Jimmy Connors beat Bjorn Borg 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in the US Open final, 1978 on hard court
It was the first year the tournament had been played at Flushing Meadows and on hard court and this was Connors' 3rd title and 5th consecutive final. He had previously beaten Borg in the final 2 years ago and the semis the year before that. Borg had beaten Connors in the Wimbledon final earlier in the year
Connors won 105 points, Borg 82
Serve Stats
Connors...
- 1st serve percentage (62/79) 78%
- 1st serve points won (45/62) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (10/17) 59%
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (15/79) 19%
Borg...
- 1st serve percentage (61/118) 56%
- 1st serve points won (40/61) 66%
- 2nd serve points won (18/47) 38%
- Aces 8
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (20/108) 19%
Serve Patterns
Connors served...
- to FH 37%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 5%
Borg served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 67%
- to Body 3%
Return Stats
Connors made...
- 82 (26 FH, 56 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 5 Winners (5 BH)
- 12 Errors, comprising...
- 3 Unforced (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 9 Forced (2 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (82/102) 80%
Borg made...
- 64 (34 FH, 30 BH), including 8 runaround FHs
- 15 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (4 FH, 1 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 10 Forced (3 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (64/79) 81%
Break Points
Connors 5/17 (8 games)
Borg 0
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Connors 33 (6 FH, 13 BH, 8 FHV, 3 BHV, 3 OH)
Borg 25 (10 FH, 4 BH, 2 FHV, 6 BHV, 3 OH)
Connors' FHs - 2 cc passes (1 popped over on a net chord, without which Borg appeared to have the ball covered), 2 dtl, 1 lob and 1 net chord dribbler
- BHs - 10 cc (2 returns - on 1 of which Borg's racquet slipped out of his hand on serving and he wasn't able to play a third ball - and 3 passes), 2 dtl return passes and 1 inside-in return
- 2 from serve-volley points - 1 first volley BHV and 1 second volley OH
Borg's FHs - 5 cc, 3 dtl (1 pass), 1 inside-out and 1 inside-in
- BHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl pass, 1 inside-out pass and 1 lob
- 2 from serve-volley points - both second volley BHVs
- 1 OH was hit from the baseline
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Connors 37
- 20 Unforced (14 FH, 5 BH, 1 BHV)
- 17 Forced (12 FH, 4 BH, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 44.5
Borg 51
- 30 Unforced (10 FH, 16 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH)… 1 OH was from the baseline
- 21 Forced (7 FH, 14 BH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.3
(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)
(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Connors was...
- 30/37 (81%) at net, including...
- 5/5 (100%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
--
- 2/2 forced back/retreated
Borg was...
- 27/42 (64%) at net, including...
- 7/9 (78%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
--
- 4/5 (80%) forced back/retreated
Match Report
A very strong, all round showing from Jimmy Connors, the absolute quality of which is somewhat obfuscated by an obvious injury to Borg. Regardless, whatever the effect on the contest of Borg's right thumb problem, Connors plays excellently on a fast hard court. 33 winners to 20 unforced errors for the champion - fantastic figures
The court appears to be very fast, at least as fast as normal grass court. Borg serves 8 aces out of 108 serves (he'd served 5 in 85 in Wimbledon final earlier in the year). Connors' unreturned rate is 19%, well higher than the 7% he managed at Wimbledon (Borg's unreturned rate at Wimby was much higher than here - 28% to 19% - but that's confounded by his having serve-volleyed off all first serves in the earlier match). The bounce of course is regular, unlike grass, and higher
Borg's Injury
According to commentators, a blister Borg had on his right thumb got infected the night before the final and left him in a state where defaulting was considered a likely possibility. Having taken injections to be ready, Borg chose to play. Having won the French Open and Wimbledon earlier in the year, he was still on course to win the Grand Slam. Commentators make it clear that Borg would have been allowed to take another injection in the middle of the match, though he doesn't - and this seems out of place with rules around this period (or now for that matter). Apparently, the commentators had particularly sought out the specific information regarding Borg being allowed to be treated during the match
As far as I know, as he entered the match with a pre-existing condition, this shouldn't have been so? Its not a factor in the match though as Borg does not receive any treatment. Even when its clear he needs it
There's no overt sign of Borg being uncomfortable in the early part of the match and he plays much as normal. Mid way through the second set, that changes. His racquet flies out of his hand while serving on 2 separate occasions. His groundstrokes become worse and worse - more prone to regulation errors and more apt to land short when playing regulation shots. John Newcombe notes how quick he is to switch the racquet to his left hand as soon as a point is done
He also changes his playing style (more on that later) after seemingly feeling discomfort in his hand
3rd set is the worst body language I've seen from Borg (which isn't saying much). He looks more sleepy than calm
Play Phase 1 - Pre-Injury Acting Up
Borg was likely hampered throughout the match, but its not overtly apparent at the start. For simplicity's sake, we can divide the match into when his play deteriorated or/and changed. From the start to early second set, he appears to be playing unburdened
