In his prime, Jimmy Connors personified the spirit of the American Wild West. He strode on court like a gunfighter, ready to take on all-comers, and usually, he saw them all off! There was only one 'Jimbo' and there was nothing he liked better than a good scrap. Connors, the 'street-fighter', was always a strong contender for any title, playing with a steel racket, the T-2000, throughout his career. He wielded it like a club and remained faithful to it throughout his career, using it long after it had been discarded by others and discontinued by the manufacturer. In general his game had weaknesses. His strokes, whilst effective, were not in the classical mode and his serve was rather limited. Even so, opponents found him hard to beat for the one true weapon he did possess was a devastating double-handed backhand and an ability to control points with his ground-strokes, especially from the back of the court. He was also one of the fittest players on the circuit and always prepared to run down balls, never giving up what many would consider lost causes. Connors first came into the world spotlight when the sport started to boom in the early seventies, and played a major role in influencing its development with his exciting approach to the game and personal charisma, all of which made him a major attraction whenever and wherever he competed. He was great at interacting with the crowds with jocular asides, often aimed at officials but well out of their earshot, as were many of the uncouth gestures he made, again always making sure his back was to the umpire! All-in-all, his aggressive style of play coupled with his antics, ensured he was credited with changing "the genteel game of tennis into a sport of pugilism in designer shorts!" His rivalry with Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and, to a lesser extent, Ivan Lendl, ensured that the professional game received high profile press coverage. In fact that rivalry remains good for the box-office even today on the senior tour for Over 35s, which Connors went on to successfully establish after his eventual retirement. He won Wimbledon twice during a remarkable career which spanned some 23 years, reaching the singles final on three other occasions. His first triumph was in 1974 when he defeated the popular Australian Ken Rosewall in straight sets. Then as defending champion and favourite, he suffered a high profile defeat in the 1975 final, losing to Arthur Ashe 1-6, 1-6, 7-5, 4-6, unable to counteract what has been described as "one of the cleverest tactical displays ever seen on Centre Court." That final was also the occasion when a Connors fan urged him loudly from the stands, bellowing "Come on, Jimmy" at his frustrated hero only to receive an equally acerbic and loud response: "I’m trying, for Christ’s sake!" His second triumph came seven years later, in 1982, when it was his turn to topple the top seed and defending champion, McEnroe, in the final. The previous year McEnroe had ended Borg’s long five year reign as Wimbledon champion and the American was expected to establish himself in a similar manner over the coming years. That forecast was cut short by the battling Connors who prevailed over his rival in the fifth, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. When Connors eventually retired, he had amassed 109 titles, a record which will be hard to beat in this hectic professional day. In addition to the aforementioned Wimbledon successes, he also won five US Opens (1974, 1976, 1978, 1982 & ‘83) and the Australian Open (1974). In doubles, in partnership with Ilie Nastase, the titles at Wimbledon (1973) and the US Open (1975) fell to their combined efforts. Connors also has the unique distinction of having won the US Open on three different surfaces, on grass in 1974, clay in 1976 and then on the hard-courts of Flushing Meadows. He was 31 years of age when he won his last one and eight years later, at 39, he was still battling on, reaching the semi-finals where he lost to Jim Courier. His fighting qualities were also evident in Paris where you would least expect his style of play to be successful. He never won the French Open but he did reach the semi-finals twice and made the last eight three times. His most successful year was 1974 when he played and won three of the four Grand Slam championships. He might well have made a clean sweep of it but was sidelined from the French having been barred for signing up to a World Team Tennis contract. Connors will always be remembered as a player who never
gave up, was hard-hitting and extremely focused on the task
in hand. Spectators watching Connors play always knew he
would give more than a hundred percent, even when a score
line against him would suggest the opposite. Written by Henry Wancke JIMMY CONNORS Singles Champion: 1974, 1982 |
