McEnroe vs Vilas • 1980 Pepsi Grand Slam Challenge - Consolation Final

[@ottodoerr409]

I wish they could add more classic ones like this one, maybe the Pepsi Gran Slams finale 1978 between B.Borg vs J.Connors, it was a very tied three sets thriller. Thanks for sharing this beauty.

[@AndreaCirla]

You are welcome!

[@chromosoulmagic]

I grew up in the town adjacent to Mac. We all grew up on that green or red clay. Great to see what a competent clay-court player Mac was. His patience against the best clay players is worth noting. Mac can build points as well as serve and volley.

[@BigMac21962]

Fantastic video and of the quality that allows one to really appreciate what is going on.We are watching the best player I have ever seen. Thank you for this video.

[@alanchong7513]

Excellent camera angle too. Awesome. Who wins this match? I should just fast forward to the end. Great quality upload.

[@uncletony6210]

all tennis matches should be televised at this angle.

[@user-jv9qz2bu1r]

I swear, I will pull out my old Jack Kramer (wood racket) soon. I love the slower pace of these vintage matches.

[@phchoucri1]

Great skills from both of them.

[@3883melange]

Actually, I didn't know well of Villas. Now, I know he's a very attractive and competitive player. Thanks for uploading this one.

[@j.jmcquade5278]

I'm similar

[@sofianebenmrad5614]

Guillermo Vilas était un grand champion qui a subit une injustice lors du classement ATP il a finalement été réintégré comme No 1.

[@kazitude1]

The rackets heads were 40% of what they are today!

[@fundhund62]

what a great interview! ;)

[@antonboludo8886]

Amazing players.

[@j.jmcquade5278]

Mac beating Vilas on clay was pretty huge. Shows how great Mac was.

[@antonboludo8886]

Indeed.

[@Gregoryt700]

Vilas actually had a good lifetime record against Mac, and Connors, including fast court wins against Borg. He wasn't just a dirt kicker.

[@uncletony6210]

Plus he won Wimbledon against Dean Martin's son.

[@philippeigoa7765]

His H2H record against Borg was one-sided. Played the same type of game, except Vilas hit his backhand one-handed and he didn't serve as well. That part of his game resembled Connor's. Although Vilas did beat Borg early in their rivalry, the '78 French Open final shows how much better Borg was than Vilas on the red dirt, and Vilas was in the top 4 or 5 clay courters in the world. Borg wins his third French Open final, beating Vilas 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. Vilas had one the tournament a year earlier against the American Brian Gottfried I think the score that day was 6-0, 6-3,6-0. Say all you want about Nadal, Borg was, I think, just as dominant in his day, he won 6 French Opens, and it really should have been 7, but that was the year he didn't enter for some reason, and his buddy and practice partner Vilas won it. Had Borg continued playing through the mid 80's, I'm sure he could have gotten to 10 French Open titles like Nadal is at right now, and I'm also convinced that he would have conquered the US Open by then as well. It was so disappointing as a fan of Borg's game and overall demeanor, and the way he conducted himself, when he retired.

[@MrBjorn6]

@@philippeigoa7765 maybe 10 but certainly not 13

[@gheffz]

Yeah, I think he did reach #2 in the world in 1977... so, yes, no dirt kicker indeed.

[@francescopentangeli9959]

Guillermo Vilas the ultimate playboy by the time ... LIVING LEYEND

[@philippeigoa7765]

Playboy/poet/philosopher..... He was the Dos Equis spokesman of his generation. He dated Princess Caroline of Monaco. Grace friggin' Kelly's mom for God's sake !

[@MrJeepsters]

Il y avait aussi Geru.

[@jgamez5023]

lol, I've never seen Mac hit so many topspin backhand shots !

[@smftrsddvjiou6443]

He hit normal shots back then with the wood. He develppe his kind of half-volley baseline shoots with the graphite racquet. Which hurt his game in my opinion.

[@CarlitosCazely]

Best intro tv show ever (or what) 😅❤

[@theoriginalthinker9199]

Vilas' massive left forearm was second only to that of Rod Laver's

[@milllworks]

And maybe Tommy Okker of the Netherlands

[@AndreaCirla]

with a wood racket too?

[@aletei1556]

el reves paralelo del minuto 26 fue epico, Vilas fue un grande para Argentina, a partir de él todo cambio!

[@jamesanderson1047]

33:39 future billionaire, Ion Tiriac. Coach of Nastase and Vilas.

[@mrbobevans]

I was never in awe of Vilas' game. But he was always very friendly and accommodating when he played in our pro tennis tournament in Louisville, KY.

[@Hirokiji]

+mrbobevans Often termed as a ‘Puddler’.

[@alanchong7513]

I thought Vilas was excellent. Topspin on both sides, nice guy, sexy as hell for the ladies to watch. Prolific winner on the men's tour. Great personality for the men's game!

[@philippeigoa7765]

He did not have the body type of tennis player, that's for sure.

[@uncletony6210]

@@alanchong7513 did you see the film "Players" where he won wimbledon?

