Extraordinary to watch such a great classic. Even more surprising is to realize that in this era the players stood through the entire match - not even a bench to put their towels on. No snacks, no electrolyte drinks, no bouncing the ball a dozen times, no VAR. Wooden rackets, serve & volley - what's not to love!
I remember a match in the World Invitational Tennis Classic in which Arthur Ashe complained to the chair umpire because Stan Smith sat during changeovers.
I loved watching Ilie Nastase play… he was one of the most gifted players ever… no one had his court speed back then…. It was pure joy to watch him… I Miss him…!!! What he could do with a simple wood racket…
@@steffanhoffmannyou really have a problem. Why are you comparing the modern tennis with the tennis of the 70s? Tennis just like every other sport has evolved. Why don’t you?
@@deanstockwell2396 let's compare shall we? My evolving to perhaps you. This will take some time. So ☺ 👍 I'm no brexiteer by the way. I'm from Kensington and Chelsea; in London. Dad from Berlin; and mother from France. I left after brexit, a stupid little englander decision. However, I'm grateful for my British education. I don't live in UK 🇬🇧 anymore; I'm in a better climate. I play 🎾 with my friends from Western Europe; and Scandinavia. Sit outside cafes with them, discussing politics, sport bla de bla. They all speak English, most do in that part of the world; for decades. I cycle everywhere, on a fantastic boulevard, beachfrontage infrastructure. I was a British English language consultant, in Kyiv one year; and Odessa three. In Ukraine. (Male dominated society, you'd love it 😂) I left Odessa, ten months before vladolf putler invaded (a hunch) My mother was from Britanny by the way 😂 🇫🇷 My dad from Berlin....me...I'm from Kensington and Chelsea in London originally; but no English in my ancestry; as I researched it 😂 Live in Alanya region 🇹🇷, of the beautiful Med Sea climate nowadays. Coincidentally another male dominated society 320 sunny days a year; and heavenly for an 'Englishman' 😂 Dec averaged 22c and Jan 21c. About 4 days ☔ each month. Feb/Mar not cold either....a little more in fact 23c. Again 4 days ☔ collectively. April was 25c plus and 4 days ☔ May a little hotter at 29c 1 day rain...Coronation 👉 🇬🇧 👑 day. ☺ June no rain and averaged 34c. July off the scale. 🔥 Today is 16th August and it's 44c ☀ 🔥 no rain this month. As you are aware, there's been a heatwave; for almost 8 weeks here. Some days by 4pm; it's been 56c. I'm acclimatised at 37c; but anything hotter and I'm not too keen. I've adapted to this heatwave, and go to the beach at 6am, returning at 10am, before it rises considerably. Even at 6am it's 31c; for the last 4 weeks. Doesn't fall under that at night either. Med Sea is like a jacuzzi 😂 (Aircon controlled means I sleep soundly). Media in 🇬🇧 say 23c is 😂 a "scorcher" I live here because of Brexit. (Another hunch 😂 ) Prices very low for us....cigarettes £1.25 single pack of 20. (I don't smoke, it's a good gauge for prices though) My monthly rent overlooking the Med Sea is 350 euros. All mod cons 7 years old. My electric and water bill last month, combined was £19. That's like late 1960s UK prices. 🤔 (Gas heating unnecessary, haven't got it) You can work out the cost of everything else; just based on what I've written. But it's about two thirds less, of what I'd pay in UK; and Europe. British tourists recently told me that. Fresh produce is the norm, at incredibly low prices, at farmers bazaars. I'm 5 mins walk from here 👍 All year round it's pretty much the same. This video about Nov 2022. My dad worked on the Ford Ghia all models. A German engineer. We lived in Tampa Bay for three years, when I was a junior, before being transferred back to London. Sold my place; because you can't take it 👉 💷 with you. Brits are obsessed about how much their property is worth, live frugally, die; and fail to take advantage of that equity. In UK, I'd had enough of being dictated to; by minority groups. It's much more relaxing; after having left. Finally, the dreary weather in UK DOES affect thinking. Also personal appearance, with most UK people possessing dark circles; under their eyes. (Lack of sunlight) you don't notice it until you leave. Not so where I've been; and am currently. I'm happy, with continuously evolving ☺ 👍 ua-cam.com/video/4V-cGAl6bxM/v-deo.html
@@deanstockwell2396 They can't comprehend that those talented players would also play much differently with all the modern equipment and training methods.
Dunlop Max Ply. It was around the most-used by the pros. With the wooden Wilson Jack Kramer model. (Kramer.) Laver used the Max Ply to win those majors Grand Slams. Connors and Evert both used the Wilson Kramer in the early years of their pro careers.
Thank you for historic 1972 Wimbledon match with Ilie and Jimmy .. rare to see so clearly. It bugs me that Ilie's Wimbledon final matches (1972, 1976) against Stan Smith and Bjorn Borg are gone from UA-cam .. it's like Ilie's been erased. However, he can still be seen beating Bjorn Borg (1975) and John McEnroe (1978) in full matches. He was an amazingly talented player and shot maker. I was lucky to have seen his magic on clay up close and in person ('73).
No applauds from the crowd on errors and no fist pumping or a yell on every point won, tennis was so much better back then! Edited to add: No 15 ball bounce before serve, just starting right into play.
Completely agree on the quality! Nastase was already a legend at this point. Connors would have to wait another couple of years before his status was solidified.
