1972 U.S. Open final, Ilie Nastase d. Arthur Ashe 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (1-5), 6-4, 6-3. These are highlights from sets 2, 3 and 4. Jack Kramer and Bud Collins commentating.
Nastase was my hero since I read about him in the newspapers as a little boy in India - then I saw him play in England and I wasn't disappointed. He was infuriating, temperamental, random, conceited and sometimes bigoted - but no one I have seen before or since seemed so naturally gifted with a tennis racket (we should also remember he played with a wooden racket). Whenever he played in Wimbledon, whichever court he was on, it would be filled to overflowing - what a character and player!
there is a good video on YT of Nastase and Jimmy Connors (age 19) meeting for the first time at Wimbledon - there is one game in particular (in set 2 or 3) where he hit four amazing winners in succession to win the game and that stunned the crowd and the announcers.
I play with a single-handed backhand. I learned to play in junior high at the end of the '70s, and everyone played with a single-handed back then. I can't adapt to a double-handed --- it seems unnatural to me. I love hearing the pop coming off of those wooden racquets --- everyone used wooden racquets back when I started playing.
Nastasse had his credit cards stolen.Asked why he hadn't reported it to the police he said the thief was spending less money on his credit card then his wife would've done.
Si ,si . Lui è un tipo scherzoso li piace fare le battute....lo conosco di persona te lo dice in una maniera molto seria 😅 Sa quella che voglia della vita.
As a Romanian I am very proud to see moments like these. I am a big fan of tennis and sometimes wish there were more Romanian players like him nowadays. Sure, nationality does not matter that much, I love all good players who give us great matches like these.
This was a real pleasure to watch. It brings back old memories. Arthur Ashe was one of the All-time greats. He had all the strokes and when he put them together he could beat anyone. but he was a greater humanitarian and that is why we remember him. Nastase was the only player of whom it may be said, "He was too great in skill to ever reach his potential." In other words, it was impossible for him to reach his own potential. I know that sounds crazy, and Nastase was. But its true.
@@jongjongquenano3198 placement of serve is often more important than speed of serve. These guys could slice angles, serve into the body and more. Todays era would still struggle with their serves.
On grass, they would destroy any of today's players. On clay, Nastase would do well against any of today's players. On hard courts, both would do very well against any of today's players.
Thanks for posting! I love watching these older matches .... they always remind me that the top players of these eras were every bit as talented as today's players in every way. From the '60's, 70's, 80's, doesn't matter. If you took a handful of the top players from then and put them into today's tournaments, hand them today's state-of-the-art rackets, gave them all of these nutritional/energy drinks that the players haul onto the court today, they'd all be vying for the same top-10 tour slots, and they'd be winning matches in the same manner they did back in their day. What a fantasy to imagine ........
I love that vintage serve technique. Low toss and hitting the ball at its apex. Today, many players toss the ball high and strike it on the way down. Both techniques work, but its fun to watch the classics play.
Hey I was an editor of the Call & Post Newspaper, an Ohio Statewide weekly when I interviewed Arthur in Cincinnati in 1989.... and part of that interview led me to law school.... which in some ways I wish I didn't know what I know but I'll still never regret it! Peace.
Woowww! My two favourite players in the 70's. There are TOP3 tennis clips in the net: thisone, Laver vs Jimmy C and Ken Rosewall vs Tony Roche at Melbourne Centre Court. Thank you so much, this is a tennis gem. What a great tennis level displayed!
i like how these played play a point and get on to the next one. They don't have to pick their ass for 30 seconds or towel off after every damn point. Amazing how good these guys were considering the shitty equipment they had to play with.
@@iamtman1 I dunno dude. Different eras. McEnroe was considered by most the best doubles player of his era. Fed has amazing hands, but I've watched him play doubs multiple times at Indian Wells. Just doesn't have the instinctive movement at net that the great ones do.
