Bjorn Borg v Vitas Gerulaitis: Wimbledon Semi-final 1977 (Extended Highlights)

[@Sholay48]

To me Borg remains the most charismatic player I have seen. He was a revelation. The boy with the gold hair shining as he battled under the sun at Wimbledon. His top spin was exceptional. He was fast but never struggled to get to the ball. He was very timid and would not argue points. I used to take two weeks leave from work at Wimbledon time just to watch tennis for the whole 5 yrs of his reign as champion. On the day of this match I could not be home and I listened to the the whole game on Radio as I drove to Dover and back. He is Mr Wimbledon.

[@steffanhoffmann8937]

Whilst your comments are agreeable. I would argue that he did have a terrible temper. Especially before he started winning things. It was similar to McEnroe. I watched a documentary about it many years ago. His coaching team calmed him down; and he used to spend lots of time alone meditating. During the final years of his short career; it came to the surface. He'd obviously shut it inside for years.

[@ratuamartyanne8875]

Man was a god

[@gregorytbrooks]

I spent a day with both of them during an exhibition match in Columbus in 1992, I believe? They were both very gracious and easy to be around, and Bjorn to this day is still one of the nicest humans I have ever met. RIP Vitas.

[@Rick-tf4dl]

The amount of pace and top spin Borg is producing in this match from a small wooden racket mind bending. The talent is off the charts.

[@stevenashe8900]

I can’t get over the video quality. Really excellent footage, looks like it happened recently.

[@Diddyfg]

I was very fortunate to see this match , three rows up from the umpires chair. My only visit to Wimbledon and I saw Conners v McEnroe in the first semi final and then this!

[@Levoyageur-y3w]

Borg is the most impressive tennis player I have ever seen. He was a very mysterious player because he was very silent, very calm and made no gesture of irritation or joy. His nickname was "iceborg". I felt like I was seeing some sort of “God” come to Earth. No other tennis player ever gave me such a visual impression again. Federer Nadal and Djokovic are legends, but they never achieved the aura of Borg because they remained human, while Borg gave the impression of having come from another planet, of being an alien, and when he had his beard, he looked like it was Jesus Christ playing tennis. At the age of 25 he had already won 11 Grand Slams. People today can't imagine the legendary player Borg was back then. He stopped playing tennis at just 26 years old, that’s incredible too.

[@thebarkingwater]

So many young people think the big three invented tennis. The depth of talent in the 70s and 80s was off the charts. These guys would compete nowadays with modern equipment very strongly.. so many great players from that era.

[@rishbahpandey8697]

Not big 3 only Federer is famous and maybe nadal(not sure) , Djokovic is not famous at all

[@livingtribunal4110]

@@rishbahpandey8697 Idiot. They have 61 Majors between them.

[@steffanhoffmann8937]

@@rishbahpandey8697 He's just reached the Wimbledon mens final. Today 8th July 2022. If he wins he's one behind Nadal in slams. Care to comment?

[@steffanhoffmann8937]

Agreed but Gerulaitis here would be blown away by modern players. Borg would probably adapt. He was a supreme athlete.

[@MrTenortone]

I was the tall ballboy, walking across at the end. Bjorn gave me his sweat band - still have it!

[@visibilitypointcorp]

Wow! Great memory, Tony.

[@martydav9475]

That's great to hear.I saw this match.Great memories.

[@Bignewshound60]

That's a wonderful story. My daughter was head ball girl for this year's championships - but of course it was not to be.

[@smellymelly5246]

Liar . That's me .

[@igalflint]

How peculiar!

[@steveturner609]

For sure it was one of the all time most fantastic matches ever seen at Wimbledon- a timeless classic!!

[@zedearl5181]

Just listening again to the commentary and watching this great match from the 70’s for the upteempth time, I’m now 60 I was 14 at the time. The commentator has made a mistake when he mentioned Borg had just won the French open in 77. It was actually Guillermo Vilas of Argentina(who I called the left handed Borg from Argentina) who won the French Open that year beating Brian Gottfried from the USA.

[@peteryouds5634]

Terrific tennis to watch , no whining or complaining about line calls, no grunting , and best of all, the commentators weren’t constantly jabbering about the obvious , as they do now !

