Stats for 1980 Wimbledon QF(Connors-Tanner)

[Moose Malloy]

Connors d Tanner 16 62 46 62 62

my stats
Connors served at 61%(74 of 121)
He won 54 of 74 pts on 1st serve(67.5%)
and 24 of 47 on 2nd(51%)
4 aces, 2 df's
drew 28 return errors
of the return errors Tanner made 6 were fh, 22 were bh
8 were on 2nd serve
6-15 on break points(Tanner made 1st serves on 8 of them)

Tanner served at 43.5%(61 of 140)
He won 39 of 61 pts on 1st serve(64%)
and 41 of 79 on 2nd(52%)
16 aces, 6 df's
drew 31 return errors
of the return errors Connors made, 6 were fh, 25 were bh
17 were on 2nd serve
4-9 on break points(Connors made 1st serves on 4 of them)

Connors had 37 non service winners: 6 fh, 17 bh, 9 fhv, 5 bhv
Tanner had 39: 2 fh, 10 bh, 14 fhv, 9 bhv, 4 ov

Connors was 57-83 at net(69%)
didn't take S&V stats, but it seemed like he was doing it a lot, on both 1st & 2nd serves

Connors had a pretty tough schedule at this rain plagued tournament. He completed his 4th round match the day before(while Tanner had the day off)
And his semifinal opponent McEnroe had the day off while he played Tanner(and the other men's semi - Borg-Gottfried - was actually played on the same day as this QF)
Commentators said it may have been fairer for the players if they just extended the tournament by another day.

Tanner was on the end of a rather absurd decision by the umpire early in the 5th set when he hit an ace that was called a fault & the umpire decided to just 'play a let' instead of awarding the point to Tanner. Commentators said that officiating was pretty poor throughout the tournament(what a surprise)

In the McEnroe-Connors SF, the same exact thing happened to Mac(hit an ace that was called a fault, the umpire gave him a 1st serve instead of the point) & commentators/fans/press acted like Mac was such a disgrace to the game even though he was 100% right. I guess because he didn't just let it go like Tanner did(though he was pretty upset as well & did explain to the umpire 'the rules') & asked for a referee in an extended conversation(which resulted in Mac getting a 'public warning' whatever that meant)

[heathcliff]

thanks moose for the info.
do you know how many times tanner aproached the net?

[kiki]

great, great match, one of the best grass court matches of the decade.

I remember Connors being interviewed after that classic..." When Roscoe is on a string like that, you just can sit and wait till it´s over...it is just bruttal"

[krosero]

Neil Amdur in the New York Times:

Yesterday, when Connors was asked how he could handle the demanding load of matches against the hard-serving Tanner, McEnroe and Borg on successive days, the 27-year-old American replied, “I’ll either be in great shape or dead.”

If Connors can pull off this feat, it would undoubtedly rank as the highlight of his already brilliant career. In McEnroe, however, he will face a far superior serve-and-volley executioner than the fifth-seeded Tanner, who at times today resembled a blacksmith trying to drive nails through concrete.

Tanner, a five-set loser to Borg in last year s final, served 16 aces and had numerous other service winners. But the most revealing statistic in an otherwise routine 2-hour-36-minute match was the shockingly poor percentage of first serves that were good – 60 of 140, or 43%. For a player whose game is almost solely constructed around his left-handed serve, the low percentage is akin to a fastball pitcher who strikes out five batters and walks 10.

In dropping the fourth set, for example, Tanner faulted 20 of 27 first serves. When Connors finally broke for a 4-2 lead in the fifth set, it came on his fifth break point -- a backhand return down the line that he had played from inside the baseline. On the four previous break points, Connors had netted backhand returns, leaning into them late from behind the baseline, in deference to Tanner’s serving power.

[krosero]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Connors served at 61%(74 of 121)
He won 54 of 74 pts on 1st serve(67.5%)
and 24 of 47 on 2nd(51%)

Tanner served at 43.5%(61 of 140)
He won 39 of 61 pts on 1st serve(64%)
and 41 of 79 on 2nd(52%)
16 aces, 6 df's

Surprised to see Tanner's 1st serve success at only 64%.

When he lost to Borg in five sets in '79, he won 79% of his 1st serve points, 46% on second serve. And his service percentage was 53%, much better than against Connors.

[krosero]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Connors served at 61%(74 of 121)
4 aces, 2 df's
drew 28 return errors

Tanner served at 43.5%(61 of 140)
16 aces, 6 df's
drew 31 return errors

Connors served on 121 points and 32 serves did not come back: 26%

Tanner served on 140 points and 47 serves did not come back: 34%

[Moose Malloy]

thanks moose for the info.
do you know how many times tanner aproached the net?