@@theoriginalthinker9199He knows exactly what he is talking about. The rackets back then were crap compared to the rackets of the 80s, never mind what they use today. Those rackets had sweet spots the size of a walnut, today it's the size of a fist.
@@alanfrost75 I'll tell you why he, and you, don't know what you're talking about. Tennis players have such hand/eye coordination, they don't need a huge racket head. Also, back then they hit through the ball more. Today, they have wicked, wristy topspin strokes that they need larger head rackets to minimize mishitting. I've forgotten more about tennis than you two will ever know.
@@theoriginalthinker9199 Well, at least your comment was good for a laugh. The reason they can hit the topspin that they hit these days is because of racket and string technology. If you knew shit about tennis, this would not be news to you. And the development in the size of the sweet spot helps immensely (Navratilova has a nice long explanation here on youtube if you want to educate yourself). Bottom line is, you cannot play the modern game with these rackets. You had to hit far more carefully, and because of the massively reduced topspin, you had to hit more for the lines than you do today. It is so absurd to even have to explain this to you. So many players - from Navratilova to Becker to McEnroe to Sampras have explained exactly how much technology has impacted the game. You think you forgot a lot about tennis - what you actually forgot is that you never knew shit.
@@alanfrost75 Haha, "good for a laugh" but of course you refuted nothing. How many times have i heard that one. The reason why they hit the topspin, knucklehead, has nothing to do with string, or racket, mumbo jumbo, it's because of the wicked wrist action they use. Look at Nadal. Players NEVER hit their forehands like that back then. Not even :Laver, Borg, or Vilas. The reason why they hit the shots they do, is because stroke production has changed drastically. There are no more classic, orthodox tennis players anymore. The closest person that comes to that is Federer, but he uses some whip as well. You're just some young punk, know it all, and of course, you know nothing.
The most heartbreaking loss ever, Ashe should have this match. He had virtual match point in the 4th set, but returned a second serve about 10 feet long. If he got that break point, he would win the match. He was overpowering Nastase, he should have won. Great to see Arthur come back in 1975 and win the big one at Wimbledon over Conners.
Not sure about Ever, Coria's or Roddick's biggest heartbreaks might be up there. But Ashe has apparently said he's woken up at night in a sweat over this match. It was mentioned in a tennis channel show. I can only imagine tho, with the huge pressures/ every championship match potentially defining your whole career, etc.
Nah Laver or Gonzales from what I've seen & heard would've blown him off the court, also likely Borg. Not even the greatest of the 20th century, but top 10 for that time period Maybe
Actually Arthur Ashe was playing with an early Head composite. I know, I had one! Still utter crap by modern standards, the sweet spot was miniscule. I actually went back to wood after awhile. This was in early 70s.
Note - no towelling after every shot, no deliberate delaying (though Nastase was the master of the manufactured delay) - simply getting on with the match. Current players take note
these two men were phenomenal-- so opposite in temperaments, but so dynamic on the court. Arthur Ashe always the absolute perfect gentlemen and ideal of the sport and Nastase often quite explosive. Nastase could run anything down, but here Ashe shows the world how to pass the Nastase firepower... and this would be good tutorial for anyone want to defeat a Djokovic-totally unforgettable players. They both deseerve far more recognition than they get.
That was really fun to watch! Their volleys were always accompanied by an extra miniature swing, guess blocking alone wasn't enough with those rackets. Still amazed on the accuracy they had.
Play during the wood racket era was slower and allowed players time to run to the net. That is why players could make angled shots. The result is ART. Today, it.s all about power and base line play.
Today's game should be made to play with 1970s equipment. Let's see who can really play tennis then, huh? I reckon the top 30 would look vastly different than what it currently is.
Tennis has changed so much since then. It's more spectacular, players shout like lumberjacks, the crowd is more "crowdy", pace is faster (or seems to be)… Altogether it is more brutal… no surprise, as society has become ……
Well said. Indeed there are parallels. The ATP is sitting close to an all time high, measuring spectators coming to events and sponsorship money. The venues seem to get bigger also. Recreational the tennis numbers of participants isn't looking healthy. People come to watch the us open, but then go out and play Pickleball. Be interesting how long this trend continues.