[@bigpardner]

I wonder who was the first player to grunt or yell? Too bad they didn't nip it in the bud, as Barney Fife would say, and stop it. Too late now I guess,

[@lucianoraffaelli6560]

@@bigpardner Connors maybe?

[@ST-xg3gy]

I liked Vitas' game. Also, this is the best quality of one these productions I've seen. Thanks.

[@joanboardman7443]

I was there. Fantastic memory!

[@cormorant_on_arock7934]

whoa that's awesome.

[@Kjuken69]

Let it be a good memory, but against the tennis today it looks retharted and clumsy!🤣 The tennis today has been so much more physical and Stronger, their equipment don't help of course!

[@Barettix]

Gerulaitis had the best tennis moves possible, he seemed like a lecture about doing it properly. Without a doubt he was a great champion.

[@cseland]

Anyone else finding it incredible that Gerulaitis was serving (and playing) with a ball in his hands (instead of in his pocket) ?

[@clint1285]

This guy in my tennis league does this. So I started doing it. Saves a few seconds

[@dansmith9724]

I remember my tennis coach use to hold 5 balls in is hand at once. I thought that was pretty cool.

[@ratuamartyanne8875]

Wow just noticed

[@sascha151]

No hand towel after each point....boring breaks...filled with an endless replays....golden age of tennis

[@minboogie]

@kirkleach this is my tennis goal now. I'ma backhand everything 😆

[@MoreChannelNoise]

Vitas was such a talented player, I caught the end of this match on TV at the time, glad someone uploaded it so I can see more all these years later!!!

[@MelodyMaker]

He really executed on volley fundamentals. Great touch with that smaller headed wooden racquet.

[@jeffreyjohnson7359]

Loved Vitas. One of the most tragic sports deaths to me.

[@HomeAtLast501]

Vitas is holding his second ball in his toss hand as he tosses, and he's playing the point with the second ball still in his hand. Unheard of today.

[@ThorD4602]

One handed backhand. I still do it, myself.

[@HomeAtLast501]

@@ThorD4602 Me too.

[@dr.reidsheftalltruthinscie2007]

I had forgotten how good a volleyer Vitas was. Those dipping topspin shots of Bjorn's are hard to volley solidly.

[@Steelpeachandtozer]

This was the greatest match I'd ever seen.

[@100nu77]

Borg is one of greatest or probably greatest

[@jesseburleson432]

Borg was the most badass tennis player that ever lived. Damn, he's a muthafuckin legend.

[@isaiahgauthier2176]

Jesse Burleson he was definitely “gangsta”!!!!!

[@igalflint]

The Grand Master of all Masters.

[@zeddeka]

What's that even meant to mean, apart from social media attention seeking?

[@adrianpriest1567]

Great Tennis! One of the best Tennis Matches of all Time When the Mens Semi finals were played on the Friday With No Roof! & it was always Sunny!

[@andrewkennaugh1065]

In fact,if memory serves me correctly,this was played on a Thursday with the Final on Saturday.The first scheduled Sunday Final was in 1982,Connors v McEnroe, although the first ever Sunday Final was Stan Smith v Nastase in 1972 played then due to rain on the Saturday.Since 1982 the men's semi- finals have been played on Friday although there was yet another anomaly in 2001,with Ivanicovic and Rafter playing the Final on a Monday due to rain. McEnroe and Tlm Henman were only recently reminiscing about what a miracle it was that,in the old days,they got through the entire two weeks without the two roofs!😊

[@ar.sreethanreddygondhi3813]

Goat retired too soon he is superman of his era

[@josephbarbarie692]

These guys just had so much "style" compared to the current game -- although I partially mean the clothes, I mostly mean the strokes, and even the approach to point-construction and just all-round demeanor. Not for these heroes the fist-pump between points, or the finger-wagging at an adverse crowd. Awesome.

[@philippecal6787]

Le lob lifté en revers de Borg : de très loin le plus beau geste de l'histoire du tennis !

[@TommySmith-to4mw]

It’s 5 AM on a Saturday and I’m watching this. With zero regrets Borg was the best!

[@thomaszeun5551]

Borg is like something that we have never seen before or after. The Jesus Christ of tennis and extraterrestrial .