I had him at 69 of 125(55%)
He S&Ved on every 1st & 2nd serve

Surprised to see Tanner's 1st serve success at only 64%.

how was his 1st serve success when the return was put in play?

[McEnroeisanartist]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Connors d Tanner 16 62 46 62 62

my stats
Connors served at 61%(74 of 121)
He won 54 of 74 pts on 1st serve(67.5%)
and 24 of 47 on 2nd(51%)
4 aces, 2 df's
drew 28 return errors
of the return errors Tanner made 6 were fh, 22 were bh
8 were on 2nd serve
6-15 on break points(Tanner made 1st serves on 8 of them)

Tanner served at 43.5%(61 of 140)
He won 39 of 61 pts on 1st serve(64%)
and 41 of 79 on 2nd(52%)
16 aces, 6 df's
drew 31 return errors
of the return errors Connors made, 6 were fh, 25 were bh
17 were on 2nd serve
4-9 on break points(Connors made 1st serves on 4 of them)

Connors had 37 non service winners: 6 fh, 17 bh, 9 fhv, 5 bhv
Tanner had 39: 2 fh, 10 bh, 14 fhv, 9 bhv, 4 ov

Connors was 57-83 at net(69%)
didn't take S&V stats, but it seemed like he was doing it a lot, on both 1st & 2nd serves

Connors had a pretty tough schedule at this rain plagued tournament. He completed his 4th round match the day before(while Tanner had the day off)
And his semifinal opponent McEnroe had the day off while he played Tanner(and the other men's semi - Borg-Gottfried - was actually played on the same day as this QF)
Commentators said it may have been fairer for the players if they just extended the tournament by another day.

Tanner was on the end of a rather absurd decision by the umpire early in the 5th set when he hit an ace that was called a fault & the umpire decided to just 'play a let' instead of awarding the point to Tanner. Commentators said that officiating was pretty poor throughout the tournament(what a surprise)

In the McEnroe-Connors SF, the same exact thing happened to Mac(hit an ace that was called a fault, the umpire gave him a 1st serve instead of the point) & commentators/fans/press acted like Mac was such a disgrace to the game even though he was 100% right. I guess because he didn't just let it go like Tanner did(though he was pretty upset as well & did explain to the umpire 'the rules') & asked for a referee in an extended conversation(which resulted in Mac getting a 'public warning' whatever that meant)

yes, the classic 1980 Wimbledon semifinal match with Connors and McEnroe. The match was dreadfully boring, except for McEnroe's famous outburst in the first set. This was the same match where Connors finger pointed at McEnroe and said, "keep your mouth shut out there" at the changeover.

[jaggy]

Crazy left handed Americans, good ole Tarango came along later to add some sensibility.

[krosero]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

how was his 1st serve success when the return was put in play?

He mostly got killed when his 1st serve was returned: won only 9 of 31 points (29%). When his second serve was returned he won 24 of 56 (43%).

Connors won 30 of 50 when his 1st serve was returned (60%), and 16 of 37 on his 2nd (43%).

Tanner was excellent, by contrast, when his 1st serve was returned by Borg in the '79 final: he won 28 of 47 such points, or 60%.

[krosero]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Tanner served at 43.5%(61 of 140)
drew 31 return errors
17 were on 2nd serve

This is also a little surprising, for Tanner to draw more return errors with his 2nd serve than with his first (17 vs 14). Of course Tanner not getting too many 1st serves into play had something to do with that, but still it's surprising considering the weapon his 1st serve was.

In the '79 final, Tanner drew 28 return errors with his first serve, only 9 with his second.

Connors failed to put Tanner's 1st serve back in play 30 times, but a majority of those were aces (16). He did really well when he could get a racquet on the ball.

Tanner made 61 first serves and 30 did not come back (16 aces, 14 return errors): 49%.
He served 79 second serves, and 17 did not come back: 21.5%

[krosero]

Originally Posted by kiki

great, great match, one of the best grass court matches of the decade.

I remember Connors being interviewed after that classic..." When Roscoe is on a string like that, you just can sit and wait till it´s over...it is just bruttal"

Yup he was quoted saying something very similar.

AP article:

Tanner, beaten by Borg in last year’s final, began with a stream of booming services and aced Connors five times in the first set. But as the match went on, Connors returned service with increasing success.