Big year for Nasty. He was VERY close to winning this win Wimbledon get 2 sets off Smith in the Championship, and beat Ashe in 5 sets in that years US Open. Won the French the next year, and was world championship not long before Jimbo. Nastase had more talent the he would end up capitalizing on but still achieved much.
David, your comment is quite accurate. Many who have played at that time along with a few now recognize his natural talent. He is considered to be the most gifted tennis player of all time. Laver, McEnroe and Federer are in the same category. Reiterating, I am speaking of natural talent. It is nice to hear someone recognize this after seeing so much incredible tennis since his (Nastase's) playing days.
@@steffanhoffmannMany players go through a whole career without winning a slam. At least this “peasantic oaf” (whatever that means) left a mark in the history of tennis and has his name in the tennis hall of fame. What are your achievements I wonder other than to belittle those who are not the product of a western society? Just because he wasn’t a “Berg” or a “Smith” doesn’t make him less worthy and those who appreciate this sport would know what I am talking about. And those “gentlemen” you are talking about had their own skeletons. At least Nastase did not end bankrupt and in prison like the gentleman Becker.
Interesting on so many levels. I must have seen at least some of this back in the day, but how you forget. No chairs, no towelling off between points, no 37 bounces before serving. Jack Kramer in the commentary box. Connors' game also not quite there yet; he's serving and volleying on just about every point; just a few years later he'd developed an all-court game. A great watch; thanks for the memories.
Amazing watching Nastase in this match that he didn't win that year and never won Wimbledon. With his style of play he should have won 2 or 3 Wimbledon titles.
12:10 This is such an unexpected moment there for modern tennis fans. Not only do they have no bench to sit on, others have already commented about that. But look how they basically hang out together during the change over, shoulder to shoulder basically. I mean that must have led to some funny or potentially tense moments at times. I wonder if they ever chit-chat or trash talk. It would be unimaginable nowadays.
Yeah Dunlop like Laver and Mac, then Adidas. The last few years he used the graphite Adidas Lendl used. Like when he played Connors and MAC in Davis Cup in 84 Then he partied in Bucharest with Ashe, Jimbo and MAC. All old friends at that point
Maybe the tours can consider having one tournament where the players have to play with wooden rackets of this kind of the old days... I'll bet it would bring in a lot of new fans due to enabling serve and volley.
Cool to see this. You can tell a young Connors hasn't fully found the game that would become his calling card for the next 30 years. These two would go on to become good and life-long friends as two of tennis's early "bad boys" and imps.
4 OUT OF 5 YEAR END CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES. HIGHEST WINNING PERCENTAGE OF ALL TIME IN THE YEAR END FINALS. #1 IN THE WORLD IN 1973 2 WIMBLEDON FINALS. THE ONE AGAINST STAN SMITH CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST WIMBLEDON FINALS OF ALL TIME. 2 WIMBLEDON MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH ROSIE CASALS, PROTECTING HER RIGHT TO WEAR THE VIRGINIA SLIMS LOGO AT WIMBLEDON 3 MAJOR DOUBLES TITLES 1 FRENCH WITH TIRIAC 1 WIMBLEDON WITH CONNORS 1 US OPEN WITH CONNORS WINNING HEAD TO HEAD RECORDS AGAINST WORLD #1 PLAYERS INCLUDING CONNORS, LAVER, NEWCOMBE TIED HEAD TO HEAD RECORDS AGAINST ASHE AND OKKER. 7-10 AGAINST BORG. COACHED BORGS SWEDISH DAVIS CUP TEAM IN THE FINAL ROUND WIN OVER YUGOSLAVIA "KODES" WINNING HEAD TO HEAD RECORDS AGAINST ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE EXCEPT VILAS AND VITAS MAGNANIMOUS MIXED DOUBLES PARTNER OF DR. RENEE RICHARDS AT THE US OPEN WINNER OF THE WORLD TEAM TENNIS LEAGUE PLAYING WITH CHRISSIE AND VIJAY WITH THE LA STRINGS. NUMBER 6 ALL TIME, TIED WITH FEDERER AT 111, MOST TITLES IN THE OPEN ERA. AND OF COURSE THE US OPEN AND FRENCH TITLES AND FINALIST IN ANOTHER FRENCH LOSING TO KODES PLEASE GRAB A COPY OF THE BUD COLLINS TENNIS ENCYCLOPEDIA PRIOR TO ANY MORE INANE POSTS@@steffanhoffmann
The nowadays tennis players wouldn't be even able to hit the ball using these small racquets. Also, no scratching asses, no benches etc. Just serving and running to the net.
Do you mind if I lighten this a bit and put the link back in this space? Great stuff here. Nasty and Mac would have been something to watch if they had overlapped more. As it was the '79 USO was a hoot.
The commentators emphasize that Connors was just 19, but Nastase was only 25 himself. In these early days of broadcasting when people didn't talk so much, you can hear a second set of English-speaking commentators on occasion in the background. To my eyes, I can also see why McEnroe would explode about the incompetence of linesmen 7 years later. In this match, the chair had to overrule the linesman on at least one serve where "chalk flew up"! Kramer also says that Nastase was expected to be the first European in a while to win Wimbledon - this didn't happen. Nastase was similar to the modern era Kyrgios, fantastic talent, but not stable enough to carry though an entire tournament. Two years after this match, in the first tournament in years with all the best players in attendance, Connors would crush Rosewall in the final
Except Nastase did win the French Open and US Open. Admittedly a paltry sum for his talent. Easy to forget that open tennis only arrived a couple of years before this and there was still much of the amateur attitude about. That didn't matter when gentlemen players like Laver and Rosewall were about, but Nastase in particular tore it to shreds, while the increasing amount of money in the sport undermined the culture in different ways. Interestingly, Connors and Nastase were close friends and doubles partners and Connors took a lot of his antics from Nastase.
