Vijay Amritraj

[kiki]

Originally Posted by Tshooter

"In 1974 Vijay was considered to be part of the ABC of the future of tennis. Amitraj Borg Connors"

Perhaps in some fantasy of the past. He wasn't ever in the class of those two. Prospects-wise, talent-wise or results-wise. True, I never liked his game. Typical sucky 70s backhand (problems coming over it and unreliable under pressure) and a boring "classic" eastern forehand. Borg was inspiring an entire generation with topspin and Connors had a deadly backhand. Vijay had -- not much game. Eliott Telscher was far more talented. Dick Stockton. Raul Rameriz. Eddie Dibbs. The list goes on and on and on.

Of all the good 1970´s players, Stockton is the one I can´t really talk about, but I don´t think, talent wise, you can compare a real natural talent like Amritraj to Dibbs and Teltscher: 2 very good backhands, fast legs and great fighting minds , but nothing else ( which isn´t bad, anyhow¡¡¡).

Ramirez was extremely talented, and was more solid than Vijay.I could accept this name but seldom the other 3 (Dibbs,Teltscher and Stockton).

[kiki]

Originally Posted by borg number one

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/P...-Amritraj.aspx

Even at 33 he was near the top 100, so he had a really good career overall. In his prime though, the top 10-top 20 was full of great players (Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Vilas, and Lendl in 1980 when he reached his highest ranking. Yet, he was known to play his best tennis against some of the best players around. He has been a great ambassador for the sport. He operates a charity and is a tennis commentator now. He has beaten Lendl, Wilander, Rosewall, Ashe, Smith, Laver, Borg, Connors, and McEnroe, just to name some of the great players he has wins against.

Had he taken the AO seriously, he could have very well won it.He was as good as other winners there, at least for a fortnight (Eddo,Tanner,Gerulaitis,Kriek)

[BobbyOne]

When I once with Rosewall watched Vijay playing in a senior's doubles, Muscles said:" Great touch player" I had to smile a bit because it came off the mouth of one of the all-time greatest touch players at all and Rosewall had a 6:1 hth against Amritraj...

[timnz]

We can't forget that vijay was one of only 3 men to beat McEnroe in 1984, when john was at his absolute peak. It was in Cincinatti.

[jaggy]

And Krishnan had so much more touch than Vijay.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by timnz

We can't forget that vijay was one of only 3 men to beat McEnroe in 1984, when john was at his absolute peak. It was in Cincinatti.

Yes, Vijay scored wins over all his great contemporaries, from Rosewall and Laver to Connors,Borg and Mc Enroe.I think the only big name he didn´t scalp would be Ivan lendl.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by jaggy

And Krishnan had so much more touch than Vijay.

Like his father.But Vijay had a much better mixture of power and touch.

[PrinceMoron]

Originally Posted by pc1

I think I read a story in which a player hoping for an entry to Wimbledon that year if a player withdrew was watching the movie, saw Vijay's character die and yelled something like "I'm in! I'm in."

Didn't Vijay have a duel with some villain with his tennis racquet in that movie? I haven't seen the movie in years.

You read it here
TWH wouldn't allow me to past Octo***** but I did post the story a while ago

[kiki]

Originally Posted by PrinceMoron

You read it here
TWH wouldn't allow me to past Octo***** but I did post the story a while ago

OCTO***** has one of the best, if not the best, sound tracks of all James Bond´s films.

[kiki]

I don´t think there´s ever been, at least in the open ,era a player that has beaten as many all time greats as Vijay did, and still not make it to the top ten.Of course, his tennis was top ten but not his mind and, more than that, his real motivation.

[Rozroz]

i'm just watching this fabolous match in Yutube and stunbled upon this Borg magic shot VS Vijay:
http://youtu.be/YDFd4q3CycU?t=5m56s
so it's more of a Borg shot but Vijay had many good shots in there.
also Borg's movement is incredible.

[goober]

Originally Posted by 8F93W5

Scab is a common term. I'm surprised you haven't heard it. You must be very young and have not worked yet. Or sheltered and ignorant.
Scab: a worker who refuses to join a labor union or to participate in a union strike, who takes a striking worker's place on the job, or the like.
A scab is a very low form of life. Maybe someday you'll be unlucky enough to find out from personal experience if/when you lose a strike. Ask anyone working at a grocery store in USA. Ask your grandfather.
A scab is a person who enables the company to stay in business during a strike and by doing that, the company wins, the employees lose.
Vijay was one of those people.

This was a huge deal to the players. Those who played anyway, were disliked and lost respect.
81 of the top players refused to play Wimbledon in 1973. 13 of the top 16 seeds refused to play including two defending champions. Stan Smith won in 1972 and refused to play in 73. John Newcombe won in 71 and didn't, play 72 (I forget why), so he's in a way a defending champion too.
Smith, Newcombe, Ashe, Drysdale, most of the big names didn't play. Ilie Nastase is a notable exception and he will always be remembered for it. He says Romania government forced him to. Some Russians said the same thing. Connors and Borg played, but they weren't ATP members and were still unknown.

in 1973 the men decided to go on strike at Wimbledon to support Nicki Pilic who was suspended for not playing a Davis Cup match. It wasn't about Nicki Pilic though. It was the principal of the thing. The players wanted to play when and where they wanted. Open tennis was only 6 years old and it goes back to pre Open problems when each countries tennis organizations forced players to play certain tournaments. ALL the old US players talk about this in their books.

