Check out these old greats on vid - Page 11

Pete M. · 09-02-2012, 05:44 AM

I don't know if someone posted it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_RqYHs-1vY

Goosehead · 01-19-2013, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by borg number one

Bjorn Borg vs. Jimmy Connors in the 1978 Wimbledon final.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSg1j...eature=related

bill mckay... look around, we are in the tabernacle of tennis

...around 1hr 5mins you see a 21 stroke rally...on fast grass.

borg number one · 01-19-2013, 08:20 PM

Goosehead, I heard Bud Collins mention the "tabernacle of tennis" in that 1978 Wimbledon final video. I do agree that players like Gonzalez, Rosewall, Laver, Borg, Lendl, Connors, McEnroe, and even Agassi and Sampras, would be helped in many ways by the new racquets, strings, shoes, etc. Then, you have the different court dynamics with slower hard courts, grass courts at the AELTC which now tend to tilt the odds in favor of aggressive baseliners, fewer big indoor events, and fewer big "unofficial" matches played in addition to the official events. Connors and Borg had very heavy total match schedules and they spread tennis throughout the world. You have different tennis balls, grips and advanced shoes, easier travel conditions and the list goes on. How would each benefit and have to adapt? They were all so skilled talented and many underestimate their fitness level. It is more about the legs these days though, but what about the hands and skill? Yet, with the conditions the past players played under, in many ways, players like Connors, Rosewall, Borg, Laver, and Gonzalez had it tougher than the players of today. No player faced the media frenzy, without all the cushion players have today, like Bjorn Borg did. I'll say it again, you would not want to face prime Rod Laver or Bjorn Borg aided by modern conditions, especially if they had 1 year to get used to the conditions. They would be so tough and dangerous. If you've only seen the modern game and think they would be easy wins, I would say that respectfully you are wrong. If you played back then, you understand how great those players actually were. What great temperament too with players like Rosewall, Laver, and Borg (after his junior days). With them you saw no excessive celebration, hardly ever any real complaints about calls/crowds/opponents/conditions/tournaments. Also there was no negative demeanor and a lot of modesty and deference to the opponent. They exuded quiet grace combined with steely resolve. Such tough customers as well. Let's put it this way, there is a lot of "marketing" of the current players and game. I do enjoy the top players today, but I'm looking forward to having Nadal back in the mix. I've been watching pro tennis closely since about 1977 so I have had the opportunity to watch many of the Open Era greats.

Ivan Lendl vs. John McEnroe in the 1982 U.S. Open semifinal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=f-EYkuNBtgs (See 11:47 with McEnroe and the cameraman! Then Lendl with some great answers post match.)

(Lendl at the Orange Bowl with a Dunlop)

(Sampras with a wood frame!)

hoodjem · 01-20-2013, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by borg number one

Ivan Lendl vs. John McEnroe in the 1982 U.S. Open semifinal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=f-EYkuNBtgs (See 11:47 with McEnroe and the cameraman! Then Lendl with some great answers post match.)

Pretty skinny, youthful looking Lendl, not the honed gladiator of the later 80s.

jean pierre · 01-20-2013, 09:12 PM

La Gran Willy !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DanF9n7s9Tc

borg number one · 01-21-2013, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoodjem

Pretty skinny, youthful looking Lendl, not the honed gladiator of the later 80s.

He was still only 22 then and he definitely got more muscular and fit during the next few years of his career as he really focused on fitness. Yet, you see that with most all tennis players and the population in general. Men tend to keep growing and getting stronger until they are about 25. So, players like Rosewall, Laver, Borg, Connors, Lendl, McEnroe and the list goes on, they tended to be both fitter and stronger at 25 versus 20.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNiIn7ZVSqY (Bjorn Borg vs. Guillermo Vilas in the 1978 French Open Final. Bjorn Borg lost but 32 games the whole tournament, and won the final 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.)

Vegito · 02-27-2013, 08:51 PM

This is a spectacular documentary about Guillermo Vilas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaCZHSUg2A4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uOKMGwWhVw

borg number one · 02-27-2013, 09:09 PM

Great video Vegito. Vilas was a great player. I had the chance to watch him play live on a few occasions here in Houston during the 1980's. He was a very unique player with some great strokes and great fitness. One of my best friends is a huge Vilas fan. At one of the tournaments in the early 80's, my friend spoke to Vilas at River Oaks after watching a practice on red clay. Vilas proceeded to go to his bag and give my friend his Ellesse shirt. That was very nice of him.

hoodjem · 03-01-2013, 06:05 AM

The entire match.

US Open Final 1969:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87vi...PCJvMDQx6HgMSg

jean pierre · 03-01-2013, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vegito

This is a spectacular documentary about Guillermo Vilas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaCZHSUg2A4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uOKMGwWhVw

Great ! Vilas is the best.

hoodjem · 03-20-2013, 05:18 AM

Pretty good quality video of two GOATs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiSakiF4jzk

hoodjem · 03-20-2013, 05:22 AM

Interesting interview with Borg; watch his eyes--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=aC4UbkYp5pc

Flash O'Groove · 03-20-2013, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoodjem

Pretty good quality video of two GOATs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiSakiF4jzk

Very interesting thanks you.

hoodjem · 03-20-2013, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flash O'Groove

Very interesting thanks you.

Unfortunately they did not overlap in their primes. One was too young, and the other too old.

But still, a fascinating contrast of styles and play.

morten · 03-20-2013, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoodjem

Unfortunately they did not overlap in their primes. One was too young, and the other too old.

But still, a fascinating contrast of styles and play.

true hoodjem, but yes this is how tennis is supposed to be played, in my opinion anyway...

hoodjem · 03-20-2013, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morten

true hoodjem, but yes this is how tennis is supposed to be played, in my opinion anyway...

