I started playing Tennis in 1968 and I just use a Jack Kramer wooden racquet. 56 years later, I’m using these amazing graphite rackets and still playing tennis at 74 years old and still playing competitively. Tennis is the most unbelievable game.
In 1977, Guillermo Vilas won 16 ATP singles titles, including the Roland Garros and US Open tournaments. He also had 136 wins. Despite all these numbers, he was not considered N1, which is incredible and unfair. Vilas is the best South American in the history of tennis.
Thanks for posting this! This is unreal. When the racket technology still made it a fair contest between volley player and baseliner. The game nowadays doesn't 'make this kind of duel possible anymore and thus isn't as good to watch.
Spot on, technology has ruined the game, little raw tennis skill in the modern game, it's now more about running, more like racquet ball on a tennis court. how much quicker is the ball off the court. thanks for posting, big Vilas fan, watched his Aus Open wins, back in the day.
I watched all of this and was disappointed the clip had to finish. I haven't watched a single point of Sinner versus Zverev! Modern tennis has a problem.
2 things stand out. The technique difference with Vilas using the big topspin loop on the forehand similar to modern players and Stan using the old take the racket back and relatively flat classic forehand. The jumping on serve also stands out. Trabert said he didn't know if jumping was an advantage and players didn't do it back his day. The rule required you to keep at least one foot on the ground until 1961 and that's why players didn't do it in Trabert's era. Almost all modern players jump or push up off the ground into contact. I think Vilas and Borg were 2 key players in changing technique. They were both great on clay but they also proved you could win on hard courts and Borg proved you could win on clay with big topspin strokes.
He won 2 Australian Opens on grass and had good hard court results too. Vilas and Borg proved you could win on fast courts with loopy topspin strokes as long as you had a well rounded game.
The age of genius leftys connors ,tanner ,vilas , mcenroe just started in 78 an vilas topspin high backhand with that 370 gram head racket is so fire gasguet like.....
I have not the possibility to watch all your videos but I'm really impressed by the high quality and the rarity of the matches. Your channel is definitely essential for every serious tennis fan 👍👍👍😉
Those shoes I see them on a lot of people, they look really nice. Some of that money still may be going to Stan banks accounts, so he could have not gotten a better deal.
First thing I noticed was no moustache for Smith. Not what I expected or remembered about this match. Vilas doing all that serve/volley? Coming in doesn't surprise me, but not all that s/v. Not on a hard court. Maybe on grass. And Smith stayed back on 2 or 3 first serves. Wouldn't expect that either.
looks like the women tennis players of today are stronger than any male champion of that era. True of any sport. We are evolving stronger faster smarter.
@@TENNISPROHISTORY Definitely not broadcast in the US. I mean the entire match. They showed some highlights on the late night wrapup show that CBS Had.
Yes but only for the first 2 or 3 rounds. Then, at least from the round of 16, all the matches were at the best of 5 sets. In fact Connors, who won that edition, defeated Panatta 7/5 at the fifth set at the round of 16.
There was a recent debate at the ITF about making Slams for both sexes best of 3 for the first 3 rounds then best of 5 from round of 16 onwards. It would put to bed once and for all the notion that women did less than men but the elite men were dead against it (best of 3 gives so much more opportunity for shock defeats)
Este Vilas no le llega ni al talón a ríos número 1 él solo el segundo Pero importa eso llegó solo al num.1 lo que importa es que gano 18 torneos.y con eso basto para ser el primer latino número 1. En juveniles profesional y senior alcanzó aquello.
I started playing Tennis in 1968 and I just use a Jack Kramer wooden racquet. 56 years later, I’m using these amazing graphite rackets and still playing tennis at 74 years old and still playing competitively. Tennis is the most unbelievable game.
Thank you for this. I'm 64 and Vilas was my favorite player in the 70s and 80s.
