Great clip of McEnroe and Connors USOpen semi 1984, one of their greatest matches?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqFkccYzBS4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqFkccYzBS4&feature=related
The 1980 US Open semi final match was more about momentum shifts between the two players, where McEnroe was on top for most of the first 2 sets, Connors then saved a McEnroe set point in the second set and went on to win 11 games in a row in dominant fashion, McEnroe came back strong for a set and a break. Connors then broke when McEnroe served for the match and then held to love on his own serve. McEnroe then stayed calm under pressure to hold serve and play brilliantly in the last set tiebreak.
The 1984 US Open semi final was high quality stuff from both players nearly all the way through, less about momentum shifts.
I do recall that as much as they despised each other at that time, and they did, MaC had nothing but compliments for the the guy on the other side of that net after this match. Something I never saw him manage for Lendl. He really walked away an admirer of Connors guts and return. It is one of the best efforts I ever saw out of Connors. Sadly it did not win him a place in the final.
I've said this a couple times in other threads. I think that an often overlooked strength, I mean real strength, of Mcenroe was his movement.
He could really cover the court. I felt a smidgen faster than Connors. Not quite Borg or Gerulaitis, but excellent nonetheless. This helped him in his backcourt rallies with Connors.
Mac's speed and backcourt game were always under-rated and under-estimated...perhaps only because he was squaring off against the likes of Borg and Connors. At his best, Mac could really take Jimmy off his game, much worse than Borg could, IMHO.
MaC had nothing but compliments for the the guy on the other side of that net after this match. Something I never saw him manage for Lendl. He really walked away an admirer of Connors guts and return.
This is one of my favorite matches ever. Great quality and a wonderful contrast in styles. The best serve and volleyer at the time versus the best returner at the time. Two of the all time greats playing at high levels.
McEnroe was playing well from the baseline. One of my favorite points was when McEnroe was giving Connors all different types of groundies, slice, topspin, looping shots etc and won the point.
Does anyone have any footage of the after-match press conference, or perhaps a few quotes from Mac or Connors from a newspaper in relation to this? I would be interesting to hear exactly what they said about each other. An interesting departure from their usual snarling exchanges. Underneath it all, what did they REALLY think of each other?
The '82 Wimbeldon final was defintely a major showdown worth remembering of these two. I think it has to be the best as its the only major event I ever remember Connors beating McEnroe.
Connors was what...32 then, funny how his two most exciting matches were in the semis', 84 & 91, or was that the quarters against Krickstein. <sp
1991 against Krickstein was in the Round of 16.
The '82 Wimbeldon final was defintely a major showdown worth remembering of these two. I think it has to be the best as its the only major event I ever remember Connors beating McEnroe.
I'd like to see the other major title final that Connors beat McEnroe - the 1980 WCT finals.
No doubt about it - that 84 semi is a brillant battle royal. Tactics and psychological ploys at work between Mac and Jimbo
Is that the one when Connors won in four? Something like 2-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-2? Or maybe I'm thinking of the Masters.
I'd like to see that too anyway. Their matches were always great value, very intense meetings :shock:
1979 was an all Mac show after his USO and WCT wins over Connors.But, Connors stroke back in 1980, which was the best year for their rivalry along 1982.
in 1982, both won 2 matches each.John won in straight sets in Phily ( thus avenging his 1980 defeat) and San Francisco, a place he displayed his best tennis of the whole 1982.Connors won their 2 London matches (Queen´s and Wimbledon)
I remember, after a disappointing year, the last 2-3 months of the season, John played unbelievable tennis, winning 4 straight tournaments in a row without losing one single set.
Yes, McEnroe went on a good run in the autumn with those tournaments, plus the Davis Cup, beating Noah in France on clay. I though John had a big chance in the Masters, then Lendl battered him again!
:???:
This is one of my favorite matches ever. Great quality and a wonderful contrast in styles. The best serve and volleyer at the time versus the best returner at the time. Two of the all time greats playing at high levels.
McEnroe was playing well from the baseline. One of my favorite points was when McEnroe was giving Connors all different types of groundies, slice, topspin, looping shots etc and won the point.
In the juniors his Pro Staffs were Mediums - pretty normal once you hit 14 or so to use the Mediums or Light Mediums back then. Lots of us had Heavy sticks as well.....boy I wish I could remember exactly but a medium pro staff with gut was around 13oz easy.
