Ilie Nastase vs McEnroe US Open 1979 - Highlights

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[@johnj3360]

I was lucky enough to be sitting 1st row right behind the referee. I was 15 and my dad was friends w the head of good housekeeping who gave us the tickets. What a crazy night that was.

[@cyrilbrocard]

Man, after years of unsuccessful research on the web, it's the first time I've seen any footage of this infamous match. It seems you've found the holy grail for vintage tennis lovers 🙂 Thanks for uploading and sharing this with us !

[@alanchong7513]

Haha. You are right about that! This match definitely is infamous. Walter Hammond, the umpire lost control, from memory, yes?

[@cyrilbrocard]

Alan Chong Yes, he lost control and his career was seriously damaged after that.

[@huguesmsh5293]

Another fraal is Connors Panatta at the US Open

[@bradleysmall2230]

it was a confluence of the new conduct rules not being known to public, drinking new yorkers all meeting a good ump hammond Mcenroe after match was asked by nasty if he wanted to go to dinner at a restaurant...

[@bradleysmall2230]

this helped us open tennis be popular in 80s at the new site

[@user-nb7yj4mn2y]

The great days. When sport was worth watching.

[@nastaseis1261]

despite all this commentary, Nastase was the only one to take a set off of Mac the whole tournament

[@simpbeforeusleep]

I noticed he actually took a set, looks like he just didn't have the toughness for a long match like McEnroe did at that point.

[@SteveLeser]

Like Cyril I searched for years to find this match. The one thing I wish this video had is my favorite moment from this match which is forever burned into my mind. At one point, Nastase laid down on the court on his back and was performing bench presses with his racquet. I still laugh out loud when I think about that. Such an insane moment in an overall crazy match.

[@mellimendelson2291]

I remember watching this on tv that night..i was 15 years old and had been playing competative tennis for several years ..

[@cliveuuking4602]

This is not about you.

[@divinity176]

According to the report I read, McEnroe and Nastase had dinner together that evening...

[@sharpasaneraser]

Thank you thank you thank you -- a tremendous Christmas Gift

[@PaulJohnson-yw9gi]

The real disgrace here was that Frank Hammond was over-ruled.

[@andreinastase1604]

FALSE He was a disgrace. He imposed dumb rules on a great game.

[@cliveuuking4602]

Untrue

[@driger888]

connors - nastase was an epic doubles team.

[@harrystiles8195]

McEnroe was only 20 , while Nastase was 33 at this stage , and you could see he was having a tough time covering the court .

[@switch12345678]

Compared to Nasty, McEnroe looks like a pus*y here

[@robertorossi5426]

Mike Blanchard was absolutely right! !! Nastase was just a clown, he made everything to make McEnroe nervous but he couldnt !!

[@PaulJohnson-yw9gi]

Frank Hammond was treated appallingly. He applied the rules and his default should have stood.

[@cliveuuking4602]

Untrue

[@jerseyneil1]

I remember watching this match live. Looking back at this, the only good thing in this match is for McEnroe to get a taste of how he normally behaves on the court. For Johnny Mac, Nastase's behavior is like looking into a mirror.

[@bobstevens3265]

I'd suggest this is awful for Mcenroe because it showed him that it was possible to get officials, even umpires replaced, thus encouraging him in his bad behaviour for the rest of his career. It's incredible to me that the authorities were willing to undermine their own officials in this way. I realise however, there was a crowd control issue which complicated matters.

[@turdferguson1070]

Was Mac a handful? Yes. But Nastasee was actually worse. A lot worse. That crap he pulled with the judge at the net should have had him kicked out right there. Great player but a horrible person in terms of on court behavior.

[@epipd5712]

I have never seen McEnroe act so nice in a match. hahaha

[@MultiCappie]

He often was, but he wasn't always, hahaha.

[@amigoo4you]

There was Mr. Nasty the boss. McEnroe in that time was just a little boy.

[@switch12345678]

@@amigoo4you He teached him here being an as*hole

[@amck72]

If you never saw Mcenroe act so nice then you never saw his matches vs Borg. John said he made sure never to waste any energy arguing cause he needed all of his strength and focus vs Bjorn.