@@th8257 I remember just how paltry it was .. the great Rod Laver winning $5000 for a tournament... I was shocked back then. Rod worked to make his million. Finally they came out with a $250 000 'winner take all' Conners - Nastase challenge match in '77 (actually Jimmy Connors was guaranteed $500,000, win or lose, and llie Nastase received $150,000). Ilie lost as there was a serious earthquake in Romania that weekend. It took years to get prize money up there.
I still have yet to see anyone who can make the game look as easy as Nastase did. Maybe Arthur Ashe in 1975 final also vs Conners, but Nastase played like this nearly all the. No wonder he reached world number. Only his temperament stopped him being at the top for longer.
@@steffanhoffmann Actually he dominated in '72 and won bagel sets. Net players serve 3/4 pace on first serve, otherwise you get passed. Ilie sometimes served consecutive aces in a row. He was a great all-court player and an exceptional shot maker. Of course he'd play different today as would others of that era. Serve harder too.
@@jjanderson8235 understood but I've replied elsewhere here. I watched him practice at Wimbledon when I was a kid. He was always angry and unapproachable.
@@steffanhoffmann His weakness, Ion Tiriac said was Ilie had a 'bird in his head', later he had no coach. No plans/ development after '76 .. just played off his talent for fun like a gypsy. Got fat and slowed down after '79. I was filming him and he stopped to make a monkey face at me. Lol.
He probably started getting pumped when he could consistently hit the ball inside the court. I'm watching the first set but it's amazing to see the shots he misses in this match. Basically he doesn't look like he has the racket control that you take for granted from 1974 onwards.
After this match, Nastase would win just one more Wimbledon quarterfinal for the rest of his career. Connors would win 11 Wimbledon quarterfinals after this match.
1978 Nastase beats 6th seed Tanner in the Wimby Quarters. Tanner would go on to lose in the finals to Borg in 1979. Nasty would retire with the highest winning percentage in the year end championships, to date, 88% ; and career head to head dominance over Connors, Newcombe etc., laughing all the way. And, of course, winning the Wimbledon quarters over Charlie Pasarell in 1976. So 2 more quarterfinal wins actually.
@@nastaseis1261 He beat Tanner in the 4th round and actually lost to Tom Okker in 1/4 final in 1978. He indeed won his 1976 1/4 final against Pasarell. One of the biggest disappointments in my life was Nastase losing that 1976 final to Borg - I was so upset!
@@llewvincent7537 Thank you for the correction. I only saw Nastase win one final live, a WCT event in Montego Bay when he came back to beat Peter Fleming when it got very windy. Otherwise UA-cam is the only chance I had to see him in his prime. Some of the shots, especially the backhands he hits in this video are unbelievable, miracles as Dan Maskell says, Okker was his worst nightmare to play. They both have all of the shots. Okker should be in the hall of fame especially since they are considering all of the doubles specialists as candidates now because he could play both at the top level.
@@peterflynn6327 Disagree. Players are much older winning slams and they're athletes, not sportsmen with special diets. Of course technology has played its part too
If they only knew the modern game back then they would have crushed their opponents. Connors hit just about every return back at Nastase's instead of hitting it past him. And he tried the lob instead of passing him easily with a little more racket speed, spin, and rotational forces. All Connors would need to do is what he did years later...stay back and pound groundies and pass when the opponent came in. Connors also looked like he was trying to hide and disappear with his head down.
He did when he was a junior until he started using the T-2000. The T-2000 gave more power than wooden but most players found it hard to control. You needed top notch hand-eye coordination to harness its power unlike later graphite racquets which gave more power and control than wood.
Odd to me, to see Connors serving and volleying on both first AND second serves, when he didn't have the biggest serve or best volleys, and when as the years went by, he became basically a aggressive baseliner.....
Interesting that Connors in his early pro career served and volleyed on both serves, when besides being leftie, his serve was not known for being all that great, nor his volleys. I guess it was the serve and volley era at all cost. Later in his career, he rarely served and volleyed.
Nastase was a fascinating character and player, but his autobiography is the most boring book I've ever read. Somebody must have told him to miss out all the juicy bits.
Pace slow. I spose it's over half a century ago though. I don't think Nastase could play in the modern game. His serve is poor. Connors possibly could, as he was the first power player. Plus Your channel play on Rod Laver. Watch Lavers early days, he had very little competition. Todays players do. He'd struggle.
Here we go😮erm, if they entered tennis at the young age they did in that era they would be trained and coached to meet needed requirements, mentally and physically, try thinkin' outside the box, instead of coming out with these tired boring predictable cliche's, yikes😴🙄
@@dougreed2257 As soon as you said "thinking outside the box" I knew where you were from. American English (which is what we must call it, why? 😂) is a good start; but it won't develop a vocabulary. I use your explanation to me, as a perfect example. Condescending individual, needs a dictionary. Additionally it leads into present day bad habits. Buzz phrases, making no sense, looking like unfinished sentences. For example...I was like, he was like, she was like, they were like. (What were they like?😊) Kinda, sorta, right? Right. Right? Right. Just a lot of nonsense, which has crept into youth culture world-wide. However, up to about the 1980s decade; it was closely aligned. It's possibly because of computer (or perhaps business) language; which at its extreme is horrific. I'll just give 3 examples. 1. "Thinking outside the box" is a USA metaphor, that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. It's used mainly in USA Business English. British people mainly don't like these phrases. Thinking It's brainwashing people. Metaphors are okay, but not just for the sake of it. They would 👉 🇬🇧 use something such as "New Ideas" (perhaps, novel or creative thinking). 2. "Cut to the chase" nonsensical...what was wrong with "get to the conclusion?" 3. "Ball park figure"....what was wrong with "total?" It's cold, just like the business world from which it derives. Since then its 👉 🇬🇧 poetic 🎶 has slowly been destroyed
No competition?to get to the semis you had to beat ashe. Prime newcombe. Smith. Rosewall. Roche. Okker. Nastase. Open era had just started 4 or so ago.
