Borg v McEnroe: Wimbledon 1980

[britbox]

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

That match has to be 'one of the greatest matches' in tennis history.It happens to be my favorite match at Wimbledon.When I think about the tie breaker set,it still gives me goosebumpsit was amazing tennis from both players.

 

[Moxie]

This is certainly one of the greatest matches ever.  I was a Borg fan, and for a little local color, working in a sandwich shop in Austin, TX.  It was early, and my boss was a tennis fan, so we watched on the TV in the restaurant.  Hardly any patrons came in to bother our enjoyment of that match.  Which is why I feel confident to say that I think the Nadal-Federer in 2008 was better.  Up until that moment, Borg-McEnroe 1980 was it for me, as it was by majority consensus.  Having watched both live, I give the nod to 2008 final.

Funny note:  McEnroe says that a lot of people come up to him and mention that tie-break in the 4th, and forget that he lost the match.  Bitterly ironic for him.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I am also a Nadal fan,I have watched both matches many times over,still I personally feel the 'overall shot making' in that Borg V McEnroe 1980 final,was superior to the 2008 Federer v Nadal final at Wimbledon,Rafa should have won that match in 3 sets yes I know the circumstances why he did not I was actually sitting outside and I could not watch the match after the 3rd set,I got my daughter to keep me update,I was actually praying to God to let Rafa win he heard me,I was taping the match,then I sat back,relaxed,and watched the whole match stress free

 

[Moxie]

I am also a Nadal fan,I have watched both matches many times over,still I personally feel the ‘overall shot making’ in that Borg V McEnroe 1980 final,was superior to the 2008 Federer v Nadal final at Wimbledon,Rafa should have won that match in 3 sets yes I know the circumstances why he did not I was actually sitting outside and I could not watch the match after the 3rd set,I got my daughter to keep me update,I was actually praying to God to let Rafa win he heard me,I was taping the match,then I sat back,relaxed,and watched the whole match stress free

Ha, ha!  Actually, I thought watching live with the stress was the beauty of it, but to each her own.    We basically watched the whole 5th set standing up (except for the rain delay,) and finished breathless and wrung out at the end.  Anyway, as to all GOAT conversations, I find you normally end up with 2 or 3 people/matches, and you kind of have to stop there.  Each has its values and dramas:  Borg/Mac was a more S&V time, for those who like that sort of thing...the points (and the shorts) were shorter.  Both had contrasting styles and rivalries on display.  Federer/Nadal had the drama of Fed's #1 on the line, though Borg and Mac were trading it, at that point.  But the 2008 final had a "changing of the guard" feel that the 1980 didn't have.  Still, that's sideline stuff...I think they're both great matches, and I wouldn't put any above them.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I can assure you at my age I didn't need the stress in that 2008 final,Rafa has a habit of doing that to his fans dosen't he.Well my idol was Borg,first and foremost,I still consider his accomplishments of winning RG and Wimbledon,which no other player has achieved to date,incredible.Borg went straight from RG never played a lead up grass tournament before Wimbledon,though hired a grass court and practiced for hours every day.I felt Rafa's v Federer's match had all the 'drama.delays,etc' it was pure tennis theatre any fan could ask for.Personally I still rate Borg v McEnroe's 1980 as my all time Wimbledon match,closely followed by Rafa v Federer final in 2008.

 

[Moxie]

I'm also a big Borg fan, the man who brought me to tennis.  Of course his 3x RG-Wimbledon combo is unprecedented, at least in Open Era tennis, but it has been repeated...twice by Rafa and once by Roger.  And, for all the complaining about the homogenization of surfaces, this is one I won't give credence to.  Switching from clay to grass and winning a Slam on both in the space of 4 weeks is just plain hard to do.  (Made clear by how rarely it has been done.)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Winning RG alone which I personally feel is the hardest GS to win,in any Era,backed up by winning Wimbledon...indeed is a major accomplishment.It will be interesting to see if another player,other than Borg,Rafa and Federer in the future can accomplish similar titles.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Personally I feel winning RG is the hardest slam to win,in any Era,then to back it up winning Wimbledon,is a major achievement.It will be interesting to see in the future if another player,other than Borg,Rafa,Federer can also achieve the clay/grass combo.

 

[Moxie]

Surely Novak has it on his "to-do" list, and he's got a fair chance.  Whether he does or not, I wonder how long it will take before anyone else does it.  I've also thought that RG is the hardest slam to win, because clay is so physically demanding.  Some say the USO, because it's the last one of the year, and so many players are proficient on HC.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Clay to me tests your fitness and mental ability,especially over 5 sets,at RG for two weeks,taking into consideration the many clay tournaments before RG.One year I was at a dinner before RG,actually 3 year ago,Fred Stolle,a former RG title winner,he said even when he was playing he thought RG was the hardest GS title to win.I also asked Ken Rosewall at a luncheon I attended at NSW Tennis a few years ago,what he thought was the hardest GS to win,his reply,without a doubt RG.

 

[britbox]

Analysis Corner: Borg v McEnroe 1980

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqxeofzgSfY

 

 

[shawnbm]

^ I don't think either Stolle or Rosewall played the US Open when it moved to hard courts.  I certainly am one that thinks it is the hardest to win for a variety of factors.  I play tennis quite a bit and hard courts beat me up a helluva lot more than clay courts.  There is a reason folks play on clay more than hard as they age--the pounding on the body is greater and the heat (New York in August-September) is hellish.  Stand on a hard court in dead summer and you can FEEL the heat coming up through the soles of your shoes--clay is not like that.  Put that together with the end of the summer hard court season and the year as a whole, and it seems obvious to me that New York is the toughest on the players.  I have not even mentioned the raucous crowds, the late night tennis under the lights (some players find that hard to deal with), the planes flying over the tennis center on many a day and the humidity.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

^ I live in Sydney,Australia,playing on HC surface in our Australian Summer,where the humidity is a Killer,temps are often over 100 degree mark.I have also gone many times to the AO,where players have fainted on court etc.I have also played on clay during hot conditions.On a HC you can make the points shorter,where as clay usually the rallies are much longer,personally I feel clay is more demanding mentally and physically.

 

[britbox]

@margaretmcaleer - I was also a big Borg fan - only a young kid in 1980, but sports-mad even then. I actually listened to the tie break on the radio in my Dad's car. I'd been dragged out on a family day out when all I wanted to do was stay home and watch the tennis. Believe me, listening on the radio is very tough when you're invested in a player! But it also has a kind of unique charm to it even if radio is a bad fit for tennis.

I remember thinking Borg would lose the 5th but he came back and did the business. Happy days

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

^ Britbox that t/breaker was one of the most outstanding t/breakers in tennis Ever,okay maybe I am a tad bias still I had every faith in Borg,the fifth set says it all,Borg still remains my Tennis Idol.A lot of people I have spoken about this match over the years,said to me I need to move on? Never it still remains my favorite Wimbledon match Ever.