Forest Hills was a rickety old place . felt like small high school baseball seating...... about a zillion miles from the mega stadiums the Open uses today. still, I with they were still playing har true or whatever it was called. American clay. great to see this vid.
The ‘77 US Open was the only 1 I ever attended and I believe the last on clay. I was very disappointed Borg,my hero had pulled out before my ticket date.
Thanks for posting this one, even though it’s not a classic one, it’s nice to able to watch B.Borg vs D.Stockton for a few games , I can tell right away B.Borg had some trouble with his physical condition. His body language was different compared with other matches. Good luck !!
First tennis match I ever saw in person was Dick Stockton v Tim Wilkinson in Newport. Tim won - I believe - 36, 76, 76. Stockton alienated the crowd by refusing to make any effort to catch balls that were not bounced exactly to him by the ball kids. By the end, the crowd was cheering for Wilkinson.
I remember being there that day in Queens after Borg had lost. I was 9 years old and patted him on his back on his way back to the locker room. Forest Hills was a mob scene but in some ways it seems more crowded today in Flushing Meadows.
Dick Stockton and Brian Gottfried, two players from this era, who are interchangeable. Both solid, top 10 players, with classic textbook shots, but neither had that big shot!
I didn't know that borg retired in this match.... I was wondering all of these decades later, how Vilas won the entire tournament, since Borg had his number...
A rare chance to see Borg wear the Fila Trezzan polo. Stockton is wearing the more famous Settanta made famous by Borg. I believe Borg cancelled his use of this shirt because he believed it brought bad luck to him.
This is CBS’s televised feed which they shared with other networks. It’s not practical to have foreign networks setting up their cameras bc there’s only a few locations in the stadium that can be used, so I’ve network does the televising. The other networks use their own announcers..
@@ripperduck I know it's CBS's feed because it's their graphics. In 1977, I don't think any foreign networks were taking their feed to show a 4th round match on labor day which is when this match was played. That started more in the 80s, I believe.
Stacks was a great player. His passing shots were just a bit below his overall level. And he might have had the best overhead in tennis. The skill level required to play with those rackets was double what it is today; the racket then was the size of today’s sweet spot. And our strings were able to impart about half the topspin. Golf has done a much better job of monitoring equipment. The counter-puncher, touch player was forced into oblivion. And the touch and technical skills of today’s players have deteriorated and, in many cases, don’t exist.
The overhrad is the first thing that I think of with Stockton. Like you said, maybe the best at the time. Grear juinor player. Way better than Connors in the juinors.
@@lancer3412 I am the same age as Connors. In spite of the opinion of most, we know Connors had it. When he got to semis of the Pacific Southwest at the LATC our last year in the juniors, we were not surprised. Connors single-handled ushered in the crushing return and changed the game forever. We lived with that from the age of 11.
@@michaelbroer6378 au contraire. Pickleball forces play from no man’s land. And watch older people bend over at the waist reaching into the forbidden kitchen. It is a back destroying nightmare with people falling over all the time. You can’t put pickleball into the category of a sport; it is a beach game elevated by prize money. And an unstrung paddle offers no feel for the skilled. Most the best pickleball players are failed tennis players. If it weren’t for the fad of pickleball, they would be unhappily teaching tennis. Ping pong is 10x the game, skill-wise and athletically. Pickleball is a dumbed down replica of a sport, much like our schools are being dumbed down. Great place to meet members of the opposite sex though.
I remember this match. He most likely would have won the tournament if he hadn’t hurt his shoulder. He was in top form in 1977 and used to beat Vilas like a drum on clay. Crazy that he couldn’t play Roland Garros that year because Roland Garros wouldn’t allow WTT players to play the tournament.
That was only 74 where they banned the players. The schedules ccnflicted. It wasn't like Wimbledon where WTT took a break. Roland Garros and WTT were going on at the same time. Borg chose the WTT money over the French just as Evert did several times. Well, a player could do both if they could arrange a 3 week break from WTT. i know Nastase did both at least one year, maybe 1977.