Nastase could have won more Grand Slam tournaments, but he participates and advances in both doubles and mixed doubles. In the final with Stan Smith from 1972, Smith was in the 8th match at Wimbledon and Nastase in the 17th match. In this tournament - US Open 1972 - he also reached the mixed doubles final and the singles semifinal. Ashe - was in its 8th (7 singles, 1 double) match and Nastase was in his 19th match (7 singles, 6 doubles, 6 mixed doubles).
I don't think you've seen enough McEnroe, Edberg, Sampras or Becker then. Ashe definitely is one of the best, but I don't think I'd ever consider him the best ever.
Tremendo jugador Ashe, una tecnica muy depurada y golpes muy limpios, estaria interesante con una semana de adaptacion que hicieran un torneo jugadores de hoy con raquetas de esa epoca, seria muy divertido
@MrRazorblade999 Your 'statement' is not an 'argument' (hypthesis - reasons > conclusion). It’s an ignorant claim. Ashe beat Connors to win Wimbledon. Connors forced Agassi to come from behind to win in 5 sets even though he was 18YRS older. Agassi has beaten Federer even though 11YRS older. Nastase beat Connors almost all the time (the only player to be able to dominate him) while having trounced Borg 6-2,6-2,6-1 in the ATP Masters which he won 4X. Eras do overlap to compare sometimes.
There needs to be a new tennis association where you must play with a wooden racket to bring back the slower serve and volley game. Then let see how good the modern players are when they have to use touch instead of power only. MUCH MORE FUN TO WATCH Too !
@MrRazorblade999 Djokovic or Federer if in this video would suffer in that era. They'd lose at least 15mph on serve and look like faded versions of themselves today with a good chance of LOSING to many players (Ashe, Nastase, Laver, Smith, Newcombe, Borg, Connors, Vilas, Panatta and more depending on the surface - and there were more surfaces too). Also Ashe and Nastase were far better volleyers while Nastase was a genius shotmaker with touch even better than Federer's reknown touch today.
The modern players are in so much better condition though. Especially with the old rules and 5 set no tiebreak it would give them an advantage once they got used to the technology and surface. Not all playing styles translate but keep in mind the modern frames pros use are weighted and much heavier than the similarly looking version you and I can buy.
Nastase was my hero since I read about him in the newspapers as a little boy in India - then I saw him play in England and I wasn't disappointed. He was infuriating, temperamental, random, conceited and sometimes bigoted - but no one I have seen before or since seemed so naturally gifted with a tennis racket (we should also remember he played with a wooden racket). Whenever he played in Wimbledon, whichever court he was on, it would be filled to overflowing - what a character and player!
there is a good video on YT of Nastase and Jimmy Connors (age 19) meeting for the first time at Wimbledon - there is one game in particular (in set 2 or 3) where he hit four amazing winners in succession to win the game and that stunned the crowd and the announcers.
Loving the single handed backhands by both guys. Two hugely talented players. Great match.
I play with a single-handed backhand. I learned to play in junior high at the end of the '70s, and everyone played with a single-handed back then. I can't adapt to a double-handed --- it seems unnatural to me.
I love hearing the pop coming off of those wooden racquets --- everyone used wooden racquets back when I started playing.
Two elegant players without all those "Aaahhh", "Ooohhh", "Mmmhhh". That was tennis!
The sound, the style, the class
And now it is just pennis
Nastasse had his credit cards stolen.Asked why he hadn't reported it to the police he said the thief was spending less money on his credit card then his wife would've done.
pas compris
LAUGH OUT LOUD
Si ,si . Lui è un tipo scherzoso li piace fare le battute....lo conosco di persona te lo dice in una maniera molto seria 😅
Sa quella che voglia della vita.
