Great Men of Tennis: The Mellifluous Don Budge

[don_budge]

The Mellifluous Don Budge...1973

I was reading the "Toni Nadal" thread and Stotty's post in particular struck me as interesting on a number of points. Every word of it was quite thought provoking...if you are in the business of connecting dots. The three little dots.

A great article.

Toni Nadal reminds me a little of the late Lennart Bergelin.

His reference to Lennart Bergelin is noted but I must point out that Bergelin was also a very fine player. In 1973 when I was a counselor at the Don Budge Tennis Camp...Mr. Budge won the senior doubles at Wimbledon with Frank Sedgman and they played Lennart Bergelin and his partner...the great Czech left hander Jaroslav Drobny.

Anyways I was googling "don budge senior wimbledon doubles win" and this article popped up with a couple of references to Don's 1973 win. I remember it well as I practiced with the then 58 year old Budge that summer a bit as a 18 year old hot headed left hander from Dearborn, Michigan. Mr. Budge gave me a couple of really interesting talks about temperament as it was rather apparent I had some problems in this area to resolve. I'm not certain if what he told me actually had any impact on my behavior but I swear to God I will never forget his trying to help me. I just loved the "old guy".

http://sportsthenandnow.com/2010/02/...ous-don-budge/

Mellifluous. Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear: the voice was mellifluous and smooth. Yeah...he was all that.

[stotty]

The Mellifluous Don Budge...1973

I was reading the "Toni Nadal" thread and Stotty's post in particular struck me as interesting on a number of points. Every word of it was quite thought provoking...if you are in the business of connecting dots. The three little dots.



His reference to Lennart Bergelin is noted but I must point out that Bergelin was also a very fine player. In 1973 when I was a counselor at the Don Budge Tennis Camp...Mr. Budge won the senior doubles at Wimbledon with Frank Sedgman and they played Lennart Bergelin and his partner...the great Czech left hander Jaroslav Drobny.

Anyways I was googling "don budge senior wimbledon doubles win" and this article popped up with a couple of references to Don's 1973 win. I remember it well as I practiced with the then 58 year old Budge that summer a bit as a 18 year old hot headed left hander from Dearborn, Michigan. Mr. Budge gave me a couple of really interesting talks about temperament as it was rather apparent I had some problems in this area to resolve. I'm not certain if what he told me actually had any impact on my behavior but I swear to God I will never forget his trying to help me. I just loved the "old guy".

http://sportsthenandnow.com/2010/02/...ous-don-budge/

Mellifluous. Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear: the voice was mellifluous and smooth. Yeah...he was all that.

A great article. Full of facts and not too gushing. I read a Lew Hoad biography a few years ago but it was over the top and gushy. This Don Budge article was really neat and covered good stuff.

Taking five months out of the game to rebuild a stroller, better game is what impresses me most in the article. Why doesn't Nishikori do the same with his serve? Back then it was commonplace to take time out to retool. And players like Nishikori can financial afford to do. Back then it was a tremendous sacrifice to step out of the game for so long.

I think Budge's grand slam feat is a standalone achievement. Only Laver and Budge have achieved calendar slams. It's an extraordinarily difficult thing to pull off. Even Federer hasn't done it. Djokovic has held all four titles at once but not within the same season.

And what a connection of dots. From Vines and Perry to Budge to Gonzales and Sedgman.....and Kramer there to witness it all.

[don_budge]

A great article. Full of facts and not too gushing. I read a Lew Hoad biography a few years ago but it was over the top and gushy. This Don Budge article was really neat and covered good stuff.

Taking five months out of the game to rebuild a stroller, better game is what impresses me most in the article. Why doesn't Nishikori do the same with his serve? Back then it was commonplace to take time out to retool. And players like Nishikori can financial afford to do. Back then it was a tremendous sacrifice to step out of the game for so long.

I think Budge's grand slam feat is a standalone achievement. Only Laver and Budge have achieved calendar slams. It's an extraordinarily difficult thing to pull off. Even Federer hasn't done it. Djokovic has held all four titles at once but not within the same season.

And what a connection of dots. From Vines and Perry to Budge to Gonzales and Sedgman.....and Kramer there to witness it all.

The article also clarifies a little anomaly in the Riggs article last month. The part where Riggs defeats Budge in some military exhibitions after the shoulder injury. It's all about connecting the dots. You got it.