Borg / Laver at Hilton Head

that's the greatest player of all time?? laver???

looks amateurish compared to now

Based on what? I've never seen an amateur hit a drop volley like that.

..yes, that's the greatest player of all time probably tided by Roger Federer now. He was 38 YEARS OLD here, at that age Borg (one of the greatest of his own) had ritered fromsomething like 11 years, Pete Sampras (my fav ever) plays exibition matches, and Fed will probably be doing the same (with less success)...

On that note, I wonder if Laver's thinking: "Damn! Does this guy ever miss or get tired?"

38 year old Laver vs 20 year old Borg. That's an 18 year difference!

Didn't really see Borg pushed too hard in this match. Still Laver manages to keep it respectable.

Wish there was some way to pit the best across generations against each other.

It's matches like these that make you wonder how a 20 year old Laver would fare against a 20 year old Borg.

now this is REALLY amazing!. You dont often see these matches where Borg played guys from a generation before him...and Laver wasnt far off his best here but he was older and Borg was not the kind of cat you wanted to play if you were even relatively aged. He would run the best of 'em ragged. At least Rocket had sense enuf to come to the net a lot....and he still lost.

You might find it funny that he was the best player in the world, and an Australian; yet here in australia, we were all being coached to use techniques more common to Rosewall or Newcombe - regardless of individual strengths and weaknesses.
The way he waits with the racquet in a more relaxed position; more keeping of the racquet head behind the line of the ball with less obvious "backswing"; backhand contact and follow through more like Federer, on cross court particularly......

then the rest of the world "discovered" these improvements and accentuated aspects to suit their conditions....and look where Australia is now.
Aside from Hewitt and Phillipoussis, our entire last two generations still played more like Rosewall or Newcombe - Alexander, Dent, Cash, Fitzgerald, Masur, the Woodies.

Fortunately so many of those who played against Laver opened academies and brought on the "latin" and European countries - so his legacy is not lost.

I was talking to a local teaching pro who is considered the guru of strokes. I asked him how could Laver hit a continental topspin forehand. He said it was only because of Laver's huge forearm. With my kids, I tried doing it and felt like I was going to break my arm. Amazing strength Laver had.

you may be  confused with entries to the Aus open in the era after laver - true he didn't come back home after about '71 because of his business in the US