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Ouch....
Painful to watch...Originally posted by gzhpcu View Post
This is a little easier on the eyes but not without it's painful moments as well..."Rod Laver Story - The Slam" . Australian Story ABC TV series. It is never easy to see heroes become old. Then you only have to look in the mirror.
"Harry Hopman is the coach..."-don_budge
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AT this point, I would beat Laver easily. 58 yr. old is a lot younger than 70!Comment
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Roehampton Rocket
Rod Laver is 75 not 70.
Yes, it's not easy to watch someone who was once so great in such decline. But don't forget he suffered a stroke some time ago. Just to be hitting a ball is an achievement.
It was an amazing achievement to win two Grand Slams. Back then, three of the slams would have been on grass...I think.StottyComment
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A lesson-Prove it all Night
Great to see the respect Federer has for Laver. For a man his age and considering he had a stroke, I wasn't that disappointed by his showing against Fed. It was great to see. When my grandfather had his first stroke, that was it. He was done. Forget about any sport after that.
Clearly Fed wasn't going to miss and they weren't going to play points. Laver is Laver. I think we can give him a break.
It's always tough to see iconic players struggle or slow down, but it's only natural. It's unfair to think a man in his 70's will move or hit like he did in his 20's or even his 30's. But we can still appreciate the strokes and their presence in the sport of tennis. These men, these icons and legends still offer us that link to the past. It's so interesting to hear their stories and their take on the modern game.
But make no mistake, these men, although not always physically capable, still know more about tennis and how to hit a ball than most coaches could dream of. When I met Roy Emerson last year he gave a 90 minute on court presentation on various shots and tactics. Despite being in his mid 70's, having bad hips and being kept up late the previous night by yours truly in a tennis trivia duel and general conversation, he made 19 and 20 year old college players look pretty bad. His slice backhands were deep, low and comically consistent. At one point he hit 10 slice backhands in a row to the same spot on the point. To such an extent you could literally see the the ball fuzz collecting and skid marks widen and a indentation appeared on the fast, slick indoor hard courts as the ball landed in the same spot every time. His lobs were just as potent.
As the crowd started feeling embarrassed for those young college hot shots, I gave an evil Cheshire Cat grin, enjoying the torture and witnessing a tennis legend articulate his thoughts while others watched exhausted college players hit a fuzzy yellow ball.
Those young players left the court knowing they just got a lesson. A tennis lesson, but more importantly a life lesson. That was the moment those college players should have realized how great tennis was and what an opportunity they had just laid in front of them. Hopefully those smart enough capitalized. Hopefully getting a lesson in classical tennis from the winner of 28 grand slam titles made an impact on them that they should take with them and fall in love with tennis. Keep playing the sport, keep learning, keep teaching to others. Hope they proved it and keep proving it all night...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DXlOHUSnAw
Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca RatonComment
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Prancer...
"Prove it all night...all day to the boss, at night you go home and prove it to the wife. On the weekends to the kids." - Bruce SpringsteenOriginally posted by don_budge View PostPainful to watch...
This is a little easier on the eyes but not without it's painful moments as well..."Rod Laver Story - The Slam" . Australian Story ABC TV series. It is never easy to see heroes become old. Then you only have to look in the mirror.
"Harry Hopman is the coach..."-don_budge
"I got nothing to prove." - don_budge
Nice little thread if I do say so myself. Laver is more than Laver. He is Rodney Laver. The man and the legend. The humility of the man is genuine...a human characteristic that has for the most part been engineered out of the human race among the arrogance and hubris.
When I first saw the video of Rod Laver hitting with Roger Federer that Phil posted I was not aware that he had suffered a stroke at the grand old age of sixty...which in some cases isn't that old. Yes...the first video was painful to see. He is only 75 so I sort of expected him to be more nimble and spry...but considering the stroke...it's understandable. It's remarkable in fact.
The second video put a story behind the pain and it is truly a beautiful story. We see how tennis wraps itself around a life...whether famous, rich or poor. Watching him actually suffer the stroke during the interview was more than reality television...it was a life or death moment captured on tape. The story about Rodney Laver the tennis player took on a human touch as his chase of the coveted Grand Slam turned into a more vivid struggle to recover from his stroke. We can witness how the game came to him...and what he gave back.
Painful moments? Perhaps that was not the best way to put it afterall. It is only that...the struggle to survive in the end...life and death that we are faced with. The difficult part of watching it? That's easy...I relate it to losing the things that you love. That is what the documentary ended up being about. It was a rather astounding piece of tape as it turns out. The relationships of Rodney and his Mary...Rodney and his Harry Hopman...Rodney and his teammates. It was the Australian thing captured on tape. An astounding piece of journalism.
The thing about the tape is that it revealed the man behind the tennis player...and what a genuine and humble gentleman he is and was. Something about the amateur "world" of tennis taught him the same guiding principles that men such as Don Budge, Gardner Mulloy, Vic Seixas and all of the rest that we read about here on the site reflected in the way that they approached the game...and life as well. The conflict of the professional game was beautifully depicted in the video as well. We have only to witness the modern game to realize what a man like Harry Hopman represented. Values of yesteryear...things of the past. Not to be forgotten...or disrespected as obsolete.
This was a beautiful piece about Rodney Laver. The comments and testimonies from his friends and teammates were genuine, loving and respectful. The bits about Hopman were revealing...they don't make men like this anymore. When they do surface from time to time they will have to be on their guard 24/7 as there will be the hounds of hell looking to bring him down. Political correctness frowns upon such assertiveness...such unwavering belief in one's self. Brilliant video. Not without it's reflective if not sentimental moments.
Tonight I woke up thinking about the things that I have lost...that I loved. You can imagine. But the one thing that stood out over all of the rest was my old dog Prancer...my best friend that I ever had. The Chocolate Labrador Retriever. Such a noble creature. He went suddenly one day...it was merciful and he taught me everything about life and death that day. About love. And losing.
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Everyone walks a different path through life. There are people younger than Laver is who would love to be able to go on a tennis court & hit some balls even close to Laver's current level. Many people of Laver's age have trouble standing & walking -- for various medical reasons. I felt no embarrassent when I saw Rod hit with Roger. Rod did a fine job. He tried his best.
Sure, other 75 year olds might be fitter than Laver now is, but Rod is walking his own path through life. I am surprised that the fans so harshly judged Rod's tennis abilities right now. When those same fans grow older & develop some frailties & health complications, I don't think they will be so quick with their harsh judgments.
(Also, I doubt that Laver is out practicing & fine-tuning his tennis every day. Rod is probably very much out of practice. Give Rod a break. He looked good to me.)Comment
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