Wimbledon

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Do tennis balls still come in those aluminum cans? I remember saving coins in one. And nothing smells better than opening a fresh can. Thought I was a hot shot when I first bought a can of the orange ones lol.

They still do. Or in plastic tubes. You could buy pressureless Tretorn balls by four in cardboard boxes too, I remember from when I started in the early 1980s - I was a competitor for 20 years, stopped when I turned 30 and changed regions - I was attached to my club and team, didn't feel like competing anymore then.

I was crazy about international chamionships in the late 70s, through the 80s and the mid-90s. I would stay awake till 4 in the morning to watch the McEnroe-Borg US Open finals on TV right from the age of 10. I was fond of the game, and the best players of that time, Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Gerulaitis...
I followed the ladies too, Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Hana Mandlikova...
That sport was much more appealing back then IMO. Shots were much more varied and players were not as stereotyped as they are today.
Rackets and balls were slower, today's champions can sure play faster, but it's been getting more and more boring...

Here's the match point for McEnroe against Lendl, 1984 Dallas final - 7/6 in the 5th set, McEnroe won the tie-break 7/0.
Lendl won't accept his defeat after McEnroe concluded the (somptuous) final rallye with a shot that passed between the net and the net pole:

[envy_me]

I think I was watching the game when Monica Selesh was stabbed.

[Seshmeister]

Here's the match point for McEnroe against Lendl, 1984 Dallas final - 7/6 in the 5th set, McEnroe won the tie-break 7/0.
Lendl won't accept his defeat after McEnroe concluded the (somptuous) final rallye with a shot that passed between the net and the net pole:

Murray did something similar a few years ago but legally.




Nuts that McEnroe won a match like that.

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Murray did something similar a few years ago but legally.




Nuts that McEnroe won a match like that.

Shots like Murray's are rare, but not exceptional. Enormous, anyway!

McEnroe was leading 6/0 in the final tie-break, so there wasn't much suspense left.

Lendl could be a total prick sometimes, like he is after that huge point.

I remember reading a piece of post-match interview by McEnroe, where he was asked to explain
how he did that incredible forehand. He said something like "I saw the gap [between the net and the pole],
I aimed at it, and it passed through it"

I wonder how Lendl could know the ball had passed through there, because he was at the opposite of the net
when it occurred.

[ODShowtime]

Congrats GB. Now you're not the cleveland of tennis anymore.

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Virginia Wade (England) won the ladies' 100th anniversary edition in 1977 though.

[VHscraps]

Virginia Wade is / was South African. She probably became a British subject (nae citizens here, pal) at some point, but it was the only way she could play tennis internationally as there was a sporting boycott of South Africa (and playing against teams / athletes representing it) at the time

[katina]

I was crazy about international chamionships in the late 70s, through the 80s and the mid-90s. I would stay awake till 4 in the morning to watch the McEnroe-Borg US Open finals on TV right from the age of 10. I was fond of the game, and the best players of that time, Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Gerulaitis...

And Guillermo Vilas, a very cool and humble guy.

[Seshmeister]

Virginia Wade is / was South African. She probably became a British subject (nae citizens here, pal) at some point, but it was the only way she could play tennis internationally as there was a sporting boycott of South Africa (and playing against teams / athletes representing it) at the time

I'm not sure that's true I think you may have got mixed up.

She was born in England and then her English parents emigrated to South Africa when she was 1 year old. She then came back when she was 15.

I think that makes her English/British despite her accent.

Gerard Butler still counts as Scottish(I'm afraid) even with his new asshole accent.