# South African Open — Title History

Source: https://tennis-db.com/tournaments/atp_archive:6815/south-african-open/history
Tour: ATP

Archive scope: Pre-Open Era winners are included for tournament history only. They are excluded from TennisDB match and player statistics, title totals, and leaderboards.
Archive lineage: The archive follows the national South African Championships/Open lineage through 1995. It does not include the unrelated 2009–2011 SA Tennis Open; wartime non-editions are explicit.
Historical source: [ATP South African Open archive](https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/south-african-open/6815/overview)
Historical source: [National Museum South African lawn tennis history](https://nationalmuseumpublications.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Snyders_2025_Indago_SALawnTennis-1.pdf)
Historical source: [South African Open finals tables](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Open_(tennis))

## Summary
- Total editions: 90
- First edition: 1891
- Latest edition: 1995

## Most titles
- Aaron Krickstein: 2 (1993, 1992)
- Harold Solomon: 2 (1976, 1975)
- Jimmy Connors: 2 (1974, 1973)
- Rod Laver: 2 (1970, 1969)
- Vitas Gerulaitis: 2 (1982, 1981)
*Only Open Era titles from 1968 onwards are counted.*

## Champions by year
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| ---: | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1995 | Martin Sinner | Guillaume Raoux | 6-1 6-4 |
| 1994 | Markus Zoecke | Hendrik Dreekmann | 6-4 6-1 |
| 1993 | Aaron Krickstein | Grant Stafford | 6-3 7-6(7) |
| 1992 | Aaron Krickstein | Alexander Volkov | 6-4 6-4 |
| 1989 | Christo Van Rensburg | Paul Chamberlin | 6-4 7-6 6-3 |
| 1988 | Jakob Hlasek | Christo Van Rensburg | 6-7 6-4 6-1 7-6 |
| 1987 | Pat Cash | Brad Gilbert | 7-6 4-6 2-6 6-0 6-1 |
| 1986 | Amos Mansdorf | Matt Anger | 6-3 3-6 6-2 7-5 |
| 1985 | Matt Anger | Brad Gilbert | 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-2 |
| 1984 | Eliot Teltscher | Vitas Gerulaitis | 6-3 6-1 7-6 |
| 1983 | Johan Kriek | Colin Dowdeswell | 6-4 4-6 1-6 7-5 6-3 |
| 1982 | Vitas Gerulaitis | Guillermo Vilas | 7-6 6-2 4-6 7-6 |
| 1981 | Vitas Gerulaitis | Jeff Borowiak | 6-4 7-6 6-1 |
| 1980 | Kim Warwick | Fritz Buehning | 6-2 6-1 6-2 |
| 1979 | Andrew Pattison | Victor Pecci | 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-3 |
| 1978 | Tim Gullikson | Harold Solomon | 2-6 7-6 7-6 6-7 6-4 |
| 1977 | Guillermo Vilas | Buster C Mottram | 7-6 6-3 6-4 |
| 1976 | Harold Solomon | Brian Gottfried | 6-2 6-7 6-3 6-4 |
| 1975 | Harold Solomon | Brian Gottfried | 6-2 6-4 5-7 6-1 |
| 1974 | Jimmy Connors | Arthur Ashe | 7-6 6-3 6-1 |
| 1973 | Jimmy Connors | Arthur Ashe | 6-4 7-6 6-3 |
| 1972 | Cliff Richey | Manuel Orantes | 6-4 7-5 3-6 6-4 |
| 1971 | Ken Rosewall | Fred Stolle | 6-4 6-0 6-4 |
| 1970 | Rod Laver | Frew Mcmillan | 4-6 6-2 6-1 6-2 |
| 1969 | Rod Laver | Tom Okker | 6-3 10-8 6-3 |
| 1968 | Tom Okker | Marty Riessen | 12-10 6-1 6-4 |
| 1967 | Manuel Santana | Jan Leschly | 2–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1966 | Roy Emerson | Bob Hewitt | 6–3, 2–6, 3–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
| 1965 | Cliff Drysdale | Juan Manuel Couder | 1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 1–6, 6–3 |
| 1964 | Abe Segal | Gordon Forbes | 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1963 | Wilhelm Bungert | Gordon Forbes | 6–4, 6–4, 8–6 |
| 1962 | Bob Mark | Gordon Forbes | 6–1, 6–1, 2–6, 8–6 |
| 1961 | Gordon Forbes | Julie Mayer | 8–6, 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1960 | Butch Buchholz | Jack Frost | 6–1, 7–5, 6–3 |
| 1959 | Gordon Forbes | Ian Vermaak | 6–4, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1958 | Ulf Schmidt | Torben Ulrich | 1–6, 12–10, 6–2, 6–8, 6–2 |
| 1957 | Eric Sturgess | Gaetan Koenig | 9–7, 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1956 | Ian Vermaak | Torsten Johansson | 6–2, 4–6, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6 |
| 1955 | Russell Seymour | Gordon Forbes | 1–6, 9–7, 6–1, 8–6 |
| 1954 | Eric Sturgess | Jaroslav Drobný | 5–7, 6–3, 6–4, 8–6 |
| 1953 | Eric Sturgess | Russell Seymour | 6–1, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1952 | Eric Sturgess | Sydney Levy | 6–2, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1951 | Eric Sturgess | Sydney Levy | 6–3, 6–2, 7–5 |
| 1950 | Eric Sturgess | Arthur Larsen | 6–1, 6–1, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 1949 | Eric Sturgess | Geoffrey Brown | 4–6, 6–4, 6–2, 7–5 |
