1969: Laver vs Roche

[gzhpcu]

US Open, great old video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ho_LEbbLw

Think Kyle will like this one...

Notice the change overs.... and no excessive ball bouncing on serves... Golden era...

[klacr]

Thanks Phil,

Awesome. When tennis was tennis.

Love the pace at which they play. Grab ball from ball boy and serve it up. No towel, no shoe or clothing or hat adjustment, no changing of racquets. Just pure tennis. On grass. Serve and volley. Yes folks, I'm an old soul. 32 going on 62

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[tennis_chiro]

Awards ceremony

Check the awards ceremony and the brevity of the speeches by Laver and Roche. And note the prize money: 16,000 to win, 8,000 for runner-up.

In the play, note how well Laver reaches to cover passing shots, especially with his forehand volley. Players don't know how to do that anymore!

don

[don_budge]

Repost from January 10, 2014...The Rocket-McEnroe's hero

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87vijPUfB_I

Rod Laver defeats Tony Roche 7-9, 6-1, 6-2, 6.2. This was the world of tennis. The real world. Check it out when "The Rocket" changes into his "spikes". A little turbo charge on the slick turf. The shoes are like bowling shoes. Slippers almost. Flimsy even. A far cry from todays engineered Nikes. Check out the white clothes. The white balls. The wooden Dunlop Maxply's strung with gut.

Rod Laver captures his second Grand Slam. His modesty is overwhelming. No curtain calls. Sixteen thousand dollars to the winner. Tons of pride and sense of accomplishment. Fair play. Sportsmanship.

Bud Collins and Jack Kramer in the booth.

You cannot compare this world of tennis...to today's "planet of tennis". It's too big of a stretch. Game over. Shut out the lights. The fat lady sings. It's unfortunate and speaks of a galactic and colossal arrogance.

From a past thread...I posted this match in January. My comments...Rod Laver completes the Grand Slam with unparalleled modesty. John McEnroe's hero. Role model.

[gzhpcu]

From a past thread...I posted this match in January. My comments...Rod Laver completes the Grand Slam with unparalleled modesty. John McEnroe's hero. Role model.

Too bad he only copied his game and not his exemplary behaviour...

[GeoffWilliams]

I'm pretty sure Laver never used horse steroids to move faster than he was meant to move.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=1708055