39 year old Jimmy Connors verses 39 year old Roger Federer at USO - who wins?

(both 39 year old) Connors vs Federer

  • Connors in 5

    Votes: 25 22.5%
  • Connors in 4

    Votes: 3 2.7%
  • Federer in 5

    Votes: 2 1.8%
  • Federer in 4

    Votes: 22 19.8%
  • Federer retires with back spasms

    Votes: 2 1.8%
  • Connors ejected for court shenanigans

    Votes: 5 4.5%
  • Connors in 3

    Votes: 2 1.8%
  • Federer in 3

    Votes: 50 45.0%

  • Total voters
    111

jussumman

Hall of Fame
fed.jpg
 

-NN-

G.O.A.T.
Don't we need to see Fed play first. What if he gets double bageled? :unsure:

Look guys I know some of you might not be in on the sacred rite, or the legendary tennis inside joke, but you should probably know that WHENEVER Connors in 5 is a poll option, it is the only correct answer.
 

jussumman

Hall of Fame
At this point in the poll, the fantasy match could go two ways: Fed in 3 or 4 sets or Con in 5.

If Roger can't win by 4, he's done.
 

swordtennis

G.O.A.T.
This assumed that we bio engineered an exact replica of 39 year old Jimmy Connors who will earn an entry into the 2021 USO by winning Qualifiers, and later face Federer.
That would be awesome if they engineered a cyborg Jimmy.
He was a greaseball but he was my first real favorite player ever.
 

Graf1stClass

Professional
Connors would lose to Fed because Fed is used to pressure and Connors isn't used to playing someone who can handle pressure

40-15 is a distant memory apparently
It really made no sense to me. Everyone chokes, but Federer has lost a few really significant matches he all but had, due to -- nerves. I can't imagine any other reason. You'd assume him to have more composure with all of the experience he's had. Maybe it's because against Djokovic, it's experience losing.
 

swordtennis

G.O.A.T.
For many Federer fans, their only experience of Connors is youtube highlights that reveal nothing about the kind of intimidation Connors brought to a tennis court. If Federer can't handle Djokovic, I don't know that he can handle Connors.
Beautiful post.
Connors was a street fighter.
The only one who has experience playing against an atg and the 3rd man Connors would bring to the US Open is Novak Djokovic.
Connors at the US Open the crowd was insane.
Djokovic vs Connors would be an absolute war.
Blows my mind man.
 

mike danny

Bionic Poster
It really made no sense to me. Everyone chokes, but Federer has lost a few really significant matches he all but had, due to -- nerves. I can't imagine any other reason. You'd assume him to have more composure with all of the experience he's had. Maybe it's because against Djokovic, it's experience losing.
Against Djokovic he is simply up against a guy with just as much experience as him, so it doesn't help much.
 
P

PETEhammer

Guest
Beautiful post.
Connors was a street fighter.
The only one who has experience playing against an atg and the 3rd man Connors would bring to the US Open is Novak Djokovic.
Connors at the US Open the crowd was insane.
Djokovic vs Connors would be an absolute war.
Blows my mind man.
"You are an abortion man, you are an ABORTION! Get out! Get out!" *Points him out of the stadium*
-Jimmy Connors to Umpire R4 1991 USO
 

swordtennis

G.O.A.T.
Fed at 39 is in much better physical condition. Remember Connors' last hurrah at the US open? He was gasping for air.
Fed is much more skillful, hits the ball harder, more consistent, more weapons.
Fed definitely has the physical superiority.
With these hypotheticals got to transport Connors to 2021.
He would be fitter now. Give him a few inches to 6'0 at least.
He would need to get it into a street fight.
Take it to 5.
 

BGod

G.O.A.T.
MUCH better question is putting up 36-37 year old Connors against Fed beginning in 2018.

The 1991 USO run was as much magical for the draw as it was for Connors getting that far at 39. Lot of people forget this.

What ATGs did Connors beat at 39?

Literally nobodies except for Aaron Krickstein who was comparable to Lost Gen players like Kyrgios who showed flashes as a teen and would routinely lose matches he should have won. That's the reality of the 91 USO run. Now 89 Connors was a different story, beat Edberg and took Agassi to 5 (leading 2-1).
 
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PETEhammer

Guest
Spoken by someone not even alive when Jimbo made his miraculous USO run.

39 year old Fed all day long and all day night defeats 39 year old Jimmy 6-4, 6-0, 6-1. And that's with Roger playing with a T2000 racket.
You realize almost all of Federer's strokes will be impotent if not impossible with a T2000, yes? Unless you think Rodgi can beat Jimmy with his hand
 

Sunny014

Legend
Federer wins in straight sets.

Everybody from the gen before him is useless against him, any age, doesn't matter, Federer even at 40 can belt any 30+ version of Connors and others of those times.
 

jussumman

Hall of Fame
Utter BS!

Connors all day long! Connors had 2 knees. Fedr had hardly one.

I should have given the option instead to retire due to a medical condition (knees or back) lol

As someone replied above, age 37 would have been maybe a more intriguing comparison (I just figured Fed is 39 now and it corresponds to Jimmy's epic 1991 run), but we haven't seen Fed play at this age much to compare, and his ranking has been artificially kept so high due to the ATP adjustment for the epidemic (so that's not an accurate comparison).

Sadly Fed didn't even participate in last year's USO, to get a better idea of how he'd perform (at the same age and venue). If we look at his USO appearance the year prior 2019 (QF), verse Jimmy's SF. He did reach SF in the USO in 2020.

All in all, this is a very competitive (juicy) fantasy match-up, even though 70% in poll give the nod to Federer.
 
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Sunny014

Legend
We will be seeing Federer playing 2-3 more years I feel.
He wouldn't be returning now at this point to just retire soon, he has plans to getting back to the top level and until he does that once again he won't be retiring anytime soon.
 

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
Utter BS!

Connors all day long! Connors had 2 knees. Fedr had hardly one.
Never mind that Jimbo was 1/2 the player Fed was, whether in their peaks or in their declining years.

It's hilarious how all the Djoker fans swarm in here when none of them ever saw Jimmy Connors actually play. But they predictably vote for Connors since it's impossible to pull the lever for Fed on anything, unless it's "most overrated," or "biggest choker." 8-B
 

heftylefty

Hall of Fame
Gotta love the myth building happening here. No one talks about PMac being up 2 sets to Love with a 3 - love lead in the third during Connors' magical run. Seem like more of a collapse on Patrick McEnroe part then Connors roaring back.

Connors won his last Slam at 31. Federer was almost 37 when he won his 20th Slam. What version of Federer loses to Connors? Federer at 39, with bad knees would beat a 39 year old Connors on any surface.
 
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