Drama at SW19: 30 Years ago at Wimbledon

The 1979 edition of The Championships produced more than the usual Wimbledon drama – including record-breaking performances, a death, the birth of “Superbrat” and television history. Bud Collins, the world’s most famous tennis journalist and personality, documented the momentous tournament in his acclaimed encyclopedia THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS ($35.95, New Chapter Press, www.tennistomes.com) as excerpted below.

(John) McEnroe, who had missed Rome and Paris because of a pulled groin muscle, returned to action and won a Wimbledon tune-up tournament on grass at London’s Queen’s Club over (Victor) Pecci, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1, and was simultaneously grilled in the British press for his surly deportment. Dubbed “Superbrat,” he dominated pre-Wimbledon publicity and was seeded No. 2 to Borg, largely because Connors did not reveal until after the draw was made whether he would play or remain at home with his expectant wife.

McEnroe, still bothered by the groin pull, was upset in the round of 16 by Tim Gullikson, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, culminating a first week that was tumultuous for the men (10 of the 16 seeds were beaten in the first five days) and formful for the women. Most observers thought the semifinal between Borg and Connors, who had met in the previous two finals, would be the de facto title match, but Borg was in his most devastating form and annihilated his long­time arch rival, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, in 1:46.

Left-hander Roscoe Tanner, seeded fifth, had been in the semifinal twice before, and this time came through the wreck­age in the other half of the draw, past Gullikson, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, and 6-foot-3 American Pat DuPre, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, to reach the final for the first time. Given little chance, Roscoe, the Stan­ford refugee with the low toss and high velocity serve, attacked at every opportunity. Playing thoughtfully and well, he pushed Borg to the limit in an absorbing final that kept 15,000 spectators and a live television audience in 28 countries spellbound for 2:29. This was the start of NBC’s “Breakfast at Wimbledon” telecasts, the inaugural of live coverage in the U.S., Bud Collins and Don­ald Dell in the announcers’ booth.

Half an hour after his 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win, which made him the first man since New Zealander Tony Wilding, 1910 – 13, to win the Wimbledon singles four years running, Borg said: “I feel much, much older than when I went on the court. Espe­cially at the end of the match, I have never been so nervous in my whole life. I almost couldn’t hold my racket.”

Coupled with Navratilova’s 6-4, 6-4 victory over Evert Lloyd in the women’s final the previous day, Borg’s victory marked the first time that both the men’s and women’s singles champi­ons had successfully defended their titles since Bill Tilden and Suzanne Lenglen won in 1920 and 1921.

Navratilova was entitled to a first round bye, but chose instead to play a match in order to enjoy the champion’s tradi­tional honor of playing the opening female contest on Centre Court. She had good reason for making this decision: watching her from the competitors’ guest box was her mother, whom she had not seen since defecting from Czechoslovakia during the 1975 U.S. Open. Jana Navratilova was granted a two-week tourist visa to visit her daughter in London with the personal approval of Czechoslovak Prime Minister Dr. Lubomir Strou­gal. “Winning here last year was the greatest moment of my career,” a tearful Navratilova said after an unexpectedly tense 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory over qualifier Tanya Harford, “but yesterday [the airport reunion with her mother] was one of the greatest moments of my life.”

Fighting a cold, Navratilova struggled into the semifinal, los­ing sets to Stevens, 7-6 (8-6), 6-7, 6-3 and Fromholtz, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. But there was no stopping her in the stretch, a 7-5, 6-1, victory over Austin and then Evert Lloyd. Her stepfather, Mirek, and 16-year-old sister, Jana, who were not granted visas, watched the match live on West German television in the border town of Pilsen, as they had the year before. But this time, instead of ignoring the

expatriate’s victory, the government-controlled Czech media gave it prominent attention in newspapers and on television.

Navratilova had another thrill in partnering King to the women’s doubles title, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, over Turnbull and Stove. This was King’s record 20th Wimbledon title, a 10th doubles to go with six singles and four mixed in the world’s most prestigious tournament.

But the occasion was saddened by the death the previous day of 87-year-old Elizabeth “Bunny” Ryan, with whom King had shared the record since 1975. Miss Ryan, a native Californian who lived in London, was stricken with a heart attack while watch­ing the women’s singles final, collapsed in a ladies room at the All England Club and died on the way to a hospital. Winner of 12 doubles and seven mixed doubles titles between 1914 and 1934, but never the singles, Ryan had told friends of a premoni­tion that this would be the year King broke her cherished record. She dreaded the moment, but, happily, never saw it. She died less than 24 hours before being erased from the record book.