1 Response to wembley81connors_mcenroe

1. Voo de Mar says:

   August 14, 2024 at 1:56 pm

   Points won by each set: | 22-30, 17-27, 31-26, 33-21, 31-21 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   14 % Connors – 18 of 125
   22 % McEnroe – 30 of 134

   The last big Grand Prix event of the regular season, two best players in the world (Borg, the best player of the previous years stopped playing in Autumn, and ultimately finished the year as no. 4), a five-setter, but instead of a fest, the officials were unhappy because both Americans behaved badly during the match. In the aftermath McEnroe was fined $7000 and a 21-day suspension hung upon his head which was meaningless as he wasn’t interested in competing before the Davis Cup final against Argentina in early December. McEnroe, who had secured No. 1 at the end of the year thanks to winning Wimbledon & US Open that year, was playing a flawless tennis in the first two sets, not allowing Connors to get ‘deuce’ as a receiver. When it finally happened in the 2nd game of the 3rd set, McEnroe lost his composure, hit the paperboard with the ball behind his back, and received a point penalty. Connors raced to a *4:0 (30/0) lead, but McEnroe had a break point at 3:5 in that set. Connors broke twice in set no. 4; first at 1-all, then at 3-all. At *1:2 (30/40) in the decider, Connors won a point of the match – he began it with the serve-and-volley intention, but moved backwards, then forwards to finish the 17-stroke rally with an overhead. He broke in the following game after three deuces (the longest game of the final), and McEnroe got another point penalty hitting the ceiling with the ball – this rule has been changed since the mid-80s, and for another ball abuse McEnroe would be punished simply losing the game. Anyway McEnroe was discouraged after the point deduction, and lost the last three games not showing any will to fight. He said after the final that he would not come back to England for a long time, but already in 1982 he played at Queens Club and Wimbledon, losing finals in both events to… Connors. Three years after the infamous Wembley final, McEnroe will lose the French Open title having won the first two sets 6-3, 6-2 again, actually with identical ease.

   Connors’ route to his 89th title:
   1 Tom Gullikson 6-4, 6-2
   2 Tonny Giammalva 6-3, 6-0
   Q Shlomo Glickstein 6-4, 6-0
   S Yannick Noah 6-3, 6-3
   W John McEnroe 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

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