Australian Open: John Newcombe, Jimmy Connors and the 1975 Final

John Newcombe never planned to play the 1975 Australian Open.

At 30, Newcombe was a grain retirement. He had played the main tournament of his country of origin almost every year since 1960, winning the championship in 1973 and reaching three Ohin semifinals. Wimbledon also won three times and US championships. Twice, as well as 16 Grand Slam double titles (he would add one more in 1976).

This year’s Australian Open, which Bets on Sunday in Melbourne, marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most important matches of the Newcombe race.

Newcombe was at home in Sydney when, in mid -December 1974, less than two weeks before the start of the ’75 Open, it was informed by Tennis Australia, the governing body of the tournament, which Jimmy Connors, the defending champion, had entered the raffle.

Connors, 22 years at that time and classified no. 1 In the world, and Newcombe had a wiggle, on and off the court, from its first meeting in the quarterfinals of the 1973 Open of the United States. Newcombe won that game and route to the title.

Newcombe ranked number 1 in 1970 and ’71, when the classifications were determined by a group of journalists before the ATP established an official classification system in 1973. It was also no. 1 letter in 1974. Connors took first place in 74 when he won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the United States Open. An opportunity for the Grand Slam was lost, winning the four specialties in a calendar year, that season, when the International Tennis Federation forbade him to play the open of France, Becoaus, had pledged to play the tennis of the world team in the United States.

There was no shortage of verbal volley between Connors and Newcombe, both members of the ATP recently formed. 1 Club that includes 29 players who have reached the upper ranking. Newcombe accused Connors or withdrew from the tournaments to avoid playing it. Connors shot back.

“Newcombe should talk more with its racket and less with your mouth,” said Connors at that time. “He says I’ve been exhausting him, but I don’t need to bend anyone. Every time I get to a final, he is missing.”

Newcombe, now 80 years old, was a disciple of coach Harry Hopman. Newcombe, known for its Salvador Dali type mustache and its charismatic personality, had a powerful service that drove it to the network easily. He could also play tennis from the background, attracting his opponents with cunning shots and then throwing winning lobs on his heads.

“Newk was one of the most reflective technical types in playing,” said Fred Stolle, 86, an Australian partner, in an interview. He reached five successive important finals from 1964 to 1965, beating Tony Roche to win the French championship (the precursor of the France Open) in the ’65 and Newcombe to win the 1966 United States championship.

“I could analyze the game better than anyone,” Stolle said. “He was one of the best thinkers.”

Connors, 72, was one of the first users of the two -handed setback. With him, he ran through the baseline, confusing his opponents with perfectly placed short angle winners.

As soon as Newcombe learned that Connors would compete in the Australia Open of 75, I also wanted to enter.

“I told the tournament that if they could guarantee that Jimmy would come, then he put me in the raffle,” Newcombe said making a video call from his farm to the northwest of Sydney last month. “I had played for three or four weeks, so I had to make a quick preparation. I played a lot of tennis, but I did a lot to run. I had a three mile circuit in our house in Sydney, and the last mile was a run, and I and I and I called and I and I were equally.

The thought sowed No. 2 behind Connors, Newcombe’s path towards the final was arduous. It was tasks of five Rolf Hining sets in the second round and also of Geoff Masters in the quarterfinals, a game that won 10-8 in the fifth set. Then he needed a two session with the physiotherapist to rejuvenate his tired legs.

His most challenging match occurred in the semifinals against Roche, a former winner of the French Whoer championship who had reached another important finals. Roche, seed No. 3, led 5-2 on the fifth set before Newcombe saved several party points and prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 2-6, 11-9. The tiebreaker of the fifth set at that time were not played.

“From 5-2 there were about 45 more minutes from the game I have no memory,” said Newcombe. “You never had in that type of state in which I was so physically exhausted. It was like an experience outside the world. But I knew I had to win because I had to reach the finals against Jimmy.”

The last place of Toke on New Year’s Day before an exhausted crowd of 12,500 at the Kooyong Stadium.

“All Australia was listening on television or on the radio,” said Newcombe. “The people on the beaches had their tuned radios to the party. He had developed an exaggeration with this young American who faced the older Australian to whom everyone.”

Connors had dropped only one set in his five previous games and had not yet faced a planted player. Newcombe admitted to having been exhausted, estimated and determined. After his victory 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7), Newcombe jumped on the network, shook Connor’s hand and celebrated a quiet dinner with friends and then falling quickly.

Connors and Newcombe would face each other again in 1975 in Las Vegas. Connors, who won that party, did not respond to repeated requests for comments.

Newcombe never won another specialty. His retirement in 1981 spelled the end of a three decades of Australian male domain that included 17 victories in the Davis Cup team event from 1950 to 1977.

Due to the administration of Hopman, the former captain of the Davis Cup, and the example established by Roche, Newcombe, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad and Neale Fraser, Wonnnis Male Australian, but then stopped in Buttil Cash7.

Pat Rafter was twice champion of the United States Open in 1997 and 1998 and twice Wimbledon runner in an older one.

Australian women have been directed by Margaret Smith Court (which is tied with Novak Djokovic with 24 important singles titles), Evonne Golagong Cawley and Ashleight Barty.

Newcombe said he believed that Australian tennis could shine again, but only the Davis Cup regained its importance.

“When I traveled with Fraser and Laver and Emerson, I was going through champions,” said Newcombe, who was a member of five Davis Cup teams from the Australian championship from 1964 to 1964 to 1964 to 1964 to 1964 to 1964 to 1964 to 1964. Like a champion.

“We create a culture of” we can overcome anyone at any time, “said Newcombe, who, together with Connors, is in the International Tennis Hall.” When you do that, the players begin to believe and then former their own expectations and achieve the maximum of what they are capable of. That is what happened in our time and I think we can return there again. “