In 1977, Guillermo Vilas won 16 ATP singles titles, including the Roland Garros and US Open tournaments. He also had 136 wins. Despite all these numbers, he was not considered N1, which is incredible and unfair. Vilas is the best South American in the history of tennis.
Gracias por este video.
Vilas es mi jugador preferido y me gusta verlo en estos partidos con leyendas del tenis como S. Smith.
Felicitaciones
at the time, that Head Vilas racket was the coolest looking frame on the market.
Check out the stan smith Fischer racquet here, too. I still have several of those, wild looking.
I played with that, and later, the Edgewood which was a larger version of the Vilas.
@@ThorD4602my friend alternated between the Fischer and a Kramer pro staff
@@ThorD4602 this racket seems to be so little 😮
And it was so expensive ! I remember finding a broken one once and taking it home - it was a beautiful racquet
Vilas was such a gifted player and super athlete. I was privledged to watch him compete.
Vilas doesn't get enough credit for being ALL class on the court.
Yes but one can't outclass Mr. Class himself, Stan Smith. Mr. Vilas was imo better overall player however.
Thanks for posting this! This is unreal. When the racket technology still made it a fair contest between volley player and baseliner. The game nowadays doesn't 'make this kind of duel possible anymore and thus isn't as good to watch.
I guess I’m showing my age but this is much more entertaining than yesterday’s AO final watching two guys just blast away from the baseline.
the racket technology has destroyed the game. it's unwatchable. been so for years. wasn't bad but by mid 2000s the slide accelerated.
Spot on, technology has ruined the game, little raw tennis skill in the modern game, it's now more about running, more like racquet ball on a tennis court.
how much quicker is the ball off the court. thanks for posting, big Vilas fan, watched his Aus Open wins, back in the day.
I watched all of this and was disappointed the clip had to finish. I haven't watched a single point of Sinner versus Zverev! Modern tennis has a problem.
Summerral and Trabert were such a good team. Insightful, informative, and entertaining.
Muchas gracias por subir estos videos!, en general hay muy poco de Vilas en YT, me gustaría ver algunos de él del año ´74 o ´75 por favor, gracias!
Thank you!!!!! Vilas, Borg Goolagong-Cawley ❤. Tennis in the 70s❤. Wonderful memories.
2 things stand out. The technique difference with Vilas using the big topspin loop on the forehand similar to modern players and Stan using the old take the racket back and relatively flat classic forehand. The jumping on serve also stands out. Trabert said he didn't know if jumping was an advantage and players didn't do it back his day. The rule required you to keep at least one foot on the ground until 1961 and that's why players didn't do it in Trabert's era. Almost all modern players jump or push up off the ground into contact. I think Vilas and Borg were 2 key players in changing technique. They were both great on clay but they also proved you could win on hard courts and Borg proved you could win on clay with big topspin strokes.
I was there. I remember very SLIGHTLY.
Vilas showed his all court skills and was not simply a clay court player.
He won 2 Australian Opens on grass and had good hard court results too. Vilas and Borg proved you could win on fast courts with loopy topspin strokes as long as you had a well rounded game.
Vilas extraordinario…..y Stan Smith un caballero y excelente jugador…
The age of genius leftys connors ,tanner ,vilas , mcenroe just started in 78 an vilas topspin high backhand with that 370 gram head racket is so fire gasguet like.....
1970s lefties, you forgot Manuel Orantes
I have not the possibility to watch all your videos but I'm really impressed by the high quality and the rarity of the matches. Your channel is definitely essential for every serious tennis fan 👍👍👍😉
agreed
The video quality is amazing, almost pristine. Amazing with video this old.
I love this as well
Guillermo Superstar :)
Ian Tiriak smoking? Best shot in the vid
They hit just as hard then than today and it was a game of placement.
i miss Tony Traebert and Pat Summerall!
Stan should have got a better endorsement deal on the shoes. Teenage girls still wear them.
Those shoes I see them on a lot of people, they look really nice. Some of that money still may be going to Stan banks accounts, so he could have not gotten a better deal.
