LONDON -- A new computer system to rank men's tennis players was introduced Sunday, and Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia had the honor of being chosen the first No. 1.
The new system is known as the Nixdorf Computer.
World Championship Tennis, the Lamar Hunt group based in Dallas, was the force behind the new computer, which will be in competition with the computerized rankings of the Association of Tennis Professionals.
According to Owen Williams, chief executive officer of WCT, the rival ranking system was 'a matter of survival' for his organization inasmuch as the ATP computer did not include any WCT events.
'There are 85 Grand Prix events and 22 WCT events,' Williams said. 'The existing computer carried 85 events, but not our 22. Also, the other computer reflects $18 million in prize money and ignores $8 million (offered by the WCT).'
In addition to the Grand Prix and WCT tournaments, the new computer will include Davis Cup competition, the WCT Finals, the Grand Prix Masters, the World Team Cup and even satellite events. The criterion is a minimum purse of $25,000 and a minimum draw of 16 for singles and eight for doubles.
'Ours will be a complete computer,' Williams said. 'There will be approximately 250 tournaments going into it.'
Following Lendl, winner of 15 of his last 19 tournaments, on the initial rankings are Jimmy Connors, Guillermo Vilas, John McEnroe, Jose Luis Clerc, Vitas Gerulaitis, Mats Wilander, Peter McNamara, Gene Mayer and Sandy Mayer.
In contrast, the latest ATP rankings has McEnroe No. 1, followed by Vilas, Connors, Lendl, Clerc, Eliot Teltscher, Gerulaitis, Bjorn Borg, Sandy Mayer and Gene Mayer.
In doubles, the new computer has Sherwood Stewart as No. 1 and McEnroe second.
Both rankings are to be released weekly.
