+baddawg987 Good on you Bro. For that reason alone I have said that I find a player like Novak Djokovic has got to be the most boring unskilled number one tennis champion I ever seen in nearly 40 years but keep getting my head bitten off. Tennis of today sucks.
I changed my game from this type to bashing/or more mixed game. Hard to keep up. Vegan diet and Gluten-free and yoga all help otherwise id be screwed against those younger peeps. Im 38.😆
Colorful character off the court and a most elegant player and sportsman on it. Funny guy in post match interviews to boot and possibly the one top player neither McEnroe nor Connors seemed to be able to genuinely dislike. Gone too soon.
Not a beautiful afternoon, and not a beautiful match. I was there that day...the tennis was subpar from both, especially Mac who should have won easily. It was hot, windy and really a weird atmosphere in the stadium that day. NOT memorable. What was memorable was the match after this one and the one after that....Austin/Navratilova and then Borg/Connors, with Borg playing his greatest ever US Open match, killing Jimmy Connors...
Watching Borg predictably trounce Connors for the 10th time in a row, 12th time in 13 matches and 14th time 16 matches was more interesting than this all-court match between to skilled serve-and-volley specialists? Nah.
When tennis began its finest decade!! The late 70’s to early 90’s was by far the most entertaining and interesting time in the game!! Characters like McEnroe and Connors, The talented Swedes w Borg, Wilander, Edberg.....innovators like Lendl, Becker to the talents of the young Americans Sampras and Agassi, Courier and Chang, mix of styles, personalities and incredible competition w great shot making, thinking around the court, not to take anything away from the Big 3 nowadays who are proving to be the greatest players of the game individually and as rivals, I just think the matchups of that era and time had everything!! The game today is who can bludgeon the ball from the baseline the hardest and longest and who can serve 135 mph bombs!! I actually like to see points developed and guys coming to net and using a variety of styles against each other, gone are the days of the baseliner v the serve and volleyer
Technical innovation changed the nature of the Game along with big money TV. I read where laver got 2900 bucks for winning Wimbledon - he was STOKED !!
This is a great match. Tennis was better back then than now because the racquets made it a better contest between a baseliner and a volleyer. Not so in today's game.
Mac and Vitas had a few matches like this, where they both hit the ball hard and both were sharp. Gerulaitis put some pressure on him here, even with Junior really playing at a high level. Great stuff here.
NOT enjoyable. I was there that day, this is only 9 minutes of highlights from a 4.5 hour death march....so many errors from both players. Mac did not deserve to win this one.
Vitas was a excellent athlete, who could move and volley as well as anyone. The 2 things he lacked which put him a notch below the Borg's, Connors, and McEnroe's of his day was a truly world class serve, and no single "big shot". But I saw him in person several times and was great to watch play. He was also great for the game with his charisma, and play boy image. Helped get the stuffy image of tennis out of the game along with a few other characters.
Vita's had a good enough serve but needed a topspin backhand for more offense He was an excellent mover, fast and played approach shots to get to the net. All class was VItas.
You're right. But try telling this to the Djokovic and Nadal fans and you would get your head bashed, LOL... Djokovic in particular absolutely bores me to tears with his grinding game.
@@tenniscollector Not me, I love his game. (I loved Mac and Vitas's game, too). There's nothing more exciting than watching a great defender extend points and turn them around...Michael Chang, Andy Murray, Rafa, etc. I think they could help improve today's game by bringing back the old rule that you must keep one foot on the ground when you serve. It has become too much of a tall man's game with too many service winners.
Gerulaitis probably played his best in this us open mac really had troubles with him in this match and gerulaitis won against lendl earlier in the tournament and he plays much more aggressive than i have ever seen him play
McEnroe, quelle touche au filet, quelle précision, un vrai délice à regarder. À cette époque McEnroe était mon favoris mais j'aimais beaucoup Vitas aussi. Que de belles années de tennis. McEnroe, what a touch to the net, what precision, a real pleasure to watch. At that time, McEnroe was my favorite, but I also liked a lot Vitas. So many good years of tennis.
I agree with just about all the comments about Vitas' abilities. But gosh, he was so graceful and almost artistic on the court. Damn, as a 60 year man, i feel priviledged to have grown up in the 70s-80s to witness these masters. Youngsters, you can gloat about todays players all you want; but they can't hold a candle to this!
So many memories from that time. Thank you for this video. It reminds me a time when I was young and full of hope in life. Gerulaitis was very seducing and applealed to all women. The Golden Age of tennis.
Vitas was indeed a world class athlete, having taken Borg to 5 sets at the Wimbledon semis 4 years earlier. Yes, he did lack the one "big" weapon that the top players need, whether in the "wood" era or "graphite" era. Vitas, I think also maybe didn't possess the killer instinct, and he was a renown partyer, and a regular patron at Studio 54. Neverthelss , I think every generation needs a colorful character or too, talented players that entertain, another player that comes to mind is Nastase. Today, Gael Monfils comes to mind. Not quite sure about Kyrios quite yet. Tremendous talent, and has all of the shots.
Agreed, if i'm not mistaken he also may have won 2 Italian open singles titles which was right up there with the majors back then. Additionally he had a match point against Lendl in the final of a Masters (the real Masters) i think also in 81?
as opposed to the other famous Leon in Dallas, Leon Lett...a decade later. Yes, I remember Leon Lipp very well. Right behind Frank Hammond among the all time greats of that era.
This is the best i have seen gerulatis look. Wonderful touch at the bet and sharp passing shots Clearly, his serve let him down this day as it was not the equal of McEnroe’s.
Vitas had great hands, moved quick too. If he just had a slightly bigger serve, he would've not lost much to Connors, Borg or Mac and won a bunch of majors.
I like biplane era whites of their eyes dogfights vs modern jets using magic fire and forget missiles from 5 miles away. No one is saying its easy now but its about the style....
This was a really great match and had a few sketchy calls. This is the first time I've seen Vitas play and he was quite a solid player. I'm glad Vitas came back to shake John's hand. Good sportsmanship to Vitas even though he wasn't agreeing with that call
I remember watching this live and uncensored. His outburst at the end was the first time I heard cursing on TV. Unless I have selective memory, it was Jim McKay that was struck speechless and shocked when they switched back to him.
Mac is right...if he didn't see it, he shouldn't call it.....unless one of the line judges saw it, and says so. Those last two shots show why arguing with the ump was a good strategy. The chair ump was never going to over-rule those calls after Mac had given him so much heat over the let call. But both end points look like they might have been in.
+Alan Chong Thanks but try telling that to the Djokovic and nadal brigade of supporters LOL. I know I have LOL LOL LOL. Hey I would like to invite you to this new tennis message board my friend - discuss.tennis/index.php
+Alan Chong If you got the equipment can you upoad this 1981 semifinal from the start up to 6-5 4th set, Gerulaitis way. I can complete the rest. My copy is missing a lot of games prior to 5th set. This whole match deserves to be on YT.
+tenniscollector Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment. I used to have this match on VHS but without sound as the live broadcast to our small town was faulty (picture but no sound).
+tenniscollector I definitely love this match. My recording in VHS does not have a lot of sound due to a broadcast fault. I was pretty annoyed. 5 sets between two all court players. You can't beat that!
He was right when he argued. The ump can't call a let based on one player complaining. He must SEE the fan interference or whatever it was...UNLESS a line judge clued him in on it. Mac was right to call him on it, and the ump didn't defend himself by saying some other official saw it.
@@alanchong7513 He could have ducked. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Anybody who hit a weak volley to Ivan, close to the net, KNEW there was a good chance he was going to get drilled...you either concede the point by ducking behind the net, or you stand in there like a man and try to volley it. No complaining either way. You can't get seriously hurt by a tennis ball unless you get hit in the eye or you step on one and twist your ankle.
@@alanchong7513 Then run of the court. What do you want Ivan to do...that's his best option. If he hits it to either side, Vitas might stab it. If he goes too close to the line, he might miss. If you can't handle the speed of the ball, why are you standing there?
@@joemarshall4226 'Win at all costs' says that it's ok to hit the opponent. 'Tennis etiquette' says you DON'T hit the other player'. Now there was also an incident between Nicholas Almagro and Thomas Berdych at the Aussie. I guess you don't subscribe to the tennis etiquette point of view. But there are many who do. Thomas Berdych does!
I played him in Juniors way back in the day, and got killed... a NY/NJ regional match, probably around 1972 or something...must have been 13 years old. Mac was simply magic with his racquet.
The 1981 U.S. Open Men's Singles Semifinal between Gerulaitis and McEnroe is a great example of what real tennis is, compared to the so-called ''tennis'' of today. If in 1976 the ITF had banned the Prince oversize racket and graphite rackets in pro tennis and implemented a rule requiring that a tennis racket must be (1) no longer than 27 inches long (standard length), (2) composed of wood or metal, (3) no larger than 75 square inches in the size of the racket head , and (4) no wider than 18 mm above the handle, then pro tennis today would be enjoyable to watch instead of being the colossally tedious, boring, one-dimensional game it is.
+Dante Baugh Lukibi made an important point. The technology has reduced the richness of play, the variety in action. I'm thinking maybe they should change the dimensions of the court to compensate for the technology.
That is perfectly said! Tennis has been ruined by excessing topspin using grapjite composite rackets. Topspin is OK using wood but not when hit with the rackets of today. The volley is now extinct as a weapon because of speed generated with today's equipment (rackets)
+Aravis Tarkheena There were more volleyers before. So the distance between baseliner and volleyer was less. Players needed faster hands and quicker change of direction. It was a better spectacle back then, I would say.
They didn't bleep over it in the original broadcast. I taped it live at the time and heard everything. He spoke to the umpire about an earlier call and said it was goddamn f_ _ king on the line. I still had this match on VHS up until end of last year unbelievably.
La balle de match était largement dehors. Geru était un super joueur de vollée et plein d'humour "on ne gagne pas 17 fois de suite contre vitas gerulaitis"
It's great when mac slips and falls over Vitas just turns away to go back to the baseline. None of the faux concern players fake for their opponents these days.
I couldn't see it, but the chair was right to not over rule it from the far side of the court, especially after giving Vitas the benefit of the doubt on a let he didn't even see.
Terrific match. Some really high quality tennis, and a style we could use more of today. Thankful that we have CZcams to educate some of us younger players that were not around to see these matches played live. That being said, I take issue with those who downplay today's style. Sure there are some players I consider lackluster today (Murray 's game bores me to tears- not to mention having to listen to his whining and moaning every other point), but try serve and volleying against someone like Rafael Nadal. Or watch what Agassi did to Stefan Edberg in many of their matches. Better yet, get on-court yourself with an aggressive baseliner and tell me that getting pushed side-to-side by heavy groundstrokes isn't some of the hardest punishment one can take in sports. The ability and hard work it takes to execute today's game is every bit as valid and deserving of a place in the sport as yesteryear's. Tennis is and always has been a great sport- it does not have to be all or nothing. End rant. xo.
Heavyweights slugging it out is what it amounts to. No one is saying that´s easy. However The lighter divisions have to box and the styles match ups are much more entertaining in their variety than basic slugging. And educational....
for some reason, the uso is my least favourite GS the stadium that has 24,000 seats is incredible. but the court set up and surface isn't. Aussie open is the best then Wimbledon. I don't mind the french, it's had more surprise winners than any other GS
like, gaudio, ferrero, cuertan (I cannot spell these names :D) and sergi bruerga. Best french open moment EVER according to FOM is the 2009 Final Match Point with federer, I completely agree
Vitas Gerulaitis was not the type to complain over a Match Point, unless it was truly close and controversial. Did anyone see the replay? I hope Vitas didn't get screwed....officials in sports are human beings and they make mistakes....
"Can't blame McEnroe" OF COURSE you can partly blame McEnroe because even a blind man saw that last ball went to Saturn. But what are we going to demand of McEnroe? Honesty and good behavior? NEVER.
Disgraceful! That volley Mcenroe hit on match point was so far out it is beyond belief not one of the officials called it. Even Mcenroe knew it was out; you can tell. It's like they just wanted to get out of there and end the match. Do the officials have a lunch or date to get to? Poor Gerulaitis plays his gentlemanly ass off for five sets to just get rooked like that. I played high-level tennis and that was complete bullshit.
When you watch these guys play, you can see how "all- court" tennis has given way to somewhat boring baseline power tennis. Mind you, tennis was also boring in this era too , most especially at Wimbeldon when the men's game convicted of Aces and Service winners. Also, these days, players towel off when even thinking about a stroke. Interestingly, Federer doesn't do it much!
increible!... interminables discusiones con el umpire....y un simple worning nada mas..estrategia para sacar a los rivales....asi gano miles de partidos mc enroe....tremenda imparcialidad de los umpires...
Lol, robots? Like it takes no talent to rip winners down the line. Also, the top players of today can volley just as good as these guys (maybe not Nadal). They're complete players.
I didn't say they weren't complete players. The point is that the game is completely boring. And if you put them damn wooden rackets in the hands of most of these modern players no way in hell could they volley as well get real.
Christopher King Why would they even bother with worse technology when they could get a better volley out of modern heads? Look, if serve and volley were even viable I promise you Federer could match or even surpass a lot of these guys from the older generation. The reality is anyone in the top 25 can comfortably pass you on a regular basis so why even come to the next except for on the heels of the perfect approach be it serve or baseline shot? It's ALL about the return. Also, your opinion on it being boring is subjective and a perfectly acceptable opinion to have, but other people like how competitive the game is nowadays and the drama of a very physical contest.
THE worst semifinal in US Open history. A horrific match for the amount of unforced errors, which do not show up on the cherry picked highlights. Tortuous. Granted, it was captivating, as there was no clear winner in this match until the end. Mac was so irritating to watch, both in his demeanor and in his playing. That last point was a disgrace, Vitas's swang song. I was there in the 4th row, and pretty much bored for four and a half hours of fairly terrible tennis, waiting for Austin vs. Navratilova after this one, then finally the Borg destruction of Connors as the sun was setting. This video shows only the highlights, which is 10 percent of the actual points. The other 90 percent was terrible tennis. No human being could ever watch the replay of this entire match....that would be inhumane. Mac made so many unforced errors. And match point was indeed a bad call, the ball was out and we all knew it. But the spectators were ready for this death march to be over so we did not really care. Ready for Tracy Austin's greatest moment at the Open to come right after this one. But I will say this, its incredible that Mac came back in 24 hours and basically made Borg give up high level professional tennis with his great shotmaking on that gorgeous Sunday afternoon.
Good on you Christopher. Am currently doing a highlights vid on Becker Vs Doohan 1987 2nd round Wimblies match which I am going to upload soon. You know about the significance of that match, my Friend ?
tenniscollector Becker vs Doohan??? If you know tennis, you will definitely know that match! That upset victory opened the door for Pat Cash to sneak through and claim the title with a final win over Ivan Lendl. Cashy can thank Doohan in a way!
Alan Chong LOL thanks. That's one way of looking at it. Peter lost to Slobodan Zivojinovic in the third Rd. The big guy then lost to Connors in the R16. We'll never know but the way Cashy was playing defeating Mats Wilander, Connors and Lendl in a row and not loosing a set, then I'm sure Cash would have beaten Boris (had they met in one SF).
I really miss this tennis. So many different styles of play. Beautiful tennis
This shows how tennis was meant to be played; variety of shot and position, touch, complete games, not just bashing from the baseline.
+baddawg987 Good on you Bro. For that reason alone I have said that I find a player like Novak Djokovic has got to be the most boring unskilled number one tennis champion I ever seen in nearly 40 years but keep getting my head bitten off. Tennis of today sucks.
+baddawg987 couldn't have said it any better, myself ! I would like to invite you to discuss.tennis/index.php
I changed my game from this type to bashing/or more mixed game. Hard to keep up. Vegan diet and Gluten-free and yoga all help otherwise id be screwed against those younger peeps. Im 38.😆
@@cj_ssfsm 38 is prime.. don't act old before your time.
ok boomer
Serve and Volley tennis at it's best.This was a race to the net.I miss matches like this and i think of Vitas often.
I love Vitas. He should have won the end of season Masters one year but Lendl drilled him with a forehand that turned the match.
Vitas was fantastic. Borg; Connors; Vilas; Nastase; McEnroe; Clerc; 70's at its best.
Colorful character off the court and a most elegant player and sportsman on it. Funny guy in post match interviews to boot and possibly the one top player neither McEnroe nor Connors seemed to be able to genuinely dislike.
Gone too soon.
@enematwatson1357 Pallbearers at his funeral as was Nastase and I think Vilas. Thats respect and love!
@@artlover1477 Also Borg, Connors, and a completely shattered Mac.
Give these guys a graphite racket, poly strings and they are just as good as anyone today.
Two kids from Queens and Brooklyn playing in their backyard, on a beautiful late summer afternoon. Rock in peace, Vitus.
Not a beautiful afternoon, and not a beautiful match. I was there that day...the tennis was subpar from both, especially Mac who should have won easily. It was hot, windy and really a weird atmosphere in the stadium that day. NOT memorable. What was memorable was the match after this one and the one after that....Austin/Navratilova and then Borg/Connors, with Borg playing his greatest ever US Open match, killing Jimmy Connors...
@@Arturo-sm1tb Oh, okay.
Watching Borg predictably trounce Connors for the 10th time in a row, 12th time in 13 matches and 14th time 16 matches was more interesting than this all-court match between to skilled serve-and-volley specialists? Nah.
When tennis began its finest decade!! The late 70’s to early 90’s was by far the most entertaining and interesting time in the game!! Characters like McEnroe and Connors, The talented Swedes w Borg, Wilander, Edberg.....innovators like Lendl, Becker to the talents of the young Americans Sampras and Agassi, Courier and Chang, mix of styles, personalities and incredible competition w great shot making, thinking around the court, not to take anything away from the Big 3 nowadays who are proving to be the greatest players of the game individually and as rivals, I just think the matchups of that era and time had everything!! The game today is who can bludgeon the ball from the baseline the hardest and longest and who can serve 135 mph bombs!! I actually like to see points developed and guys coming to net and using a variety of styles against each other, gone are the days of the baseliner v the serve and volleyer
Technical innovation changed the nature of the Game along with big money TV. I read where laver got 2900 bucks for winning Wimbledon - he was STOKED !!
This is a great match. Tennis was better back then than now because the racquets made it a better contest between a baseliner and a volleyer. Not so in today's game.
That's well said Alan.
But today we have grunting and fist-pumps!!
Tennis was terrible on this day. It was great other days in that era..
@@Arturo-sm1tb Why was it terrible on this day?
Mac and Vitas had a few matches like this, where they both hit the ball hard and both were sharp. Gerulaitis put some pressure on him here, even with Junior really playing at a high level. Great stuff here.
But the actual match was terrible, 4.5 hours of hell....this is the cherry picked highlights.
I love the acoustics of those old wooden racquets.
John McEnroe. Greatest tennis player of alllllllll time. Bar none. Look at the reels.
LOL.
Great artistry by two great champions. I'd watch these two any day before I would watch today's boring grunters.
We can only wish that one day Tennis will again be as artistic and enjoyable as this!
NOT enjoyable. I was there that day, this is only 9 minutes of highlights from a 4.5 hour death march....so many errors from both players. Mac did not deserve to win this one.
Vitas was a excellent athlete, who could move and volley as well as anyone. The 2 things he lacked which put him a notch below the Borg's, Connors, and McEnroe's of his day was a truly world class serve, and no single "big shot". But I saw him in person several times and was great to watch play. He was also great for the game with his charisma, and play boy image. Helped get the stuffy image of tennis out of the game along with a few other characters.
Vita's had a good enough serve but needed a topspin backhand for more offense
He was an excellent mover, fast and played approach shots to get to the net. All class was VItas.
And he was a regular customer at Studio 54 !
Much better tennis then. Great shotmaking.
+Scott Reed yeah well said buddy. I want to invite you to: discuss.tennis/index.php
Yes it was all about skill, not power serving
Only hightlights. Believe me, I was there in the 4th row, it was not a great match. Mac made countless unforced errors the entire match.
Tennis has really gone backwards since wooden rackets. What we have to look forward to now is baseliner vs baseliner.
You're right. But try telling this to the Djokovic and Nadal fans and you would get your head bashed, LOL... Djokovic in particular absolutely bores me to tears with his grinding game.
+tenniscollector Who is your tip for the US Open 2016?
@@tenniscollector Not me, I love his game. (I loved Mac and Vitas's game, too). There's nothing more exciting than watching a great defender extend points and turn them around...Michael Chang, Andy Murray, Rafa, etc. I think they could help improve today's game by bringing back the old rule that you must keep one foot on the ground when you serve. It has become too much of a tall man's game with too many service winners.
Gerulaitis probably played his best in
this us open mac really had troubles with him in this match and gerulaitis won against lendl earlier in the tournament and he plays much more aggressive than i have ever seen him play
McEnroe, quelle touche au filet, quelle précision, un vrai délice à regarder. À cette époque McEnroe était mon favoris mais j'aimais beaucoup Vitas aussi. Que de belles années de tennis.
McEnroe, what a touch to the net, what precision, a real pleasure to watch. At that time, McEnroe was my favorite, but I also liked a lot Vitas. So many good years of tennis.
plozikou You french people very boring when stressing your language is the international one. It is not ! English it is , sorry!
Haaaaa, you want me to speak English Mr Sky Watcher ? So, I can tell you to go fu... yourself. Best regards...
Tennis should have stayed with wood racquets and head size ala baseball requiring wood bats with traditional size.
precisely - Golf has similar requirements I believe.
Love seeing old clips of McEnroe. Only Federer is as enjoyable to watch stylistic wise.
Two great friends off court, playing great tennis on it.
Thanks for this one.
It reminds me what a great back hand volley mcenroe had. Vitas also wasn't too shabby at the net.
Vitas's serve just wasn't as devastating. He didn't get as many free points...but all other parts of his game were right at the top.
That backhand volley was so great . Maybe Edberg came close to having one as good . The game has changed so much though
I agree with just about all the comments about Vitas' abilities. But gosh, he was so graceful and almost artistic on the court. Damn, as a 60 year man, i feel priviledged to have grown up in the 70s-80s to witness these masters.
Youngsters, you can gloat about todays players all you want; but they can't hold a candle to this!
So many memories from that time. Thank you for this video.
It reminds me a time when I was young and full of hope in life.
Gerulaitis was very seducing and applealed to all women.
The Golden Age of tennis.
Vitas was indeed a world class athlete, having taken Borg to 5 sets at the Wimbledon semis 4 years earlier. Yes, he did lack the one "big" weapon that the top players need, whether in the "wood" era or "graphite" era. Vitas, I think also maybe didn't possess the killer instinct, and he was a renown partyer, and a regular patron at Studio 54. Neverthelss , I think every generation needs a colorful character or too, talented players that entertain, another player that comes to mind is Nastase. Today, Gael Monfils comes to mind. Not quite sure about Kyrios quite yet. Tremendous talent, and has all of the shots.
+Robert W Vitas should definitely be in the hall of fame due to his contribution in making tennis popular and his exciting style of play!
Agreed, if i'm not mistaken he also may have won 2 Italian open singles titles which was right up there with the majors back then. Additionally he had a match point against Lendl in the final of a Masters (the real Masters) i think also in 81?
@@absoluteb22Yes, and it showed Vitas' versatility as it was on clay!
The great Leon Lipp (Dallas, TX) is the chair umpire - I worked with him in the early 1980s - Southwest Tennis Umpires Association
as opposed to the other famous Leon in Dallas, Leon Lett...a decade later. Yes, I remember Leon Lipp very well. Right behind Frank Hammond among the all time greats of that era.
tHE MASTERCLASS OF SERVE AND VOLLEY.....BEAUTIFUL TENNIS.... TODAY IS SO BORED...
This is the best i have seen gerulatis look. Wonderful touch at the bet and sharp passing shots Clearly, his serve let him down this day as it was not the equal of McEnroe’s.
“Nobody beats Vitas gerulaits 17 Times in A row”
One of my favorite sport quotes
This volleying is immaculate
Great Match : Best tennis eras for me :1)Lendl/McEnroe/Connors/Wilander 2)Borg/McEnroe/Connors and Federer/Djokovic/Nadal
LOL @ 6:23!!! Mac was awesome as always. What he had against that mic is beyond me though.
Beautiful tennis. RIP Vitas.
Vitas had great hands, moved quick too. If he just had a slightly bigger serve, he would've not lost much to Connors, Borg or Mac and won a bunch of majors.
This match was much better than the their ‘79 finals match.
I like biplane era whites of their eyes dogfights vs modern jets using magic fire and forget missiles from 5 miles away. No one is saying its easy now but its about the style....
Two geniuses of world tennis
This was a really great match and had a few sketchy calls. This is the first time I've seen Vitas play and he was quite a solid player. I'm glad Vitas came back to shake John's hand. Good sportsmanship to Vitas even though he wasn't agreeing with that call
ambdance00 Great match. Horrible call to end it.
Beautiful tennis !!!!
I remember watching this live and uncensored. His outburst at the end was the first time I heard cursing on TV. Unless I have selective memory, it was Jim McKay that was struck speechless and shocked when they switched back to him.
Jim McKay was on ABC. This match was on CBS. The announcers were Pat Sumerall and John Newcombe.
You didn't see it ! You didn't see it ! Ha Mac, my best for ever.
Mac the best
Mac was great. Jimmy Connors the best.
Mac is right...if he didn't see it, he shouldn't call it.....unless one of the line judges saw it, and says so. Those last two shots show why arguing with the ump was a good strategy. The chair ump was never going to over-rule those calls after Mac had given him so much heat over the let call. But both end points look like they might have been in.
This is great...very entertaining to watch
These guys have more variety of shots and athleticism than today's players. Today's players don't make stretch volleys..Never!
+Alan Chong Thanks but try telling that to the Djokovic and nadal brigade of supporters LOL. I know I have LOL LOL LOL. Hey I would like to invite you to this new tennis message board my friend - discuss.tennis/index.php
+Alan Chong If you got the equipment can you upoad this 1981 semifinal from the start up to 6-5 4th set, Gerulaitis way. I can complete the rest. My copy is missing a lot of games prior to 5th set. This whole match deserves to be on YT.
+tenniscollector Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment. I used to have this match on VHS but without sound as the live broadcast to our small town was faulty (picture but no sound).
+tenniscollector I definitely love this match. My recording in VHS does not have a lot of sound due to a broadcast fault. I was pretty annoyed. 5 sets between two all court players. You can't beat that!
+tenniscollector Gotta love that 'low behind the court angle.' That really is unreal. Feels like we have front row seats!
Mac was one of the greatest and most abusive
He was right when he argued. The ump can't call a let based on one player complaining. He must SEE the fan interference or whatever it was...UNLESS a line judge clued him in on it. Mac was right to call him on it, and the ump didn't defend himself by saying some other official saw it.
I like Vitas' game. Smooth and effective. You have to play very well from start to end to beat him in the day. Never gets credit he deserved.
Gerulaitis should have won that Masters Final against Lendl but got drilled in the forehead by Ivan. Not so sporting, is Ivan!
@@alanchong7513 He could have ducked. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Anybody who hit a weak volley to Ivan, close to the net, KNEW there was a good chance he was going to get drilled...you either concede the point by ducking behind the net, or you stand in there like a man and try to volley it. No complaining either way. You can't get seriously hurt by a tennis ball unless you get hit in the eye or you step on one and twist your ankle.
@@joemarshall4226 You said it yourself...you can get hit hard in the eye. That shot may have turned the match around.
@@alanchong7513 Then run of the court. What do you want Ivan to do...that's his best option. If he hits it to either side, Vitas might stab it. If he goes too close to the line, he might miss. If you can't handle the speed of the ball, why are you standing there?
@@joemarshall4226 'Win at all costs' says that it's ok to hit the opponent. 'Tennis etiquette' says you DON'T hit the other player'. Now there was also an incident between Nicholas Almagro and Thomas Berdych at the Aussie. I guess you don't subscribe to the tennis etiquette point of view. But there are many who do. Thomas Berdych does!
US open was property of John Mc Enroe... I read that when he was a boy a coach told him... You ll win the US OPEN because of your perfect coordination
I played him in Juniors way back in the day, and got killed... a NY/NJ regional match, probably around 1972 or something...must have been 13 years old. Mac was simply magic with his racquet.
Beautiful tennis.
Playing with a ball in his hand. Classic stuff.
I still do it. Sometimes. Why not? Better than taking up space in your pocket.
tc... At times McEnroe was made to look like an amateur...
Dont you just love it...!!!??? Enjoyable Video. Well Done.
Grande vitas!!!
The 1981 U.S. Open Men's Singles Semifinal between Gerulaitis and McEnroe is a great example of what real tennis is, compared to the so-called ''tennis'' of today. If in 1976 the ITF had banned the Prince oversize racket and graphite rackets in pro tennis and implemented a rule requiring that a tennis racket must be (1) no longer than 27 inches long (standard length), (2) composed of wood or metal, (3) no larger than 75 square inches in the size of the racket head , and (4) no wider than 18 mm above the handle, then pro tennis today would be enjoyable to watch instead of being the colossally tedious, boring, one-dimensional game it is.
Hallelujiah to that. Don't forget the time wasters (ie Nadal, Djokovic and Sharapova) ,suspicious injury time-outs, etc...
+Dante Baugh Lukibi made an important point. The technology has reduced the richness of play, the variety in action. I'm thinking maybe they should change the dimensions of the court to compensate for the technology.
That is perfectly said! Tennis has been ruined by excessing topspin using grapjite composite rackets. Topspin is OK using wood but not when hit with the rackets of today. The volley is now extinct as a weapon because of speed generated with today's equipment (rackets)
+Dante Baugh If anything it is faster and stronger today, but much less skilled. You've got it backwards.
+Aravis Tarkheena There were more volleyers before. So the distance between baseliner and volleyer was less. Players needed faster hands and quicker change of direction. It was a better spectacle back then, I would say.
Pity they bleeped out Vitas' reaction to match point: "Bull SHIT!" he shouted. "The goddamn ball was a foot over the fuckin' line!"
They didn't bleep over it in the original broadcast. I taped it live at the time and heard everything. He spoke to the umpire about an earlier call and said it was goddamn f_ _ king on the line. I still had this match on VHS up until end of last year unbelievably.
I remember it word for word because I was only 15 years old so I remember the profanity exactly!
Thanks Vitas. Sorry you have gone...
Vitas plays the senior circuit these days. his nickname is Vitas Geritolitus!
wow. the technology of the racquets are amazing.. so much harder shots now.. this is good stuff though..
3:28 WOW ! What a point... 3:28 Quel point par les deux joueurs !
Two artists
McEnroe has the best serve in history
my sister using this for inspiration and its working
fantastic sounds different
they were great friends
Bellissima
johnny mac getting it done
Another 5 set lose for gerulaitis, i think he lost us open semifinals in 5 also vs borg and connors
Anyways, a great talent
At Wimbledon, Yes.
La balle de match était largement dehors.
Geru était un super joueur de vollée et plein d'humour "on ne gagne pas 17 fois de suite contre vitas gerulaitis"
It's great when mac slips and falls over Vitas just turns away to go back to the baseline. None of the faux concern players fake for their opponents these days.
I can clearly state watching this video , 40 years after it happened, that the last voley played by Mac on match point was out !! by a lot !
I couldn't see it, but the chair was right to not over rule it from the far side of the court, especially after giving Vitas the benefit of the doubt on a let he didn't even see.
it really looks like another sport
Terrific match. Some really high quality tennis, and a style we could use more of today. Thankful that we have CZcams to educate some of us younger players that were not around to see these matches played live. That being said, I take issue with those who downplay today's style. Sure there are some players I consider lackluster today (Murray 's game bores me to tears- not to mention having to listen to his whining and moaning every other point), but try serve and volleying against someone like Rafael Nadal. Or watch what Agassi did to Stefan Edberg in many of their matches. Better yet, get on-court yourself with an aggressive baseliner and tell me that getting pushed side-to-side by heavy groundstrokes isn't some of the hardest punishment one can take in sports. The ability and hard work it takes to execute today's game is every bit as valid and deserving of a place in the sport as yesteryear's. Tennis is and always has been a great sport- it does not have to be all or nothing. End rant. xo.
Heavyweights slugging it out is what it amounts to. No one is saying that´s easy. However The lighter divisions have to box and the styles match ups are much more entertaining in their variety than basic slugging. And educational....
Such a great clip until MacEnroe's tantrum
Tennis at its prinstine best.. bye gone era
VITAS WAS FRIEND OF PRESIDENT BUSH ISN it?
thats nuke commentating! Wow John Newcombe has been commentating for that long?!?
He was also commentating on the '78 Wimbledon men's final. It's on YT. Check it out.
holy moly, started as early as hewitt
for some reason, the uso is my least favourite GS the stadium that has 24,000 seats is incredible. but the court set up and surface isn't. Aussie open is the best then Wimbledon. I don't mind the french, it's had more surprise winners than any other GS
like, gaudio, ferrero, cuertan (I cannot spell these names :D) and sergi bruerga. Best french open moment EVER according to FOM is the 2009 Final Match Point with federer, I completely agree
also! Nadal was a massive suprise to win in '05
Vitas Gerulaitis was not the type to complain over a Match Point, unless it was truly close and controversial. Did anyone see the replay? I hope Vitas didn't get screwed....officials in sports are human beings and they make mistakes....
The ball was in. Look closely in slow motion... I did it many times to be sure.
That ball was out from this point of view.
I said it before and I'll say it again.......They need a WOOD racquet only Grand Slam event.
Wow, I forgot how good Gerulaitis was, equal to McEnroe!
On this day, yes, that is correct. But overall, nowhere close. This was Vitas's swansong of great tennis. Mac did not deserve to win this one.
I read McEnroe vs Celulitis.
RIP Vitas
❤❤
"Can't blame McEnroe" OF COURSE you can partly blame McEnroe because even a blind man saw that last ball went to Saturn. But what are we going to demand of McEnroe? Honesty and good behavior? NEVER.
Disgraceful! That volley Mcenroe hit on match point was so far out it is beyond belief not one of the officials called it. Even Mcenroe knew it was out; you can tell. It's like they just wanted to get out of there and end the match. Do the officials have a lunch or date to get to? Poor Gerulaitis plays his gentlemanly ass off for five sets to just get rooked like that. I played high-level tennis and that was complete bullshit.
When you watch these guys play, you can see how "all- court" tennis has given way to somewhat boring baseline power tennis. Mind you, tennis was also boring in this era too , most especially at Wimbeldon when the men's game convicted of Aces and Service winners. Also, these days, players towel off when even thinking about a stroke. Interestingly, Federer doesn't do it much!
"It was a _______ foot over the _______ line!"
3 guesses what goes in the blanks.
increible!... interminables discusiones con el umpire....y un simple worning nada mas..estrategia para sacar a los rivales....asi gano miles de partidos mc enroe....tremenda imparcialidad de los umpires...
referees for ever with mc enroe.
2:15 LOL
5:23 What's happened?
Interested in more games with McEnroe, Connors and Borg on DVD? Mail me for a list at: Sportdiggare@mail.com.
McEnroe Talent yes, to me he will always be a punk very self-centered arrogant poor sport and a toxic demeanor
Vitas rockstar!, que genio
serve and volley....too bad its all baseline robots nowdays....shame
Yep. So glad this is available. No one seems to have a good copy of the '79 final though...
Lol, robots? Like it takes no talent to rip winners down the line. Also, the top players of today can volley just as good as these guys (maybe not Nadal). They're complete players.
I didn't say they weren't complete players. The point is that the game is completely boring. And if you put them damn wooden rackets in the hands of most of these modern players no way in hell could they volley as well get real.
Christopher King Why would they even bother with worse technology when they could get a better volley out of modern heads? Look, if serve and volley were even viable I promise you Federer could match or even surpass a lot of these guys from the older generation. The reality is anyone in the top 25 can comfortably pass you on a regular basis so why even come to the next except for on the heels of the perfect approach be it serve or baseline shot? It's ALL about the return.
Also, your opinion on it being boring is subjective and a perfectly acceptable opinion to have, but other people like how competitive the game is nowadays and the drama of a very physical contest.
Christopher King It is on YT on John McEnroes's channel but in B/W and french.
THE worst semifinal in US Open history. A horrific match for the amount of unforced errors, which do not show up on the cherry picked highlights. Tortuous. Granted, it was captivating, as there was no clear winner in this match until the end. Mac was so irritating to watch, both in his demeanor and in his playing. That last point was a disgrace, Vitas's swang song.
I was there in the 4th row, and pretty much bored for four and a half hours of fairly terrible tennis, waiting for Austin vs. Navratilova after this one, then finally the Borg destruction of Connors as the sun was setting. This video shows only the highlights, which is 10 percent of the actual points. The other 90 percent was terrible tennis. No human being could ever watch the replay of this entire match....that would be inhumane. Mac made so many unforced errors. And match point was indeed a bad call, the ball was out and we all knew it. But the spectators were ready for this death march to be over so we did not really care. Ready for Tracy Austin's greatest moment at the Open to come right after this one. But I will say this, its incredible that Mac came back in 24 hours and basically made Borg give up high level professional tennis with his great shotmaking on that gorgeous Sunday afternoon.
Con el tenis de ahora estos hombres no pasaban ni la primera ronda
3:27
Good on you Christopher. Am currently doing a highlights vid on Becker Vs Doohan 1987 2nd round Wimblies match which I am going to upload soon. You know about the significance of that match, my Friend ?
tenniscollector Becker vs Doohan??? If you know tennis, you will definitely know that match! That upset victory opened the door for Pat Cash to sneak through and claim the title with a final win over Ivan Lendl. Cashy can thank Doohan in a way!
Alan Chong LOL thanks. That's one way of looking at it. Peter lost to Slobodan Zivojinovic in the third Rd. The big guy then lost to Connors in the R16. We'll never know but the way Cashy was playing defeating Mats Wilander, Connors and Lendl in a row and not loosing a set, then I'm sure Cash would have beaten Boris (had they met in one SF).
Alan Chong Another thing. Pat Cash defeated Boris Becker 4 weeks after Wimbledon, in one SF at the Sydney indoors tournament.
Remember this gem...Mac d. Becker Aus 1992 czcams.com/video/aAMFYXw_B2U/video.html
Spoiled rich kids
ken 1 jelouos poor kid
Grandes pero cutres
0
Look kids! ...this is boring tennis for old people