@@jdm839 No problem. The French was not as big a deal back then. No doubt still a slam, but certainly not the prestige it later attained. Can you imagine Nadal skipping the French for any amount of money?
First time seeing Dick Stockton play. He had a very solid all around game and a great net game.
he also from time to time gave jimmy Connors and the other top players fits....
These videos are gold! Thanks for sharing. Great vid quality and interesting matches from the 70s beyond the "big matches" that we see repeatedly.
Forest Hills was a rickety old place . felt like small high school baseball seating...... about a zillion miles from the mega stadiums the Open uses today. still, I with they were still playing har true or whatever it was called. American clay. great to see this vid.
Stockton had a good year that year. I think he won the US Pro Indoor in Philadelphia over Connors
Beautiful form. Sweet spot on those racquets were tiny.
As I recall borg had a bad shoulder
Stocked just lobbed the ball forcing borg to hit overheads
Borg eventually retired from the match
Makes sense.
Borg is serving poorly.
Thanks for your information which explains feeble service.
Borg had a strained abdominal muscle. Did not affect his groundstrokes, but he couldn't serve.
The ‘77 US Open was the only 1 I ever attended and I believe the last on clay. I was very disappointed Borg,my hero had pulled out before my ticket date.
It's obvious Borg is hurt just by the way he's serving!
Thanks for posting this one, even though it’s not a classic one, it’s nice to able to watch B.Borg vs D.Stockton for a few games , I can tell right away B.Borg had some trouble with his physical condition. His body language was different compared with other matches. Good luck !!
Stockton, Dupre, Sadri - very much of the same American ilk of that period IMHO (just as Dibbs & Solomon remind me of each other)
The Bagel Brothers!!!
Also Brian Gottfried
With Borg's demeanor hard to tell happy sad in pain or not
Rosewall was the same. He always looked dejected while beating you to a pulp.
First tennis match I ever saw in person was Dick Stockton v Tim Wilkinson in Newport. Tim won - I believe - 36, 76, 76. Stockton alienated the crowd by refusing to make any effort to catch balls that were not bounced exactly to him by the ball kids. By the end, the crowd was cheering for Wilkinson.
Unfortunately there are no slow motion repetitions. Nevertheless, thanks a lot for the upload!
I remember being there that day in Queens after Borg had lost. I was 9 years old and patted him on his back on his way back to the locker room. Forest Hills was a mob scene but in some ways it seems more crowded today in Flushing Meadows.
Come giocava bene Stockton 👏👏
Borg and not Vilas would've won that year's US Open, on a surface that suited much better than the DecoTurf 2 surface at Flushing Meadow.
Dick Stockton and Brian Gottfried, two players from this era, who are interchangeable. Both solid, top 10 players, with classic textbook shots, but neither had that big shot!
@@SyncopateTheShot I never said they were exactly alike. Gottfried can hit over the ball, though.
historical outfits!
Stockton was a cagey player. No weapon to blow you off the court, but a high tennis IQ. First time finding a video of him on RUclips.
No one blew anyone off the court back then!
@@quentincrisp6933Connors, Tanner and Ashe would beg to differ
@@rjamesyork So would Stockton‼ He has multiple wins against these players‼
I recall bergelin borgs coach blamed WTT on the injury for over use.
is this the same Dick Stockton who became a top NBA play-by-play announcer in the 90s?
No, different guy.
US open only major that has been played on clay, grass, hardcourts
I didn't know that borg retired in this match.... I was wondering all of these decades later, how Vilas won the entire tournament, since Borg had his number...
A rare chance to see Borg wear the Fila Trezzan polo. Stockton is wearing the more famous Settanta made famous by Borg. I believe Borg cancelled his use of this shirt because he believed it brought bad luck to him.
Maybe because it took him an hour to get it off?
