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Feb/18

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Facing Borg

borg
Bunner Smith of Bradenton, Florida played Bjorn Borg almost a half century ago in the Orange Bowl 18 and unders. His recollections…

“It was nearly 45-46 years ago! Miami … I grew up in Florida and had played lots of future top players… Harold Solomon, Brian Gottfried, Billy Martin. Billy never missed. But, Borg was a totally different level. From what I remember, his forehand was huge and I never got passed by anyone so much ever as I did by Borg that day. Borg rarely if ever made an unforced error. Everyone knew he was special and expected him to be a future top pro. Best ever on clay until Rafa came along. He was the best player I ever played.”

Borg already had the icy countenance as a teen. “He was young, younger than me and very quiet on the court. I don’t remember much conversation. From what I remember he was quiet and all business on the court. I Watched him play him so many times over those years. His on court focus was always as good as anyone ever… stoic! I think when John McEnroe came onto the scene it brought out the best in both of them.”

Even as a junior, Borg had his world-renowned image already crafted. “He always had long hair and a headband,” recalls Smith.

Borg was one of the rare few who won the Orange Bowl 16s and 18s, “I think Borg won the Orange bowl in both 16s and 18s,” said Smith. “Only Billy Martin was another junior that was that dominant back then. Billy was also an amazing junior.”

Today Smith is involved in tennis philanthropy. “We have a nonprofit foundation T.E.A.M. (Tennis education and mentoring) focusing on less-privileged and at-risk kids 6 to 12 years old. We are doing programs at the Boys and Girls Clubs in the Sarasota/Bradenton area and also in Maryland. The USTA has given us grants the past few years.”

34 comments

  • shawnbm · February 26, 2018 at 12:30 pm

    No matter what comes to pass, there will always be the mystique of Borg. How many French Opens could he have won? I certainly think he had more in him if he chose to continue. He was like the Beatles–so bright and brilliant and then it was over with no warning. The greatest nickname in men's tennis history–the Angelic Assassin!

  • catherine · February 26, 2018 at 12:47 pm

    I never heard Borg referred to as the ‘Angelic Assassin’.

    Maybe that was an American thing.

  • catherine · February 26, 2018 at 12:50 pm

  • JG · February 26, 2018 at 3:15 pm

    I don’t see why they need to make it every year, the world cup isnt every year and its better for that.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 26, 2018 at 3:22 pm

    Scoop Malinowski writes:

    Borg's sudden departure was one of the most mysterious retirements in sports history. I wish I was following tennis then to have observed that whole drama. After the fact all these years later it seems like Borg felt he lost his aura of invincibility and no longer believed he was the best and something died inside of him. It happens in boxing too, the great champions lose and lose their self belief and feeling of supremacy. Lennox Lewis beat Vitali Klitschko barely and then waited for Vitali to lose in his next two fights. When Vitali beat two tough top five heavyweights, Lewis opted to retire than to give the rematch. Marvin Hagler never boxed again after he lost to Sugar Ray Leonard. It seems McEnroe was so tough that Borg felt he couldn't beat him anymore. That's my guess. Borg created a monster in McEnroe, much like Rafa and Fed created a monster in Djokovic.

  • catherine · February 26, 2018 at 3:49 pm

    Scoop – there wasn’t much of a drama at the time. Borg played an exhibition I think in Rhode Island and then went on holiday to Thailand or some such place and announced he was retiring. Caught everyone by surprise and I remember doing an article about it at the last moment and putting in a photo of his last match in RI.

    We discussed this before a while back and I said then that my view was Borg knew he’d have to change his game to beat McEnroe and he didn’t have the motivation to do that or even to compete regularly anymore. He may have been mentally worn out after years on the pro tour. So, yes, a bit like boxing.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 26, 2018 at 3:59 pm

    Scoop Malinowski writes:

    Catherine, Where in Rhode Island was his last match? Was it shortly after the US Open, his final major appearance? I was told a story that Borg once trained for a week with the Romanian Davis Cup team and triple bageled every player on the team during the week 🙂

  • Hartt · February 26, 2018 at 4:39 pm

    Regarding the proposed changes to Davis Cup, this is so radically different that it does not even seem like DC, but a new event. They are so desperate to get the top guys to play Davis Cup, but if the players are complaining about the long season will they be that anxious to take part in a week-long event right after the WTF?

    I suppose I am in a minority, but I think there are lots of chances to see the top players throughout the season. I enjoy seeing some different faces, and the suprises they can bring.

  • Duke Carnoustie · February 26, 2018 at 6:18 pm

    I am shocked that David Cup is no more. This is all a result of Fed and Laver Cup being a success. The Tour realizes the players have other options that the tradition of Davis Cup since Fed was able to put together a great event.

    If Fed supports it, I guess we all should too.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 26, 2018 at 7:22 pm

    Scoop Malinowski writes:

    So the logical assumption is Federer and Nadal killed the Davis Cup?