[@nelsonc6173]

Man to play with wooden racquets and to hit like that is really amazing!! And to hit so cleanly as well just purely amazing! Vitas had an amazing second serve with a wicked slice kicker! When Borg tried to run around his backhand and the ball just swerved into his body! Nice! For a second serve! Considering the conditions these guys played in back then and how they played I gotta give those guys back then a lot of cred! Amazing!

[@SquidDesign]

That was a really good second serve, but I think it might have caught a lump in the grass... it's unusual that a righty slice serve would jump to the right rather than the left.

[@danguee1]

@@SquidDesign His 2nd serve was normally a KICK serve - which does move to the right off the deck - rather than a slice....

[@danguee1]

@@SquidDesign When I serve down the T at deuce, I'll almost always serve a kick. If I serve wide, I'll always serve a slice.

[@SquidDesign]

@@danguee1 yes, a kick serve definitely kicks off in the other direction but the path of his racket on the serve looks like a slice to me. See his serve at 9:05. Same swing path.

[@davidthompson7640]

I watched Borg play Vitas at the NEC (Gunner Nielsen Trophy) Ex Racing Driver RIP🙏. Vitas won in 2 sets, most fed up as a Borg fan.Great game of tennis. James Hunt played and so did Jody Scheckter. ( with a massive outsized tennis racquet as I recall) , 1977/78 I think

[@dasrhinegold]

Borg’s iconic Fila tracksuit top .

[@keaneoRX7]

Gerulaitis was so good at the net ! i miss that serve and volley style.

[@claudio130]

Borg my absolute idol ever. Vitas a great player that took tennis professionally but in a different way. He loved enjoying life at the same time than tennis. That may have cost him some tournaments. Apparently a great human being, it was very sad when he died so early due to a stupid tragedy.

[@danielblaze4112]

2 legendary players who dreamed a generation of tennis fans

[@steveturner609]

Wow- what a player Gerulaitais was, and what a fantastic match? I remember watching this classic encounter thinking- crikey the Borg man could get knocked out here!!

[@lloydbower9123]

Gerulatis would have served about 4 or 5 times, in the time it takes Nadal & Djorkovic to prepare, bounce the ball numerous times and serve!

[@greg-warsaw4708]

Yes he would. His serves are so resolute, decisive. I am impressed how he ALWAYS seems to attack to the net right after having served - even when at disadvantage, even when defending. I think his height and range were a little bigger than Borg's so he used it but still, it was a very aggresive style in the days of long exchanges from the deep (Dibbs, Solomon, some of the time also Borg). And then, this is a show of clever plays, some intelligent game rather than just physical.

[@nillejoslin]

Lendl led that "revolution". Half of his career was preparing to serve.

[@usaslakt]

It would have taking the about three days to finish the match...

[@clint1285]

Lol. I know. So hard for me to watch tennis these days. It's takes everyone too Long to serve

[@mahalakshmid8613]

Both nadal & novak shoul have been disqualified from playing long time back for taking so much time to serve & fot grunting & shouting while playing disturbing the opponent every match

[@brettneuberger6466]

Love the commentary! No unnecessary babble.

[@denisriber3111]

My favourite player Vitas Gerulaitis , his style sober is wonderfull !

[@leliondescavernes1747]

Johan kriek

[@ratuamartyanne8875]

Still love Borgs attire. I still buy Fila and Diadora to this day.

[@jeffhermida4788]

7:29 that serve!!! Borg just caught the ball with his hand. LOL!

[@woody234sweep]

Presenter says Borg had just won the French Open. Nope, not in 77, that was Vilas.

[@HomeAtLast501]

That first point --- the angle and elegance of that half-volley. Beautiful.

[@exfolios]

As great a tennis player, Vitas Gerulaitis was, he finished his career oh for eighteen against his friend Borg. That's about a good measure of how good Borg was.

[@martinandersson2478]

Great video quality. Love it.

[@shaka7594]

Small headed wooden racquet, borg had no equal, imo the greatest of all time

[@amisubai3]

no towels after each and every point.

[@artygunnar]

Its a completely different game to today

[@nillejoslin]

Must be global warming...

