queens_connors_mcenroe

Connors’ back-to-back Queens Club titles in a period of his career when he was chasing 100th title. McEnroe was considered as the best grass court player at the time by a large margin, yet Connors found his way to beat him easily twice on that surface actually attacking the net regularly behind his both serves; in 1982 he already led 4:2* (40/15) in the opener. The main difference between those two finals: McEnroe played with a wooden racket in 1982, but with a graphite one the following year. “He was serving very well in that game,” Connors said after the ’83 final, “but I happened to be there and I just hit the ball back.”

Points won by each set: | 39-36, 29-21 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
27 % Connors – 14 of 51
33 % McEnroe – 25 of 74

Connors’ route to his 93rd title:
1 Jose Lopez-Maeso 6-2, 6-2
2 John Fitzgerald 6-0, 6-1
3 Hank Pfister 7-6, 6-4
Q Mark Edmondson 6-1, 6-2
S Kevin Curren 7-5, 6-4
W John McEnroe 7-5, 6-3

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Points won by each set: | 30-23, 30-24 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
21 % Connors – 13 of 60
25 % McEnroe – 12 of 47

Connors’ route to his 99th title:
1 Lloyd Bourne 6-3, 6-3
2 Nduka Odizor 7-5, 6-1
3 Hank Pfister 6-4, 6-2
Q Steve Denton 6-2, 6-4
S Ivan Lendl 6-0, 6-3
W John McEnroe 6-3, 6-3

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