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Culmination Point 2001 Wimbledon…Stanley Kubrik's Space Odyssey
Sometimes when one speaks the truth it can come off as being harsh…even heretical.
Some are opinions…some are simply statements of fact. A politician can argue the difference. As far as Don Budge enjoying that particular match…it's debatable. Don was a guy who wore long white trousers to the end. This particular brand of tennis being played with virtual bazookas for racquets would have offended his sense…of sensibility.
Wimbledon 2001 was what you call a culmination point. The tennis had actually become so bad that once again the ITF brain trust decided to intervene and reengineer the game. The points had become way too fast on the hallowed grass of Wimbledon…so much so that it was an abomination of the real game of tennis. Classic tennis.
It was in 2002 that the Wimbledon final was first played in the finals from the baseline. Lleyton Hewitt versus David Nalbanian.
This was truly the match of the tournament. Unfortunately the tennis had become way to fast and the points were way too short. One can only imagine if these two were playing with wooden racquets and they duelled for five sets. That would have been a match to behold. Roger Federer showing the first signs of his coming greatness as Pete Sampras' star was beginning to lose some of its luster. A classic handing over of the mantel. Sampras was 30 years old and Federer just 19.
Here…this match is worth watching. The Ivanisevic rendition is alright relegated to the dust bin…except for its historical significance.
The Open Era of tennis debuted in 1968. Arthur Ashe played and defeated Tom Okker of the Netherlands in the first open U. S. Open final. Here's a little taste of the tennis that was being played in 1968 which is coincidentally the first year that I began playing.
Sixteen years later brings us to the Orwellian year of 1984. 1984 was the first year that all four contestants used oversized graphite racquet in the semifinals of a Grand Slam event. It took just 16 years for the money to corrupt a beautiful and "pure" sport beyond recognition. FUBAR comes to mind…fucked up beyond all recognition.
Here are the two All-American Bad Boys in the semifinals using their new suped up equipment. These two were among the very last to cave in to the new equipment. Pat Cash and Ivan Lendl were in the other semifinal. This particular Saturday at Flushing Meadows became known as "The Greatest Day in Tennis" for a long time. Bud Collins himself wrote as much about it. The truth is…the big racquets gave the tennis a sense of a new awesomeness, but in fact the greatness of the tennis was probably due to the fact the contestants were using superior equipment. Not that the tennis wasn't great in itself.
The oversized racquets had been creeping steadily into the game since the mid 70's after Howard Head somehow obtained a patent to manufacture the oversized monstrosities. 1984 was another culmination point in the sport of tennis. It was 16 years after the game went open. 2001 is 17 years after 1984…and here we are 15 years later in 2016. Do I sense another culmination point? I do.
Just an opinion? Not...
Originally posted by biodegradableeric1979
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Originally posted by maxply
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Originally posted by maxply
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It was in 2002 that the Wimbledon final was first played in the finals from the baseline. Lleyton Hewitt versus David Nalbanian.
Originally posted by maxply
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Here…this match is worth watching. The Ivanisevic rendition is alright relegated to the dust bin…except for its historical significance.
The Open Era of tennis debuted in 1968. Arthur Ashe played and defeated Tom Okker of the Netherlands in the first open U. S. Open final. Here's a little taste of the tennis that was being played in 1968 which is coincidentally the first year that I began playing.
Sixteen years later brings us to the Orwellian year of 1984. 1984 was the first year that all four contestants used oversized graphite racquet in the semifinals of a Grand Slam event. It took just 16 years for the money to corrupt a beautiful and "pure" sport beyond recognition. FUBAR comes to mind…fucked up beyond all recognition.
Here are the two All-American Bad Boys in the semifinals using their new suped up equipment. These two were among the very last to cave in to the new equipment. Pat Cash and Ivan Lendl were in the other semifinal. This particular Saturday at Flushing Meadows became known as "The Greatest Day in Tennis" for a long time. Bud Collins himself wrote as much about it. The truth is…the big racquets gave the tennis a sense of a new awesomeness, but in fact the greatness of the tennis was probably due to the fact the contestants were using superior equipment. Not that the tennis wasn't great in itself.
The oversized racquets had been creeping steadily into the game since the mid 70's after Howard Head somehow obtained a patent to manufacture the oversized monstrosities. 1984 was another culmination point in the sport of tennis. It was 16 years after the game went open. 2001 is 17 years after 1984…and here we are 15 years later in 2016. Do I sense another culmination point? I do.
Just an opinion? Not...
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