Tennis was so slow and boring back then. Anyone from the top 200 today could have easily beaten these guys all they time. It wasn't until superstars like Sampras and Federer period when tennis became really interesting sport to watch. Today's tennis is astronomical compared to that old stuff.
Mulțumesc Ilie pentru zilele și serile minunate pe care mi le ai dăruit!
Ai fost minunat OMULE !!!
Extraordinary to watch such a great classic. Even more surprising is to realize that in this era the players stood through the entire match - not even a bench to put their towels on. No snacks, no electrolyte drinks, no bouncing the ball a dozen times, no VAR. Wooden rackets, serve & volley - what's not to love!
Exactly, it was a real tennis.
And holding the two balls in one hand when serving.
I remember a match in the World Invitational Tennis Classic in which Arthur Ashe complained to the chair umpire because Stan Smith sat during changeovers.
..and no grunting or screaming.
True, except Connors used a metal racquet -- the Wilson T2000.
I loved watching Ilie Nastase play… he was one of the most gifted players ever… no one had his court speed back then…. It was pure joy to watch him…
I Miss him…!!! What he could do with a simple wood racket…
Poor 1st serve he'd get smashed by modern players
@@steffanhoffmann Let's see modern players with wood rackets from 50 years ago.
@@steffanhoffmannyou really have a problem. Why are you comparing the modern tennis with the tennis of the 70s? Tennis just like every other sport has evolved. Why don’t you?
@@deanstockwell2396 let's compare shall we? My evolving to perhaps you. This will take some time.
So ☺ 👍
I'm no brexiteer by the way.
I'm from Kensington and Chelsea; in London.
Dad from Berlin; and mother from France.
I left after brexit, a stupid little englander decision.
However, I'm grateful for my British education.
I don't live in UK 🇬🇧 anymore; I'm in a better climate.
I play 🎾 with my friends from Western Europe; and Scandinavia.
Sit outside cafes with them, discussing politics, sport bla de bla.
They all speak English, most do in that part of the world; for decades.
I cycle everywhere, on a fantastic boulevard, beachfrontage infrastructure.
I was a British English language consultant, in Kyiv one year; and Odessa three.
In Ukraine. (Male dominated society, you'd love it 😂)
I left Odessa, ten months before vladolf putler invaded (a hunch)
My mother was from Britanny by the way 😂 🇫🇷
My dad from Berlin....me...I'm from Kensington and Chelsea in London originally; but no English in my ancestry; as I researched it 😂
Live in Alanya region 🇹🇷, of the beautiful Med Sea climate nowadays. Coincidentally another male dominated society
320 sunny days a year; and heavenly for an 'Englishman' 😂
Dec averaged 22c and Jan 21c. About 4 days ☔ each month.
Feb/Mar not cold either....a little more in fact 23c. Again 4 days ☔ collectively.
April was 25c plus and 4 days ☔
May a little hotter at 29c 1 day rain...Coronation 👉 🇬🇧 👑 day. ☺
June no rain and averaged 34c.
July off the scale. 🔥
Today is 16th August and it's 44c ☀ 🔥 no rain this month.
As you are aware, there's been a heatwave; for almost 8 weeks here.
Some days by 4pm; it's been 56c.
I'm acclimatised at 37c; but anything hotter and I'm not too keen.
I've adapted to this heatwave, and go to the beach at 6am, returning at 10am, before it rises considerably.
Even at 6am it's 31c; for the last 4 weeks.
Doesn't fall under that at night either.
Med Sea is like a jacuzzi 😂
(Aircon controlled means I sleep soundly).
Media in 🇬🇧 say 23c is 😂 a "scorcher"
I live here because of Brexit. (Another hunch 😂 )
Prices very low for us....cigarettes £1.25 single pack of 20.
(I don't smoke, it's a good gauge for prices though)
My monthly rent overlooking the Med Sea is 350 euros.
All mod cons 7 years old.
My electric and water bill last month, combined was £19.
That's like late 1960s UK prices. 🤔
(Gas heating unnecessary, haven't got it)
You can work out the cost of everything else; just based on what I've written.
But it's about two thirds less, of what I'd pay in UK; and Europe.
British tourists recently told me that.
Fresh produce is the norm, at incredibly low prices, at farmers bazaars.
I'm 5 mins walk from here 👍
All year round it's pretty much the same.
This video about Nov 2022.
My dad worked on the Ford Ghia all models.
A German engineer.
We lived in Tampa Bay for three years, when I was a junior, before being transferred back to London.
Sold my place; because you can't take it 👉 💷 with you.
Brits are obsessed about how much their property is worth, live frugally, die; and fail to take advantage of that equity.
In UK, I'd had enough of being dictated to; by minority groups.
It's much more relaxing; after having left.