[@alanchong7513]

@@uncletony6210 I never saw that film. Is he the right guy to win Wimbledon in fiction? Perhaps Nastase would make a good choice. Nastase went close in reality.

[@lu1arv]

ball boys en las lineas y en la net...como cambio todoooooooooooooooo

[@pharmaas]

Amazing quality, is this VHS? thanks for sharing

[@EK-mc4on]

pharmaas I think it was broadcast on tennis channel

[@fundhund62]

I really like McEnroe´s attitude in those early days. Lot´s of humor, and didn´t take himself too seriously. That reminds me of him saying that the years before he became no. 1 were actually the time he enjoyed the most. Unfortunately that seemed to change around 1981, when he acted more and more like an arrogant millionaire yuppie jerk.

[@alanchong7513]

Hahaha. You are spot on. He was a nicer character when Borg was on the tour. Once Borg left, his personality changed for the worse.

[@alanchong7513]

He really was nicer as the world no.2. Maybe because there was less pressure on him. All the pressure was on Borg.

[@alanchong7513]

+Uncle Tony You have a good point. McEnroe just thinks he's better thwn everyone. He even tried to intimidate Boris Becker. But Becker didn't have too many problems dealing with Mcenroe's game. Haha

[@fundhund62]

+Uncle Tony I agree that McEnroe was probably acting like a jerk throughout his career, but my point was that there seems to have been more humor involved (often of the self-deprecating variety) in those earlier days. Take this interview with Trabert for example, and compare it to the amazingly arrogant things he had to say around 1986 ("tennis is boring with me, and ridiculous without me"). Apart from that, with McEnroe it usually didn´t matter whether there was "much at stake" or not. And it still doesn´t, to be honest, since he is basically behaving the same like he did 30 years ago, except for the occasional wry smile.

[@fundhund62]

That´s true. Although he actually WAS better than 99% of the others, and there is even some truth in his assertion that tennis is not particularly interesting if not played creatively, like he did (yes, that´s my tranlslation ;)). No need to get arrogant about it, though.

[@emphryio]

Both hitting heavy topspin with wood racquets and a continental grip for every shot.

[@jaysherman4149]

And Vilas holding the second ball in his hand.

[@valeriocostantini1959]

@@jaysherman4149 Only Mcenroe used continental grip for every shot.

[@Gregoryt700]

Typo - against BOTH. Freudian slip - he was only 5-17 against Borg

[@senorgato70]

Two best butts in the game at the time.

[@WAN-ox4lk]

VILAS...EL MEJOR DE TODOS

[@j.jmcquade5278]

who was Mac talking about at the end? Stacy? Stacy from California?

[@llewvincent7537]

Stacy Margolin - his girlfriend for a while. You can see her watching Mac at the epic 1980 final with Borg

[@bonhamhouse1169]

Consolation?

[@philippeigoa7765]

Vilas is not in very good health these days. Sources close to him state that he is in a state of cognitive decline, forgets his daughters' names. Very sad.

[@joeimbesi99]

Vilas reminds me of Rafa..Forceful and Powerful

[@robertrosejr1]

Never saw McEnroe swing so long on his backhand

[@dobbydob9443]

Exact, same on his forehand.

[@MH117]

Check Mcenroe Becker in Antwerp 1985

[@doctorgarbonzo2525]

Vilas at the time was living in Monte Carlo & Dating Princess Caroline,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[@philippeigoa7765]

They had a short affair in 1982.

[@philippeigoa7765]

They had a brief affair that lasted through 1982.

[@marcoscaletta4478]

M

[@ripperduck]

McEnroe had the weirdest physique of any pro ever. He had the least athletic ability of any champ....

[@alessiasalzano8660]

What? In which sense his physique is 'weird'? I don't think so :D I actually find him lean and in the right shape to be honest. And remember that tennis in those days was more about technique and less based on power. Why are you expecting him to have lot of muscles? Tennis is a classy sport, I play tennis myself and personally don't like to see football players on the court :D from my point of view John is a very elegant player and he perfectly fits this amazing sport.

[@smftrsddvjiou6443]

I don't think so. He was flexible, he was fast and was slim. Back then you did not need muscles like Arnold Schwarzenecker. He admitted however later, that he lacked stamina.

[@brianboucher4248]

That's one of the most ridiculous observations I've ever heard. Mac was an amazing athlete with maybe the best feel/touch of anyone who ever played.

[@gomezaddams4347]

How would you define athletic ability? McEnroe had excellent hand-eye coordination, he was very fast until his late 20’s, certainly had the best hands of that era, maybe in all tennis history, and had great shot variety. All of that is part of athletic ability. The best comparative male athlete was Wayne Gretzky. He was also not physically imposing but he could do things no one else could do, just like McEnroe.

[@a66789]

"

[@faustocoelho7701]

comparado con el tenis de hoy tenian tiempo hasta de cagar entre golpe y golpe muy lento en comparación con el de hoy en dia... sin desmerecer la historia del tenis de antes ni mucho menos gracias a los tenistas de antes el tenis es lo que es hoy

[@jimmybrice6360]

this is when clay tennis was boring. too much just getting the ball back and forth