the South African Championships – played from 1891 to 1967 during the Amateur Era – was Eric Sturgess, who won eleven titles between 1939 and 1957 and lost a further final in 1947 to Eustace Fannin. He also holds the overall record for the most consecutive titles won – seven between 1948 and 1954. Five players share the record for the most male wins at the tournament in the Open Era – Rod Laver (1969, 1970), Jimmy Connors (1973, 1974), Harold Solomon (1975, 1976), Vitas Gerulaitis (1981, 1982) and Aaron Krickstein (1992, 1993).

The following comprises the full list of South African Open men's singles champions.^[1]

Champions

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1891	Lionel Richardson	Lyndhurst Winslow	6–2, 10–8, 6–2
1892	Lionel Richardson	R. Davis	Unavailable
1893	Walter T. Edmonds	Lionel Richardson	6–3, 6–3, 6–4
1894	Lennox L. Giddy	Walter T. Edmonds	6–1, 6–3, 6–0
1895	Lennox L. Giddy	Stanley Bayly	6–4, 6–3, 6–2
1896	Lennox L. Giddy	H.R. Eaton	Unavailable
1897	Lennox L. Giddy	William C. Stevens	8–10, 12–10, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2
1898	Lennox L. Giddy	George C. Collins	Unavailable
1899	Leonard G. Heard	Lennox L. Giddy	6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1
1900–1902	Not held due to Second Boer War
1903	R.W.G. Clarke	H.M Steele	6–4, 6–0, 6–3
1904	Percy Sherwell	R.W.G. Clarke	6–3, 6–2, 6–1
1905	Harold Kitson	A.J. Rowan	6–1, 2–6, 6–3, 8–6
1906	John R. Richardson	Cecil E. Howard Tripp	6–4, 7–5, 6–2
1907	A.J. Rowan	Cecil E. Howard Tripp	7–5, 5–7, 1–6, 6–4, 6–3
1908	Harold Kitson	Victor Gauntlett	6–2, 5–7, 6–2, 7–9, 6–2
1909	Reginald Doherty	Lionel Escombe	6–3, 6–1, 6–1
1910	Anthony Wilding	Harold Kitson	6–0, 6–3, 6–4
1911	Harold Kitson	Father Kelly	6–4, 6–3, 6–2
1912	George Dodd	R.F. Le Sueur	6–1, 4–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–0
1913	Harold Kitson	Harold I. Aitken	6–1, 6–4, 6–3
1914	Charles Winslow	George Dodd	4–6, 7–9, 6–2, 6–3, 6–3
1915–1919	Not Held (WW1)
1920	Brian Norton	Louis Raymond	1–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3
1921	Louis Raymond	Marchant Davies	6–3, 6–0, 6–1
1922	Louis Raymond	George Dodd	6–3, 7–5, 6–2
1923	Louis Raymond	Jack Condon	6–3, 7–5, 4–6, 6–2
1924	Louis Raymond	George Dodd	6–4, 6–0, 3–6, 6–3
1925	Ivie Richardson	Charles Winslow	7–5, 7–5, 2–6, 4–6, 6–4
1926	Jack Condon	Cecil Blackbeard	6–0, 6–3, 6–2
1927	J.C. Guy Eaglestone	C.H. Robbs	8–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4
1928	J.C. Guy Eaglestone	George Dodd	6–4, 6–1, 6–4
1929	Cyril Robbins	George Dodd	6–1, 6–0, 6–3
1930	Louis Raymond	Colin J.J. Robbins	6–2, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4
1931	Louis Raymond	Robert H. M. Bertram	6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2
1932	Robert H. M. Bertram	Colin J.J. Robbins	2–6, 9–7, 9–7, 6–1
1933	Cyril Robbins	Vernon Kirby	6–1, 1–6, 4–6, 9–7, 6–4
1934	Norman Farquharson	Roy Malcolm	4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 14–12
1935 [2]	Norman Farquharson	Vernon Kirby	6–0, 6–4, 6–1
1936	Norman Farquharson	Robert H. M. Bertram	6–4, 6–4, 1–6, 6–2
1937	Josip Palada	Vernon Kirby	6–2, 0–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3
1938	Norman Farquharson	Vernon Kirby	4–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–0
1939	Eric Sturgess	Eustace Fannin	6–2, 9–7, 3–6, 6–8, 7–5
1940	Eric Sturgess	Robert H. M. Bertram	6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2
1941–1945	Not Held (WW2)