Finally, the dreary weather in UK DOES affect thinking.
Also personal appearance, with most UK people possessing dark circles; under their eyes.
(Lack of sunlight) you don't notice it until you leave.
Not so where I've been; and am currently.
I'm happy, with continuously evolving ☺ 👍
ua-cam.com/video/4V-cGAl6bxM/v-deo.html
@@deanstockwell2396 They can't comprehend that those talented players would also play much differently with all the modern equipment and training methods.
Such talent Nastase had to play those shots with wooden racket just incredible he was an icon and an incredible player
Dunlop Max Ply. It was around the most-used by the pros. With the wooden Wilson Jack Kramer model. (Kramer.) Laver used the Max Ply to win those majors Grand Slams. Connors and Evert both used the Wilson Kramer in the early years of their pro careers.
Thank you for historic 1972 Wimbledon match with Ilie and Jimmy .. rare to see so clearly. It bugs me that Ilie's Wimbledon final matches (1972, 1976) against Stan Smith and Bjorn Borg are gone from UA-cam .. it's like Ilie's been erased. However, he can still be seen beating Bjorn Borg (1975) and John McEnroe (1978) in full matches. He was an amazingly talented player and shot maker. I was lucky to have seen his magic on clay up close and in person ('73).
Grew up watching Ilie
Astonishing player
My all time favorite Nastase was brilliant with a tennis racket
No applauds from the crowd on errors and no fist pumping or a yell on every point won, tennis was so much better back then! Edited to add: No 15 ball bounce before serve, just starting right into play.
Yes
Superb print of a 50 year old match between two future legends. Thanks for the upload!
and thanks to the person who uploaded the whole matcht and whose account has been eliminated. Now we see fragments of that
Completely agree on the quality! Nastase was already a legend at this point. Connors would have to wait another couple of years before his status was solidified.
Big year for Nasty. He was VERY close to winning this win Wimbledon get 2 sets off Smith in the Championship, and beat Ashe in 5 sets in that years US Open. Won the French the next year, and was world championship not long before Jimbo. Nastase had more talent the he would end up capitalizing on but still achieved much.
Little known fact: In 1972, right before Roxy Music was formed in England, Bryan Ferry played Wimbledon, using the moniker "Nastase".
Ne-a Ilie. Clasa fraților 72. Aveam 11 ani. Vedeam unele jocuri. La România. Acea vreme. Să fii sănătos ne-a ile. The best
The last set and a half of this match shows you what an amazing genius Nastase was. He makes shots no one else would ever dream of.
My favourite player of all time. I'm not saying the best, but my favourite.
Don't agree.
There have been so many
Edberg
Borg
Becker
Sampras
McEnroe
Federer
Etc etc etc
Currently Alcaraz defies belief.
David, your comment is quite accurate. Many who have played at that time along with a few now recognize his natural talent. He is considered to be the most gifted tennis player of all time. Laver, McEnroe and Federer are in the same category. Reiterating, I am speaking of natural talent. It is nice to hear someone recognize this after seeing so much incredible tennis since his (Nastase's) playing days.
@@johnconnors4754 don't agree. He won 2 Slams. Was a rude self centred man. Plenty came later like Edberg etc. Gentlemen not peasantic oafs.
@@steffanhoffmannMany players go through a whole career without winning a slam. At least this “peasantic oaf” (whatever that means) left a mark in the history of tennis and has his name in the tennis hall of fame. What are your achievements I wonder other than to belittle those who are not the product of a western society? Just because he wasn’t a “Berg” or a “Smith” doesn’t make him less worthy and those who appreciate this sport would know what I am talking about. And those “gentlemen” you are talking about had their own skeletons. At least Nastase did not end bankrupt and in prison like the gentleman Becker.
Interesting on so many levels. I must have seen at least some of this back in the day, but how you forget. No chairs, no towelling off between points, no 37 bounces before serving. Jack Kramer in the commentary box. Connors' game also not quite there yet; he's serving and volleying on just about every point; just a few years later he'd developed an all-court game.
A great watch; thanks for the memories.
Măi, cînd auzi cum zice comentatorul ,,acest român talentat"... îți crește și astăzi inima
When tennis was tennis.
😴
That backhand top spin lob !!!!!! Incredible. Now this is superb talent
Great quality! It's a joy to watch, thank you!
In a time when one racquet and a glass of water was all the players had to go through a game. No bench, no umbrellas, no ice packs
Actually it was Robinson's barley water so there was a bit of flavour. It wouldn't be too long before Coca Cola was provided at the chair
Lovely to see this match in such a well resolved print. I remember watching it live on tv. Thanks.
Enjoy, Ty
You Welcome
Amazing watching Nastase in this match that he didn't win that year and never won Wimbledon. With his style of play he should have won 2 or 3 Wimbledon titles.
Not really his 1st serve is poor
fantastic !! thank you for archiving legendary televised tennis duals
12:10 This is such an unexpected moment there for modern tennis fans. Not only do they have no bench to sit on, others have already commented about that. But look how they basically hang out together during the change over, shoulder to shoulder basically. I mean that must have led to some funny or potentially tense moments at times. I wonder if they ever chit-chat or trash talk. It would be unimaginable nowadays.
Nastase and Connors got on well and played together in doubles and they were very good: they won the 1973 Wimbledon title and the 1975 US Open title.
Jimmy was only 19 here. He won 8 Grand Slams and a ton of Grand Slam semi finals.
They move as old horses... Could you imagine Zverev or Medvedev to play with them... They are third class players...