I've been hitting with the woods lately and it's been a total blast! I haven't picked up my K90's!
About 6 years ago, there was a time when I was really playing well (for my own standards mind you) and so with my new bravado, I told my buddies that I would bring out my old Kramer Pro Staff and Dunlop Forte and beat them with those ancient wooden sticks. But after only a week of hitting with those things, Damn if I didn't develope my first case of tennis elbow in decades and it took me forever to get over it. Pardon the pun, but it served me right.
You know Connors was really never one to avoid the net but I was somewhat surprised in that particular match that he didn't come in more. Obviously one of the ways to keep a net rusher like Mac off the net is to get there first. Jimmie didn't S&V much and elected to stay back and try to lengthen the rallys but of course Mac wouldn't have any of that.
The book I'm reading now, COURTS OF BABYLON, mentions how Evert was annoyed by how badly Connors drubbed Lloyd in the 1981 US Open. Now how badly he beat, by how much he seemed to relish it. IIRC, Connors and Lloyd wound up being, if not friends, friendly towards each other.
The only problem with this match is that the first 3 sets are so high quality that the 4th and particulary the 5th set are a letdown. McEnroe was poor for at least 1/2 of the 4th set, and Connors just couldn't get it going in the 5th. His great returns dried up.
I thought Jimmy missed his opportunity in the 3rd set. If he won that, Mac would've been much harder pressed. Mac served better in the 5th, I thought. And, maybe 32 yr old Connors was running out of steam, hard to say for sure. I thought the play was really stellar...Mac's 1st serve % was up around 63% and Connors was giving him fits. Usually, when he's up there at that level, he creams his opponents. Not in this one. Jimmy should've stayed w/that pro-staff. He later claimed it hurt his control....made the ball "fly". To most of us watching, it looked like an enhancement to his game. particularly when serving and volleying.
Mate I have this match at home. It's a really good match to watch. I think rallies were more interesting then, especially with these 2 guys. Couldn't so easily hit a winning shot from the back so there was more variety and chess play. Feel like tennis has lost a lot.
Now back to your point, I agree Jimmy lost his chance in the 3rd. He was up a break and playing so well. He maybe could have broken Mac again, and he was always a bit vulnerable on serve, he barely got any free points and Mac was returning well and charging in at times. Sometimes Mac was even hitting and charging after 1st serve. The guy was such a wizard. I don't think Jimmy would have had much luck S&V anymore than he did because of the ease of return. What do you think? I think Connors could maybe have worked his way into net more often in rallies. But Mac was mixing up his BH so it wouldn't have been easy.
My point was simply that the first 3 sets were really top notch. The 4th set Mac had a letdown until he broke Jimmy but Jimmy held on. He played well in the 4th. Then in the 5th I think as you say Jimmy ran out of steam. Mac just cruised through the 5th, I would have liked it to be more competitive but yes I am being picky. It's a fabulous match.
There are very beautiful matches, others exciting.Thinking about something the other day: What matches are similar to this in style & quality? I ask because to my mind there are several factors which when combined make the conditions that this match happened in pretty unique.
1) It was in the brief period post wood but pre the age of big power. Therefore the artistry of Mac could still flourish, both players had a few more options from the baseline than with wood, but you couldn't simply overwhelm with power from the back, or at the very least these players couldn't. The type of rallies in this match to my mind represent an ideal for tennis. True all court tennis. Fast forward a few years & McEnroe's genius was bludgeoned out.
2) A S& V vs a Baseliner. Therefore we got rallies from the back. Most players back then at least S & V on 1st serve. Connors serve was his weakness but his returns were 'on'. Therefore this was by no means a servefest. Something which a few years later would become common on fast courts.
3) Both players were playing very well at the same time for most of the match. And of course they are 2 of the greats of the game.
Maybe what I am arguing is that this brief period between wood and big power was the optimum for tennis. It is a coincidence that Mac played his best tennis in 1984?
There are very beautiful matches, others exciting.
This is part of the best 20-30 of tennis history.
And considered all matches in the history of tennis is not bad.
Of the matches I've seen is one of the top 10, no doubt. Supermac 84 played by GOAT, Connors was fierce, ravenous on hc.
It was a bloody fight.
I think that in the 80s tennis was played more fun because more varied.I'm not arguing this is the Goat match. Basically what I'm asking is: what are the ideal 'conditions' ? i.e. racket/string tech, court surface speeds, playing styles