1946	Eric Sturgess	Norman Farquharson	6–0, 6–2, 6–3
1947	Eustace Fannin	Eric Sturgess	6–1, 6–2, 1–6, 0–6, 6–4
1948	Eric Sturgess	Tony Mottram	6–3, 6–4, 6–8, 6–1
1949	Eric Sturgess	Geoffrey Brown	4–6, 6–4, 6–2, 7–5
1950	Eric Sturgess	Arthur Larsen	6–1, 6–1, 3–6, 6–2
1951	Eric Sturgess	Sydney Levy	6–3, 6–2, 7–5
1952	Eric Sturgess	Sydney Levy	6–2, 6–2, 6–3
1953	Eric Sturgess	Russell Seymour	6–1, 6–3, 6–3
1954	Eric Sturgess	Jaroslav Drobný	5–7, 6–3, 6–4, 8–6
1955	Russell Seymour	Gordon Forbes	1–6, 9–7, 6–1, 8–6
1956	Ian Vermaak	Torsten Johansson	6–2, 4–6, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6
1957	Eric Sturgess	Gaetan Koenig	9–7, 6–3, 6–1
1958	Ulf Schmidt	Torben Ulrich	1–6, 12–10, 6–2, 6–8, 6–2
1959	Gordon Forbes	Ian Vermaak	6–4, 6–4, 6–2
1960	Butch Buchholz	Jack Frost	6–1, 7–5, 6–3
1961	Gordon Forbes	Julian Mayers	8–6, 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4
1962	Bob Mark	Gordon Forbes	6–1, 6–1, 2–6, 8–6
1963	Wilhelm Bungert	Gordon Forbes	6–4, 6–4, 8–6
1964	Abe Segal	Gordon Forbes	4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–3
1965	Cliff Drysdale	Juan Manuel Couder	1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 1–6, 6–3
1966	Roy Emerson	Bob Hewitt	6–3, 2–6, 3–6, 6–4, 7–5
1967	Manuel Santana	Jan Leschly	2–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
1968	Tom Okker	Marty Riessen	12–10, 6–1, 6–4
1969	Rod Laver	Tom Okker	6–3, 10–8, 6–3
1970	Rod Laver	Frew McMillan	4–6, 6–2, 6–1, 6–2
1971	Ken Rosewall	Fred Stolle	6–4, 6–0, 6–4
1972	Cliff Richey	Manuel Orantes	6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 6–4
1973	Jimmy Connors	Arthur Ashe	6–4, 7–6, 6–3
1974	Jimmy Connors	Arthur Ashe	7–6, 6–3, 6–1
1975	Harold Solomon	Brian Gottfried	6–2, 6–4, 5–7, 6–1
1976	Harold Solomon	Brian Gottfried	6–2, 6–7, 6–3, 6–4
1977	Guillermo Vilas	Buster Mottram	7–6, 6–3, 6–4
1978	Tim Gullikson	Harold Solomon	2–6, 7–6, 7–6, 6–7, 6–4
1979	Andrew Pattison	Víctor Pecci	2–6 6–3 6–2 6–3
1980	Kim Warwick	Fritz Buehning	6–2, 6–1, 6–2
1981	Vitas Gerulaitis	Jeff Borowiak	6–4, 7–6, 6–1
1982	Vitas Gerulaitis	Guillermo Vilas	7–6, 6–2, 4–6, 7–6
1983	Johan Kriek	Colin Dowdeswell	6–4, 4–6, 1–6, 7–5, 6–3
1984	Eliot Teltscher	Vitas Gerulaitis	6–3, 6–1, 7–6
1985	Matt Anger	Brad Gilbert	6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1986	Amos Mansdorf	Matt Anger	6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 7–5
1987	Pat Cash	Brad Gilbert	7–6, 4–6, 2–6, 6–0, 6–1
1988	Jakob Hlasek	Christo van Rensburg	6–7, 6–4, 6–1, 7–6
1989	Christo van Rensburg	Paul Chamberlin	6–4, 7–6, 6–3
1990	Wayne Ferreira	Mark Kaplan	6–3 7–5 7–6
1991	Todd Witsken	Wayne Ferreira	4–6 6–4 6–4
1992	Aaron Krickstein	Alexander Volkov	6–4, 6–4
1993	Aaron Krickstein	Grant Stafford	6–3, 7–6
1994	Markus Zoecke	Hendrik Dreekmann	6–4, 6–1
1995	Martin Sinner	Guillaume Raoux	6–1, 6–4
1996–2006	Not held
2007 (CH)	Mathieu Montcourt	Rik de Voest	5-7 6-3 6-2
2008 (CH)	Ivan Ljubičić	Stefan Koubek	7-6 6-4
2009	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	Jérémy Chardy	6-4 7-6
2010	Feliciano López	Stéphane Robert	7-5 6-1
2011	Kevin Anderson	Somdev Devvarman	4-6 6-3 6-2

See also

List of South African Open women's singles champions

References

1. John Barrett, ed. (1989). The International Tennis Federation World of Tennis 1989. London: Collins Willow. pp. 408, 409. ISBN 978-0002183116.
2. "SOUTH AFRICAN TITLE.". The West Australian (Perth: National Library of Australia). 18 March 1935. p. 15.