[@pix046]

Yes, annoying the way they do that. Gerulaitis looks really likeable here. He died tragically at the age of just 40 due to an horrendous carbon monoxide poisoning. RIP.

[@turbotek-wj8vc]

Not to mention all the screaming today, it's very strange.

[@oleggorky906]

Borg was incredible with those rasping, whipped with topspin, returns down the line.

[@rodgerhatfield3068]

What a couple of great champions!!

[@connorduke4619]

Borg retired too soon - heck of a good player.

[@shastar2]

He had to retire because of back injury... Too much lift without appropriate physical preparation. But he certainly opened the path for a whole generation of players. A living legend, only superseded by Roger F.

[@drobson8004]

@@shastar2 ??? Huh?

[@juster3.146]

Agreed he did retire to soon. I bet he wishes that he regrets it everyday.

[@overkongen34]

@@shastar2 That is completely wrong. He was the fittest player on tour. He retired due to lack of motivation - and because he was not allowed to play fewer tournaments.

[@Ruda-n4h]

@@overkongen34 Suffered from burnout.

[@keneblana]

I remember this classic so well. They look like they're barely hitting the ball by today's standards but the touch and finesse was supreme. So close, 26-25 in total games.

[@romcallis]

Two of the quickest players ever but Borg was the ultimate counterpuncher

[@pboregft6681]

Tennis have indeed come a long way in the past 45 years

[@adrianboyddodd8007]

I was in hospital at 15 having my appendix out during the 1st week at Wimbledon in 1977. I remember while in Derby hospital Ille Nastase telling the umpire to refer to him as Mr Nastase. My boarding school only gave 4 weeks summer holiday in the summer instead of 6 weeks, which meant that my summer holiday never started until mid July after wimbledon was over. But they gave me another week off to recover after the operation and so I was luck enough to see this match from home which was on a Friday as semi finals were in those days meaning I would normally have been in a class room. Great timing for me to see my very 1st semi final in full.

[@gailsykes2691]

I know I'm nit picking but it was on a Thursday. It was my dad's funeral that day and I know it may seem a bit disrespectful but the tennis match definitely took my mind off things. Terrific match.

[@adrianboyddodd8007]

@@gailsykes2691 Hi Gail. I am sure it would make either of those players very happy to know that their performance that day had made a contribution to your healing.

[@DanyWildTV]

wow good quality !!!! THX !!!!!

[@Martin_ros]

The intro is wrong. Borg had not just won the French Open - he skipped it w an injury. He won both the French Open and Wimbledon 1978-1980. He only won Wimbledon in 1976 and 1977

[@zedearl5181]

Absolutely correct. I spotted the same mistake also.

[@peterearl2945]

Your last sentence is incorrect btw!

[@Martin_ros]

No it' s completely correct. Borg won both the French Open and Wimbledon 3 times: 1978-1980. 74, 75 & 81Borg only won the French.Both 1976 & 1977 he just won Wimbledon

[@ginobonamente4669]

Era un grande tennista il povero Vitas !!!!!!! RIP

[@adrianomangoni8365]

Vitas, l'uomo che mi ha fatto innamorare del tennis. Ha vinto troppo poco per le sue qualità, anche per un po' di sfortuna in alcuni incontri importanti. Poi, la cattiva sorte se lo è portato via...

[@ginobonamente4669]

@@adrianomangoni8365 aveva davanti Borg, Connors e Mc Enroe e lui non era potente sufficientemente, ma era un bel tennis quello che esprimeva

[@jeffreyroberts7438]

This is when sport in general had character’s, not like today’s boring non-descript uninspiring sports people!!!!

[@Dman9fp]

This match was a changing of the guard for how winning tennis was to be played imo even more than the 85 uso or 74 Wimbledon finals. Borg had next to no business beating Vitas that day, but it was absolutely no accident nor mystery how he won Wimbledon 5 times in a row despite playing a clay court game in a s&v era- he had the grand athleticism, a solid underrated serve & great topspin that essentially made him Nadal of his era, playing wall-style tennis. Ps: this grand 5 setter caused Vitas & Borg to become life-long friends, that's how crazy of a match this was

[@denisdaly1708]

After this match, they practiced together for Body's final, at Geralitis's suggestion. Now, that's sport.