😂😂🤣
@@danieldo9133yes îs drink drink Nastase
Ce. Nastase quel talent naturel et quelle personnalité. Il n y en a plus des comme lui aujourd’hui ui
First time to see Nastase, he is absolutely one of Tennis legends and has great playing style
Nasty was one of the most talented players to ever play the game.
Ilie at the top of his game - one of the most amazing , talented tennis players I have ever seen
As a Romanian I am very proud to see moments like these. I am a big fan of tennis and sometimes wish there were more Romanian players like him nowadays. Sure, nationality does not matter that much, I love all good players who give us great matches like these.
This was a real pleasure to watch. It brings back old memories. Arthur Ashe was one of the All-time greats. He had all the strokes and when he put them together he could beat anyone. but he was a greater humanitarian and that is why we remember him. Nastase was the only player of whom it may be said, "He was too great in skill to ever reach his potential." In other words, it was impossible for him to reach his own potential. I know that sounds crazy, and Nastase was. But its true.
nastase did not reach potential not because he had too much ... too much clowning like kygrios...and others
These two greats look like they could hold their own against any of the top players today
I noticed too, just curious how strong they serve during that time....
@@jongjongquenano3198 placement of serve is often more important than speed of serve. These guys could slice angles, serve into the body and more. Todays era would still struggle with their serves.
On grass, they would destroy any of today's players. On clay, Nastase would do well against any of today's players. On hard courts, both would do very well against any of today's players.
Thanks for posting! I love watching these older matches .... they always remind me that the top players of these eras were every bit as talented as today's players in every way. From the '60's, 70's, 80's, doesn't matter. If you took a handful of the top players from then and put them into today's tournaments, hand them today's state-of-the-art rackets, gave them all of these nutritional/energy drinks that the players haul onto the court today, they'd all be vying for the same top-10 tour slots, and they'd be winning matches in the same manner they did back in their day. What a fantasy to imagine ........
This is not tennis, this is ART...
It's both.
Highligths
Federer is art
Juan Esteban Kruh Sanmguel Incorrect, it was Ashe!
Tennis was art before the giant racquets and poly strings ruined it. I used to call tennis physical chess. Now it’s just a war of attrition.
What a combo of touch and power displayed by both these players. Good job on the director and producer of creating good camera angles off shots.
I love that vintage serve technique. Low toss and hitting the ball at its apex. Today, many players toss the ball high and strike it on the way down. Both techniques work, but its fun to watch the classics play.
Both Ashe and Nastase are greats of tennis but there's something especially breathtaking about Nastase's speed, reflexes, and dexterity.
I saw them both play in person when I was a kid, it was awesome to see this video.
All the modern greats I've seen.
But for natural flair and instinctive play.
(and with wooden rackets)
Ilie Nastase was my favourite
Arthur was the personification of class and character and the fact that he was a great player is almost secondary.
Say what you want about Nastase's character, he was a legend on the tennis court.
He's got the fastest reflexes at the net of any player I've seen.
What did he do character wise
Hmmm I guess you never saw Boris Becker when he won Wimbledon in 1985 and 86`.
Perfectchaos007 I saw him play live. Nastase would HAVE been a better player if he hadn’t been such as ASSHOLE!
so was Ashe that is a legend on the court and OFF the court
Beautiful, classic, elegant, serve and volley tennis.
what a genius Nastase was...and what a record he could have built up...
Tenis de muy alta calidad. Dos jugadores exquisitamente técnicos. Un placer verlos.
Two of the smoothest, most graceful tennis players of all-time, in their prime. And you can see the tennis ball, lol. Thanks.
love how fast these guys are playing. probably 2-3 seconds before each service motion. great tennis
This is tennis, unlike the baseline robots today
Spot on
Tennis today would be better to watch if they forced players to use the rackets they were using back in the 1970s.
Hey I was an editor of the Call & Post Newspaper, an Ohio Statewide weekly when I interviewed Arthur in Cincinnati in 1989.... and part of that interview led me to law school.... which in some ways I wish I didn't know what I know but I'll still never regret it!