I'm with you: such beauty, speed, placement, and best of all--such thought and strategy.

Plenty of power, but that is not the be all and end all.

jean pierre · 03-20-2013, 08:38 AM

Maybe the greatest match of Vilas :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iciAqvUiRaM

borg number one · 03-20-2013, 08:46 AM

I agree morten and hoodjem, that's a great contrast in styles and play, along with plenty of speed and power. They were inarguably two of the greatest ever, both with such skill exhibited in their shotmaking, but also with great athleticism. As a Bjorn Borg fan, there's no other player I admire more than Rod Laver. That's great wood and gut string tennis played by two of the greatest ever, but of course, you had a very young Bjorn Borg (eighteen) and a older Rod Laver (thirty-six). Imagine them playing at the peak of their powers on all surfaces! We also got to see that great WCT match in 1975. With the newest technology, including gut/poly strings and graphite/comp frames and the latest shoes, across all surfaces, including a style of play Borg would thrive with....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf0ZyoUn7Vk

(forget about it!)

See Borg vs. Laver here at 10:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80bBJmnjefk
(1975 WCT Finals played at the old Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas)

hoodjem · 03-20-2013, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by borg number one

See Borg vs. Laver here at 10:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80bBJmnjefk
(1975 WCT Finals played at the old Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas)

Check out the angle on Laver's backhand at 13:33. How?

And check out Laver's speed on the point that starts at 14:14. Don't tell me he was not fast. Even Borg seems dumbfounded.

hoodjem · 03-20-2013, 11:00 AM

Here's some more contemporary, but also great speed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7njuHOSG2U

(At 4:05 a 106 mph forehand.!?)

01-19-2013, 08:20 PM	#203
borg number one Legend Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,043	Goosehead, I heard Bud Collins mention the "tabernacle of tennis" in that 1978 Wimbledon final video. I do agree that players like Gonzalez, Rosewall, Laver, Borg, Lendl, Connors, McEnroe, and even Agassi and Sampras, would be helped in many ways by the new racquets, strings, shoes, etc. Then, you have the different court dynamics with slower hard courts, grass courts at the AELTC which now tend to tilt the odds in favor of aggressive baseliners, fewer big indoor events, and fewer big "unofficial" matches played in addition to the official events. Connors and Borg had very heavy total match schedules and they spread tennis throughout the world. You have different tennis balls, grips and advanced shoes, easier travel conditions and the list goes on. How would each benefit and have to adapt? They were all so skilled talented and many underestimate their fitness level. It is more about the legs these days though, but what about the hands and skill? Yet, with the conditions the past players played under, in many ways, players like Connors, Rosewall, Borg, Laver, and Gonzalez had it tougher than the players of today. No player faced the media frenzy, without all the cushion players have today, like Bjorn Borg did. I'll say it again, you would not want to face prime Rod Laver or Bjorn Borg aided by modern conditions, especially if they had 1 year to get used to the conditions. They would be so tough and dangerous. If you've only seen the modern game and think they would be easy wins, I would say that respectfully you are wrong. If you played back then, you understand how great those players actually were. What great temperament too with players like Rosewall, Laver, and Borg (after his junior days). With them you saw no excessive celebration, hardly ever any real complaints about calls/crowds/opponents/conditions/tournaments. Also there was no negative demeanor and a lot of modesty and deference to the opponent. They exuded quiet grace combined with steely resolve. Such tough customers as well. Let's put it this way, there is a lot of "marketing" of the current players and game. I do enjoy the top players today, but I'm looking forward to having Nadal back in the mix. I've been watching pro tennis closely since about 1977 so I have had the opportunity to watch many of the Open Era greats. Ivan Lendl vs. John McEnroe in the 1982 U.S. Open semifinal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=f-EYkuNBtgs (See 11:47 with McEnroe and the cameraman! Then Lendl with some great answers post match.) (Lendl at the Orange Bowl with a Dunlop) (Sampras with a wood frame!) __________________ Borg never pointed to himself. He never even seemed to care if anyone read the advertisements. — Tom Callahan Last edited by borg number one : 03-20-2013 at 04:36 PM.

02-27-2013, 09:09 PM	#208
borg number one Legend Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,043	Great video Vegito. Vilas was a great player. I had the chance to watch him play live on a few occasions here in Houston during the 1980's. He was a very unique player with some great strokes and great fitness. One of my best friends is a huge Vilas fan. At one of the tournaments in the early 80's, my friend spoke to Vilas at River Oaks after watching a practice on red clay. Vilas proceeded to go to his bag and give my friend his Ellesse shirt. That was very nice of him. __________________ Borg never pointed to himself. He never even seemed to care if anyone read the advertisements. — Tom Callahan Last edited by borg number one : 02-27-2013 at 10:09 PM.

03-01-2013, 06:05 AM	#209
hoodjem Legend Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bierlandt Posts: 9,961	The entire match. US Open Final 1969: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87vi...PCJvMDQx6HgMSg __________________ The smart man thinks he knows a lot; the wise man is aware that he knows little.

03-20-2013, 05:18 AM	#211
hoodjem Legend Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bierlandt Posts: 9,961	Pretty good quality video of two GOATs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiSakiF4jzk __________________ The smart man thinks he knows a lot; the wise man is aware that he knows little.

03-20-2013, 05:22 AM	#212
hoodjem Legend Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bierlandt Posts: 9,961	Interesting interview with Borg; watch his eyes-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=aC4UbkYp5pc __________________ The smart man thinks he knows a lot; the wise man is aware that he knows little.

01-20-2013, 09:12 PM	#205
jean pierre Semi-Pro Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 529	La Gran Willy ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DanF9n7s9Tc