Roscoe Tanner vs Vitas Gerulaitis in a five-set thriller! | US Open 1979 Semifinal

Comments · 500

• OP

  @opencurtin · 4 years ago

  The technique of these two gents is beautiful to watch .

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• MI

  @mikekim5135 · 4 years ago

  Just want to thank the USTA for uploading these older matches. These are such wonderful time capsules of how tennis was played in prior eras. It captures an important time in the sport that ushered in new technologies in rackets. But it also memorializes a time before it was customary to make an apologetic gesture after a net cord winner. You can still do clearly see the immense level of skill involved to pull off what these guys were doing on the tennis court - especially, for me at least, the crispness with which these guys hit their volleys and the constant eagerness to move forward in the court whenever the opportunity presented itself. Thank you, USTA, for these very high quality uploads!

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• JA

  @jamesmackinnon7727 · 3 years ago

  Gerulaitus was involved in some great matches against the likes of Borg, McEnroe and Lendl. He was so smooth, not to mention a great guy! He lost to Connors 16 times in a row, finally beat him and told the press conference “nobody beats Vitas 17 times in a row!” 😅<br>RIP, Vitas.

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• JA

  @jameshartford3464 · 5 years ago

  Tanners volliies are outstanding!! Especially the backhand volley. Sharp!!

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• SH

  @Shakermaker78 · 5 years ago (edited)

  Thanks for posting this. I was 1 year old when this match was played... so wouldn&apos;t remember it if it was on TV at the time in (West)Germany...That was the transition period from wood rackets to modern rackets. Nowadays players rally a lot. This was the time of proper &quot;Serve and Volley&quot; style, where the racket technology wasn&apos;t that far that you&apos;ll only see aces and return faults like later in the 90s... So here you&apos;d had some moderate serves, returns coming back and then it was a question of making the point in the 3rd or 4th shot... either a good passing shot or a well placed volley, very attractive to watch!

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• SW

  @swalterstennis · 5 years ago

  My Harry Hopman/Saddlebrook International Head Pro boas Tommy Thompson was Vitas’ traveling coach and I got to shuttle Vitas around Florida a couple times. I drove him over to meet Bjorn Borg at Disneyworld, and I got to briefly meet Bjorn. Vitas was really cool. He tipped me $26 too! I talked with him a little bit I was pretty nervous in the van driving him. Sad he died so young. And Tommy just passed last year too. Great times at Saddlebrook.

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• RO

  @robertjones8598 · 4 years ago

  The year Tanner had a perm. Took him to the Wimbledon final. Good stuff here. The production, use of different cameras at the right times, seems far superior to what we see today.

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• JD

  @JD-jc8gp · 5 years ago

  Thank you so much for the 1970s matches. I really appreciate these!!!

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• SA

  @sarahtullamore1574 · 5 years ago

  Ah! Bring back this kind of tennis please! So fed up of baseline rallies that go on for hours just for one point!

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• TH

  @thomashumphrey7395 · 5 years ago

  At this time these two players were at the peak of their careers and very evenly matched.

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• CE

  @cervantes1168 · 3 years ago (edited)

  Tanner&apos;s fire power on service was unreal! He could serve at 135 mph (220 km/h) which was unmatched for the time, with a 1970&apos;s small frame metal racket! Imagine what speed would be his serves if he had used today&apos;s rackets...

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• MA

  @markscott6102 · 5 years ago (edited)

  Love the variety of camera angles they use at the US Open. The court level view is great.Thanks for posting.

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