With a 2-1 lead in sets, Tanner looked in good shape for victory. But he had a disastrous game, double faulting twice and netting an easy forehand volley to trail 0-2 in the fourth set -- and the match flowed away from him from then on.

Connors said afterward: “When Roscoe is getting his first serve in, like he was in the first set, you just wait and hope he will cool off. I just hoped he would make a mistake or two so I could get some shots in.”

Tanner’s service lost a lot of its sting later. He finished with 16 aces, but he also missed a lot with his first service and Connors slammed winners off his second deliveries.

Connors’ last vital breakthrough was at 4-2 in the final set. Tanner fended off four break points before Connors won the game with a spectacular backhand return down the line.

Another AP story:

“After I lost the third set my returns were firm on both sides,” said Connors. “I was mixing it up well on my serves and turned my game around a bit to offset his tempo.

“In those last two sets I played as well as I’ve played in the tournament.”

Connors, winner of only one Wimbledon singles title, was unable to cope with Tanner’s whirlwind serve in the 19-minute first serve.

.... Midway through the third set of his 2 3/4-hour thriller with fifth-seeded Tanner, Connors clutched at his left knee and appeared in some pain.

“It’s OK now,” he said. “It scared me more than anything. I sort of twisted it, but it didn’t worry me after I’d played three or four points.”

[Moose Malloy]

This is also a little surprising, for Tanner to draw more return errors with his 2nd serve than with his first (17 vs 14).

I thought Connors was going for a bit too much on the 2nd serve return. Most serves were directed to his backhand which produced a lot of winners & errors. most of the 17 bh winners he hit were return winners, not sure the exact breakdown. and he made 25 bh return errors as well.

"When Roscoe is getting his first serve in, like he was in the first set, you just wait and hope he will cool off."

Tanner served at 48% in the 1st set

[krosero]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

I thought Connors was going for a bit too much on the 2nd serve return. Most serves were directed to his backhand which produced a lot of winners & errors. most of the 17 bh winners he hit were return winners, not sure the exact breakdown. and he made 25 bh return errors as well.

Yes and Borg's style of returning 2nd serves was somewhat less risky. Borg and Connors each had to face about 75 second serves from Tanner, with Connors making 17 errors, Borg only 9. That does seem to show Connors more eager to rip 2nd serves.

(Just going by the numbers and by what you're saying; I haven't seen this match myself yet.)

Borg made 11 clean return winners off Tanner's 2nd serve, presumably Connors got a similar or higher number.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by krosero

Yup he was quoted saying something very similar.

AP article:

Tanner, beaten by Borg in last year’s final, began with a stream of booming services and aced Connors five times in the first set. But as the match went on, Connors returned service with increasing success.

With a 2-1 lead in sets, Tanner looked in good shape for victory. But he had a disastrous game, double faulting twice and netting an easy forehand volley to trail 0-2 in the fourth set -- and the match flowed away from him from then on.

Connors said afterward: “When Roscoe is getting his first serve in, like he was in the first set, you just wait and hope he will cool off. I just hoped he would make a mistake or two so I could get some shots in.”

Tanner’s service lost a lot of its sting later. He finished with 16 aces, but he also missed a lot with his first service and Connors slammed winners off his second deliveries.

Connors’ last vital breakthrough was at 4-2 in the final set. Tanner fended off four break points before Connors won the game with a spectacular backhand return down the line.

Another AP story:

“After I lost the third set my returns were firm on both sides,” said Connors. “I was mixing it up well on my serves and turned my game around a bit to offset his tempo.

“In those last two sets I played as well as I’ve played in the tournament.”

Connors, winner of only one Wimbledon singles title, was unable to cope with Tanner’s whirlwind serve in the 19-minute first serve.

.... Midway through the third set of his 2 3/4-hour thriller with fifth-seeded Tanner, Connors clutched at his left knee and appeared in some pain.

“It’s OK now,” he said. “It scared me more than anything. I sort of twisted it, but it didn’t worry me after I’d played three or four points.”

yes, that was my recall.Thanks for bringing it up.

BTW, Connrs vs tanner looks an underrated rivalry but was tremendously hot, a total contrast with the best server of the decade against the best returner.I remember those 1974 USO and 1975 Wimbly semis, the latter being regarded as the heavisest hitting ever seen on Centre Court.tanner got his revenge in 1976.
In 1979 they had a close and tight up Masters meeting that Connors won in the last set tb...and Tanner got his revenge a couple of years later in the same event, with the score being....7-6,6-7,7-6...Uncredible.