  • Hartt · February 26, 2018 at 9:26 pm

    The logical assumption is that money killed Davis Cup – $3 billion over 25 years. The ITF board is thrilled with the prospect, and a lot of players will be ecstatic over a purse of $20 million. Who wants to bother about tradition, pleasing fans, bringing tennis to under-served communities, having the excitement of a Davis Cup tie, especially a final, in your country? If this proposal is adopted at the ITF’s annual general meeting in August, the main reason will be all that money.

  • catherine · February 27, 2018 at 3:21 am

    Hartt – yes, it’s all about the money. Someone, or a bunch of people, see this as a cash cow. Myself,not sure what I think, except the idea has more holes in it than a sieve when you look closely.

    Reminds me of what’s happening in cricket, one day matches are killing off the traditional Test Match international format – but that’s the way the world is going I suppose.

    Dumbing down ? Maybe.

    And BTW – Federer isn’t immortal.

  • catherine · February 27, 2018 at 3:34 am

    Scoop – Borg’s match was in Providence, can’t recall why Borg played or who he played. But post US Open.

    A photographer I knew happened to be covering the match and sent a photo, so we had the retirement story and the pic put in the magazine right on our deadline – I remember being very pleased with that.

  • scoopmalinowski · February 27, 2018 at 6:31 am

    The old Davis Cup format was broken. The top stars all seemed to be boycotting it the last two yrs. Wonder how long this new concept was in the works?

  • catherine · February 27, 2018 at 7:54 am

    With tennis in the Olympics now possibly yearly international competition doesn’t mean so much.

    So Davis Cup could go the way of other cups and be ‘retired’.

    I’d keep Fed Cup though.

  • catherine · February 27, 2018 at 8:24 am

  • Hartt · February 27, 2018 at 8:25 am

    Scoop, at least some version of this format has been in the works for some time. Last year, I think it was, the ITF board tried to push through a one-location Davis Cup in a Swiss city, but that idea got voted down.

    Big name players not playing DC is nothing new. You often see a pattern of guys playing it when they are young, but later, when they are very concerned about their singles careers, they only play from time to time, especially if their team has won DC.

    I wish there wasn’t this fixation with having the big-name players. As I said before, fans have plenty of opportunities to see them. I understand that they bring bigger crowds, but does everything have to be on a big scale?

    And one of the great things about DC was that communities who did not have pro tennis got to see terrific tennis. I remember when Halifax, a small Canadian city, got DC, there was excitement in the town generally. Before Shapo was known outside the country, people were asking if “the kid” was going to play there. (He played, and won, a dead rubber.) So DC was also a chance to showcase young up-and-coming players, as well as lower-ranked guys who play their hearts out for DC, and create all sorts of excitement for fans.

    By all means, make changes in DC to lessen the demands on players. Shorten the matches to 3 sets (which is part of this proposal). Plus,they recently allowed 5 players on a team, another sensible change.

    Finding time in the tennis schedule for DC will always be a problem, but this plan does not really solve this. Having them play a week-long tourney at the end of the season, when players are tired, is not great timing. And the top players will be coming off the WTF – how fresh will they be?

    You can probably guess that I am a huge fan of Davis Cup. I have read about its history, love its tradition, and the fact it was not about $. There are so many terrific DC stories. The Americans beating Romania when the home side tried every dirty trick in the book, and Noah lifting an injured Edberg onto his shoulders after France beat Sweden in Edberg’s last DC are just a couple.

    It is especially frustrating for this Canadian fan that, just when Canada may finally have a shot at winning DC, the event never will be in Canada. And I imagine many fans feel the same way about their countries’ teams.

  • Hartt · February 27, 2018 at 9:05 am

    Catherine, thanks for the link. I love “glamourous, well-funded end-of-year circus.”

  • catherine · February 27, 2018 at 9:27 am

    Harrtt – when I was young and living in Australia Davis Cup was very big there – the contests between Aust and US rivaled the Aust/England Ashes cricket series.
    Then the pro circuit came along and the best players left.

    Unfortunately times move on again and there are so many countries and people in tennis who want a slice of what is seen as a very profitable cake that DC in its present form probably won’t survive.

    I like that ‘circus’ bit too – and why Singapore for heaven’s sake ?

    As I said before, I’d keep Fed Cup – it’s lower key and helps promote the women’s game and nothing can beat the thrill of playing the Czechs in Prague – where I think CR have won 8 or 9 of the last ties.

  • Duke Carnoustie · February 27, 2018 at 10:37 am

    Davis Cup is a great thing. Having said that, who am I to argue with Federer? Whatever Fed wants is what he gets like the roof closed when he wants it for Slam finals. Him destroying the Davis Cup may go down as his greatest tennis achievement.

