Borg Vilas French Open 1978

Final Björn Borg vs. Guillermo Vilas / Incredible 86 (!) shots rally between Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas at the French Open sometime in the 70s

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Tennis
• Grand
• Slam
• French
• Open
• Roland
• Garros
• Borg
• Vilas

[sarantakis]

Vilas had a 46-match all-surface winning streak and won seven consecutive titles - Kitzbühel (clay), Washington (clay), Louisville (hard), South Orange (hard), Columbus (hard), US Open (clay) and Paris (clay) after Wimbledon in 1977. Won 2 of the 4 grand-slams and runners-up in a 3rd.

What does a guy have to do to be given the number one ranking in 1977?

[SSSSCHTROUMPF]

Vilas was n°1 in 1977, even if computer get it n°2

[PatagonianWarrior]

@bjornborg056 well, it's very probably in nowerdays enviroment and years of real training, they would have success, but that was not the point. Tennis used to depend more on talent back then, nowerdays its physics and work and nothing more than work. Even the most talented players can fail nowerdays, because they lack the physics or even mental strength. And didn't expect another reaction from somebody called "bjoernborg056" so that's ok and previsible.

[bjornborg056]

@PatagonianWarrior The truth is that you're an idiot. Maybe this hurts. If those players in the 70 played in today's environment they would be just as good as they were then since they would be training and developing to today's standards. And the most important thing is of course that they would be using the same raquets which allow today's players to play with such power.

Write something intelligent or don't bother to write at all.

[PatagonianWarrior]

even some might want to kill me (specially older generations)

tennis was so slow back then... the only reason why they could have a rally of almost 100 hits... it was effortless grandma/houswife tennis where they didn't even sweat. Just bring it over the net all the time waiting for the other one to make a mistake.

A 6th division player nowerdays would "kill" them. Sad, but true :D Now all their fans and older generations will hate me... sorry, truth hurts!

[sarantakis]

@Pundit2k I don't think anyone won more ATP matches than Vilas in 1977.

[TheRenerock]

dan pena como juegan tenis, esta claro rios el mejor latino de todos los tiempos y el gran guga kuerten y nada mas los segundones no existen . vilas fueraaaaa

[sidh05]

Now if you play well only in Grand Slam, it is enough foor good ranking. Federer in 2008 & 09 was a bit in this case.

[sidh05]

@logica10 Ranking till 84 was non regular, therefore unreliable. Some tournaments were not oftering lot of points. Even in the 90's, only the top 14 results were considered, you could be # 2 without winning a match in grand slam, that's what happened to Stich in 94 and Gilbert in 89 who was # 4. Now, Grand Slam and Master Series are compulsory, rest is not very important, only top 5 results in the rest in considered. Playing well is compulsory in important events for good ranking.

[Pundit2k]

@sarantakis Win ATP matches?

[theNifflefoot]

Above all else, Vilas was a cool cat. Very few had his chairsma.

[Doggieman1111]

that was lame, I would have liked to see the whole thing