Momentum

[johnyandell]

Let's discuss Nick Wheatley's latest article, "Momentum"

[stotty]

I think it's entirely human to have lapses after hard fought successes during given stages of matches. They come in all sorts of guises. The famous one for me was Borg versus Connors in their 1977 Wimbledon final. Borg went 4-0 up in the fifth but Connors fought back to 4-4. Then in the 9th game Connors threw in a double fault which Borg capitalised on and never looked back.

Borg said, “ At 4-4 I thought the match might slip away then"
Connors said: “Maybe I got a little excited and rushed into things instead of being calm and collected.”

So as you see, it can happen to even the very best of 'em. It's the human side that makes tennis so compelling, especially when the stakes are high.

[arturohernandez]

I think it's entirely human to have lapses after hard fought successes during given stages of matches. They come in all sorts of guises. The famous one for me was Borg versus Connors in their 1977 Wimbledon final. Borg went 4-0 up in the fifth but Connors fought back to 4-4. Then in the 9th game Connors threw in a double fault which Borg capitalised on and never looked back.

Borg said, “ At 4-4 I thought the match might slip away then"
Connors said: “Maybe I got a little excited and rushed into things instead of being calm and collected.”

So as you see, it can happen to even the very best of 'em. It's the human side that makes tennis so compelling, especially when the stakes are high.

I watched highlights of that match with my son. The first thing he told me is that Connors looked tired at the end. Borg would just outlast people. It might be why he retired so early. Running that much took its toll and he knew that his legs were not as reliable as they had been before.

Connors was known for short practices. I am not sure how much he worked on his fitness. Johnny Mac had to work on his fitness in order to catch up to Borg.

Maybe Connors got a bit tired and just ran out of gas physically and eventually mentally/emotionally.

[nickw]

Great example from the highest level! It's easy to forget the human side of tennis, especially at the highest levels, where many fans just think these guys are robots. Armed with the knowledge of momentum, Borg might have commented 'I knew I was still in a good position at 4-4, he expended so much energy to level the score so it was gonna be tough for him to keep it going'!

[don_budge]

Great example from the highest level! It's easy to forget the human side of tennis, especially at the highest levels, where many fans just think these guys are robots. Armed with the knowledge of momentum, Borg might have commented 'I knew I was still in a good position at 4-4, he expended so much energy to level the score so it was gonna be tough for him to keep it going'!

Maintaining pressure on your opponent.