1977 - Australian Open Final: Tanner - Vilas

[gzhpcu]

Roscoe Tanner at his best.

[gzhpcu]

Sorry John, but I still like Tanner’s serve...

[don_budge]

AT 2-1 in the second set the announcers are discussing tactics and tactical decisions. The "other" announcer remarks that Vilas decided to stay back and play baseline tennis on his serve. John Newcombe counters that "he gets a little nervous on his second serve under pressure and I guess he has more confidence in his backcourt game than at net. Roscoe Tanner is playing great tennis and is keeping pressure on Vilas all of the time. He hit three tremendous forehands in that game. Tanner playing very well, not giving Vilas any breathing room.".

One of Tilden's commandments...Maintaining Pressure on Your Opponent. All things being equal under "normal" conditions, the all court player is going to have the advantage because of their ability to put more pressure on their opponent at the net.

Interesting to see the prevalence of Marlboro cigarette advertising. The cooler at the side of the court is made to look like a carton of Marlboro cigarettes. The umpires chair has the Marlboro logo on it. The ball boys look like little packs of Marlboros. Not to mention the signs posted around the court. This wouldn't fly in the face of todays standards. So much change in the last fifty years. If you weren't around to witness it you undoubtedly cannot comprehend it. I preferred a good Marlboro Light when I was puffing. You would be surprised how sexy you can think you look smoking. The Marlboro Man was a stroke of genius...advertising wise. I haven't inhaled anything in the thirteen years I have been in Sweden. I must say I have never felt better. Still at times I fantasize about lighting one up at those sublime moments when a cigarette seemed to make good sense.

[don_budge]

Sorry John, but I still like Tanner’s serve...

Yeah...what's not to like. You may find something to micro manage with regards to the delivery but he is really consistent and his placement and use of his left-handed spin makes the combination of velocity a real conundrum for the returner. Two left handers can make for some interesting tennis. Both players are facing a mirror image of what they normally present to their opponent.

But the single most impressive tidbit that I came away with after watching this video is the forehand volley of Roscoe Tanner. This is a very efficient and effective stroke and he really demonstrates what tennis_chiro preaches as a drive volley. When that volley gets up a bit in the Tanner wheelhouse he give it that extra bit of drive and yet manages to stay in total control. The driving force of the Tanner volley is impeccable footwork as well. Years and years of training to go forwards and "timing" the strike with the movement of the feet is the key to good volleying. The positioning of the body and the feet. Roscoe makes a tremendous model for the last two lessons from John on the volleys. Much better than the pretenders we are stuck with nowadays. Thiem and Zverev...no thanks. Even Federer has lost a bit of that impeccable timing in his career as he oscillated between serve and volley, all court game and the modern game of staying back. The bigger racquet however puts him on even footing with his antagonists and he is better able to maintain pressure on his opponent thereby allowing himself that brief respite to get his ass in position. The serve is better...the forehand is better...the backhand is better. All of things contribute to allowing him to get to the net.

Absolutely love the Tanner forehand volley. Would love to set it in John's catalogue of the "Stroke Archive".

[gzhpcu]

Would you believe it: Ken Rosewall, 43 years old, lost in the semifinals to Tanner in 4 sets. Roger can go on playing for quite a few years....

[gzhpcu]

The draw:

[don_budge]

The draw:

I think you meant:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_Australian_Open_(January)_–_Men%27s_Singles

This was the January edition of the 1977 Australian Open. There was a December version that year. Interesting that the Australian Open that I posted between Edberg and Lendl had an overlap when they were changing the month back to January.

[gzhpcu]

Thanks, do not know how that link showed up.

[gzhpcu]

Every now and then, you see a barechested Vilas, looking on like Dracula with his huge moustache.

[gzhpcu]

I have a better quality version of the match which I ordered here:

[tennis_chiro]

Every now and then, you see a barechested Vilas, looking on like Dracula with his huge moustache.

I think you mean Tiriac, perhaps the richest athlete in the world

don

[gzhpcu]

Rats, another mistake. Sure Tiriac.

[don_budge]

Every now and then, you see a barechested Vilas, looking on like Dracula with his huge moustache.

Rats, another mistake. Sure Tiriac.

That could be Phil but it makes you a bit more endearing. Trust me. The attitude is all important. The fact is we are all slipping just a bit. No matter how hard we try.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU5LMG3WFBw

Hammer to Fall...Queen (1984)

"Oh every night and every day
A little piece of you is falling away
But lift your face the western way
Build your muscles as your body decays yeah"

Ian Tiriac...what a colossal epic character. I went up to him at the Washington Star tournament in 1972 or 1973 and asked him if it was true that once he ate an ashtray. He gave me a look...not an all bad one either. He said something...not that it mattered. I told Don Budge about the meeting. He was impressed and amused...not necessarily in that order.

[gzhpcu]

I just picked up another vintage video online. Roscoe Tanner vs Pat Dupre, Wimbledon Semifinal, 1979. Also, I managed to find a copy of World Tennis, April, 1977 which had a cover article on Roscoe Tanner, as well as a photo sequence of his serve. Will post the pictures when I receive it.

[stotty]

Here is a rally if ever there was one...2 minutes 23 seconds long.

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

Oddly enough it is Borg who is pulling the trigger here and there in the rally, but then easily slips back into rally mode to wait for the next opportunity. He presses twice more towards the end of the rally then finally gets what he wants, the point. Winning rallies like that are incredibly valuable in the sense they can break and opponent.

It was a tough call back then on clay. You couldn't out rally Borg, and wooden rackets prevented you hitting through him. I think they term that as being 'between and rock and hard place'.