Peace.
Lucky to have talked to this great gentleman!
Woowww! My two favourite players in the 70's. There are TOP3 tennis clips in the net: thisone, Laver vs Jimmy C and Ken Rosewall vs Tony Roche at Melbourne Centre Court.
Thank you so much, this is a tennis gem. What a great tennis level displayed!
i like how these played play a point and get on to the next one. They don't have to pick their ass for 30 seconds or towel off after every damn point. Amazing how good these guys were considering the shitty equipment they had to play with.
They were good because of the equipment they played with. It wasn't 'shitty' at all!
Melchior Genovese obviously dumbass I meant compared to today’s equipment. And yes it is shitty
this was beautiful tennis.. Much nicer than what we have now
Today's tennis is BORING!
Some solid tennis here. Lovely upload for the tennis history buffs. Not often u see such footage where the ball is so clear. Bravo.
Nastase makes it look easy
For Nasty, it was easy !
I got my first color TV in 72. I was really excited to be able to see tennis like this. Thanks for the upload.
Damn, color TV in 72? You were doin' pretty good! lol...
McEnroe and Nastase, the most talented players of all time....amazing
Until Fed came along with more talent than both.
And Mecir
@@iamtman1 I dunno dude. Different eras. McEnroe was considered by most the best doubles player of his era. Fed has amazing hands, but I've watched him play doubs multiple times at Indian Wells. Just doesn't have the instinctive movement at net that the great ones do.
Fed has great instincts and movement everywhere on court. His touch is unbelievable too. Even McEnroe admits fed far superior than him.
@@willzsportscards Federer is an astonishing ball striker, but he's not in the same league as Mcenroe with his volleys. I agree with you.
The rackets back then were crap compared to today. So them being able to play with those things is just as amazing as their tennis athletic ability.
Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about.
@@theoriginalthinker9199He knows exactly what he is talking about. The rackets back then were crap compared to the rackets of the 80s, never mind what they use today. Those rackets had sweet spots the size of a walnut, today it's the size of a fist.
@@alanfrost75 I'll tell you why he, and you, don't know what you're talking about. Tennis players have such hand/eye coordination, they don't need a huge racket head. Also, back then they hit through the ball more. Today, they have wicked, wristy topspin strokes that they need larger head rackets to minimize mishitting. I've forgotten more about tennis than you two will ever know.
@@theoriginalthinker9199 Well, at least your comment was good for a laugh. The reason they can hit the topspin that they hit these days is because of racket and string technology. If you knew shit about tennis, this would not be news to you. And the development in the size of the sweet spot helps immensely (Navratilova has a nice long explanation here on youtube if you want to educate yourself). Bottom line is, you cannot play the modern game with these rackets. You had to hit far more carefully, and because of the massively reduced topspin, you had to hit more for the lines than you do today.
It is so absurd to even have to explain this to you. So many players - from Navratilova to Becker to McEnroe to Sampras have explained exactly how much technology has impacted the game. You think you forgot a lot about tennis - what you actually forgot is that you never knew shit.
@@alanfrost75 Haha, "good for a laugh" but of course you refuted nothing. How many times have i heard that one.
The reason why they hit the topspin, knucklehead, has nothing to do with string, or racket, mumbo jumbo, it's because of the wicked wrist action they use. Look at Nadal. Players NEVER hit their forehands like that back then. Not even :Laver, Borg, or Vilas. The reason why they hit the shots they do, is because stroke production has changed drastically. There are no more classic, orthodox tennis players anymore. The closest person that comes to that is Federer, but he uses some whip as well. You're just some young punk, know it all, and of course, you know nothing.
The most heartbreaking loss ever, Ashe should have this match. He had virtual match point in the 4th set, but returned a second serve about 10 feet long. If he got that break point, he would win the match. He was overpowering Nastase, he should have won. Great to see Arthur come back in 1975 and win the big one at Wimbledon over Conners.
