Bjorn Borg Ilie Nastase Wimbledon 1976 Final

[peterpeterxxo]

it seemed like nasty crumbled under the weight of expectation.. ex world no1 former major winner, age 30 so prob last chance, should beat 20yr old in first wimb final, that and borg beginning to show us what it was to be borg.. ice cool game face, all the shots all the time, endless stamina, no nerves. looking back it seems obvious borg won but was an upset at the time.

[TheAxellle]

ou celle là plutot

[dummbatz48]

Fitting that such a legendary player such as Bjorn Borg has such legendary hair 8D

[JJLOB]

Nastase was up 4-0 in the first set then Borg started being...Borg. I think Ilie was psyched. By the time he started fighting back into the match - it was over.

[totalannihilator99]

Nastase was a vicious clown, not a gentleman. He even tried to hit Borg at the net with a passing shot that very day. Pathetic ! At the end, he was like "Hey buddy, nice win" but his ego was badly bruised.

[justaprojection]

@totalannihilator99 Nastase was no such thing. He was generous to his opponents, as to Borg that day. He would often get upset with himself, linesmen etc, but rarely with opponents, and then only momentarily. If he had had the kind of mental and physical training, support, money and management that's poured into today's players, he would have been as great as Federer. He could not even afford decent tennis shoes at age 20 and won a tournament wearing socks because the shoes had no grip.

[justaprojection]

@totalannihilator99 ... continued: Nastase was not even allowed to play in the West until he was older than Borg was in 1976, so he never gained the experience of junior or senior tournaments at that level. Yet he became the first ATP World No 1! A self-taught genius - probably the most naturally gifted player who ever lived.

[JJLOB]

@justaprojection Totally agree with you. Ilie won the Masters 4X (almost 5) and especially rose to the occasion against the best. Had he learned the game with the resources and 'machine' training available to players who came along later (including Borg) at an earlier age his legacy might have come closer to matching his talent and been untouchable. Same applies to Gonzales.

[justaprojection]

@JJLOB Indeed. In the 1975 Masters Final Ilie beat Borg 62, 62, 61. He could beat anyone when he kept his head together. Yet at the O2 this year and last, his name was not even on the long list of past winners. In style, speed and talent (and fan following) he was Federer's 1970s counterpart - the ultimate court artist, as Roger is now. Ilie had no parental support and no professional help in conquering his nerves and temperament, yet he achieved it all despite that. Astonishing.

[FlorinU]

@totalannihilator99 A vicious clown who made World's No. 1 twice. I think you don't have a sense of humor :)

[lowfuellevel]

love watching tennis and love playing it too...what great memories this brings back! wish i could go back to those days, even if it was just for a little while.xoxoxo

[14mooler]

What a great gesture of sportsmanship from Nastase: Here he is; 30 years old; probably his last chance to win a major tournament, and when he loses: he is generous enough not just shake hands, but jump over the net and hug the new champion. To me, they both won the game, and they both are champions.

[ArseneLupin2009]

great great game