1975 Dallas World Tennis Championship

[klacr]

Great video to see. Something for everyone in this clip. Ashe, Borg, Laver, John Alexander and many more. A whole different world than the tennis of today. A different style and different time. Entertaining nonetheless

https://youtu.be/mhg1BxDpp4A

This thread presented by Haggar Slacks

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

The World of Tennis…and the World at Large

A whole different world than the tennis of today.
Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

A whole different world…period. This is when tennis was tennis…period. It was a beautiful thing.

The Once and Future King takes down the King who is twice his age and feeling every year of it. Then the Dark Knight takes town the Scandinavian Prince. Great contrasting personalities…great drama. The tennis court was a stage.

IN 1975 the game is in its growing pain stage…evolving. Seven years into the Open Era. It was going full throttle.

[klacr]

There was a difference in the overall vibe. It seemed more like art. Purposeful and competitive matches , shot selection and willingness to make something happen. Always good to watch these clips to gain a better appreciation of where tennis came from and where it is or is not going.

Take notice to all those great players. What similarities do we see in their games compared to the players of today. The differences are many. But what about the similarities? It's not the modern or the old school strokes that last, it's the timeless technique.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

1975 WCT Dallas Tennis World Championship…A brief overview

There was a difference in the overall vibe. It seemed more like art.

It's not the modern or the old school strokes that last, it's the timeless technique.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Fundamentals expressed with style. Yes…it was more like art. In fact it was art…and my comment at the time of the inception of the larger head racquets was "they've taken the art out of the game". But it was the tactical game being played in 1975 that sets it apart from todays game. This is what has truly been lost and presents a giant chasm to fill.

It's a carpet…yet the players are commenting on how slow the surface seems to them making it more difficult to close in on the net. I don't need to wonder how those players feel about the conditions of the game now. Deep down inside. But of course…they will not bite the hand that feeds them.

Here are the top 100 rankings at the time of the tournament:

26 Americans and 20 Aussies in the top 100...

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/rankings/singles?rankDate=1975-04-30

Here is the draw sheet for the tournament:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_World_Championship_Tennis_Finals_–_Singles

The players and their respective rankings…each of these players had "style".

Bjorn Borg #5
Rod Laver #6
Arthur Ashe #8
John Alexander #13
Roscoe Tanner #14
Harold Solomon #15
Raul Ramirez #16
Mark Cox #25

The results speak for themselves. There was no such thing as a "Big Four" that were winning 48 out of the last 50 Slams. Just go down the list and you can see that there were many Slam winners and Slam runner-ups in the rankings.

The thing about it…the best was yet to come.

"Before one can even begin to glimpse this smallest of light I’m attempting to shine on this most complex of subjects though, each of you must remember that the present can never be fully understood without your first knowing the past." -Author Unknown.

[stotty]

Nice find. I like the slow motion shot of Arthur's serve at 22:47.

Borg had yet to emerge as a really great player but he did amazingly well, with those "make do" volleys...which were later to become much better, but always had a clumsy look about them. His first serve was also to become so much better also. I still feel he moved as well as anyone who ever played the game.

I enjoyed all the players in the video. The game has changed so much since then. It's almost unrecognisable.

[klacr]

Nice find. I like the slow motion shot of Arthur's serve at 22:47.

Borg had yet to emerge as a really great player but he did amazingly well, with those "make do" volleys...which were later to become much better, but always had a clumsy look about them. His first serve was also to become so much better also. I still feel he moved as well as anyone who ever played the game.

I enjoyed all the players in the video. The game has changed so much since then. It's almost unrecognisable.

Despite Borg's volleys, he still understood the importance of the shot and was willing to bite the bullet if it meant a geometric, strategic or tactical advantage within the point. Something many players could learn from.
A weakness may always be a weakness but if you can manage that weakness and understand how it can work with or compliment your strength in order for you to dictate with it, well, now you're on to something.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[GeoffWilliams]

Can anyone see Mac or Gonzales doing that?

[don_budge]

The Mental Game of Strengths and Weaknesses...

A weakness may always be a weakness but if you can manage that weakness and understand how it can work with or compliment your strength in order for you to dictate with it, well, now you're on to something.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Now you are on to something. Looking at these matches and the contrasting styles. Look how a Harold Solomon was able to give an ageing Rod Laver all he was worth on this given day. But see how the same ageing Rod Laver was able to come back and give the up and coming Bjorn Borg all he was worth on the next day.

Laver with all of his wizardry was able to put his 38 year old body up against these boys in their youth by using his head…using all of his vast knowledge and skills to keep them at bay. What a wonderful match that was to behold with Laver against Borg. You just don't see that kind of artistry anymore. You just don't see that kind of style and diversity of style.

You don't see these subtle tactics of weakness vs. strength. Trying to subtly exploit your opponents weaknesses or trying to dictate play the way that you want the game to be played. This was the mental side of the game. Borg was going to try and dictate that the game be played to his paradigm and Laver was doing the same. Arthur Ashe eventually dictated play…at least for this tournament. He imposed his game on the rest of the field.

The mental gymnastics were like a chess game.