What's level for former pros?

[CrispyFritters]

I was watching Courier vs Borg on tennis channel today. They've definitely lost a step with age but they still got the court smarts. Yet, it still seems like there is a very large gap between the retired pros and the top players on the tour today.

I was wondering....

Could these guys still beat anyone in the top 100?
What level of tennis are Courier and Borg playing now? Are they still 7.0? 6.0? 5.0+?

[drakulie]

I would say 6.0 plus.

Guys like Courier, Rios, Agassi, sampras could still be competitive with top players,,,,,, but the problem more lies with having to do it for an entire tournament. Night and day, and the type of training they would have to commit to is too much for thier bodies to keep up.

[JoelDali]

I hate to say it being a big Borg **** but Courier was slightly toying with Bjorn. I think if he would have given 100% he would have most likely goated Borg off the court. Borg had some great shots and it was a fun match to watch. Interesting and wierd to see Borg playing with a Dunlop though.

Awesome to see Borg on the court. Dude is a true immortal.

[Datacipher]

Originally Posted by JoelDali

I hate to say it being a big Borg **** but Courier was slightly toying with Bjorn. I think if he would have given 100% he would have most likely goated Borg off the court. Borg had some great shots and it was a fun match to watch. Interesting and wierd to see Borg playing with a Dunlop though.

Awesome to see Borg on the court. Dude is a true immortal.

I am sure he was. McEnroe often had to carry Borg only a couple years after his retirement. Bjorn s style was heavily dependent on huge volumes of practice... But also in this case , courier has a huge age advantage. If courier goes all out he could still hit with something close to tour form, no way Bjorn can be expected to defend against that at his age , in Borg s prime those two wouldn't have been an epic epic battle. Borg is probably one of the few players in history that courier would have feared on clay.

[hoosierbr]

Borg is the oldest guy out there. He's even older than McEnroe so give him a break!

He's still pretty quick for a dude in his 50's. Gotta give it to him.

[kiteboard]

Originally Posted by CrispyFritters

I was watching Courier vs Borg on tennis channel today. They've definitely lost a step with age but they still got the court smarts. Yet, it still seems like there is a very large gap between the retired pros and the top players on the tour today.

I was wondering....

Could these guys still beat anyone in the top 100?
What level of tennis are Courier and Borg playing now? Are they still 7.0? 6.0? 5.0+?

No way. Even philopoussis wouldn't. Too slow, too injured, not enough speed, not enough smarts.

[Kaz00]

The same level has a very high ranked college player maybe even better. I could see Muster whooping up on the top college players.

[BrooklynNY]

I watched Sampras play Safin and Roddick to 4-6 sets this year. His level was incredible.

He also just beat Sam Querrey 8-4 in a champions set last week at Rock n Rackets

[hoodjem]

Did you read about Borg warming up in Boston against Harvard's no. 1 player.

Apparently Borg toyed with the guy, ran him all over the court, and wore him out.

Here's the link:
http://www.boston.com/sports/other_s...9/bjorn_again/


Tennis great Bjorn Borg taught at Harvard yesterday, but not in the classroom.

The 11-time Grand Slam champion schooled the Crimson’s Alexei Chijoff-Evans, a talented 21-year-old junior whom Borg ran nonstop for nearly an hour on the court at Murr Center. Borg, still lean but now gray at 53, barely broke a sweat, displaying an array of forehands, backhands, and surgically placed lobs.

“You’re so outrageously fit,’’ Chijoff-Evans told the living legend. “You’re just cruising. I’m dying.’’

[borg number one]

Borg is still very good, but he is the oldest player out there. I agree. I think perhaps Courier was laying off a bit against him. He's a much younger player. Borg impressed me though, given that he's now 54. He can still hit some extremely good shots on the run. He's in pretty good shape too, but you can see the difference on the backhand most of all, and of course his mobility. His backhand has changed a lot in terms of form. He can't hit it the way he used to, with the big release over the shoulder. Also, on the serve, you can see a huge difference. He's not 30 or 40 anymore. It was great though. The crowds just love seeing him out there. He's a legend and I like the fact that the fans appreciate his contributions. Courier was clearly excited just to be on the same court as Borg. That was very nice. He mentioned how his parents talked about how Borg acted on the court and how Courier should try and emulate him on the court. Borg was having fun playing and now you get to see him react in ways that you'd never see during his playing days. The crowd enjoyed it.