Good old daus when almost all top players wore Fred Perry.
Fantastic quality video thankyou
Great upload of very interesting match. Thank you!!
You Welcome. Enjoy !
the quality of this is astonishing. THANKS!
What quality ha ha ha so robotic no rally both just stroking the hair ((:
1st game of the 2nd set, stunning!
Yeah Dunlop like Laver and Mac, then Adidas. The last few years he used the graphite Adidas Lendl used. Like when he played Connors and MAC in Davis Cup in 84
Then he partied in Bucharest with Ashe, Jimbo and MAC. All old friends at that point
Maybe the tours can consider having one tournament where the players have to play with wooden rackets of this kind of the old days... I'll bet it would bring in a lot of new fans due to enabling serve and volley.
Cool to see this. You can tell a young Connors hasn't fully found the game that would become his calling card for the next 30 years. These two would go on to become good and life-long friends as two of tennis's early "bad boys" and imps.
Nastase was one great champion
How?
He never won this tournament.
One French
One USA
4 OUT OF 5 YEAR END CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES. HIGHEST WINNING PERCENTAGE OF ALL TIME IN THE YEAR END FINALS.
#1 IN THE WORLD IN 1973
2 WIMBLEDON FINALS. THE ONE AGAINST STAN SMITH CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST WIMBLEDON FINALS OF ALL TIME.
2 WIMBLEDON MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH ROSIE CASALS, PROTECTING HER RIGHT TO WEAR THE VIRGINIA SLIMS LOGO AT WIMBLEDON
3 MAJOR DOUBLES TITLES 1 FRENCH WITH TIRIAC 1 WIMBLEDON WITH CONNORS 1 US OPEN WITH CONNORS
WINNING HEAD TO HEAD RECORDS AGAINST WORLD #1 PLAYERS INCLUDING CONNORS, LAVER, NEWCOMBE
TIED HEAD TO HEAD RECORDS AGAINST ASHE AND OKKER. 7-10 AGAINST BORG.
COACHED BORGS SWEDISH DAVIS CUP TEAM IN THE FINAL ROUND WIN OVER YUGOSLAVIA "KODES"
WINNING HEAD TO HEAD RECORDS AGAINST ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE EXCEPT VILAS AND VITAS
MAGNANIMOUS MIXED DOUBLES PARTNER OF DR. RENEE RICHARDS AT THE US OPEN
WINNER OF THE WORLD TEAM TENNIS LEAGUE PLAYING WITH CHRISSIE AND VIJAY WITH THE LA STRINGS.
NUMBER 6 ALL TIME, TIED WITH FEDERER AT 111, MOST TITLES IN THE OPEN ERA.
AND OF COURSE THE US OPEN AND FRENCH TITLES AND FINALIST IN ANOTHER FRENCH LOSING TO KODES
PLEASE GRAB A COPY OF THE BUD COLLINS TENNIS ENCYCLOPEDIA PRIOR TO ANY MORE INANE POSTS@@steffanhoffmann
@@steffanhoffmann 4 USA
two tennis legends
My fav kit Perrys. Classy and great cut and feel.
The nowadays tennis players wouldn't be even able to hit the ball using these small racquets. Also, no scratching asses, no benches etc. Just serving and running to the net.
They didn’t mess around much between points, just bounced twice and off again.
love these matches lol
un fenomeno Illie Nastase
Absolutely not.
A bad tempered bore
Won little
Poor 1st serve
I believe making the transition away from wooden racquets has been detrimental to the game of tennis.
Agreed. In baseball, the bat is still wood. Not an oversized, lightweight graphite/ Kevlar bat. Can you imagine?
So fast between points unlike the modern game , they just get on with it and serve
THOSE RACKETS ARE PRIMITIVE CRUDE TOOLS .WHAT AN EVOLUTION IN EQUIPMENT .
@@marinae7928 chicken shit comment .
they were fun, just smaller. The ball 'popped' off the sweet spot with gut strings and each brand was different in flex, feel, weight and balance.
Thank you
You Welcome
so did nasty just use dunlop and adidas racquets in his prime years??
Do you mind if I lighten this a bit and put the link back in this space? Great stuff here. Nasty and Mac would have been something to watch if they had overlapped more. As it was the '79 USO was a hoot.
@@marinae7928 When did they Dub-Up? I'm thinking this happened but I'm getting old myself so kinda forget.
Nastase looks like Anton Chiguhr in No Country for Old Men.
The commentators emphasize that Connors was just 19, but Nastase was only 25 himself. In these early days of broadcasting when people didn't talk so much, you can hear a second set of English-speaking commentators on occasion in the background. To my eyes, I can also see why McEnroe would explode about the incompetence of linesmen 7 years later. In this match, the chair had to overrule the linesman on at least one serve where "chalk flew up"! Kramer also says that Nastase was expected to be the first European in a while to win Wimbledon - this didn't happen. Nastase was similar to the modern era Kyrgios, fantastic talent, but not stable enough to carry though an entire tournament. Two years after this match, in the first tournament in years with all the best players in attendance, Connors would crush Rosewall in the final
Except Nastase did win the French Open and US Open. Admittedly a paltry sum for his talent. Easy to forget that open tennis only arrived a couple of years before this and there was still much of the amateur attitude about. That didn't matter when gentlemen players like Laver and Rosewall were about, but Nastase in particular tore it to shreds, while the increasing amount of money in the sport undermined the culture in different ways. Interestingly, Connors and Nastase were close friends and doubles partners and Connors took a lot of his antics from Nastase.