[@epipd5712]

@@amigoo4you haha so true!

[@stupendor1]

Classic match.

[@trespasser121]

Ridiculous to say the crowd was booing the umpire because "they loved Nastase".. have you ever been at the US Open (rhetorical question). They love their American players above all. Just that in this case they saw unfairness.

[@surfshack2]

Classic!

[@theoriginalthinker9199]

Nastase did get a set. He should've acted more civil, maybe he could've made it a close match.

[@mathematrucker]

If they had just kept playing the disturbance would have ended a lot quicker. The noise affects both players equally, so it wouldn't have been unfair to continue. Nastase was reveling in his creation however, so there's no way he would have agreed to keep playing. But I think my theory is correct. Did any NBA player or referee ever hold up the game because spectators were going wild behind the backboard when the visiting team stepped up to the foul line? Doubt it.

[@marianpalko2531]

Nastase outmcenroed McEnroe 😜👌

[@tedkier3264]

ever since , it's been known as the 'Malace in the US Open Palace'!

[@xiandarkthorne]

I loved umpire who has the guts to impose the rules.

[@sharpasaneraser]

the great Frank Hammond in the chair (hot seat)

[@Perebynis]

Ilie "Nasty" Nastase in action...

[@14rrayan88]

Yankee

[@aspsiw]

Did they continue at 3-1 , does anyone know?

[@alinpetrus356]

Yes, they did. 2-6.

[@beehead5661]

This reminds me of "Professional" Wrestling

[@americanpatriot7233]

i've never seen anything like this in tennis

[@pepe6518]

6.42 I thought these things only happened to me, now you can see, Ilie, how do I feel very, very seldom, ah, what a pleasant experience is to be in the other side! ha ha

[@dorland3]

McEnroe vs. Steve Perry

[@brittonblair7617]

I thought this was a Monty Python episode

[@splashmt99]

People think McEnroe was the nastiest player ever. Not even close.

[@nazcarcup]

The umpire's career was ruined by Nastase...that's a problem

[@cyrilbrocard]

Naz Idoura Nastase (unlike Mac) never expressed much regret about it. He did have charisma, but could really be a jerk at times.

[@MrPernell27]

Cyril Brocard I've met him several times. He's an absolute asshole!

[@MultiCappie]

I think the umpire was the wrong person for this match. It's fair to say he deserved part of the blame. Almost unbelievable that McEnroe was _not_ partly to blame though. This has to be one of very few times one could say that.

[@kingtyomama6564]

Alcohol is a helluva drug.........

[@allenboyer2207]

Only time Mac was upstaged for bad behavior

[@FleagleSangria]

I dont think Ilie's behavior influenced Mac's one way or the other. It was in Mac. Hes Irish. Same with Jimbo. Say what you will. Im Irish.

[@cliveuuking4602]

Who's jimbo? He's Irish?

[@keithmckeith]

Got to love watching Nastase getting outclassed, outfoxed and punished by the genius of a 20yo McEnroe.

[@alanfrost75]

Lol come on. The genius of McEnroe.. to shut up for once in his career :D

[@xander9564]

I remember watching that match. Many of the points were very close, and riveting to watch for their brilliance. McEnroe won the US Open that year, only dropping one set the whole tournament: to the 33 y/o Nastase.

[@constantapopa7575]

2 jucau tenis ceilalți stăteau pe scaun

[@bobbzsekk4904]

what the heck's wrong with that crowd? the guy behaved like a jerk yet they stood up for him!?

[@robertsuhrer5604]

They paid for a match. Punish the jerk later.

[@AtCheruti]

Being a snowflake and being boorish are separate things. Mental toughness and manners go together more often than not.

[@simpbeforeusleep]

Yuck, US Open crowd sucks. Usually the worst crowd every year.

[@kingtyomama6564]

Its called alcohol

[@MultiCappie]

Nastase was instigating trouble, but Frank Hammond overreacted, giving Nastase a legitimate reason to continue, thus escalating the situation. Frank was not well suited to this type of situation. Great "on the page", but clueless here.

[@shelleywarkentin9656]

"SHUT UP" Crowd.