Match starts as a struggle, with the opening game lasting 20 points, Borg saving 5 break points to hold. His double faulting 3 times is an indication that all might not be well. Otherwise, play is about standard for the match up... Borg hitting high percentage groundies, Connors more attacking but also more error prone. Borg serve-volleys 3 times in the opener and comes to net 2 other times
Neither player has it easy on serve. Courts quick enough that returning even Connors' serve isn't a gimme - and Borg does well to return it as consistently as he does. Borg's first serve is much bigger - and he really goes for them virtually always. The pace helps Connors returning too though - as long as he can reach the ball (and most of Borg's serves are within reach), the harder they come at him, the harder he sends them back. Still, Borg's steady enough to deal with not easy third balls - and then they rally
Connors is on fire. In first set, he has 21 winners to 11 UEs (Borg is 9 and 8). He's hitting winners and forcing errors from the back (and that's with Borg defending well) or coming in to dispatch volleys. And not bleeding UEs. Borg is overwhelmed - just being steady isn't cutting it against this type of assault. Connors gains the break middle of set by aggressively taking net three times. On break point, Borg makes a sloppy approach error. Borg resort to serve-volleying or coming in to give his game the attacking edge its missing
Connors breaks early in the second too with a superb FH dtl pass on the run and a return pass winner
In a nutshell, during this period Connors is in his element attacking from back and front, and Borg's steadiness can't match it. Conditions suit Jimbo's game more than Borg's. One wouldn't expect Connors to be able to keep up this standard of play indefinitely. But then...
Play Phase 2 - Injury Acting Up
Borg loses his racquet while serving in 5th game of second set - a 16 point affair in which he fights off 3 break points to hold. Thereafter, his play falls off, though Connors continues to play splendidly
Borg's -
- serve weakens somewhat and he seems more strained in delivering it. easy to spot given how thoroughly relaxed it usually is
- groundstrokes become softer, shorter and more prone to error. Ditto return
And that's not his only problem. Connors has been returning strongly all match - and steps it up still more. Even against Borg's strong first serves. And Connors is on one of his never-miss-a-first serve runs - making 22/26 in second set, which slips to 17/23 in the third
In third set, Borg plays like Connors, with a bigger serve. Starts stepping in to hit strong third balls. Serve-volleys more and approaches more. Not surprisingly, he's not quite as good at this as Connors is - and has 12 UEs for the set. It would be an exaggeration to say Connors plays like Borg, but he does settle to counter-punching more. He's about as successful as Borg could hope to be - just the 3 UEs for the set
It was the first year the tournament had been played at Flushing Meadows and on hard court and this was Connors' 3rd title and 5th consecutive final. He had previously beaten Borg in the final 2 years ago and the semis the year before that. Borg had beaten Connors in the Wimbledon final earlier in the year
Connors won 105 points, Borg 82
Serve Stats
Connors...
- 1st serve percentage (62/79) 78%
- 1st serve points won (45/62) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (10/17) 59%
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (15/79) 19%
Borg...
- 1st serve percentage (61/118) 56%
- 1st serve points won (40/61) 66%
- 2nd serve points won (18/47) 38%
- Aces 8
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (20/108) 19%
Serve Patterns
Connors served...
- to FH 37%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 5%
Borg served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 67%
- to Body 3%
Return Stats
Connors made...
- 82 (26 FH, 56 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 5 Winners (5 BH)
- 12 Errors, comprising...
- 3 Unforced (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 9 Forced (2 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (82/102) 80%
Borg made...
- 64 (34 FH, 30 BH), including 8 runaround FHs
- 15 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (4 FH, 1 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 10 Forced (3 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (64/79) 81%
Break Points
Connors 5/17 (8 games)
Borg 0
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Connors 33 (6 FH, 13 BH, 8 FHV, 3 BHV, 3 OH)
Borg 25 (10 FH, 4 BH, 2 FHV, 6 BHV, 3 OH)
Connors' FHs - 2 cc passes (1 popped over on a net chord, without which Borg appeared to have the ball covered), 2 dtl, 1 lob and 1 net chord dribbler
- BHs - 10 cc (2 returns - on 1 of which Borg's racquet slipped out of his hand on serving and he wasn't able to play a third ball - and 3 passes), 2 dtl return passes and 1 inside-in return
- 2 from serve-volley points - 1 first volley BHV and 1 second volley OH
Borg's FHs - 5 cc, 3 dtl (1 pass), 1 inside-out and 1 inside-in
- BHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl pass, 1 inside-out pass and 1 lob
- 2 from serve-volley points - both second volley BHVs
- 1 OH was hit from the baseline
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Connors 37
- 20 Unforced (14 FH, 5 BH, 1 BHV)
- 17 Forced (12 FH, 4 BH, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 44.5
Borg 51
- 30 Unforced (10 FH, 16 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH)… 1 OH was from the baseline
- 21 Forced (7 FH, 14 BH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.3
(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)
(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Connors was...
- 30/37 (81%) at net, including...