Si Borg ne s'était pas blessé à la main, il aurait gagné le tournoi.
Oui je l'ai toujours pensé, parce que Borg était réalité en très grande forme, vue son automne 77 étincelant (5 tournois remportés)
Il etait blesse a l'epaule, pas a la main.
More gold.I remember watching ths match in 1977. Surprised at no announcers. Borg had a bad shoulder. He's clearly serving pretty softly.
This is CBS’s televised feed which they shared with other networks. It’s not practical to have foreign networks setting up their cameras bc there’s only a few locations in the stadium that can be used, so I’ve network does the televising. The other networks use their own announcers..
@@ripperduck I know it's CBS's feed because it's their graphics. In 1977, I don't think any foreign networks were taking their feed to show a 4th round match on labor day which is when this match was played. That started more in the 80s, I believe.
Stacks was a great player. His passing shots were just a bit below his overall level. And he might have had the best overhead in tennis. The skill level required to play with those rackets was double what it is today; the racket then was the size of today’s sweet spot. And our strings were able to impart about half the topspin. Golf has done a much better job of monitoring equipment. The counter-puncher, touch player was forced into oblivion. And the touch and technical skills of today’s players have deteriorated and, in many cases, don’t exist.
No wonder people are going to pickleball! Pickleball has what tennis used to have and that is a net game.
The overhrad is the first thing that I think of with Stockton. Like you said, maybe the best at the time. Grear juinor player. Way better than Connors in the juinors.
@@lancer3412I’m thinking you failed Spelling 1A.
@@lancer3412 I am the same age as Connors. In spite of the opinion of most, we know Connors had it. When he got to semis of the Pacific Southwest at the LATC our last year in the juniors, we were not surprised. Connors single-handled ushered in the crushing return and changed the game forever. We lived with that from the age of 11.
@@michaelbroer6378 au contraire. Pickleball forces play from no man’s land. And watch older people bend over at the waist reaching into the forbidden kitchen. It is a back destroying nightmare with people falling over all the time. You can’t put pickleball into the category of a sport; it is a beach game elevated by prize money. And an unstrung paddle offers no feel for the skilled. Most the best pickleball players are failed tennis players. If it weren’t for the fad of pickleball, they would be unhappily teaching tennis. Ping pong is 10x the game, skill-wise and athletically. Pickleball is a dumbed down replica of a sport, much like our schools are being dumbed down. Great place to meet members of the opposite sex though.
4-dimensional "Pong"
20:33 The balls sound like they are coming off a toy racquet. I wonder what tennis will be like 50 years from today. Hmmm
I remember this match. He most likely would have won the tournament if he hadn’t hurt his shoulder. He was in top form in 1977 and used to beat Vilas like a drum on clay. Crazy that he couldn’t play Roland Garros that year because Roland Garros wouldn’t allow WTT players to play the tournament.
That was only 74 where they banned the players. The schedules ccnflicted. It wasn't like Wimbledon where WTT took a break. Roland Garros and WTT were going on at the same time. Borg chose the WTT money over the French just as Evert did several times. Well, a player could do both if they could arrange a 3 week break from WTT. i know Nastase did both at least one year, maybe 1977.
Ah thanks for the clarification
@@jdm839 No problem. The French was not as big a deal back then. No doubt still a slam, but certainly not the prestige it later attained. Can you imagine Nadal skipping the French for any amount of money?
He would've won Roland Garros as well !
Good Lord, Borg aged like spoilt milk, he looks 70 years old now!
Borg isn't far off 70 at 68 years old - I'd say he is aging very well.
@@egrorian1 The man has white hair- that's even worse than grey! When you go grey or white, you can't age well- that's a contradiction!
@@pauljohnson6019 nonsense
@@JD-jc8gp Then stop aging and prove it. ✔️
Glad umpires don't start matches in this overly formal manner anymore. And that robot voice, ugh.
yea, who needs civility and decorum