[@glennbalboa]

Today's tennis is great, but I wish men's tennis had one character, a real bad boy that gave the matches a little drama. McEnroe vs Connors and McEnroe vs Lendl had so much drama and anticipation, it was like a war taking place on a tennis court, great entertainment, those matches were like championship main event boxing matches, today, not much drama, now it's just 125+ plus serve with a racquet made of materials used on the space shuttle that gives the player so much power that it takes away from tactical and artistry of shot making.

[@cyrilbrocard]

Glenn Balboa Agreed, generally speaking. Now, on this specific game... there was a little bit too much testosterone on the court 😏

[@glennbalboa]

Agreed, but like I said you need a few Nastase's, McEnroe's and Connors's in the game, and today you have no one like these legendary entertainers. The thing about these greats is you have to have the game to back up the attitude and bad boy villain behavior, and all of them had the goods.

[@cyrilbrocard]

Glenn Balboa I think there's more to it than bad guys. They were one important ingredient of the golden age of tennis, but the key, I think, was the diversity of players. In terms of looks, personalities and playing styles, the variety was incredible back then (among the top 20 at least). individually, those players were interesting. But playing one another, you had contrast (if not clashes), and that made up for great tennis plus great drama. Today, apart from a handful of outstanding champions, tennis quality is dense, probably much more so than in the past, but we've lost the diversity and drama. Sad.

[@simpbeforeusleep]

We have one good rivalry that will disappear soon which is Nadal and Federer, that is about it as far as the uniqueness and character goes in modern tennis that you guys are talking about.

[@jshanker2005]

Women hit the ball twice as hard today as McEnroe and Nastase did back then.

[@liandaforstrand9120]

Then they win the prize. If they'd just make golf driving contests instead the world would be in order rather than all this weird skill stuff confusing people.

[@alinpetrus356]

Different raquets.

[@Revolver1981]

It's because of the garbage wooden racquets they used back then.

[@JD-jc8gp]

You don't win at tennis by simply hitting harder.

[@cliveuuking4602]

​@@Revolver1981not according to Roscoe

[@stuarth4296]

I just watched Serena carry on at the Open and smash her racket and act twice as bad as Nastase ever did going on and on and on and on and on and on about how men smash their rackets and yell at judges and take off their shirts and never get penalized. Well...looks like they did back in the day, and then the U.S. Open crowd freaked and an umpire was humiliated for enforcing game and match against Nastase. The poor Japanese girl that beat Serena fair and square was getting booed at the trophy ceremony. It was a disgrace...all because Serena had a point deducted and was arguing with a judge she thought had it out for her. I was a teenager in 1979 and remembered this match, and the umpire enforcing these rules...and Serena's conduct made me think of Nastase and McEnroe.

[@14rrayan88]

MUIE YANKEEEEEE!

[@MultiCappie]

Nastase was instigating trouble, but Frank Hammond overreacted, giving Nastase a legitimate reason to continue, thus escalating the situation. Frank was not well suited to this type of situation. Great "on the page", but clueless here.

[@trespasser121]

So Nastase was right and the umpire was wrong. McEnroe was acting coy because the decisions were going in his favor.. what do you call this, not fair play, I'm thinking the opposite.

[@guillemot371]

este era peor k mcenroe

[@pascalsolal]

A champion in his last days, facing an upcoming champion...Pathetic, in a way...

[@harkirehal258]

Nastase looks in terrible shape for a 33 year old tennis player. Too much boozing and partying. Compare him to how Federer played at 37. Fed was still playing like a champ at 37

[@ZIGSVIDS]

McEnroe disgrace's him self yet again.

[@alanchong7513]

This is embarassing for Men's tennis. Its no coincidence it involved Nastase. Can't a simple game of tennis be played without the circus? Terrible look.

[@alinpetrus356]

Nastase had nothing to do with this, in fact he was very popular at that time. McEnroe a 20 year old..

[@MrRazorblade999]

@@alinpetrus356 Nothing? lol Nastase was a pathetic clown all his career

[@SolanaBot1]

@@alinpetrus356 de ce il aperi pe clovn/?