international olympic committee

Roland Garros, the famed French aviator whose name is now more associated with the national tennis championships of France, died on this day, October 5, in 1918 when his plane was shot down in the Ardennes during World War I. This event – and others from today – are documented in the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com). The full excerpt from October 5 is detailed below.

1918 – French aviator Roland Garros, whose name would grace the stadium at the French Championships in Paris, is shot down and killed near Vouziers, Ardennes in the waning days of hostilities of World War I. In 1928, when the French Tennis Federation created its tennis stadium to stage the USA vs. France Davis Cup Challenge Round, the French government stipulates that the stadium must honor a military hero, thus the aviator’s connection to the nation’s biggest tennis tournament.

1981 – The International Olympic Committee, in its meeting in Baden Baden, West Germany, votes to include tennis in the official Olympic program for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, marking the return of tennis to the official Olympic program after a 64-year absence.

1967 – The British Lawn Tennis Association votes to allow professional tennis players to compete at Wimbledon, starting with the 1968 Championships. The decision, which is ratified and approved at the associations annual meeting on December 16, is one of the most important single decisions in the development of the sport as it ushers in the “Open” era where the tournaments circuit moves from becoming amateur-only events into professional events. Says Judge Carl Aavold, the President of the British Lawn Tennis Association to the New York Times, “We have hopes of not going it alone, but we have had no assurances from anyone. It is a grave and serious step that could have serious consequences.” Wimbledon’s ground-breaking decision eventually opens the floodgates for all four major tournaments to become “open” starting with the 1968 French Championships.

1986 – Ken Flach and Paul Annacone keep American hopes alive against Australia in the Davis Cup semifinal as they complete a come-from-behind, darkness delayed victory over Pat Cash and John Fitzgerald by a 8-10, 1-6, 7-5, 13-11, 7-5 margin. Entering the day’s play trailing two sets to one, Flach and Annacone prevent a 3-0 shutout by the Australians by rallying to win the final two sets in dramatic fashion.

2006 – Benjamin Becker of Germany and Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic conclude their round of 16 match at the Japan Open in Tokyo at 3:24 am local time, Becker emerging victorious by a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4) margin. Becker saves a match point while serving at 5-6 in the third set in the latest recorded finish to a singles match in ATP history at the time. Months later, the record is broken by Andreas Seppi of Italy and Bobby Reynolds of the United States, who conclude a match at 3:34 am at the 2007 Australian Open. Another year later, Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis play until 4:34 am at the 2008 Australian Open, setting the new standard.

2007 – Despite not facing a single break point on his serve, Lleyton Hewitt loses his quarterfinal match at the Japan Open in Tokyo to 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6). Says Hewitt, “I felt like I was better for the whole match, and I lost the match. I was the only one who had break points (four) and I felt I was the better player. Yet he won the match, I have to figure that out.” With the loss, Hewitt remains without a victory against the Croatian giant in three matches. Karlovic famously ends the Aussie’s 2003 Wimbledon defense with a first-round upset and also beat Hewitt at Queen’s Club in 2005.