Vilas vs Orantes in the US Open 1975

[borg number one]

Originally Posted by Vegito

Some highlights of the match!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL_DLw9C0eo

Wonderful video, thanks Vegito.

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by Vegito

Did anyone see that match? What do you remember about it? Could Vilas have defeated Connors in the final? What do you think about this pic?

That pic looks like Vilas got a bad bounce and was early/off balance on his shot prep.

[Moose Malloy]

so Orantes basically saves all those match points by serve & volleying. and this guy was considered a typical 'claycourter' of the time. god tennis today is boring.

[Tshooter]

"so Orantes basically saves all those match points by serve & volleying. and this guy was considered a typical 'claycourter' of the time. god tennis today is boring."

I've been watching quite a bit of tennis since the early 70s and I've heard the "tennis today is boring" in every single era including the mid-70s.

No matter what style is in vogue people think some other era was more exciting. I look back at some of those 70s matches and it looks like they were playing in slow motion. For me, W I think it was '92, plus or minus a year, may have been the low-point. That Sampras-Goran final. I'll take Djoker v. anyone over that snoozefest.

[hoodjem]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

so Orantes basically saves all those match points by serve & volleying. and this guy was considered a typical 'claycourter' of the time. god tennis today is boring.

True.

Remember that Borg-Vilas final at the FO (with 90 shot rallies).!?

[hoodjem]

Originally Posted by Tshooter

"so Orantes basically saves all those match points by serve & volleying. and this guy was considered a typical 'claycourter' of the time. god tennis today is boring."

I've been watching quite a bit of tennis since the early 70s and I've heard the "tennis today is boring" in every single era including the mid-70s.

No matter what style is in vogue people think some other era was more exciting. I look back at some of those 70s matches and it looks like they were playing in slow motion. For me, W I think it was '92, plus or minus a year, may have been the low-point. That Sampras-Goran final. I'll take Djoker v. anyone over that snoozefest.

There is much truth here.

I readily remember watching a Wimbledon "breakfast" men's match in the 1970s. My mother sat down to watch also. She stayed about 2 minutes, then got up to leave and said: "This grass-court tennis is boring. All it is is serve, volley. Point over. Serve, volley. Point over. No rallies. How boring!"

[jean pierre]

Originally Posted by hoodjem

True.

Remember that Borg-Vilas final at the FO (with 90 shot rallies).!?

These rallies are fantastic ! Today, in ten seconds, the point is finished, even on clay. That is boring !

[Mustard]

Originally Posted by hoodjem

True.

Remember that Borg-Vilas final at the FO (with 90 shot rallies).!?

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

Here's the epic 86 stroke rally between Borg and Vilas from the 1978 French Open final, posted by krosero back in 2008.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by Mustard

Wish I could see this match. I believe Orantes trailed 0-5 in the fourth set and was down match points, but came back to win in 5 sets.

Orantes beating Connors in the final was a big upset. It was thought that Orantes would be too tired after that marathon comeback win over Vilas to beat Connors, but Orantes was still on such a high from beating Vilas the way he did and he used that momentum to beat Connors.

The resurection of Lazarus, was the headtitle of the New York Times.how appropiate...but Orantes had a long tradition of comebacks ( he also suffered some by his opponents, namely Borg in the 1974 FO final)

[kiki]

Originally Posted by pc1

I know it technically was an upset against Connors but I saw Orantes throughout that tournament and I thought he was playing at the highest level. I really didn't think it was much of an upset.

I was lucky enough to be at that match and it obviously had long grueling rallies. I watched the match intently and when it was 5-0 in favor of Vilas I moved to a seat near the portal so I could leave quickly. Well you know the story, I had to be there for a much longer time.

Orantes defeated Nastase, Vilas and Connors to win that US Open. That's pretty impressive. Incidentally he was in total control during his match against Nastase despite the fact Nastase won one set. Nastase played very well in my opinion but Orantes was too much for him.

Orantes has had some other wins against Nastase,Vilas,Connors ( and Borg) along his carereer.In the 1977 US CC championships at Indianapolis, one of the world´s biggest cc events, beat Connors again: 6-1, 6-3 ( Connors got his revenge at that year´s USO quarterfinals)