Maybe that's s why he made some petty remarks after the match during the trophy ceremony. Classless
Not sure about Ever, Coria's or Roddick's biggest heartbreaks might be up there. But Ashe has apparently said he's woken up at night in a sweat over this match. It was mentioned in a tennis channel show. I can only imagine tho, with the huge pressures/ every championship match potentially defining your whole career, etc.
Nastase...greatest ever on any one given day.
Nah Laver or Gonzales from what I've seen & heard would've blown him off the court, also likely Borg. Not even the greatest of the 20th century, but top 10 for that time period Maybe
I miss wooden rackets. Much more varied shot selection and playmaking.
More skill also
Beautiful tennis. I remember Nastase saying in an interview that he was "more of a claycourt player, really". Well, it doesn't show on this ffootage.
I think he said that because in Romania we have a lot of clay courts and barely a couple of grass ones.
Ilie would do more 'trick' shots on clay, with the slower pace. I witnessed in person (1973) some truly crazy shots by this racquet artist genius.
Holy crap that was entertaining.
Best 7 mins I spent on youtube in a long while.
Unreal what they could do with those crappy wooden racquets. Wow.
Actually Arthur Ashe was playing with an early Head composite. I know, I had one! Still utter crap by modern standards, the sweet spot was miniscule. I actually went back to wood after awhile. This was in early 70s.
Note - no towelling after every shot, no deliberate delaying (though Nastase was the master of the manufactured delay) - simply getting on with the match. Current players take note
Some Nasty tennis. Very good.
Tennis use to be an ART
yes right, not anymore . only federer the only aritst . the rest play baseball
Beautiful 🎾 tenis 🎾 Nastase genius 👑
these two men were phenomenal-- so opposite in temperaments, but so dynamic on the court. Arthur Ashe always the absolute perfect gentlemen and ideal of the sport and Nastase often quite explosive. Nastase could run anything down, but here Ashe shows the world how to pass the Nastase firepower... and this would be good tutorial for anyone want to defeat a Djokovic-totally unforgettable players. They both deseerve far more recognition than they get.
Depth, power and placement on Ashe's volleys are unreal
Two wonderful shot makers... Nastase was a freak and so loose!
This is how tennis used to be played - great to see two old masters
That was really fun to watch! Their volleys were always accompanied by an extra miniature swing, guess blocking alone wasn't enough with those rackets. Still amazed on the accuracy they had.
Amazing
Old tennis is so elegant. They had beautiful strokes. The game now lacks this beauty.
Dupa atatea ani ne mandrim iarasi cu tenisul romanesc ,,Simona Halep" o invingatoare!
That is some serious tennis! Both at their prime.
Play during the wood racket era was slower and allowed players time to run to the net. That is why players could make angled shots. The result is ART. Today, it.s all about power and base line play.
These guys were knocking the crap out of the ball...excellent match !!
These guys really smacked the ball hard... damn
I love how the sound goes out from that rackets
Solo chi ha giocato a quei tempi con quelle racchette capisce a che livelli siamo qui ......
Wow!!! Incredible shotmaking by both guys! Impressive. Esp w/ those old racquets.
I remember watching this on TV...I was 9 yrs old at the time...
this is a Classic Tennis love it
damm Nasty can play fast!
In the presence of greatness! Both these guys IMHO.
Today's game should be made to play with 1970s equipment. Let's see who can really play tennis then, huh? I reckon the top 30 would look vastly different than what it currently is.
Amazing skills!!! Les power than today but way nicer tenis!
Pure and True.. Bravo
True Art in Motion,
5:21 .. best drop shot artist of all time.
Too easy.
Wow! That was great stuff!
Tennis has changed so much since then.
