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

SUBSCRIBE to The Wimbledon KZbin Channel: / wimbledon
LIKE Wimbledon on Facebook: / wimbledon
FOLLOW Wimbledon on Twitter: / wimbledon
FOLLOW Wimbledon on Snapchat: add Wimbledon
+1 Wimbledon on Google+: plus.google.com/+Wimbledon
VISIT: www.wimbledon.com/
This is the official KZbin page of The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships), home of Wimbledon. The Championships 2016 will run from 27 June-10 July.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@stevenashe8900]

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

[@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.

[@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 😆

[@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?

[@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.

[@dthorne4602]

One handed backhand. I still do it, myself.

[@HomeAtLast501]

@@dthorne4602 Me too.

[@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.

[@HomeAtLast501]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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!

[@jeffreyjohnson7359]

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

[@steveturner609]

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

[@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.

[@dr.reidsheftalltruthinscie2007]

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

[@ar.sreethanreddygondhi3813]

Goat retired too soon he is superman of his era

[@thomaszeun5551]

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

[@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.

[@Steelpeachandtozer]

This was the greatest match I'd ever seen.

[@philippecal6787]

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

[@dasrhinegold]

Borg’s iconic Fila tracksuit top .

[@danielblaze4112]

2 legendary players who dreamed a generation of tennis fans

[@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!

[@romcallis]

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

[@TommySmith-to4mw]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@rodgerhatfield3068]

What a couple of great champions!!

[@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!!

[@denisriber3111]

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

[@leliondescavernes1747]

Johan kriek

[@ST-xg3gy]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@oleggorky906]

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

[@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.

[@keaneoRX7]

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

[@martinandersson2478]

Great video quality. Love it.

[@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.

[@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.

[@gunternetzer9621]

@@overkongen34 Suffered from burnout.

[@romcallis]

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

[@DanyWildTV]

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

[@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

[@lonceyelie4299]

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

[@viczampa]

Borg never failed at that time👍👍🏆

[@gooddognigel9992]

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

[@brettneuberger6466]

Love the commentary! No unnecessary babble.

[@yaser5572]

thanks💜

[@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 !

[@100nu77]

Borg is one of greatest or probably greatest

[@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.

[@mohamedsamir6751]

One style, one technique!!!!

[@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...

[@pboregft6681]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@MrJeumf]

Bjorn Borg the Best

[@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

[@annetteelliott1494]

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

[@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.

[@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;-)

[@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.

[@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.

[@Channel_Yo]

Please post more classic Borg matches.

[@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! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@willkittwk]

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

[@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 !!!!!

[@LOLONO666]

at this time tennis was more fun to watch

[@MrHangrah]

Net and Volley, ancient tennis

[@zarkoostojic9063]

😥😢😢

[@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 !!!!!!

[@igalflint]

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

[@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.

[@yournamehere7182]

Wow i totally forgot how close this was!

[@juanloprada]

Maravilla

[@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

[@gunternetzer9621]

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

[@danieleinnamorati8622]

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

[@glenncurley680]

It's a totally different game today!

[@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?

[@renato7651]

Spettacolo

[@stevesnellgrove1518]

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

[@rubenabello5539]

Borg . . .sigue el más grande, simplemente

[@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

[@woody234sweep]

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

[@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.

[@preciousjey]

I know I have this on vhs or dvd somewhere.

[@ericw3229]

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

[@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..

[@Gregoryt700]

I do believe Gerulaitis was almost as quick as Borg was

[@senorgato70]

Yes, they were both rated as the two quickest players in the game at that time.

[@MrJeepsters]

Gerulaitis avait un jeu de jambe et une vitesse exceptionnelle. ( comme Borg et Vilas)

[@KingCast65]

And Johan Kriek.

[@jimsj9482]

Nastase was quick too.

[@hymansahak181]

Gregoryt700 Yes, I’m surprised how fast he comes to net on a serve and volley. His first step is lightning fast.

[@Ampex1962]

I love the old days. No moaning.

[@sianchetty1361]

I'm just waiting to hear Dan Maskell to say......"Oh, I say!" xx

[@alanchong7513]

Good one! Dan Maskell was famous for that line!

[@MelodyMaker]

Hearing his voice and thinking this was 43 years ago is just the most bizarre realization. Only now upon reviewing this video do I think about how his calming voice was entrenched within the positive Wimbledon vibe.

[@gailsykes2691]

He also loved "a dream of a passing shot".

[@cosmoevents21st56]

It took a lot more skill back then playing with wooden rackets.

[@rintintin7529]

and they had no chairs!

[@johnnybgood1169]

@@rintintin7529 They had chairs. Watch the very beginning of this video again, around minute 0:50. Cheers!

[@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.

[@gerardoleon4144]

9:55 Thats why I came for

[@Kgermaine]

Borg just carries his rackets in his arms- no bag, haha

[@miguelhernandez9090]

wich was the brand of Gerulaitis shoes?