  • Hartt · February 27, 2018 at 12:59 pm

    The ATP’s proposed team event, that they have been talking about for a few years now is a much bigger threat to Davis Cup than the Laver Cup is, which just involves a few players.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 27, 2018 at 5:45 pm

    Scoop Malinowski writes:

    Davis Cup has lost it's appeal to top players since the 90s when Americans like Sampras and Agassi lost desire to play it, preferring to focus on majors and ranking. Sampras said that he was disappointed how the US media ignored promoting and covering Davis Cup in America. Pete poured his heart and soul for America in Russia but most Americans didn't know about it. So Davis Cup has lost prestige and many of the elite players have skipped it, furthering diminishing the prestige. As great as the event is, Davis Cup is becoming irrelevant and almost like a Challenger, minor league event with B and C level players. The game has evolved away to a different direction from Davis Cup. Laver Cup is like a condensed version of Davis Cup. It works better in this day and age.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 27, 2018 at 5:48 pm

    Scoop Malinowski writes:

    I agree Catherine, Davis Cup has become obsolete. I loved it too like you. Some of the best matches I ever saw were in Davis Cup. Courier vs England. Sampras vs Russia. McEnroe and Sampras in doubles. USA vs Australia. Youzhny vs Mathieu. Czech Rep matches. Argentina with Maradona cheering.

  • shawnbm · February 27, 2018 at 6:38 pm

    McEnroe versus wilander was one of the best matches I ever saw.

  • shawnbm · February 27, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    And it was Davis cup

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 27, 2018 at 7:33 pm

    Scoop Malinowski writes:

    Bryden Klein update: Lost in qualies for Japan $75k Challenger as 3 seed ranked in 300s to unseeded Makoto Ochi of Japan 63 76. The struggles continue.

  • Hartt · February 27, 2018 at 7:57 pm

    Perhaps Davis Cup is not popular in the US, but try telling the French and Belgian teams that played the final, or the 27,000 fans in the stadium, that DC is obsolete. Or fans in Argentina, or Canada, or Croatia.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 27, 2018 at 8:02 pm

    Scoop Malinowski writes:

    Hartt, you are right, Davis Cup is highly regarded and respected in certain countries like Czech Rep, Croatia, Argentina, Belgium, Australia, France, etc. But the overall formula has been criticized and picked at for decades now. Some love it, some don't care. Everything can be improved and perfected and hopefully the powers that be will figure out how to save the Davis Cup and restore the prestige and relevance.

  • Hartt · February 27, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    Scoop, I agree that the Davis Cup can be improved. But all that this proposed World Cup of Tennis has in common with DC is that 16 of the 18 teams will be the current World Group. I imagine if Dwight Davis could return he would take back his cup. I don’t think he commissioned it so highly-paid tennis players could make even more money, and only fans wealthy enough to travel to somewhere like Singapore could get to see the matches.

    I hope the proposal gets voted down, but am not optimistic. Stephanie Myles echoed the thoughts of many in her piece, “RIP Davis Cup, After 118 years.”

  • catherine · February 28, 2018 at 2:22 am

    Interested to see a comment today from the DTB saying they were not even consulted about the new proposal, and of course are very much against it. To sideline and disregard a country like Germany in the discussion seems impolite to say the least. The whole concept is very much US centred.

    And the idea of combining this so-called World Cup with the Fed Cup is completely insane.

  • Hartt · February 28, 2018 at 7:34 am

    Catherine, apparently they did not consult anyone about this proposal. And they have the gall to say that they will announce the location within the next few weeks. You mentioned that you hoped Fed Cup would not be affected, but ITF head, Haggerty, talked about including Fed Cup at some point.

  • catherine · February 28, 2018 at 8:09 am

    Yes, I mentioned Fed Cup there, because I thought it just piled idiocy upon idiocy – FC isn’t perfect but it is a global event and does encourage young players from various countries – one of the advantages of DC, as you pointed out.

    Making tons of money shouldn’t be the aim of these competitions but of course it is.

    The head of the DTB was quoted as saying he hoped Haggerty wouldn’t be in his job for much longer, or words to that effect.

  • Joe Blow · February 28, 2018 at 8:23 am

    Davis Cup would’ve died years ago if not for the decree that you had to play DC, to play in the Olympics. Only reason some top tennis players made token appearances in DC, and Fed Cup.

    Love Davis Cup.. Pity to see it fall by the wayside. Think one mistake was putting ties in off the beaten path cities. Nice to grow the game in areas that don’t get Pro tourneys, but the big events should have been held in NY, Cal, or Florida. The media would have had a greater presence.

  • Hartt · February 28, 2018 at 8:25 am

    In one article about this issue the writer said that Haggerty’s job will be at stake if this proposal does not go through. He does not seem to have any concern for tradition or regular fans, so we can hope that both things happen – the proposal getting voted down and Haggerty out!

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