A few memories from Gene Mayer

[kiki]

sandy´s little brother had 4 years at the top ten.injuries ( he was a real lost case) kept him from fulfilling his huge potential...enhanced by him being the first top pro to succesfully use the Extra size Prince rakcet.

it was almost wierd how he managed that racket.His drop shots are among the best of anytime, and he could use them even on a fast, clean bouncing court.I have seen top players not even trying to rush to them...

he stayed in the top 10 from late 1979 to late 1983.reached the Masters semis and the quarterfinals at the big three majors (US,Wimbledon,French) but, as I said, he was a very bad injury case.He took early retiriement since pain was too much to cqarry on.

Yet, he was a very good player, with solid groundies, great mind and very good anticipation, who won a bunch of indoor events and did very well on red clay and green fast grass, too.He really looked a bit like an Einstein on court, and was very fluent and deceptively fast.

He also won the 1979 FO doubles title with his elder bro, Sandy ( himself an accomplished pro player).I remember how much I admired him and he became, after the big names of the Golden Era, one of my faves.

Played a key role in the US davis Cup win against France, back in 1982.

 

[WCT]

The thing I remember about him, I mean those couple years that he was top 5 in the world. Noone stood in further to return serve. He'd be on the baseline to return first serves.

 

[kiki]

The thing I remember about him, I mean those couple years that he was top 5 in the world. Noone stood in further to return serve. He'd be on the baseline to return first serves.

Mac used a similar stance, too.

But you´re right about Gene.

 

[ollinger]

Mayer was certainly not the first top pro to use an oversize Prince. Mayer began to use it in the early 80s when he was hardly a top pro, but eventually got to #4 in the rankings brieflly. Pam Shriver used the Prince several years earlier, famously during her run at the 1978 US Open.

 

[kiki]

Mayer made the top ten at the end of 1979 and stayed there till mid 83 or so.

 

[robow7]

I can never keep them straight, Gene or Sandy with the unorthodox two handed forehand? Whichever it was, I saw Connors take him apart in a very lopsided match in the early 80's.

 

[kiki]

Of all the top guys, Connors was certainly the worse match up for gene.But Mayer holds wins against all of the big four names of his era:
beat Borg and Mc enroe at the 1980 Masters ( held Jan 81)
beat Connors at Sidney Indoors 1982
beat Lendl at Rome 1979

And he still beat some of them in exos.

 

[big ted]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu44oTh3zfY

heres some dropshots on first couple points

 

[kiki]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu44oTh3zfY

heres some dropshots on first couple points

Good one.Those ds were just amazing...

 

[jaggy]

I remember in one of the US monthly tennis mags back then he wrote a kind of diary style article about the Davis Cup final in France that year and it was a great read.

 

[kiki]

I can´t think of a worse case of injuries.Maybe Orantes,Hoad and Roche as well as Connolly, Bueno and Mandlikova.I´d like to know if there have been more like that

 

[PrinceMoron]

Saw Gene and Sandy at Wembley quite often in the early 80s. Gene lost to JPM indoors on carpet in the final - 1980? Really wanted to see Stan Smith v Gene in the semis but couldn't get tickets. Saw Gene and Sandy play doubles a few times too.

You could get in the stadium between sessions and watch people practising, almost standing on the court.

 

[kiki]

Yes, Gene was one of the best indoor players that I can think of, at least during those years.

 

[Knife]

Loved to watch Gene play. His drop shots were amazing, so delicate. I tried to copy his 2h forehand, entirely without success.

 

[kiki]

Gene was a true master of this game.So smart, always well placed, a very short swing and what accuracy and touch¡¡ I think supreme court was made for him.

 

[Rosewall]

"A new memories..." is such a great title for a Gene Mayer topic. He was one of my favorite players growing up because he was part of that Stanford dynasty. But it was maddening how seldom he got on network TV. I only remember him from local tournaments and WTT.

 

[kiki]

He also played the WCT finals in 79
He climbed up like a storm