Laver vs. Roche Wimbledon final 1968

Limpinhitter · 07-04-2012, 03:32 PM

I think this short Rolex historical feature on the first open Wimbledon Championships final in 1968 was well done. It's not much of a highlight video, but, it shows some excellent shotmaking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...9XKKHDr8Q&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds9XK...=results_video

urban · 07-04-2012, 08:50 PM

This was a fine performance of Laver. He never lost his serve, and after some slow beginning, he took command in the second and third sets with immaculate net play. In my mind, he could have some concentration lapses in the 1969 Wim, but here 1968, in the matches with Ashe and Roche, he was devastating. In the Ashe sf i remember a point, i think set point in the first, when he was driven wide out, and landed in the spectators row, only to throw up a sudden topspin lob, that left Ashe hammering desperately into the air. Laver emerged slowly from the first spectators row. In the Roche final, i remember a point, when he was overlobbed, but ran to the baseline and with his back to the net, hit a deadly backhand past the incoming Roche. I haven't seen the Roche match in full on the sellers videos on the internet.

TomT · 07-04-2012, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limpinhitter

I think this short Rolex historical feature on the first open Wimbledon Championships final in 1968 was well done. It's not much of a highlight video, but, it shows some excellent shotmaking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...9XKKHDr8Q&NR=1

It's always fun for me to watch the players of ~40 years ago. Thanks for posting the video.

Limpinhitter · 07-05-2012, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomT

It's always fun for me to watch the players of ~40 years ago. Thanks for posting the video.

It's a shame that many of the online videos of Laver and other greats aren't as good a quality as this.

TomT · 07-05-2012, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limpinhitter

It's a shame that many of the online videos of Laver and other greats aren't as good a quality as this.

Agree. It's hard to get any sense of the great shotmaking of the players of that era from the videos I've seen at YouTube. Is there anything like an extensive archive of film to video stuff that's accessible online?

borg number one · 07-05-2012, 09:18 PM

Very nice video, thank you Limpinhitter. Laver hit some beautiful backhands in particular in that clip! One backhand crosscourt return dipped so nicely. You're right, the quality is excellent.

Limpinhitter · 07-06-2012, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomT

Agree. It's hard to get any sense of the great shotmaking of the players of that era from the videos I've seen at YouTube. Is there anything like an extensive archive of film to video stuff that's accessible online?

I don't know about online, but there is a site you can order DVD's of vintage matches from: http://www.ricklovestennis.com/

Limpinhitter · 07-06-2012, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by borg number one

Very nice video, thank you Limpinhitter. Laver hit some beautiful backhands in particular in that clip! One backhand crosscourt return dipped so nicely. You're right, the quality is excellent.

The amazing part is that the match was over in 60 minutes. Talk about first strike tennis. These two were all time greats at that.

TomT · 07-06-2012, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limpinhitter

I don't know about online, but there is a site you can order DVD's of vintage matches from: http://www.ricklovestennis.com/

Thanks for the link.

hoodjem · 07-07-2012, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limpinhitter

I think this short Rolex historical feature on the first open Wimbledon Championships final in 1968 was well done. It's not much of a highlight video, but, it shows some excellent shotmaking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...9XKKHDr8Q&NR=1

Please notice how thin and lean Laver looks compared to himself in the middle 70s.

I've often wondered if he didn't "bulk up" later to compensate for advancing age.?

pc1 · 07-07-2012, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoodjem

Please notice how thin and lean Laver looks compared to himself in the middle 70s.

I've often wondered if he didn't "bulk up" later to compensate for advancing age.?

Do you think he bulked up or perhaps it was the natural gaining of weight due to age? Anyway I'm sure Laver had to be faster in 1968 compared to the middle 1970's and I thought he was still very quick in the middle 1970's.

Limpinhitter · 07-07-2012, 08:55 AM

I agree with PC1. Laver didn't intentionally bulk up. He just filled out the way many men do in their 30's. I didn't get to see Laver play in the 60's. But, I can tell you that in the early 70's, he was still considered the fastest player on the court, and he played with a level of intensity I've never seen from any tennis player since then, which is all the more impressive when you watch Laver play on hard court because of the superior footing. When you watch these short views of actual play, with the excellent resolution, watch Laver and not the ball, and you can get a better idea of what I mean by intensity compared to watching most of the grainy videos on YouTube. And, the match was over in 60 minutes.

sportsfan1 · 07-07-2012, 09:17 AM

Nice vid. 3 sets in 60 mins is mind boggling, I can't comprehend it. Watching the AO '12 final on FFWD might take longer than that

. The reaction to winning it all is also very different - no falling down on or eating grass

, they must have been more in control of their emotions or had a pragmatic outlook back then. No frills ceremony too, I like it.

chrischris · 07-07-2012, 09:21 AM

These guys must have had the same barber.

Limpinhitter · 07-07-2012, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportsfan1

Nice vid. 3 sets in 60 mins is mind boggling, I can't comprehend it. Watching the AO '12 final on FFWD might take longer than that

. The reaction to winning it all is also very different - no falling down on or eating grass

, they must have been more in control of their emotions or had a pragmatic outlook back then. No frills ceremony too, I like it.

Maybe it was because the 1st prize was something like $5,000.

PS: According to a few sources it was £2,000.

hoodjem · 07-07-2012, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pc1

Do you think he bulked up or perhaps it was the natural gaining of weight due to age? Anyway I'm sure Laver had to be faster in 1968 compared to the middle 1970's and I thought he was still very quick in the middle 1970's.