It's more spectacular, players shout like lumberjacks, the crowd is more "crowdy", pace is faster (or seems to be)… Altogether it is more brutal… no surprise, as society has become ……
Well said. Indeed there are parallels. The ATP is sitting close to an all time high, measuring spectators coming to events and sponsorship money. The venues seem to get bigger also. Recreational the tennis numbers of participants isn't looking healthy. People come to watch the us open, but then go out and play Pickleball. Be interesting how long this trend continues.
eternal dreamer who changed the tennis...........
Great form
Nastase could have won more Grand Slam tournaments, but he participates and advances in both doubles and mixed doubles. In the final with Stan Smith from 1972, Smith was in the 8th match at Wimbledon and Nastase in the 17th match.
In this tournament - US Open 1972 - he also reached the mixed doubles final and the singles semifinal. Ashe - was in its 8th (7 singles, 1 double) match and Nastase was in his 19th match (7 singles, 6 doubles, 6 mixed doubles).
Nastaze. Grt hands.
@krosero Thanks this is beautiful stuff mate.
Beautiful one-handed backhand shots! So much more elegant than the sissy two-handed backhand that most players have today.
tennis in the old days was all about 1:serve 2:smash the opponents return on a volley
due fuoriclasse
Gracias por compartir!!!
El elegante y preciosista tenis de mi adolescencia
Magnificent. Wow
Quelle fluidité dans le jeu de nastase 😊
These guys were getting after it !!
Great to hear Bud Collins commentating. My favorite tennis commentator. Well maybe second to McEnroe......
this is some good tennis from the start
From what I've seen Arthur maybe the best net volly player ever
I don't think you've seen enough McEnroe, Edberg, Sampras or Becker then. Ashe definitely is one of the best, but I don't think I'd ever consider him the best ever.
Also Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, John Newcombe (The Ausy serve volley generation) had great (greater) achievements as serve volley players
Nasty legend
Que hermoso es el tenis.
Tremendo jugador Ashe, una tecnica muy depurada y golpes muy limpios, estaria interesante con una semana de adaptacion que hicieran un torneo jugadores de hoy con raquetas de esa epoca, seria muy divertido
Ashe's aluminum lined plastic racket was unique, never another like it. Nastase was using the venerable Max Fort?
Please rename that stadium.
Call it Ilie Năstase
... or Willie Nasty!
@MrRazorblade999 Your 'statement' is not an 'argument' (hypthesis - reasons > conclusion). It’s an ignorant claim. Ashe beat Connors to win Wimbledon. Connors forced Agassi to come from behind to win in 5 sets even though he was 18YRS older. Agassi has beaten Federer even though 11YRS older. Nastase beat Connors almost all the time (the only player to be able to dominate him) while having trounced Borg 6-2,6-2,6-1 in the ATP Masters which he won 4X. Eras do overlap to compare sometimes.
Arthur Ashe was the only tennis player on the court that day.
It was such a game of skill and Grace..Now look at the sport, where grown men have to use two hands like little girls.
Arthur was a total class act. Fate dealt him a terrible blow.
There needs to be a new tennis association where you must play with a wooden racket to bring back the slower serve and volley game. Then let see how good the modern players are when they have to use touch instead of power only. MUCH MORE FUN TO WATCH Too !
Serve and volley. Real tennis. Exciting tennis. Who is responsible for destroying this ?
that is not Ilie Nastase, that's Geronimo! 😉
@MrRazorblade999 Djokovic or Federer if in this video would suffer in that era. They'd lose at least 15mph on serve and look like faded versions of themselves today with a good chance of LOSING to many players (Ashe, Nastase, Laver, Smith, Newcombe, Borg, Connors, Vilas, Panatta and more depending on the surface - and there were more surfaces too). Also Ashe and Nastase were far better volleyers while Nastase was a genius shotmaker with touch even better than Federer's reknown touch today.
If they were to play today they would get trashed
The modern players are in so much better condition though. Especially with the old rules and 5 set no tiebreak it would give them an advantage once they got used to the technology and surface. Not all playing styles translate but keep in mind the modern frames pros use are weighted and much heavier than the similarly looking version you and I can buy.