Wait a minute- so Vijay is a scab but connors and Borg were not? That is BS line of thinking. Saying Connors was unknown in 1973 is garbage. His year end ranking was #3. He reached 2 QF in slams that year and by that point had already won a bunch of ATP titles in singles and doubles! Connors refused to join the ATP union. Isn't he exactly the definition of a scab? A nonunion member playing while union members are on strike? Hmm unwilling to attack an American icon?

Borg was a relative unknown, but does being unkown excuse you from putting him in the same class as Vijay? So it is ok to be a scab if nobody knows you? Sorry if you are going to condemn some of the players you have to condemn them all.

In reality nobody is "always remembered for it" and nobody really cares. Natase is in the HOF. I am sure if you asked his peers from his playing days, nobody would say they styill remember it and are upset about it.

[comeback]

I was at this match in 1974 and i remember Borg and Armitrj playing on 1 of 3 courts that i believe were switched after each match..World class serving and returning..Borg only 17 already comes back from 2 sets to love and serves and returns to win
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDFd4...eature=related

[Dedans Penthouse]

Like so many of the pros from India, he was smooooth. Good dude.

[sureshs]

Watch him with Mayleen Ramey in the latest Destination Tennis London episode on Tennis Channel.

OK, just watch Mayleen Ramey.

[treblings]

Originally Posted by comeback

I was at this match in 1974 and i remember Borg and Amritraj playing on 1 of 3 courts that i believe were switched after each match..World class serving and returning..Borg only 17 already comes back from 2 sets to love and serves and returns to win
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDFd4...eature=related

took the liberty to correct the name for you

[rajeshafrica]

Originally Posted by 8F93W5

Scab is a common term. I'm surprised you haven't heard it. You must be very young and have not worked yet. Or sheltered and ignorant.
Scab: a worker who refuses to join a labor union or to participate in a union strike, who takes a striking worker's place on the job, or the like.
A scab is a very low form of life. Maybe someday you'll be unlucky enough to find out from personal experience if/when you lose a strike. Ask anyone working at a grocery store in USA. Ask your grandfather.
A scab is a person who enables the company to stay in business during a strike and by doing that, the company wins, the employees lose.
Vijay was one of those people.

This was a huge deal to the players. Those who played anyway, were disliked and lost respect.
81 of the top players refused to play Wimbledon in 1973. 13 of the top 16 seeds refused to play including two defending champions. Stan Smith won in 1972 and refused to play in 73. John Newcombe won in 71 and didn't, play 72 (I forget why), so he's in a way a defending champion too.
Smith, Newcombe, Ashe, Drysdale, most of the big names didn't play. Ilie Nastase is a notable exception and he will always be remembered for it. He says Romania government forced him to. Some Russians said the same thing. Connors and Borg played, but they weren't ATP members and were still unknown.

in 1973 the men decided to go on strike at Wimbledon to support Nicki Pilic who was suspended for not playing a Davis Cup match. It wasn't about Nicki Pilic though. It was the principal of the thing. The players wanted to play when and where they wanted. Open tennis was only 6 years old and it goes back to pre Open problems when each countries tennis organizations forced players to play certain tournaments. ALL the old US players talk about this in their books.

Actually Vijay had not turned pro in 1973. He was still an amateur at that time. As such had not joined the ATP and were not bound to them. Thats the reason he played the 73 championships

[rajeshafrica]

Originally Posted by rajeshafrica

Actually Vijay had not turned pro in 1973. He was still an amateur at that time. As such had not joined the ATP and were not bound to them. Thats the reason he played the 73 championships

So was Connors and Sandy Meyer

[rajeshafrica]

Originally Posted by kiki

Vijay was raised in apretty rich indian familiy with traditional values.Never had to worry about the money, and that let us enjoy such a relaxed and funny to watch player.Very fortunately.

Vijay Was not born in a rich indian family. The Amritraj family was a normal middle class family. His father was a executive with the Indian Railways. his mother was a housewife. She Later stared a small Packaging business to support her sons tennis

[Mustard]

Regarding 1973 Wimbledon, the only scabs were the 3 ATP affiliated players who refused to strike, which were Ilie Nastase, Roger Taylor and Ray Keldie, who were later fined by the ATP for their strikebreaking actions. Vijay Amritraj, Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg were not ATP members at the time.

Originally Posted by rajeshafrica

So was Connors and Sandy Meyer

Connors was a professional, but not an ATP member. He refused to join the ATP for the longest time. I believe that Connors was asked to join the ATP before 1973 Wimbledon and to strike with them, but he refused to join. Roscoe Tanner mentions Connors refusing to join and strike in his autobiography, and Arthur Ashe also mentioned something about it.