[CHOcobo]

any videos of the current Bjorn Borg? i'd like to see him play.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by hoodjem

Did you read about Borg warming up in Boston against Harvard's no. 1 player.

Apparently Borg toyed with the guy, ran him all over the court, and wore him out.

Here's the link:
http://www.boston.com/sports/other_s...9/bjorn_again/


Tennis great Bjorn Borg taught at Harvard yesterday, but not in the classroom.

The 11-time Grand Slam champion schooled the Crimson’s Alexei Chijoff-Evans, a talented 21-year-old junior whom Borg ran nonstop for nearly an hour on the court at Murr Center. Borg, still lean but now gray at 53, barely broke a sweat, displaying an array of forehands, backhands, and surgically placed lobs.

“You’re so outrageously fit,’’ Chijoff-Evans told the living legend. “You’re just cruising. I’m dying.’’

From the article above:

"For those too young to remember the 1970s, Borg was an international sex symbol with his long, blond hair, headband, short shorts, and two-handed backhand."

So 2 handed backhand makes you sexy?

[jrepac]

Originally Posted by hoodjem

Did you read about Borg warming up in Boston against Harvard's no. 1 player.

Apparently Borg toyed with the guy, ran him all over the court, and wore him out.

Here's the link:
http://www.boston.com/sports/other_s...9/bjorn_again/


Tennis great Bjorn Borg taught at Harvard yesterday, but not in the classroom.

The 11-time Grand Slam champion schooled the Crimson’s Alexei Chijoff-Evans, a talented 21-year-old junior whom Borg ran nonstop for nearly an hour on the court at Murr Center. Borg, still lean but now gray at 53, barely broke a sweat, displaying an array of forehands, backhands, and surgically placed lobs.

“You’re so outrageously fit,’’ Chijoff-Evans told the living legend. “You’re just cruising. I’m dying.’’

I was going to mention this as well; even at 53, Bjorn is quite formidable. But, as others noted, these guys can no longer do this an entire tournament. On a given day, for a given set, a guy like McEnroe can clock probably anyone in the Top 100. But not day in and day out. That's the rub.

[hoodjem]

Originally Posted by sureshs

From the article above:

"For those too young to remember the 1970s, Borg was an international sex symbol with his long, blond hair, headband, short shorts, and two-handed backhand."

So 2 handed backhand makes you sexy?

Sure, of course. Look at Agassi.

[robow7]

I remember Laver being asked how he would compete with the current pros when he was in his mid 40's and he felt he could still play with anyone in the world but for only one set, and no way for three sets. He said the day after was even worse which meant tournaments were impossible.

[borg number one]

Originally Posted by CHOcobo

any videos of the current Bjorn Borg? i'd like to see him play.

Here is some Borg-McEnroe footage from late 2008 CHOcobo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dec5d...eature=related

[The-Champ]

Björn is like 300 years old but still has amazing reflexes. I hope Rafa and him can play an exhibition even doubles together, that would have been great to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayGv3...eature=related

[borg number one]

Originally Posted by The-Champ

Björn is like 300 years old but still has amazing reflexes. I hope Rafa and him can play an exhibition even doubles together, that would have been great to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayGv3...eature=related

Thanks for posting that video clip The-Champ. He and McEnroe are tennis wizards, but their bodies no longer allow for the full effect. These videos give us a hint of their powers in their 20's. Also, for me it always makes me so curious about players from the pre-graphite era and what their play in their prime years would have been like with today's frames/strings. That looked like a really fun exhibition. I think you're right, seeing him and Nadal together would be great sometime, perhaps on the same court with perhaps Federer and McEnroe. Regardless, it's great for tennis that Borg is now visible and involved with promoting the sport again. He and McEnroe were powerful catalysts. Federer, Nadal, and others, would not be enjoying the fame and fortune they do enjoy without the work of Borg and McEnroe (and Laver and those before certainly).

[CHOcobo]

WOW.... borg has amazing speed and really good footwork for his age. beating a top college player like he did made college tennis level seems like nothing. i still want to watching play that harvard kid.

[GoSurfBoy]

"You had two different personalities,’’ said Borg. “I come from Sweden, where our mentality is a little laid-back, a little more quiet. John grew up outside New York and he’s a little bit more outspoken.’’

"...and he’s a little bit more outspoken.’’

YATHINK!??? lol