An admirable analysis.
Nastase had a poor 1st serve.
Modern players would annihilate him.
@@th8257 I remember just how paltry it was .. the great Rod Laver winning $5000 for a tournament... I was shocked back then. Rod worked to make his million. Finally they came out with a $250 000 'winner take all' Conners - Nastase challenge match in '77 (actually Jimmy Connors was guaranteed $500,000, win or lose, and llie Nastase received $150,000). Ilie lost as there was a serious earthquake in Romania that weekend. It took years to get prize money up there.
Excellent pronunciation of "Năstase" by the umpire.
Connors may not have had the greatest serve but he was always in the top 3 of the year for first serve percentage (according to Bud Collins).
Then he DID have a great serve?
PACAT CA S/A RENUNTAT LA TINUTA ALBA COMPLET,IN SPORTUL NOBIL, TENISUL !!!!!!
I still have yet to see anyone who can make the game look as easy as Nastase did. Maybe Arthur Ashe in 1975 final also vs Conners, but Nastase played like this nearly all the. No wonder he reached world number. Only his temperament stopped him being at the top for longer.
He didn't win much
Modern players would smash his type of game.
His 1st serve was weak.
@@steffanhoffmann Actually he dominated in '72 and won bagel sets. Net players serve 3/4 pace on first serve, otherwise you get passed. Ilie sometimes served consecutive aces in a row. He was a great all-court player and an exceptional shot maker. Of course he'd play different today as would others of that era. Serve harder too.
@@jjanderson8235 understood but I've replied elsewhere here. I watched him practice at Wimbledon when I was a kid.
He was always angry and unapproachable.
@@steffanhoffmann His weakness, Ion Tiriac said was Ilie had a 'bird in his head', later he had no coach. No plans/ development after '76 .. just played off his talent for fun like a gypsy. Got fat and slowed down after '79. I was filming him and he stopped to make a monkey face at me. Lol.
@steffanhoffmann We get it. Nastase nailed your Mom and you don't like him against modern players.
35:00 - watch entire game and consider the quality of play...
love those winners! .. just sweeps by players when he's on.
What a power today....
Amazing to see Connor so reserved, I wonder at what point he started his pumping up? Thanks for the upload of such clarity.
Connors explotion is in Australian Open 1974. An Hurricane.
He probably started getting pumped when he could consistently hit the ball inside the court. I'm watching the first set but it's amazing to see the shots he misses in this match. Basically he doesn't look like he has the racket control that you take for granted from 1974 onwards.
They had a match
Winner take all at Caesar’s palace where nastase won
Classic match if anyone can find it 78 or 79
🤔 ....I remember a winner take all ($100,000) between them except Ilie lost. There was an earthquake in Romania and he didn't play well.
Connors foi e ainda é um dos tenistas mais carismáticos de todos os tempos.
Da...dar aici e mai bun Năstase !👏
You can see the difference in nastase game from 1972 to 1976
Had much more power
Ooooh a young connors with sideburns
Green Flash tennis shoes Fred Perry clothing white Slazenger balls Dunlop wooden racquet and the commentator introducing Jim Connors 😊
Jimmy Connors was 19 here, now he’s 70.#timeflies
Fascinating
Thanks
It's weird to see Connors look totally intimidated. But he lost that fairly quickly after this match.
Jimmy working that Prince Valiant 'do.
After this match, Nastase would win just one more Wimbledon quarterfinal for the rest of his career. Connors would win 11 Wimbledon quarterfinals after this match.
1978 Nastase beats 6th seed Tanner in the Wimby Quarters. Tanner would go on to lose in the finals to Borg in 1979.
Nasty would retire with the highest winning percentage in the year end championships, to date, 88% ; and career head to head dominance over Connors, Newcombe etc., laughing all the way. And, of course, winning the Wimbledon quarters over
Charlie Pasarell in 1976. So 2 more quarterfinal wins actually.
@@nastaseis1261 He beat Tanner in the 4th round and actually lost to Tom Okker in 1/4 final in 1978. He indeed won his 1976 1/4 final against Pasarell. One of the biggest disappointments in my life was Nastase losing that 1976 final to Borg - I was so upset!
@@llewvincent7537 Thank you for the correction. I only saw Nastase win one final live, a WCT event in Montego Bay when he came back to beat Peter Fleming when it got very windy. Otherwise UA-cam is the only chance I had to see him in his prime. Some of the shots, especially the backhands he hits in this video are unbelievable, miracles as Dan Maskell says, Okker was his worst nightmare to play. They both have all of the shots. Okker should be in the hall of fame especially since they are considering all of the doubles specialists as candidates now because he could play both at the top level.
Seems you re good at artimethics
@@nastaseis1261 maybe..... but Jimmy's record is wow good !!!
class
The players, the racquets, the crowds everything looks weird!
Ce Bon vieux nasty,ce bon vieux Jimbo.
Les années d'après c'est Jimbo qui a pris le dessus.😊
What a shame the final with Smith has not the same viewing clarity
This final is blocked. Exist posibilities to improve a little this version of final, but i not believe I can upload because the blocked
@@godlaver5924 ... terrible that it's blocked after 50 yrs. A disservice to the game and future generations. Thanks for your great postings. Kudos!
The great era of Tennis before player's took five minutes to wipe themselves down with a Towel.
Don't agree the pace is boring.
1st serves are generally poor.
Today's players would easily beat them.
@@steffanhoffmann Like All sports Technology's got better not the player's.
