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Post Info TOPIC: Champion of Champions - Mens Event SECOND SEMIFINAL - Bjorn Borg versus Rod Laver - GRASS
Who will win - SECOND SEMI Bjorn Borg versus Rod Laver - GRASS [14 vote(s)]

Bjorn Borg
42.9%
Rod Laver
57.1%


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Champion of Champions - Mens Event SECOND SEMIFINAL - Bjorn Borg versus Rod Laver - GRASS


Our 2nd sem final pits two greats of the game, Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver on grass!! 

Borg won 11 slams but 5 of those (plus a losing final) where on the grass courts of Wimbledon - his Wimbledon grass court record was 51-4 and 92.7%, what an amazing record and a baseliner to boot!! The way he swapped from clay to grass for 5 years running to win title after title was unsurpassed

Laver, however, won two grand slams in total (actual grand slams) and 11 slam titles , like Borg. 4 of those where at Wimbledon but in an era where grass was the surface, a total of 9 of his slam wins where on grass courts. I cant calculate his percentage win loss on grass but it will be high!!

Their careers overlapped between 1974 and 1978, as Laver started to wain and Borg became the champ. Overall they played 7 times, Borg has a 5-2 lead on Laver but all matches played indoors on carpet, or hardcourt in the States, with a clay match also. 

Again, this one is virtually impossible to call, but call it we must!

Poll open, closes tomorrow around 1030 am (Saturday) 

  



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This one is very, very close! Couldnt be closer with 8 votes in!


Wouldnt folks have loved to have seen Borg and Laver for real?

Here are some videos

www.youtube.com/watch

www.youtube.com/watch

www.youtube.com/watch

Watching the one for the World Invitational Tennis Challenge (the 2nd full video) spot the prizemoney - it was a 4 player field (Borg, Laver, Ashe, Nastase) and $50k to the winner. Not sure how that translates 45 years later but it was decent money!

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This will finish around 1030 am tomorrow, but because of family stuff, I will post the final in the evening on Saturday so that it can run through until Sunday evening

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13 votes in and just 1 vote in it .anyones match

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Out of interest, people may not know that between 1927 and 1967 there where 3 Pro Grand Slam titles. This was in an era of amateur tennis when the best players would eventually turn pro. They would tour the world, mainly USA, in touring parties and play night after night, often indoors. Decent crowds came, it was a little like Coldplay or Beyonce coming to town for one night.

Several serious tournies where played and 3 of them became known as the Pro Grand Slam tournies - US Pro, French Pro and Wembley (ie GB) Pro.

The US Pro was played at various venues and on different surfaces, it eventually became the US Pro Championships at Boston in the Open era. French Pro was played at Roland Garros. Wembley Pro was played indoors at Wembley and became the Benson and Hedges Championships which I, for one, used to love and go and watch each year, attending the final when Michael Chang beat Guy Forget and staged the memorable McEnroe v Connors 5 set meltdown match when both players showed their worst tempers and behaviours and their best tennis.

the point though is that in 40 odd years of the Pro Grand Slam, two player won all 3 titles in one season - Ken Rosewall in 1963 and one Rod Laver in 1967. This was just before the Open era and his second official grand slam, and of course , the last player to achieve it. In 1967, the BBC also set up an event at Wimbledon called the Wimbledon Pro Championships with 8 of the top pros in the world. Rod Laver won it and , thus, it could be said he captured the full and only 4 event Pro Grand Slam to go with his 1 amateur grand slam, and his 1 Open era grand slam as well.



-- Edited by JonH comes home on Friday 20th of March 2020 11:41:14 PM

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Still 13 votes placed and 1 vote in it, 90 mins left to make difference!

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And laver wins, 8 to 6, adding Borg to his win over Nadal.

Final tonight versus Federer, buy your tickets online at your usual ticket outlet!

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