- 5/5 (100%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
--
- 2/2 forced back/retreated
Borg was...
- 27/42 (64%) at net, including...
- 7/9 (78%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
--
- 4/5 (80%) forced back/retreated
Match Report
A very strong, all round showing from Jimmy Connors, the absolute quality of which is somewhat obfuscated by an obvious injury to Borg. Regardless, whatever the effect on the contest of Borg's right thumb problem, Connors plays excellently on a fast hard court. 33 winners to 20 unforced errors for the champion - fantastic figures
The court appears to be very fast, at least as fast as normal grass court. Borg serves 8 aces out of 108 serves (he'd served 5 in 85 in Wimbledon final earlier in the year). Connors' unreturned rate is 19%, well higher than the 7% he managed at Wimbledon (Borg's unreturned rate at Wimby was much higher than here - 28% to 19% - but that's confounded by his having serve-volleyed off all first serves in the earlier match). The bounce of course is regular, unlike grass, and higher
Borg's Injury
According to commentators, a blister Borg had on his right thumb got infected the night before the final and left him in a state where defaulting was considered a likely possibility. Having taken injections to be ready, Borg chose to play. Having won the French Open and Wimbledon earlier in the year, he was still on course to win the Grand Slam. Commentators make it clear that Borg would have been allowed to take another injection in the middle of the match, though he doesn't - and this seems out of place with rules around this period (or now for that matter). Apparently, the commentators had particularly sought out the specific information regarding Borg being allowed to be treated during the match
As far as I know, as he entered the match with a pre-existing condition, this shouldn't have been so? Its not a factor in the match though as Borg does not receive any treatment. Even when its clear he needs it
There's no overt sign of Borg being uncomfortable in the early part of the match and he plays much as normal. Mid way through the second set, that changes. His racquet flies out of his hand while serving on 2 separate occasions. His groundstrokes become worse and worse - more prone to regulation errors and more apt to land short when playing regulation shots. John Newcombe notes how quick he is to switch the racquet to his left hand as soon as a point is done
He also changes his playing style (more on that later) after seemingly feeling discomfort in his hand
3rd set is the worst body language I've seen from Borg (which isn't saying much). He looks more sleepy than calm
Play Phase 1 - Pre-Injury Acting Up
Borg was likely hampered throughout the match, but its not overtly apparent at the start. For simplicity's sake, we can divide the match into when his play deteriorated or/and changed. From the start to early second set, he appears to be playing unburdened
Match starts as a struggle, with the opening game lasting 20 points, Borg saving 5 break points to hold. His double faulting 3 times is an indication that all might not be well. Otherwise, play is about standard for the match up... Borg hitting high percentage groundies, Connors more attacking but also more error prone. Borg serve-volleys 3 times in the opener and comes to net 2 other times
Neither player has it easy on serve. Courts quick enough that returning even Connors' serve isn't a gimme - and Borg does well to return it as consistently as he does. Borg's first serve is much bigger - and he really goes for them virtually always. The pace helps Connors returning too though - as long as he can reach the ball (and most of Borg's serves are within reach), the harder they come at him, the harder he sends them back. Still, Borg's steady enough to deal with not easy third balls - and then they rally
Connors is on fire. In first set, he has 21 winners to 11 UEs (Borg is 9 and 8). He's hitting winners and forcing errors from the back (and that's with Borg defending well) or coming in to dispatch volleys. And not bleeding UEs. Borg is overwhelmed - just being steady isn't cutting it against this type of assault. Connors gains the break middle of set by aggressively taking net three times. On break point, Borg makes a sloppy approach error. Borg resort to serve-volleying or coming in to give his game the attacking edge its missing
Connors breaks early in the second too with a superb FH dtl pass on the run and a return pass winner
In a nutshell, during this period Connors is in his element attacking from back and front, and Borg's steadiness can't match it. Conditions suit Jimbo's game more than Borg's. One wouldn't expect Connors to be able to keep up this standard of play indefinitely. But then...
Play Phase 2 - Injury Acting Up
Borg loses his racquet while serving in 5th game of second set - a 16 point affair in which he fights off 3 break points to hold. Thereafter, his play falls off, though Connors continues to play splendidly
Borg's -
- serve weakens somewhat and he seems more strained in delivering it. easy to spot given how thoroughly relaxed it usually is
- groundstrokes become softer, shorter and more prone to error. Ditto return
And that's not his only problem. Connors has been returning strongly all match - and steps it up still more. Even against Borg's strong first serves. And Connors is on one of his never-miss-a-first serve runs - making 22/26 in second set, which slips to 17/23 in the third
In third set, Borg plays like Connors, with a bigger serve. Starts stepping in to hit strong third balls. Serve-volleys more and approaches more. Not surprisingly, he's not quite as good at this as Connors is - and has 12 UEs for the set. It would be an exaggeration to say Connors plays like Borg, but he does settle to counter-punching more. He's about as successful as Borg could hope to be - just the 3 UEs for the set
Last edited: