Connors was my favourite player during the 80’s when I got into this wonderful game. Who remembers his incredible come back at Wimbledon in 1987 when he came from 2 sets down to beat Pernfors? Lost the first 2 sets 6-1 6-1 and I think he was 4-1 down in the 3rd…
As a kid who grew up rooting for him in the early 80's I Can confirm you this is my wildest memory of Jimbo from a pure "it is over, he is losing this one 1-6 1-6 1-6, let's move on to his fave tournament The US Open now !"...ANY other player in the world would have probably thought '"i m good to go home now"....But NOT Jimbo, the fightig spirit is xway too strong in him....Even more insane is that he was 34 (turning 35 2 months later) at the time...And he endes up defeati,ng the excellent & strong serving Slobodan éBobo" Zivojinovic the next round in 4 compelling sets !!! The thing of LEGENDS !
Though Connors was a great player, and I have even more respect for his game now than then, because he was such an unlikable guy, I have to say I was never really happy to see him win...
@@donquixote... I could always overlook that about him because he inspired me personally to never quit no matter how great the odds against me. I didn’t like the negatives but it is such a rare quality to find such a fighter. No other sportsman that I knew of played so long or with such a spirit. He reminds me a bit of Donald Trump in that one regard. When the vile tape was released every one around him told him to quit and give the nomination to Pence. His reply: “ First of all, I am going to win. Second, I will never quit. I will never disappoint the people who believe in me.” Today it is easy to find quitters. It’s almost impossible to find the person who refuses to give up when everyone hates them, when they are outnumbered and almost everything is going against them but their will to fight. Most will disagree with me I’m sure. But when I’m in an impossible situation, strangely I think of men like this who somehow dug down deep inside themselves and found the one thing that enabled them to keep on fighting. It has made a remarkable difference in my life in three situations and I am still alive and have succeeded at age 79 whereas I may have failed. Strange the profound affect of someone we don’t know can have on our lives.
Lendl eventually realized he could use a pusher style against Connors. Connor's weakness as with all continental players was the slow ball to the forehand. Trying to hit slow balls on the rise is almost always defensive. Lendl eventually figured that out. That, and the age difference gave Lendl the positive H2H against Connors. That said, Connors was always more fun to watch.
Funny how Ledl found a way to rip it past Mac in the same era. At some point, there's just a better player across the net IMO....like when Lendl handles the dude like 12 times in a row etc.
In the 1981 men's final both Borg and McEnroe were playing with wood rackets. Connors's racket wasn't any more difficult to hit than wood rackets. Connors would eventually switch to the better, more forgiving Wilson Pro Staff.
@@humanbeing2420 After Wimbledon 84, but he didnt like it "Stiff as a plank" and then he changed back in 85(!).. He had really trouble findning a racket he liked. Was it "Estusa" or something in early 90's with cool yellow colour until he found Prince mono .-that he liked.
This is a really high quality video post. It's almost like watching the original televised broadcast, quite unusual for posts from that period. thanks for the post!
Ok so I started playing tennis in 1974. My first racquet was the Bancroft Borg model. From there I switched to the T-2000... that did not last long... After that I switched to the Kneissel Lendl model and after that the Adidas GTX...I loved that racquet and still have it...play with it every few years for fun... but it is not an easy racquet to play with... Then I played with the PS85 which is my all time favorite... It still a mystery to me how anyone could ever play with the T-2000...
Lendl ground strokes are so good. His backhand was one of the best and he also had a nice chip cross court and could place his forehand any place he wanted. He gave a lot to the game with his conditioning which prior no one had. He may have lost this but 8 grand slam and 2 other finals was a great career during a time of great players> Mac, Edberg, Wilander, Connors, Becker, Cash,
En demi-finale finale des Masters 2 mois plus tard ,le match entre ces joueurs aura une tout autre physionomie car le Tchèque va littéralement exécuter Connors en deux sets avant de balayer Mac enroe en finale devant les yeux médusés des spectateurs au Madison square garden
Si, ricordo la partita al MSQ. Però Connors continuò la sua superiorità su Lendl ancora per diverso tempo, ma dal finire del 1984 in poi, Jimbo perse tutti gli incontri col ceco.
One key of the match was to bring variations during the baseline-rallies. Connors did it better. He had much more experience. Without a better 1st service percentage, it was then difficult for Lendl to win a such match. After this defeat, Ivan continued to improve his game. He had probably not so much tennis in his DNA as Connors or McEnroe. But with his hard work and even if It took some time, he finally dominated both players.
It's not DNA or talent. Connors and McEnroe are left handed, and that's considered an advantage in many sports. Like many players, Lendl played and practice against mostly right handed players, as there weren't that many left handed tennis players in the world.
The age difference between Jimmy and Lendl gave him advantage when Connors got in his thirties. When Jimmy was younger the result was obvious as this match.
Walloped him in the final in '83 too and at Wimbledon in the '84 semi. Connors won the really big ones. Remember what Connors said when Lendl finally became world number one? "Lendl had to wait to become number 1 until Borg retired, I got old and McEnroe went nuts ( a reference to McEnroe's "Tatum" years when he did coke and wore a skirt).
@@martydav9475 I started losing interest in pro tennis when Lendl started dominating. He was boringingly efficient and had little to no emotion. It was like watching a robot play. Jimmy was and will always be my favorite player of all time.
Lendl joue bien mais c encore un joueur de terre en 1982 ,Connors lui c un boxeur ,il cherche le ko ,il frappe très fort avec des préparations courtes...cependant en 1985 le rapport de force est totalement inversé ,Connors ne pourra plus existé contre le Tchèque
@@donquixote... Everything about him is cringeworthy I've never like his stile let alone his character that's my grain of salt, he was a great player none the less. the very only reason I'm watching this match is because Lendl.
Connors, McEnroe, Borg, Lendl, and many more in that late 70's early 80's era. So much fun to watch.
We are so lucky to have this old footage!
Connors, Borg, McEnroe - A great time in Tennis
What’s more amazing is how well Connors volleyed with that tiny T-2000 racquet face. Simply uncanny accuracy
And he was the only player I knew that didn’t use top spin. Incredible precision by Connors. 🎾
These old tennis vids are great, and it seems us old guys are the ones that are liking them the most...
Contemporary tennis is so boring
Jimmy is the reason I played tennis.
Connors was my favourite player during the 80’s when I got into this wonderful game. Who remembers his incredible come back at Wimbledon in 1987 when he came from 2 sets down to beat Pernfors? Lost the first 2 sets 6-1 6-1 and I think he was 4-1 down in the 3rd…
Possibly the greatest comeback in tennis history.
I do !
And his 1991 run. Amazing.
As a kid who grew up rooting for him in the early 80's I Can confirm you this is my wildest memory of Jimbo from a pure "it is over, he is losing this one 1-6 1-6 1-6, let's move on to his fave tournament The US Open now !"...ANY other player in the world would have probably thought '"i m good to go home now"....But NOT Jimbo, the fightig spirit is xway too strong in him....Even more insane is that he was 34 (turning 35 2 months later) at the time...And he endes up defeati,ng the excellent & strong serving Slobodan éBobo" Zivojinovic the next round in 4 compelling sets !!! The thing of LEGENDS !
Connors was my favourite player,,,,,,,,PERIOD
So happy to see Connors win. An amazing champion and one of the best tennis players ever.
Though Connors was a great player, and I have even more respect for his game now than then, because he was such an unlikable guy, I have to say I was never really happy to see him win...
@@donquixote... I could always overlook that about him because he inspired me personally to never quit no matter how great the odds against me. I didn’t like the negatives but it is such a rare quality to find such a fighter. No other sportsman that I knew of played so long or with such a spirit. He reminds me a bit of Donald Trump in that one regard. When the vile tape was released every one around him told him to quit and give the nomination to Pence. His reply: “ First of all, I am going to win. Second, I will never quit. I will never disappoint the people who believe in me.” Today it is easy to find quitters. It’s almost impossible to find the person who refuses to give up when everyone hates them, when they are outnumbered and almost everything is going against them but their will to fight. Most will disagree with me I’m sure. But when I’m in an impossible situation, strangely I think of men like this who somehow dug down deep inside themselves and found the one thing that enabled them to keep on fighting. It has made a remarkable difference in my life in three situations and I am still alive and have succeeded at age 79 whereas I may have failed. Strange the profound affect of someone we don’t know can have on our lives.
THE BEST!
Connors is given so little credit for his game at the net! So good!
You re 150% right!
I agree. He doesn't come in nearly as often as a true net player, but he's great at knowing WHEN to come in and puts them away with authority.
Yes. Connor’s wasn’t a ‘serve and volleyer’, but attacked considerably during his ground strokes. Great backhand volley.👍
Lendl eventually realized he could use a pusher style against Connors. Connor's weakness as with all continental players was the slow ball to the forehand. Trying to hit slow balls on the rise is almost always defensive. Lendl eventually figured that out. That, and the age difference gave Lendl the positive H2H against Connors. That said, Connors was always more fun to watch.
@Bruce Banner "Fvcking f@gg0t playing pusher!!" I think was the exact quote.
Oh I see..Hence the reason Connors blurted out “Fucking faggot playing pusher.” 😂
Funny how Ledl found a way to rip it past Mac in the same era. At some point, there's just a better player across the net IMO....like when Lendl handles the dude like 12 times in a row etc.
He also won wimbledon this year
The graphite fly swatter vs the aluminum rug beater!
Amazing how much pace they could generate with the equipment they had.
Connors being able to use that horrible racket the way he did was unreal.
The racquet of jimbo was really small, i haved this racquets
E l'ha usata per quasi 15 anni!! La Wilson T-2000.
There are YT vids of modern players using old rackets, they are amazed what old players did with them as well.
In the 1981 men's final both Borg and McEnroe were playing with wood rackets. Connors's racket wasn't any more difficult to hit than wood rackets. Connors would eventually switch to the better, more forgiving Wilson Pro Staff.
@@humanbeing2420 After Wimbledon 84, but he didnt like it "Stiff as a plank" and then he changed back in 85(!).. He had really trouble findning a racket he liked. Was it "Estusa" or something in early 90's with cool yellow colour until he found Prince mono .-that he liked.
Great quality with this video. Well done. I never tire of watching this match.
This is a really high quality video post. It's almost like watching the original televised broadcast, quite unusual for posts from that period. thanks for the post!
I agree playing at such a high level using the t - 2000 is amazing
Ok so I started playing tennis in 1974.
My first racquet was the Bancroft Borg model. From there I switched to the T-2000... that did not last long...
After that I switched to the Kneissel Lendl model and after that the Adidas GTX...I loved that racquet and still have it...play with it every few years for fun... but it is not an easy racquet to play with...
Then I played with the PS85 which is my all time favorite...
It still a mystery to me how anyone could ever play with the T-2000...
I remember watching this...media played-up this USO Final like a "Rocky vs Drago" heavy weight fight.
Stadiums were so much better before all the luxury boxes.
thank you! amazing quality, exactly as I remember it!
Connors 9-1 vs Lendl. Clearly Jimmy intimated the ‘Big Czech Machine.’🎾
Great video quality!! Thanks!
El Rey del Tenis por Siempre👑
Nice picture . Thank you .
Do you have the interview with Connors and John Tesh post match??
Lendl’s tuckus was underappreciated.
fantastic quality just wondering do you have the first part of the match or is that missing ?
The man was Awsome
can anyone please download the semi final match with vilas please
Lendl ground strokes are so good. His backhand was one of the best and he also had a nice chip cross court and could place his forehand any place he wanted. He gave a lot to the game with his conditioning which prior no one had. He may have lost this but 8 grand slam and 2 other finals was a great career during a time of great players> Mac, Edberg, Wilander, Connors, Becker, Cash,
And do not forget he was like in 19 finals, a bit more luck and he could be in conversation for GOAT.
1.38.44 - connors drops the ‘f’ 💣
Eff McEnroe , Connors was our Rocky.
Concrete proof that a young Ivan Lendl couldn't outplay a YOUNG Jimmy Connors.
That's not a young Jimmy Connors. He's a good 8 years older than Ivan.
Connors was 30 and I think Lendl was 7 or 8 years your. Connors was like a brash gunslinger. He made his era absolutely exciting.
En demi-finale finale des Masters 2 mois plus tard ,le match entre ces joueurs aura une tout autre physionomie car le Tchèque va littéralement exécuter Connors en deux sets avant de balayer Mac enroe en finale devant les yeux médusés des spectateurs au Madison square garden
Si, ricordo la partita al MSQ. Però Connors continuò la sua superiorità su Lendl ancora per diverso tempo, ma dal finire del 1984 in poi, Jimbo perse tutti gli incontri col ceco.
Connors is 70 now. Wonder 💭 how he’s doing?
Those 🎂🎂 on Lendl.
One key of the match was to bring variations during the baseline-rallies. Connors did it better. He had much more experience. Without a better 1st service percentage, it was then difficult for Lendl to win a such match. After this defeat, Ivan continued to improve his game. He had probably not so much tennis in his DNA as Connors or McEnroe. But with his hard work and even if It took some time, he finally dominated both players.
It's not DNA or talent. Connors and McEnroe are left handed, and that's considered an advantage in many sports. Like many players, Lendl played and practice against mostly right handed players, as there weren't that many left handed tennis players in the world.
The age difference between Jimmy and Lendl gave him advantage when Connors got in his thirties. When Jimmy was younger the result was obvious as this match.
Enjoy it Jimmy, there's wouldn't too many victories against that man for the rest of your life.
Walloped him in the final in '83 too and at Wimbledon in the '84 semi. Connors won the really big ones. Remember what Connors said when Lendl finally became world number one? "Lendl had to wait to become number 1 until Borg retired, I got old and McEnroe went nuts ( a reference to McEnroe's "Tatum" years when he did coke and wore a skirt).
@@martydav9475 I started losing interest in pro tennis when Lendl started dominating. He was boringingly efficient and had little to no emotion. It was like watching a robot play. Jimmy was and will always be my favorite player of all time.
Connors usually beat Lendl,
Lendl usually beat McEnroe,
McEnroe usually beat Connors.
Kind of funny you posted that, because that's how I remembered it back then, too.
Lendl joue bien mais c encore un joueur de terre en 1982 ,Connors lui c un boxeur ,il cherche le ko ,il frappe très fort avec des préparations courtes...cependant en 1985 le rapport de force est totalement inversé ,Connors ne pourra plus existé contre le Tchèque
Cuestión de edad!
Coonors was a great fighter and winner. But as well so arrogant from charakter side. Very sad.
I agree... He could have been as marketable as McEnroe. They both acted out at times, but Connors was more cringeworthy as it's said...
@@donquixote... Everything about him is cringeworthy I've never like his stile let alone his character that's my grain of salt, he was a great player none the less. the very only reason I'm watching this match is because Lendl.
@@cheesquilin962 tu ni puta idea de tenis
Era lo millor de ell
@@donquixote... porque?