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"This is good stuff, and it's written with flair. In fact, it made me want even more. "--The Oregonian
Product Description
For all the upsets, unexpected career turnarounds, and bizarre instances of violence tennis has produced, there have been few moments more stunning to fans than the one that occurred immediately after the men's final at the 1981 U.S. Open. Bjorn Borg, the stoical Swede who had been the game's most respected gentleman and resolute competitor for the better part of a decade, lost to his younger and brash rival John McEnroe and walked straight out of Louis Armstrong Stadium at Flushing Meadows, an unsightly breach in decorum. Borg's career had suddenly ended, and so had the era of tennis that he and the three other semifinalists at that year's Open-McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, and Vitas Gerulaitis-along with Ilie Nastase-defined. That period, which lasted roughly from 1971 to 1981, is now remembered as a golden one for the sport. As late as 1968, tennis was reserved for amateurs-gentlemen, in the original British parlance-as it had been since its invention a century earlier. But for the first time in 1968, tennis opened its Grand Slams to the professional rank, and the sport took its place among the world's big-money sports. Recreational participation boomed, while at the professional level a group of charismatic young players brought the sport to a new peak of international popularity. "High Strung" narrates a landmark year in the sport's history, the lives involved, and chronicles the broader innovations in the 1970s that spread to all of America's major sports and athletes: agents, merchandise deals, even the idea of signature shoes, all of them owe their existence to the personalities and professional conduct of this new set of players. Distinctly ungentlemanly, they took the game farther from its roots than its officials and fans thought possible, and would cause upheavals in the very equipment they held in their hands as racquets evolved and the game shifted from finesse to power. The 1981 U.S. Open was the metaphorical end of the earth for 1970s tennis, and "High Strung" explores the lives and careers of the four players who defined the era
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I'm not sure that this story is untold; and with Federer and Nadal there may be other fierce tennis rivalries; but this is a compelling story well told. I didn't know just how good McEnroe was; but Borg obviously did, and the analysis of the mental side of McEnroe's effect on the Swede is particularly perceptive - McEnroe was the first player at Wimbledon to create seeds of doubt in Borg; and once implanted, their flowering became inevitable. Tennis requires an opponent in human form - golf requires a course and team sports acquire nemeses in team form; all different in their own way, but this tale works as a look at how mental disintegration works even when McEnroe was not deliberately trying it - his talent alone had the desired effect. Learn from that you sportsmen who practice the dark arts - the true greats achieve their status through sporting excellence.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It was nice to have the drama of that era brought back to life . A bit more about other players of the time than expected but overall worth having
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
Book simply captures the golden era of tennis....wooden racquets and head bands...strawberries and cream..oh yeah plus Borg, McEnroe, Connors, Gerulatis, et al
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Be aware of subtitles
The subtitle Borg-McEnroe, the fiercest rivalry, is not true. History of the U.S. Open, tennis players such as Tilden, Nastase, Maurice McLoughlin, all quite interesting but the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Fred Doevils
A fascinating read
Interesting insight into this historical clash even after all these years. Well worth the money if you are a sports fan
Published 4 months ago by Gigfy
A Great Read
Steve Tignor may very well be the finest tennis writer in the world. Those who follow him online already know this. Now, the rest of the world knows it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Douglas Henderson
Great memories of a tennis golden age
I recognise that this is a classic sign of middle age, but the temptation to compare current sporting stars and eras unfavourably to past ones is very great when it comes to... Read more
Published 8 months ago by J. Coulton
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