wb73kodes_metreveli

Points won by each set: [ 25-15, 56-58, 31-20 ]
Points won directly behind the serve:
29 % Kodes – 32 of 109
25 % Metreveli – 24 of 96

The most bizarre Wimbledon in the Open Era – 13 of the top 16 players, and 81 players in total, did not participate in the tournament because of a boycott over the banning of Nikola Pilic. Kodes advanced to the quarterfinals having defeated a qualifier (Yuill) and three ‘lucky losers’! In the 2nd set of the final he was break down twice, at 4:5 he saved a set point as Metreveli netted a forehand return off conservative 2nd serve. In the 3rd set the Czechoslovak broke in game No. 4 and held five times easily… In the tournament took part the best players of the 70s, but then only considered as big talents: 21-year-old Jimmy Connors (lost to Metreveli in the quarterfinal) and 17-year-old Bjorn Borg (came back from *1:5 (15/40) in the 5th set to lose 5-7 to Taylor, in the quarters as well).

Kodes’ route to his 6th Open Era title:
1 Kenichi Hirai 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
2 Pietro Marzano 6-0, 6-4, 6-3
3 John Yuill 6-1, 7-5, 6-2
4 Jaidip Mukherjea 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Q Vijay Amritraj 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
S Roger Taylor 8-9(7), 9-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5
W Alex Metreveli 6-1, 9-8(5), 6-3

# Kodes was four points away from defeat serving at 4:5 in the 5th set against Taylor

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