Emerson–Laver rivalry

Tennis rivalry

Rod Laver (World No. 1
19 Major singles)

Roy Emerson (World No. 1
12 Major singles)

The Emerson–Laver rivalry was a tennis rivalry between Roy Emerson and Rod Laver. The two Queenslanders first met on the senior amateur tour in 1958 and dominated the amateur circuit until 1962, before Laver went pro. When open tennis arrived in 1968, Emerson went pro and resumed his prolific rivalry with Laver.

## Analysis

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The statistics shows a strong dominance of Laver over Emerson, two years his senior. He dominated him in the amateur era and the open era over all surfaces. Emerson spent his best years in the amateur circuit, and during 5 years he could not face Laver.

### Head-to-head tallies

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The following is a breakdown of their documented head-to-head results:

Player | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963–1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | Total

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Rod Laver | 1 | 0  | 2 | 10 | 7 | 0  | 6  | 6 | 6 | 7 | 0  | 5 | 0  | 1 | 51
Roy Emerson | 0  | 2 | 1  | 5  | 4  | 0  | 7  | 1  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 1  | 21

* All Matches: Laver 51-21
* All Finals: Laver 22–10
* Grand Slams: Laver 7–2

## List of all matches

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No.  | Date  | Event  | Round  | Surface  | Winner  | Score

