Borg-Tanner WMB 1979

Up 4-3 in the deciding fifth set, Sweden's Bjorn Borg tries to hold on and win his eighth major.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• bjorn
• borg
• roscoe
• tanner
• tennis
• 1979

[spjfrat]

You could hit hard with wood, but it was more difficult. Second serves were difficult. More variety in the game back then. It is all baseline now. Boring.

[leijuk]

When Borg won his first Wimbledon title 1976 The Sun 1st page announced ' A star is bjorn'!!!!

[TheMadhir]

sergio tacchini

[jefdarcy]

@spjfrat: How can you say it's boring today? YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS! I'm glad the times of serve and volley are over. Just look at this match when Tanner is serving: Either Borg succeeds with the first passing shot or Tanner succeeds with the first volley. Short rallyes with little action. I don't want to say there weren't great matches in the 70's and 80's,and the sport probably had more interesting personalities. But I think many people are being too nostaligic.Tennis is more spectacular today.

[ushuaia97]

I think R. Tanner deserved to win this match, even if Borg is my favourite tennis player.

For Tanner, to win this match could have change his life

[stretchmorgan]

Is Tanner rocking a perm?

[SeventiesMania]

It's only when you watch clips like this that you realise the difference the challenge system makes. Tanner would've challenged the call at deuce 3-4, if he'd got it, then won the replayed point... who knows, lol?

[temp850]

@spjfrat You can't hit as hard with wood though and you can't flick the ball around or topspin with wood like you can with the new frames. Wood also breaks your arm after a while, so you can't use power very often with it.

[tomaszek888]

1. The grass played very differently back then. Ball bounce was very low and weird. Very difficult to control i guess. I don't see Nadal winning Wimbledon on the old kind of grass. The last basliner to win the old fast Wimbledon was Agassi. TV forced slowing down of all surfaces I guess.

2. Borg moved in an incredible way. He jumped between points like a boxer or what. Never seen anything like it. Great balance, athleticsm and speed.

3. Ivanisevic's serve was a copy of Tanners

4. Suck my dick

[kching]

frankly the speed of today's game is way way way higher than the game in borg's era. just compare the speed of the groundstrokes. its very telling.

[KaitainCPS]

@theatlantean1

Totally agree, about both Agassi and Nadal.

[theatlantean1]

@Pitonto Agassi is in my Top 10 for sure. He's definitely the most gifted ball-striker to ever play. I grew up playing some of the same tournaments with him, and he always had something special. He captured the imagination of many, including those his same age. His story is so unique, that it would make a great book. He was by far the most entertaining, and most influential personality to ever set foot on a tennis court. The only guy who compares in those departments now is Nadal.