[@911801111801]

Nadal is the Borg of this era (but with lots of improvements); not the other way around.

[@romcallis]

Gerulaitus was the master of chip and charge but Borg was the master of counterpunching

[@belairscents]

Borg never failed at that time👍👍🏆

[@Channel_Yo]

Please post more classic Borg matches.

[@greatredchicken]

Björn Borg has declared that if Vitas isnt inducted in the Tennis Hall of Fame, he will let go of his own official spot!

[@yaser5572]

thanks💜

[@elseniorgallo]

There is a mistake that the narrator makes at the very beginning. He states that Borg had just won the French Open. This is not true. The fact is, this Wimbledon match is dated 1977, and that year, Guillermo Vilas won the French Open.

[@SuperHammaren]

Yes, Borg did not even play in the french open that year. He played some World tennis team matches I believe.

[@elseniorgallo]

SuperHammaren : That's right. He joined World Team Tennis, like Laver and Evert.

[@BobBob-fj1vh]

Oh my my how the time has passed. I remember this match like it was yesterday. I watched this match IN London!

[@MrBjorn6]

Bob Bob I watched it in Birmingham UK 😉

[@zedearl5181]

I remember this match, i was always a Borg fan then i became a Vitas fan also. R.I.P. Vitas

[@TrixyLixyStix]

Ah those were the days. No towels, players taking the first ball thrown to them, two bounces, serve! No team of commentators analyzing the shot from 3 angles in ultra slow motion. Just Dan Maskall whose only comment on a Borg backhand passing shot in the 5th set of a Wimbledon semi final is to chuckle to himself like Shere Khan. Perfect.

[@danieleinnamorati8622]

Gerulaitis play with the second ball in his hand 4:24

[@terencewinters2154]

He was borg - it was futile to resist . One of the greatest baseline returners ever . I was in london at the time with a college buddy tried to find VG a h.s. classmate couldn't locate him met connors briefly who'd also lose to borg had scrounged an S.I photographer's pass but since there were two of us it was not enough. So I believe we watched it on tv in a pub or something. Wimbledon center court looks a little chewed and brown . Later went to Stonehenge and saw the megalithic calendar and ferried to ireland from Swansea to see friends and relations. We had the time of our life.

[@igalflint]

Forty five long years have passed. Why not show the whole match?

[@lonceyelie4299]

wow...we have gone very far since 1977...so many things have changed

[@zeddeka]

Bot

[@Logans3Run]

The serve volley specialist Vs the baseliner, always a classic...Even though Borg did as instructed by his coach, to serve and volley himself, when playing on the grass, at Wimbledon...

[@fraerithlelfe6027]

Je ne me rappelais plus que Geru jouait aussi bien

[@leliondescavernes1747]

Il faut regarder sa demi-finale contre Roscoe Tanner à l'USOPEN 79,pour s'en rendre compte

[@fraerithlelfe6027]

@@leliondescavernes1747 C'est fait. Depuis peu. Il était incroyable !

[@mikehzz9848]

Back when the grass courts were slick and fast, and a slice backhand was a deadly shot. They had to slow the grass up when the oversize racquets came in because nobody could hit the serves back.

[@tomsavage7279WalteroftheSea]

Saw Vitas at Wimbledon-class act. Borg was great on grass. For me Jimmy was always No. 1 and if it were not for irascibility would have doubled his collection of major titles. That’s tennis i guess. I believe the guys i mentioned would adjust to the modern game because two of em were great and the third-a US open winner against Mac( another great), Vitas was near being a great for a few years. Live these matches when they rip up on youtube feeds. Hope all enjoy this fine ( hilites) footage. I know i will later when i come back from the shops-playlisted it already! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@dhdavidholloway]

I was working at Wimbledon and got to see this match. I think that it was one of my favourite matches ever-so fast. I knew the Robinson barley man well. His job was to go out and make sure that the labels were facing the cameras

[@gooddognigel9992]

No fist pumps? No grunting? No towels? I can’t watch this;)

[@ericw3229]

Vitas was good but he didn't have that one special weapon to beat the top players. Lost him to soon .RIP

[@pierrelorthios851]

la qualitée de la video et du son sont absolument genial !!! merci de faire la même avec : 1987 QF Lendl vs. Leconte.. just saying;-)

[@MrJeumf]

Bjorn Borg the Best

[@mohamedsamir6751]

One style, one technique!!!!