First thing I noticed was no moustache for Smith. Not what I expected or remembered about this match. Vilas doing all that serve/volley? Coming in doesn't surprise me, but not all that s/v. Not on a hard court. Maybe on grass. And Smith stayed back on 2 or 3 first serves. Wouldn't expect that either.
thanks for uploading. It was best-of-five sets only from round 4 onwards?
Amazing how Summerall and Traebert talked only between the points. Todays announcers never stop talking.
Stan was one of the few players who used Fischer racquets
Along with Paraguay's Victor Pecci (Roland Garros 1979 finalisti) and Australia's John Alexander
Do you know what Smith's racquet was made of?
LE TENNIS
QUE NOUS AIMONS INFINIMENT.
Vilas won almost 50 matches in The row, but Borg he lost for instance with 6-1 6-1 6-3 in Paris 78 and 6-1 6-0 6-2 in Monte Carlo 80
What size is Stan's racquet?? When I saw it reminded me of the sweet spot training stick!
Guillermo gran Zurdo...fue un rey en la cancha de arcilla en lo setenta...
And how about the camera angle? Couldn't ask for anything better.
Guillermo tratando de hacer saque y red, jugando como se estilaba en esa superficie a fines de los '70
Tiriac is a billionaire eh?
@Elmerhartman yes! Two billions.
Vilas won two sets to one?
This was the Open, a Grand Slam, don't get it.
Missing sets?
Please somebody?
4:57 Donald Trump?
Probably
looks like the women tennis players of today are stronger than any male champion of that era. True of any sport. We are evolving stronger faster smarter.
Doubt it, tennis raquets back then were very heavy, thats why Vilas got a tremendous forearm. Development of the raquets helps improvement of the game
Stan's racket looks like a squash racket!
From the same 1978 US Open, Connors vs Panatta?
@simonerastelli5874 we've been searching for that match for decades. We think it was never broadcast.
@simonerastelli5874 we won't give up anyway.
@@TENNISPROHISTORY Definitely not broadcast in the US. I mean the entire match. They showed some highlights on the late night wrapup show that CBS Had.
👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏
Vilas... the prototype for Nadal ❗
Vilaas qlo demoros para servir 🤦🏽♂️
Best two out of three at this US open?? Am I missing something?
Yes but only for the first 2 or 3 rounds. Then, at least from the round of 16, all the matches were at the best of 5 sets. In fact Connors, who won that edition, defeated Panatta 7/5 at the fifth set at the round of 16.
1975-78 was best of 3 in the early rounds.
I'm fairly knowledgeable about tennis, especially this era, and I had no idea this was happening! Makes no sense. It's like a footnote in history.
There was a recent debate at the ITF about making Slams for both sexes best of 3 for the first 3 rounds then best of 5 from round of 16 onwards. It would put to bed once and for all the notion that women did less than men but the elite men were dead against it (best of 3 gives so much more opportunity for shock defeats)
@@gerardmackay8909 The term is "shocking" defeats. Our language is being dumbed down.
They should bring back the best out of three sets instead of making the men now play five sets.
@charlenehastings4840 why?
No way.
this was tennis not the sh1t we have now
No son tonteras.
Si eres argentino entonces entiendo por qué no aceptan que ríos es el mejor de la historia en Latinoamérica
Este Vilas no le llega ni al talón a ríos número 1 él solo el segundo
Pero importa eso llegó solo al num.1 lo que importa es que gano 18 torneos.y con eso basto para ser el primer latino número 1.
En juveniles profesional y senior alcanzó aquello.
Ríos no ganó ningún gran slam,Vilas 3 y un Master.Entonces que decís?
@@claudiofeldman esa respuesta te puedar.
Además ningún argentino lo logro
Después vino kurten y hasta ahora nadie mas
Que tontería dice usted
neither would win a game today, sad
They sure would if today's players had to use their wooden rackets. Today's stroke production isn't possible without today's technology.