1 Response to masters79borg_gerulaitis

1. Voo de Mar says:

   November 13, 2021 at 6:55 pm

   The stats without the first four games (71%)

   Points won by each set: | ?, 28-19 |

   January ’80, and the 23-year-old Borg [1], six years since his debut, finally wins Masters for the first time (he skipped the ’76 & ’78 editions). The mid-1st set was crucial: there was 2-all when Gerulaitis [4] lost two long games, first after 9 deuces on Borg’s 9th break point, then the sixth game wasting three break points. Looking from Gerulaitis’ perspective, could be 4:2 for him, but it he trailed 2:4 against a man who had defeated him 11 times in a row… discouraging moment. Borg was merciless with his passing-shot, he didn’t need to deliver his best serves or attack the net, patience baseline game was enough to finish the contest in 1 hours 16 minutes. Asked to rate the importance of this Masters, Borg said, “I think I have to put the title very, very high, because I think maybe the best eight players in the world were playing in this tournament. I beat Tanner, Connors, McEnroe, Gerulatis, everybody, so it should rank very high”.

   Borg’s route to his 54th title (first Masters):
   rr Jose Higueras 6-2, 6-0
   rr Jimmy Connors 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4)
   rr Roscoe Tanner 6-3, 6-3
   S John McEnroe 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(1)
   W Vitas Gerulaitis 6-2, 6-2

   # Borg led against Connors 5:2* in the 3rd set, then saved two mini-match points at 5-all, two points away from losing to McEnroe

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