This Day in Sports History

Sept. 8

1946 — Jack Kramer wins his first U.S. singles titles with a 9-7, 6-3, 6-0 win over Tom Brown.

1957 — Althea Gibson becomes the first black to win the U.S. Open, beating Louise Brough, 6-3, 6-2. Australia’s Malcolm Anderson defeats countryman Ashley Cooper in three sets to become the first unseeded player to win the U.S. Open.

1968 — Virginia Wade wins the U.S. Open, upsetting Billie Jean King, 6-4, 6-4.

1969 — Australia Rod Laver wins the U.S. Open and the grand slam of tennis for the second time in his career with a fourset victory over Tony Roche.

1973 — Australia’s Margaret Court Smith wins the U.S. Open for the fifth time with a 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Evonne Goolagong.

1984 — The four matches played on stadium court at the U.S. Open are played to the maximum number of sets. Stan Smith defeats John Newcombe in the men’s 35s semifinal, Ivan Lendl edges Pat Cash, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6, in the men’s semifinals, Martina Navratilova beats Chris Evert, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, for the women’s title and John McEnroe defeats Jimmy Connors, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, in the second men’s semifinal.

1985 — Ivan Lendl wins his first U.S. Open title befeating John McEnroe 7-6, 6-3, 6-4.

1998 — Mark McGwire breaks Roger Maris’ 37-year-old home run record, lining historic No. 62 just over the wall in left field with two outs in the fourth inning. McGwire’s shot off the Chicago Cubs’ Steve Trachsel sets off a wild celebration in Busch Stadium.

2001 — Venus Williams wins her second consecutive U.S. Open title by beating her sister, Serena, 6-2, 6-4 in the first primetime women’s Grand Slam final. The match is the 10th between sisters in a Grand Slam match during the Open era, with the older sister winning every time.

2002 — Pete Sampras beats Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to win his 14th Grand Slam title and the U.S. Open for the fifth time. At 31, Sampras is the Open’s oldest champion since 1970.

2016 — Serena Williams is upset in the U.S. Open semifinals for the second year in a row, beaten 6-2, 7-6 (5) by 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. The loss prevents Williams from earning her seventh championship at Flushing Meadows and 23rd major title overall, which would both have been Open-era records. Also Williams’ 3 1/2-year reign at No. 1 in the WTA rankings will end on Sept. 12 by current No. 2 Angelique Kerber, who beats Caroline Wozniacki in the second semifinal.