Etc.

September 4, 2008

Among US tennis champions, nobody can match Molla

On opening night of this year's US Open Tennis Championships in New York, the tournament brought together 24 of its former champions, including Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, and Ivan Lendl. The occasion was the 40th anniversary celebration of the "open era," which ushered professionals into the sport's major events. Evert stands alone among pro-era champions with six US singles titles and a record four straight, from 1975 to 1978 (a feat that Roger Federer might still match this year). However, over the entire history of the US championships, which have been played continuously since 1881, Norwegian-born American Molla Mallory, a tenacious baseline player, compiled more singles crowns than anyone else: eight. The all-time leading singles winners at the US championships, with the number of titles and the years of their first and last victories: