TheMaestro1990
Hall of Fame
An enjoyable read ahead of the Australian Open:
There are famous sporting droughts, endless times where it seems that a player, or team, will never again taste success. In tennis, perhaps the most famous of these droughts was at the home of the sport – Wimbledon. For 77 long, fruitless years, Britain waited for a native son to again hoist up high the most famous and revered trophy in the game. And until Andy Murray finally broke through in 2013, the last time that had happened was before the advent of World War 2. Before the rise of atomic weapons and the Cold War. Before humans set foot on the moon, before the computer revolution, before today’s interconnected online world – and so many more of the changes which have defined life in the 20th and 21st centuries.
But what of the other Grand Slams? How have other local players done at their own home showpieces? The last American man to win the US Open was only a mere 15 years ago, with Andy Roddick triumphing in 2003 (however, given the historical strength of US tennis, and especially after the 1990’s golden era of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and the like, this length of time probably feels closer to 150 years for fans of American men’s tennis). Frenchman Yannick Noah lifted the French Open’s La Coupe des Mousquetaires back in 1983, and with the level he exhibited in his swashbuckling play to capture his only ever Slam that year, he certainly did honour to the 4 legendary French tennis Musketeers of the 1920’s and 30’s.
And that brings us to Australia, and Mark Edmondson in 1976. It seems scarcely believable that, come the start of the 2018 edition of the Australian Open, it will have been 42 years since an Australian man has claimed victory. There have been other local finalists in the intervening years – John Marks, Kim Warwick, Pat Cash on 2 occasions, and Lleyton Hewitt – but nobody has taken the final step.
But who, exactly, is Mark Edmondson, and what were the circumstances of his win? Well, let’s rewind to 1976. In those days, the Australian Open was played on the grass courts of the Kooyong Stadium – a very different event (in more ways than one) from today’s Australian Open, held on hard courts in the modern Melbourne Park arena a few kilometres away. Interestingly, the name Kooyong itself derives from an indigenous word thought to mean resting place – quite appropriate, as for over 4 decades the tennis hopes of a nation have not been allowed to move on from Kooyong, and the events of that Melbourne summer of 1976.
Back then, unlike today, the Australian Open was seen as the least prestigious Grand Slam among the 4 tournaments that comprise the most important in tennis. In fact, it was often skipped over by most top players. Incredibly, Bjorn Borg attended only one Australian Open in his entire career, despite finishing his playing days with 5 Wimbledon Championships, and being hailed as one of the greatest grass court players of all time. On the grass of Kooyong John McEnroe ever only played 2 editions of the tournament. Jimmy Connors also only entered twice, winning it all in 1974, and losing the 1975 final to local favourite John Newcombe.
Furthermore, in those years the Australian Open field was comprised of not 128 entrants like the other Grand Slams, but a mere 64 – such was the diminished status of the event. And just as incredibly – unlike the other 3 Slams which required players to win 7 matches to win the tournament – the Australian Open champion only required 6 wins. After the 3rdround, players moved into the quarterfinals rather than play a 4th round match!
A huge issue which contributed to the event’s woes was scheduling. Unlike present times, the Australian Open didn’t begin at the end of January, but instead kicked off one day after Christmas. Few players from afar were willing to give up their Christmas and New Year holidays for the tournament. If one also considers other problems such as the sheer distance foreign players needed to travel, along with the relative paucity of the prizemoney on offer, one can very easily begin to see why the Australian Open was viewed in such a lesser light, and was largely neglected in relation to its other Slam siblings.
Thus, when the 1976 edition of the Australian Open began, an incredible 9 of the top 10 players in the world had elected to skip the event. In fact, the only top 10 player in the draw was Ken Rosewall – a true legend of the game, but no less than 41 years of age. It should come as no surprise, then, to discover that all 8 quarterfinalists that year were Australian born. In fact, if one digs into the history books prior to the 1976 event, it is revealed that Australian men had won 30 of the last 35 Australian Open tournaments contested, and had indeed finished runners-up on the other 5 occasions!
So, why is Mark Edmondson’s victory unique then?