| 1948 | Eric Sturgess | Tony Mottram | 6–3, 6–4, 6–8, 6–1 |
| 1947 | Eustace Fannin | Eric Sturgess | 6–1, 6–2, 1–6, 0–6, 6–4 |
| 1946 | Eric Sturgess | Norman Farquharson | 6–0, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1945 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1944 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1943 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1942 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1941 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1940 | Eric Sturgess | Robert H. M. Bertram | 6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2 |
| 1939 | Eric Sturgess | Eustace Fannin | 6–2, 9–7, 3–6, 6–8, 7–5 |
| 1938 | Norman Farquharson | Vernon Kirby | 4–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–0 |
| 1937 | Josip Palada | Vernon Kirby | 6–2, 0–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3 |
| 1936 | Norman Farquharson | Robert H. M. Bertram | 6–4, 6–4, 1–6, 6–2 |
| 1935 | Norman Farquharson | Vernon Kirby | 6–0, 6–4, 6–1 |
| 1934 | Norman Farquharson | Roy Malcolm | 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 14–12 |
| 1933 | Colin Robbins | Vernon Kirby | 6–1, 1–6, 4–6, 9–7, 6–4 |
| 1932 | Robert H. M. Bertram | Colin Robbins | 2–6, 9–7, 9–7, 6–1 |
| 1931 | Louis Raymond | Robert H. M. Bertram | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1930 | Louis Raymond | Colin Robbins | 6–2, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1929 | Colin Robbins | George Dodd | 6–1, 6–0, 6–3 |
| 1928 | J.C. Guy Eaglestone | George Dodd | 6–4, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 1927 | J.C. Guy Eaglestone | C.H. Robbs | 8–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1926 | Jack Condon | Cecil Blackbeard | 6–0, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1925 | Ivie Richardson | Charles Winslow | 7–5, 7–5, 2–6, 4–6, 6–4 |
| 1924 | Louis Raymond | George Dodd | 6–4, 6–0, 3–6, 6–3 |
| 1923 | Louis Raymond | Jack Condon | 6–3, 7–5, 4–6, 6–2 |
| 1922 | Louis Raymond | George Dodd | 6–3, 7–5, 6–2 |
| 1921 | Louis Raymond | Marchant Davies | 6–3, 6–0, 6–1 |
| 1920 | Brian Norton | Louis Raymond | 1–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1919 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1918 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1917 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1916 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1915 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1914 | Charles Winslow | George Dodd | 4–6, 7–9, 6–2, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1913 | Harold Kitson | Harold I. Aitken | 6–1, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1912 | George Dodd | R.F. Le Sueur | 6–1, 4–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–0 |
| 1911 | Harold Kitson | Father Kelly | 6–4, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1910 | Anthony Wilding | Harold Kitson | 6–0, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1909 | Reginald Doherty | Lionel Escombe | 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 |
| 1908 | Harold Kitson | Victor Gauntlett | 6–2, 5–7, 6–2, 7–9, 6–2 |
| 1907 | A.J. Rowan | Cecil E. Howard Tripp | 7–5, 5–7, 1–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1906 | John R. Richardson | Cecil E. Howard Tripp | 6–4, 7–5, 6–2 |
| 1905 | Harold Kitson | A.J. Rowan | 6–1, 2–6, 6–3, 8–6 |
| 1904 | Percy Sherwell | R.W.G. Clarke | 6–3, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1903 | R.W.G. Clarke | H.M Steele | 6–4, 6–0, 6–3 |
| 1902 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1901 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1900 | Singles event not held | ? |  |
| 1899 | Leonard G. Heard | Lennox L. Giddy | 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 |
| 1898 | Lennox L. Giddy | George C. Collins |  |
| 1897 | Lennox L. Giddy | William C. Stevens | 8–10, 12–10, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1896 | Lennox L. Giddy | H.R. Eaton |  |
| 1895 | Lennox L. Giddy | Stanley Bayly | 6–4, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1894 | Lennox L. Giddy | Walter T. Edmonds | 6–1, 6–3, 6–0 |
| 1893 | Walter T. Edmonds | Lionel Richardson | 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1892 | Lionel Richardson | R. Davis |  |
| 1891 | Lionel Richardson | Lyndhurst Winslow | 6–2, 10–8, 6–2 |

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Canonical URL: https://tennis-db.com/tournaments/atp_archive:6815/south-african-open/history
Data source: TennisDB (tennis-db.com)