[@carlh429]

In the other semi final was a player wearing pretty much the same tennis clothes and headband as Bjorn Borg. Namely one John McEnroe.

[@willkittwk]

That guy announcing the match is straight gangsta.😂😩🤣💯😎

[@stephansourdon5508]

M. Borg a écrit un joli livre sur sa vie et les vitamines y tiennent un rôle important.

[@leliondescavernes1747]

Quelle sorte de vitamine s'agit il?

[@briangottfried8533]

Les 4 premières têtes de série de ce Wimbledon 77 furent Connors,Borg,Vilas,et Tanner... Guillermo et Roscoe qui avaient disputé la finale de Melbourne,sur gazon,6 mois auparavant, furent battus par Billy Martin et John Lloyd !!!!!!

[@theleftstrokesthedeathstro9910]

Imagine how good Vitas G would have been had he not loved the partying all night. I think he was good enough to have at least 3-4 major titles

[@Ruda-n4h]

A very good all court game but he lacked a big shot.

[@MrHangrah]

Net and Volley, ancient tennis

[@zarkoostojic9063]

😥😢😢

[@andrew1212w]

Borg retried way too young he had another 5 years left in him playing at the top level 🎾👍😊

[@ratuamartyanne8875]

I adore vBorg, he is my hero. BUT I know he was burnt out. I recall watching himbeat Mac in 1980, and knew it was a pyrrhic victory. Because he showed he could bleed. The next year i knew McEnroe would win. Then Lendl became stronger. His final season, I am not sure of. But, I guess it was unproductive. And, let us not forget the farce which was his 'comeback' in 91.

[@opencurtin]

At 5.20 Dan says about Vita "A wonderfully fit active man " well he'd want to be he's playing Borg at the Wimbledon semis !!!!!

[@annetteelliott1494]

thank you.....sorry if I was mistaken, no harm meant.

[@glenncurley680]

It's a totally different game today!

[@simonArmenia1]

Was tennis more exiting back then?

[@pipicucu008]

i don't think so , it was all about serve and volley , slice back hand, less power and no top spin. Nowadays is 10 times more fun to watch .

[@radilev1996]

Surely not. Looks like they are practicing instead of playing a GS semi. Wood raquets have something to do with it, but not just that. The game involved over the years. Modern sport will always be better than old eras. Not just in tennis.

[@brianboucher4248]

No. There was much more touch and subtlety in the game then. And there was lots of topspin and slice.

[@woswasdenni1914]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWHCiqyegLtjn8k pete sampras on wood... not that good

[@ttrdf]

it was more exciting, today it's more becoming ping pong on a bigger court, the game back then had character

[@LOLONO666]

at this time tennis was more fun to watch

[@stevesnellgrove1518]

Vitas was a hint of John McEnroe.. very good touch at the net 👍

[@ttrdf]

I wish we see this kind of sport again, instead of this athletic show of today

[@ThetennisDr]

ahmad ball was actually faster back then

[@diegovvv4422]

@@ThetennisDr disagree.

[@yournamehere7182]

Wow i totally forgot how close this was!

[@gerardoleon4144]

9:55 Thats why I came for

[@rubenabello5539]

Borg . . .sigue el más grande, simplemente

[@mcleanpharmacy873]

greatest match,bull____.In the last 2 games,at 6-6 in the fifth,Gerulaitis had 7(seven) unforced errors in the last 2 games.He blew it.Terrible choke job by V.G.

[@johndoe3964]

Difference is, McEnroe would have usually done more with the first or second volleys than his brother Vitas. And that is crucial.

[@jasonbrooks6562]

Vitas was a good volleyer, Mac was a great volleyer.

[@gedewurd]

che spettacolo gli anni '70 chissa' come mai i piu grandi cmpioni hanno giocato inquei mitici anni!!! borg connors gerulaitis vilas ashe nastase mcenroe ....altro che oggi ..erano battaglie infinite oggi Togli King Roger e Nadal ...vuoto assoluto.... bei tempi davvero..

[@preciousjey]

I know I have this on vhs or dvd somewhere.