BMW Open Champions

Since its inception in 1974 the BMW Open has attracted the biggest names in the game of tennis. Legendary international stars such as Buster Mottram, Petr Korda, Andrei Chesnekov, Carlos Moya and Andre Agassi have come to Munich and left as winners or finalists.

Unlike other clay court tournaments where one or two players dominate the event over the years, the BMW Open has spewed up a new champion virtually every year over its entire history.

There are, however, four men who have taken the title more than once and these men are truly BMW Open champions – Guillermo Vilas, Manuel Orantes, Guillermo Perez-Roldan and Franco Squillari. We look at two of the better known champions, Manuel Orantes and Guillermo Vilas.

Guillermo Vilas

Argentine Guillermo Vilas was one of the most successful clay court specialists of the 1970s and 80s. He is said to be single-handedly responsible for the huge following tennis so enjoys in Latin America today, and in his career he sent records tumbling at every turn:

He became the first South American man to win a Grand Slam event, winning four titles in his long career – the French and US Open in 1977, and the Australian Open in 1978 and 1979.
In one calendar year he won 16 of the 31 ATP tournaments he entered, a record which was set by the legendary Rod Laver.
He still holds the record for a 46-match winning streak on any surface.
He had a 53-match winning streak on clay. Spaniard, Rafael Nadal, recently smashed this record.

He claimed the BMW Open title in 1975 when he defeated Karl Meiler in four sets and came back strongly in 1978 when he trounced Buster Mottram 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.

Manuel Orantes

Manuel Orantes of Spain reached stardom in 1975 when he beat the indomitable Jimmy Connors at the US Open in three sets.

He claimed 33 singles titles in his career, and 30 of these victories took place on clay. Although he only won a single Grand Slam, he had more success on the ATP Masters Tour. He took Rome, Hamburg, Canada and the sought-after Tennis Masters Cup in 1977.

Orantes took on and beat some of the best tennis players in the 1970s and 1980s, including Ilie Nastase, John Newcombe, Bob Hewitt and Arthur Ashe.

Orantes twice claimed the BMW Open crown – in 1976 and in 1979 when he defeated Pole, Wojek Fibak, in three sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

2008 Could herald the emergence of yet another BMW Open champion.

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