1996 Japan Open Tennis Championships
Encyclopedia
The 1996 Japan Open Tennis Championships was a tennis
tournament played on outdoor hard courts
at the Ariake Coliseum
in Tokyo
in Japan
that was part of the Championship Series
of the 1996 ATP Tour
and of Tier III of the 1996 WTA Tour
. The tournament ran from April 15 through April 21, 1996.
Pete Sampras
defeated Richey Reneberg
6–4, 7–5
Kimiko Date
defeated Amy Frazier
7–5, 6–4
Todd Woodbridge
/ Mark Woodforde
defeated
Mark Knowles
/ Rick Leach
6–2, 6–3
Kimiko Date
/ Ai Sugiyama
defeated Amy Frazier
/ Kimberly Po
7–6, 6–7, 6–3
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
tournament played on outdoor hard courts
Hardcourt
Hardcourt or hard court describes a form of surface or floor on which a sport is played. It may refer to an indoor court made from a wood, or more specifically hardwood such as maple, as in basketball or indoor soccer. Alternatively, it may refer to outdoor materials such as asphalt, shale, or clay...
at the Ariake Coliseum
Ariake Coliseum
is an indoor sporting arena in located in Ariake, Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. It has a capacity of 10,000. The arena is used as the center court for the Japan Open Tennis Championships and the Toray Pan Pacific Open held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park....
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
that was part of the Championship Series
ATP International Series Gold
International Series Gold was a series of professional tennis tournaments held internationally that were part of the ATP Tour. International Series Gold offered players cash prizes and the ability to earn ATP ranking points...
of the 1996 ATP Tour
1996 ATP Tour
The Association of Tennis Professionals Tour is the elite tour for professional tennis organized by the ATP. The ATP Tour includes the Grand Slam tournaments , the ATP Super 9, the ATP Championship Series, the ATP World Series, the ATP World Team Cup, the Davis Cup , the ATP Tour World...
and of Tier III of the 1996 WTA Tour
1996 WTA Tour
The WTA Tour is the elite tour for professional women's tennis organised by the Women's Tennis Association . The WTA Tour includes the four Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Tier I, Tier II, Tier III and Tier IV events...
. The tournament ran from April 15 through April 21, 1996.
Men's Singles
Pete SamprasPete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
defeated
Richey RenebergRichey Reneberg
Richey Reneberg was an American professional male tennis player.He attended Southern Methodist University, where he was a three-time All-American and reached the 1986 National Collegiate Athletics Association finals....
6–4, 7–5
- It was Sampras' 4th title of the year and the 42nd of his career.
Women's Singles
Kimiko DateKimiko Date
is a Japanese professional tennis player. In her career, she has won over 200 tournament matches. She has won the Japan Open four times. In 1994, she was ranked in the top-ten women players in the world. In 1992, the WTA awarded her the "Most Improved Player of the Year". After playing in her...
defeated
Amy FrazierAmy Frazier
Amy Frazier is a now inactive professional female tennis player from the United States.She debuted in 1987 and was active player until the 2006 US Open in which she made her 20th consecutive appearance...
7–5, 6–4
- It was Date's 1st title of the year and the 6th of her career.
Men's Doubles
Todd WoodbridgeTodd Woodbridge
Todd Andrew Woodbridge is an Australian former tennis player. He was born in Sydney and turned professional in 1988. He is best known for his successful Doubles partnerships with Mark Woodforde and later Jonas Björkman...
/
Mark WoodfordeMark Woodforde
Mark Woodforde is a former professional tennis player from Australia. He is best known as one half of "The Woodies", a doubles partnership with Todd Woodbridge....
defeated
Mark KnowlesMark Knowles
Mark Knowles is a former World number 1 doubles professional male tennis player from the Bahamas, who will go down as one of the greatest athletes of his country for his longevity within his sport and charitable contributions off the court.After being awarded a scholarship to the Nick...
/
Rick LeachRick Leach
----Rick Leach is a former professional tennis player and a coach from the United States. A doubles specialist, he won 5 Grand Slam men's doubles titles , and 4 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles . Leach reached the World No...
6–2, 6–3
- It was Woodbridge's 5th title of the year and the 45th of his career. It was Woodforde's 6th title of the year and the 49th of his career.
Women's Doubles
Kimiko DateKimiko Date
is a Japanese professional tennis player. In her career, she has won over 200 tournament matches. She has won the Japan Open four times. In 1994, she was ranked in the top-ten women players in the world. In 1992, the WTA awarded her the "Most Improved Player of the Year". After playing in her...
/
Ai SugiyamaAi Sugiyama
is a retired Japanese professional tennis player. She reached No. 1 in women's doubles on the WTA Tour. Her career-high singles ranking was No. 8, achieved on February 9, 2004. She turned professional in 1992...
defeated
Amy FrazierAmy Frazier
Amy Frazier is a now inactive professional female tennis player from the United States.She debuted in 1987 and was active player until the 2006 US Open in which she made her 20th consecutive appearance...
/
Kimberly PoKimberly Po
Kimberly Po-Messerli is a former professional tennis player from the United States.During her career, Po won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 2000...
7–6, 6–7, 6–3
- It was Date's 2nd title of the year and the 7th of her career. It was Sugiyama's only title of the year and the 3rd of her career.