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1 | 1958 | Queensland Champs | Quarterfinal | Grass | Laver | 6–3, 6–1, 8–6
2 | 1959–09 | Queensland Champs | Semifinal | Grass | Emerson | 7–9, 6–4, 8–6, 10–12, 6–3
3 | 1959–11 | New South Wales Champs | Semifinal | Grass | Emerson | 6–0, 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3
4 | 1960–01 | Australian Championships | Semifinal | Grass | Laver | 4–6, 6–1, 9–7, 3–6, 7–5
5 | 1960–07 | Wimbledon Championships | Quarterfinal | Grass | Laver | 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4
6 | 1960–10 | Queensland Champs | Semifinal | Grass | Emerson | 6–1, 2–6, 6–2, 7–9, 6–3
7 | 1961-01-30 | Australian Championships | Final | Grass | Emerson | 1–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4
8 | 1961-02-06 | New Zealand Champs | Final | Grass | Laver | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 7–5
9 | 1961-02-20 | Mexican Champs | Final |  | Emerson | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–2
10 | 1961-02-26 | Saint Andrews Invitational | Final | Grass | Laver | 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
11 | 1961–03 | Altamira Invitational, Caracas | Semifinal | Hard | Laver | 9–7, 2–6, 6–3
12 | 1961 | Barranquilla | Semifinal |  | Laver | 6–3, 6–2, 6–4
13 | 1961-04-10 | River Oaks Champs | Final | Clay | Laver | 7–5, 7–5, 1–6, 6–3
14 | 1961-04-29 | British Hard Court | Final | Clay | Emerson | 8–6, 6–4, 6–0
15 | 1961-08-20 | Kitzbuhel Alpenland Champs | Final | Clay | Emerson | 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 0–6, 6–2
16 | 1961-08-27 | Poertschach | Final | Clay | Laver | 2–6, 6–3, 7–5
17 | 1961-09-09 | U.S. Championships | Final | Grass | Emerson | 7–5, 6–3, 6–2
18 | 1961-10-23 | Queensland Hard Court Champs | Final | Clay | Laver | 7–5, 6–3
19 | 1961-10-30 | Queensland Champs | Final | Grass | Laver | 4–6, 4–6, 6–0, 8–6, 6–3
20 | 1961-12-04 | Victorian Champs | Final | Grass | Laver | 4–6, 8–6, 9–7, 6–3
21 | 1961-12-18 | New South Wales Champ | Final | Grass | Laver | 8–6, 6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4
22 | 1962–01 | Australian Championships | Final | Grass | Laver | 8–6, 0–6, 6–4, 6–4
23 | 1962-03-11 | Montego Bay Champs | Final |  | Emerson | 8–6, 7–5, 4–6, 3–6, 6–2
24 | 1962-03-19 | Altamira Invitational, Caracas | Final | Hard | Laver | 9–7, 6–2, 6–0
25 | 1962-04-01 | Caribe Hilton International, San Juan | Final |  | Emerson | 7–5, 7–5
26 | 1962-04-08 | Saint Petersburg Invitational | Final |  | Emerson | 6–1, 6–4, 6–1
27 | 1962-04-09 | River Oaks Champ, Texas | Final | Clay | Laver | 6–1, 7–5, 7–5
28 | 1962-05-07 | Italian Champs | Final | Clay | Laver | 6–2, 1–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–1
29 | 1962-05-21 | French Championships | Final | Clay | Laver | 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–2
30 | 1962-06-18 | Queen's Club Champ | Final | Grass | Laver | 6–4, 7–5
31 | 1962-08-27 | U.S. Championships | Final | Grass | Laver | 6–2, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4
32 | 1962-09-24 | Pacific Southwest, Los Angeles | Final | Hard | Emerson | 16–14, 6–3
33 | 1968–04-13 | Hollywood Pro | Semifinal |  | Emerson | 6–4, 6–1
34 | 1968-04-18 | Paris Pro NTL | Round 1 |  | Laver | 7–5, 6–2
35 | 1968-04-21 | Bordeaux |  |  | Emerson | 6-4, 6–4
36 | 1968–05-17 | M.S.G. Pro Champs, New York | Semifinal | Indoor | Laver | 6–2, 6–2
37 | 1968–07-19 | NTL Los Angeles | Semifinal | Hard | Laver | 7–5, 6–2
38 | 1968-08-03 | Honolulu | One-night stand | Hard (O) | Emerson | 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
39 | 1968-08-04 | Honolulu | One-night stand | Hard (O) | Laver | 6-3, 1-6, 14-12
40 | 1968-09-30 | Midland Pro | Semifinal |  | Emerson | 6–4, 6–4
41 | 1968–10-23 | São Paulo | Round Robin |  | Laver | 6–1, 10–8
42 | 1968–10-28 | La Paz | Round Robin |  | Laver | 6–4, 6–2
43 | 1968-11-01 | Lima | Round Robin |  | Emerson | 8–6, 6–4
44 | 1968-11-10 | South American Open, Buenos Aires | Final | Clay | Emerson | 9–7, 6–4, 6–4
45 | 1968-11-15 | Wembley Pro | Round 1 |  | Emerson | 6–3, 9–7
46 | 1969–01 | Australian Open | Round 3 | Grass | Laver | 6–2, 6–4, 3–6, 9–7
47 | 1969 | Miami | Quarterfinal |  | Laver | 5–7, 6–3, 6–4
48 | 1969 | Tokyo | Round Robin |  | Emerson | 6–4, 6–5
49 | 1969-05-12 | M.S.G. Invitational New York | Final | Indoor | Laver | 6–2, 4–6, 6–1
50 | 1969–09 | U.S. Open | Quarterfinal | Grass | Laver | 4–6, 8–6, 13–11, 6–4
51 | 1969–12 | Basle | One night stand | indoor | Laver | 6–3, 6–8, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2
52 | 1969–12 | Madrid Pro | semi-final | indoor | Laver | 10–4 (pro-set)
53 | 1970 | Philadelphia | Round 3 |  | Laver | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
54 | 1970 | Las Vegas | Semifinal |  | Laver | 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
55 | 1970 | Saint Louis | Semifinal |  | Laver | 4–6, 7–5, 6–3
56 | 1970-08-10 | Bretton Woods | Final | Clay | Laver | 6–3, 6–3
57 | 1970-08-17 | National Invitation WCT, Fort Worth Texas | Final | Hard | Laver | 6–3, 7–5
58 | 1970-09-28 | Rothman's International WCT, Vancouver | Final |  | Laver | 6–2, 6–1, 6–2
59 | 1971 | Champions Tennis Classic, Philadelphia | Round Robin |  | Laver | 6–2, 6–3, 7–5
60 | 1971 | Champions Tennis Classic, New Haven | Round Robin |  | Laver | 6–3, 5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
61 | 1971-04-03 | Miami | Semifinal |  | Laver | 2–6, 6–3, 7–5
62 | 1971-08 | Quebec | Quarterfinal |  | Laver | 3–6, 7–6, 7–6
63 | 1971-08 | Fort Worth | Semifinal |  | Laver | 6–1, 6–4
64 | 1971-08-25 | Baton Rouge | Final |  | Laver | 6–7, 7-5, 6-1
65 | 1971 | San Francisco | Round 3 |  | Laver | 6–7, 6–4, 6–0
66 | 1973–01 | Miami WCT | Quarterfinal | Hard | Laver | 6–4, 3–6, 6–2
67 | 1973-01-30 | Richmond WCT | Final | Carpet | Laver | 6–4, 6–3
68 | 1973-02-11 | Toronto WCT | Final | Carpet | Laver | 6–3, 6–4
69 | 1973 | Brussels WCT | Semifinal |  | Laver | 4–6, 6–4, 6–1
70 | 1973 | WCT Finals Dallas | Round 1 |  | Laver | 6–4, 6–2, 6–1
71 | 1975–03 | WCT São Paulo | Round 2 | Carpet | Laver | 6–3, 6–2
72 | 1975–06-04 | Montreal | Challenge Match | Carpet | Emerson | 6–2, 3-6, 6–2

## See also

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* List of tennis rivalries

## Sources

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* Joe McCauley, The History of Professional Tennis, London 2001
* World Tennis (The US Magazine)
* World of Tennis (Annuals edited by John Barrett)