The way the 4th set of the Wimbledon finals unfolded, it reminded me of the 1982 finals between John McEnroe vs Jimmy Connors. Jimmy Connors a great champion was overshadowed by the legendary Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon and one thought his best years were behind him. The era was to belong to John McEnroe, the bad boy of Tennis. While I am certain that we have seen the best of Roger Federer, it is unlikely that he is going to win another Grand Slam. What sets him apart from other champions of the past - Borg could not take defeat in his stride, McEnroe found love in life, Sampras probably had enough - is his willingness to continue competing at the highest level coming up second best to Djokovic, Nadal, Wawrinka, Murray and upcoming talent. The game is richer by his contribution/participation, not to forget his Grand Slam achievements. McEnroe always lamented that he would have been a better player if Borg has continued playing. in 1982 McEnroe lost his way questioning calls by the line referees and lost the 4th set, which he should have won. Jimmy Connors went to on to win the 4th & 5th sets, to win his second Wimbledon eight years after his first in 1974. McEnroe did get even in 1984 by beating Connors in straight sets. Djokovic did win his second Wimbledon. Neither Roger Federer is Jimmy Connors nor Djokovic is McEnroe. In my exposure to Tennis over the last 35 years, Federer stands tall amongst all champions. McEnroe will remain my all time favorite for sheer genius. He played in an era of wooden racquets and never played his best years with modern racquet technology.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 03:27:41 +0000
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