Read the full story here:
http://www.tennis-pulse.com/last-time-australian-man-won-home-grand-slam/
There are famous sporting droughts, endless times where it seems that a player, or team, will never again taste success. In tennis, perhaps the most famous of these droughts was at the home of the sport – Wimbledon. For 77 long, fruitless years, Britain waited for a native son to again hoist up high the most famous and revered trophy in the game. And until Andy Murray finally broke through in 2013, the last time that had happened was before the advent of World War 2. Before the rise of atomic weapons and the Cold War. Before humans set foot on the moon, before the computer revolution, before today’s interconnected online world – and so many more of the changes which have defined life in the 20th and 21st centuries.
But what of the other Grand Slams? How have other local players done at their own home showpieces? The last American man to win the US Open was only a mere 15 years ago, with Andy Roddick triumphing in 2003 (however, given the historical strength of US tennis, and especially after the 1990’s golden era of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and the like, this length of time probably feels closer to 150 years for fans of American men’s tennis). Frenchman Yannick Noah lifted the French Open’s La Coupe des Mousquetaires back in 1983, and with the level he exhibited in his swashbuckling play to capture his only ever Slam that year, he certainly did honour to the 4 legendary French tennis Musketeers of the 1920’s and 30’s.
And that brings us to Australia, and Mark Edmondson in 1976. It seems scarcely believable that, come the start of the 2018 edition of the Australian Open, it will have been 42 years since an Australian man has claimed victory. There have been other local finalists in the intervening years – John Marks, Kim Warwick, Pat Cash on 2 occasions, and Lleyton Hewitt – but nobody has taken the final step.
But who, exactly, is Mark Edmondson, and what were the circumstances of his win? Well, let’s rewind to 1976. In those days, the Australian Open was played on the grass courts of the Kooyong Stadium – a very different event (in more ways than one) from today’s Australian Open, held on hard courts in the modern Melbourne Park arena a few kilometres away. Interestingly, the name Kooyong itself derives from an indigenous word thought to mean resting place – quite appropriate, as for over 4 decades the tennis hopes of a nation have not been allowed to move on from Kooyong, and the events of that Melbourne summer of 1976.
Back then, unlike today, the Australian Open was seen as the least prestigious Grand Slam among the 4 tournaments that comprise the most important in tennis. In fact, it was often skipped over by most top players. Incredibly, Bjorn Borg attended only one Australian Open in his entire career, despite finishing his playing days with 5 Wimbledon Championships, and being hailed as one of the greatest grass court players of all time. On the grass of Kooyong John McEnroe ever only played 2 editions of the tournament. Jimmy Connors also only entered twice, winning it all in 1974, and losing the 1975 final to local favourite John Newcombe.
Furthermore, in those years the Australian Open field was comprised of not 128 entrants like the other Grand Slams, but a mere 64 – such was the diminished status of the event. And just as incredibly – unlike the other 3 Slams which required players to win 7 matches to win the tournament – the Australian Open champion only required 6 wins. After the 3rdround, players moved into the quarterfinals rather than play a 4th round match!
A huge issue which contributed to the event’s woes was scheduling. Unlike present times, the Australian Open didn’t begin at the end of January, but instead kicked off one day after Christmas. Few players from afar were willing to give up their Christmas and New Year holidays for the tournament. If one also considers other problems such as the sheer distance foreign players needed to travel, along with the relative paucity of the prizemoney on offer, one can very easily begin to see why the Australian Open was viewed in such a lesser light, and was largely neglected in relation to its other Slam siblings.
Thus, when the 1976 edition of the Australian Open began, an incredible 9 of the top 10 players in the world had elected to skip the event. In fact, the only top 10 player in the draw was Ken Rosewall – a true legend of the game, but no less than 41 years of age. It should come as no surprise, then, to discover that all 8 quarterfinalists that year were Australian born. In fact, if one digs into the history books prior to the 1976 event, it is revealed that Australian men had won 30 of the last 35 Australian Open tournaments contested, and had indeed finished runners-up on the other 5 occasions!
So, why is Mark Edmondson’s victory unique then?
Read the full story here:
http://www.tennis-pulse.com/last-time-australian-man-won-home-grand-slam/