@@peterflynn6327 Disagree. Players are much older winning slams and they're athletes, not sportsmen with special diets.
Of course technology has played its part too
@@steffanhoffmann That must mean Joshua and Fury are greater fighters then Muhammad Ali. LOL.
@@peterflynn6327 Your answer reveals your type. You've gone off the subject of tennis, thus defeated.
Looking forward for tennis shoes.
34:05 tu-ti tusitu'ma tii!
If they only knew the modern game back then they would have crushed their opponents. Connors hit just about every return back at Nastase's instead of hitting it past him. And he tried the lob instead of passing him easily with a little more racket speed, spin, and rotational forces. All Connors would need to do is what he did years later...stay back and pound groundies and pass when the opponent came in. Connors also looked like he was trying to hide and disappear with his head down.
Connors at 19 !
Back when winners were called “placements.”
Connors didn't grunt on his serve back then
Weird to see Connors serving & volleying. At some point pretty early in his career, he stopped doing it.
He stopped doing it when he stopped playing doubles--big mistake for him.
Did Connors ever use a wooden racket? Also wonder why he was the only player using that metal racket and why no other players of that era used it.
He did when he was a junior until he started using the T-2000. The T-2000 gave more power than wooden but most players found it hard to control. You needed top notch hand-eye coordination to harness its power unlike later graphite racquets which gave more power and control than wood.
👏
No benches for the players to rest!? LOL
Neither jumps when serving.
Connors looks like a Playmobil guy.
Or a middle age lute player.
lol, best comment i have read in the last few weeks
Odd to me, to see Connors serving and volleying on both first AND second serves, when he didn't have the biggest serve or best volleys, and when as the years went by, he became basically a aggressive baseliner.....
Battle of the pudding bowl hair cuts.
Connors played with a Wilson aluminum, not wood.
The T-2000 was actually steel.
Connors not grunting here.....
Interesting that Connors in his early pro career served and volleyed on both serves, when besides being leftie, his serve was not known for being all that great, nor his volleys. I guess it was the serve and volley era at all cost. Later in his career, he rarely served and volleyed.
In those days on grass you always wanted to beat your opponent to net. The bounces were not consistent
No seats and just barely water…..No Ribena or Coke? Come on now!
No stupid grunting
1:09:10
Connors was only 19 then. But he always looked like he was in his 30s.
What's with all this endless bouncing of balls that likes of Djokovic get away with prior to serving. Not once by Nastase.
Connors had one of the flattest butts in tennis. ...oops, I meant "serves," on the men's side.
Nastase was a fascinating character and player, but his autobiography is the most boring book I've ever read. Somebody must have told him to miss out all the juicy bits.
geez, no long rallies, weak groundstrokes, weak serves.........enough to put you to sleep, nothing like today's game...
Compared to today's tennis, this looks rather boring and childish. There are 15 year olds today who would clean these guys' clocks in a heartbeat.
Really, and they would do that playing with the same racquets these guys are playing with?
And bore us to death doing it with their one-dimensional baseline grinding.
So schöne Haare 🤦🏽
Pace slow.
I spose it's over half a century ago though.
I don't think Nastase could play in the modern game.
His serve is poor.
Connors possibly could, as he was the first power player.
Plus
Your channel play on Rod Laver.
Watch Lavers early days, he had very little competition.
Todays players do.
He'd struggle.
Here we go😮erm, if they entered tennis at the young age they did in that era they would be trained and coached to meet needed requirements, mentally and physically, try thinkin' outside the box, instead of coming out with these tired boring predictable cliche's, yikes😴🙄
@@dougreed2257 As soon as you said "thinking outside the box" I knew where you were from.
American English (which is what we must call it, why? 😂) is a good start; but it won't develop a vocabulary.
I use your explanation to me, as a perfect example. Condescending individual, needs a dictionary.
Additionally it leads into present day bad habits. Buzz phrases, making no sense, looking like unfinished sentences.
For example...I was like, he was like, she was like, they were like. (What were they like?😊)
Kinda, sorta, right? Right. Right? Right. Just a lot of nonsense, which has crept into youth culture world-wide.
However, up to about the 1980s decade; it was closely aligned.
It's possibly because of computer (or perhaps business) language; which at its extreme is horrific.
I'll just give 3 examples.
1. "Thinking outside the box" is a USA metaphor, that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective.
It's used mainly in USA Business English. British people mainly don't like these phrases.
Thinking It's brainwashing people.
Metaphors are okay, but not just for the sake of it.
They would 👉 🇬🇧 use something such as "New Ideas" (perhaps, novel or creative thinking).
2. "Cut to the chase" nonsensical...what was wrong with "get to the conclusion?"
3. "Ball park figure"....what was wrong with "total?"
It's cold, just like the business world from which it derives.
Since then its 👉 🇬🇧 poetic 🎶 has slowly been destroyed
@@steffanhoffmann He's still right.
No competition?to get to the semis you had to beat ashe. Prime newcombe. Smith. Rosewall. Roche. Okker. Nastase. Open era had just started 4 or so ago.
Today tennis Is more fast !
I think, today people like Connors and for example Alcaraz : 6.0 - 6.0 advantage Alcaraz !!
Tennis was so slow and boring back then. Anyone from the top 200 today could have easily beaten these guys all they time. It wasn't until superstars like Sampras and Federer period when tennis became really interesting sport to watch. Today's tennis is astronomical compared to that old stuff.
Agreed.
Sadly we are in the minority here.
Today it's brute force. Back then it was a sport and an art.