Oh, I am certainly not disputing that Laver was still incredibly quick in the 70s. I do not think any added mass slowed him down.

Yes, I do think he bulked up, particularly in the thighs and trunk. (I do not believe his left arm could've been any bigger.)

Take a look at him in 1976; a good shot of him from the back is at 0:20 or 0:41: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-VeBIal8TU

pc1 · 07-07-2012, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoodjem

Oh, I am certainly not disputing that Laver was still incredibly quick in the 70s. I do not think any added mass slowed him down.

Yes, I do think he bulked up, particularly in the thighs and trunk. (I do not believe his left arm could've been any bigger.)

Take a look at him in 1976; a good shot of him from the back is at 0:20 or 0:41: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-VeBIal8TU

You may be right. Didn't Hopman get the Aussie team to work with weights when they trained?

Limpinhitter · 07-07-2012, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoodjem

Oh, I am certainly not disputing that Laver was still incredibly quick in the 70s. I do not think any added mass slowed him down.

Yes, I do think he bulked up, particularly in the thighs and trunk. (I do not believe his left arm could've been any bigger.)

Take a look at him in 1976; a good shot of him from the back is at 0:20 or 0:41: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-VeBIal8TU

Classic case of middle age spread my man!

PS: 1976 would make Laver 38 yo in that video.

thor's hammer · 07-08-2012, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limpinhitter

PS: 1976 would make Laver 38 yo in that video.

Love watching that video - two of my favorite players of all time - so very cool that they overlapped a bit! And Laver still moving and playing great at that age!

Speaking of Laver and Wimbledon, I know today wasn't about him, but I was kinda hoping he would be mentioned in the post-match speech, it being the 50th anniversary of his first Grand Slam year, including victory at Wimbledon. He is really special, and it's great that he's still around. Best wishes to The Rocket!

Lastly, I was trying to imagine a Laver or Roche back in their prime saying something like "I haven't been feeling very well recently" after a big match loss. What a ridiculous sorry lot of whiners many of today's pros are. Fed's cut from Laver (old school good sportsman) cloth, and that's one more reason I respect him and treasure every minute he continues to play. Once he leaves the game we may not have that kind of class around tennis anymore.

kiki · 07-08-2012, 12:58 PM

Roche was, even more than Newocmbe, Laver´s heritier at the heart of the Australian - and non australian- fans.But Laver proved the master in 68 and 69.

Once Laver said that Roche,Newcombe and Ashe, the leading oncoming generation trio wanted badly to throw him and Rosewall away...but they would have to wait a bit¡¡¡¡

07-04-2012, 03:32 PM	#1
Limpinhitter Legend Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 9,289	Laver vs. Roche Wimbledon final 1968 I think this short Rolex historical feature on the first open Wimbledon Championships final in 1968 was well done. It's not much of a highlight video, but, it shows some excellent shotmaking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...9XKKHDr8Q&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds9XK...=results_video Last edited by Limpinhitter : 09-21-2012 at 03:46 PM.

07-04-2012, 08:50 PM	#2
urban Hall Of Fame Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,734	This was a fine performance of Laver. He never lost his serve, and after some slow beginning, he took command in the second and third sets with immaculate net play. In my mind, he could have some concentration lapses in the 1969 Wim, but here 1968, in the matches with Ashe and Roche, he was devastating. In the Ashe sf i remember a point, i think set point in the first, when he was driven wide out, and landed in the spectators row, only to throw up a sudden topspin lob, that left Ashe hammering desperately into the air. Laver emerged slowly from the first spectators row. In the Roche final, i remember a point, when he was overlobbed, but ran to the baseline and with his back to the net, hit a deadly backhand past the incoming Roche. I haven't seen the Roche match in full on the sellers videos on the internet. Last edited by urban : 07-05-2012 at 04:56 AM.

07-05-2012, 09:18 PM	#6
borg number one Legend Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,043	Very nice video, thank you Limpinhitter. Laver hit some beautiful backhands in particular in that clip! One backhand crosscourt return dipped so nicely. You're right, the quality is excellent. __________________ Borg never pointed to himself. He never even seemed to care if anyone read the advertisements. — Tom Callahan Last edited by borg number one : 07-06-2012 at 04:35 AM.

07-07-2012, 08:55 AM	#12
Limpinhitter Legend Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 9,289	I agree with PC1. Laver didn't intentionally bulk up. He just filled out the way many men do in their 30's. I didn't get to see Laver play in the 60's. But, I can tell you that in the early 70's, he was still considered the fastest player on the court, and he played with a level of intensity I've never seen from any tennis player since then, which is all the more impressive when you watch Laver play on hard court because of the superior footing. When you watch these short views of actual play, with the excellent resolution, watch Laver and not the ball, and you can get a better idea of what I mean by intensity compared to watching most of the grainy videos on YouTube. And, the match was over in 60 minutes. Last edited by Limpinhitter : 07-07-2012 at 09:00 AM.

07-07-2012, 09:17 AM	#13
sportsfan1 Professional Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 1,106	Nice vid. 3 sets in 60 mins is mind boggling, I can't comprehend it. Watching the AO '12 final on FFWD might take longer than that . The reaction to winning it all is also very different - no falling down on or eating grass , they must have been more in control of their emotions or had a pragmatic outlook back then. No frills ceremony too, I like it. __________________ Head LM Rad MP, Wilson Blx 6.1 95 16x18 w/ RPM Blast, 4 1/2 grip.