FC/OT: Anyone watching the French Open?

[Midnighter2]

They had a mini oral history from a Michael Chang about his 4th round win there in 1989 against Ivan Lendl. This match predates my interest/participation in the sport, but I knew Chang won and it was a big deal (he was only 17). But, I didn’t know how borderline absurd the match became as Chang started to cramp and was having trouble running. He started lobbing every shot, serving underhand, and crowding the service line (like 2 inches from it) to force Lendl to double fault (which he did to ultimately lose the match). Crazy. Anyone remember watching live?

I was never a big Chang fan but he was part of a golden era of American men’s tennis (Sampras, Chang, Agassi, Martin, Courier) and always played hard. I remember his brother would often be seen in his box drinking wine.

 

[psu00]

Here’s the match starting mid way through the 4th set. Just ignore the announcer is German.



Apparently Chang was about to give up due to the cramps at 1-2 in the 5th set. He was going to the chair umpire to tell him and just stopped half way there refusing to quit. He ended up winning the match and beating Stephan Edberg for the title.

It was his only Grand Slam title of his career.

A good lesson in never giving up and perseverance.

 

[Larryrise]

They had a mini oral history from a Michael Chang about his 4th round win there in 1989 against Ivan Lendl. This match predates my interest/participation in the sport, but I knew Chang won and it was a big deal (he was only 17). But, I did it know how borderline absurd the match became as Chang started to cramp and was having trouble running. He started lobbing every shot, serving underhand, and crowding the service line (like 2 inches from it) to force Lendl to double fault (which he did to ultimately lose the match). Crazy. Anyone remember watching live?

I was never a big Chang fan but he was part of a golden era of American men’s tennis (Sampras, Chang, Agassi, Martin, Courier) and always played hard. I remember his brother would often be seen in his box drinking wine.

I watch every major until the American men are finished. Which means I am done watching after 4 days. It's truly sad how American men's tennis died.

 

[PSUinMICH]

Not many!

 

[Obliviax]

I am not sure if I watched it live but I recall it. Chang was considered something like "the human backstop". he didn't have great skills but he stuck to the backline and just wore you out. You couldn't get anything by him. The French matched his skill set because clay is so much slower than the other surfaces.

 

[wilbury]

I watch every major until the American men are finished. Which means I am done watching after 4 days. It's truly sad how American men's tennis died.

That's too bad. You are missing some great tennis. The current level of the mens game has never been matched. Lots of great US women if you are interested.

 

[Larryrise]

That's too bad. You are missing some great tennis. The current level of the mens game has never been matched. Lots of great US women if you are interested.

What's too bad, is that people like you no longer care about our own players. If it really doesn't matter like that for you, you should go follow cricket then, or quiddich, lol

 

[LionJim]

That's too bad. You are missing some great tennis. The current level of the mens game has never been matched. Lots of great US women if you are interested.

What's too bad, is that people like you no longer care about our own players. If it really doesn't matter like that for you, you should go follow cricket then, or quiddich, lol

How does it follow that he doesn’t care about American tennis players? And where did he say that American players doing well doesn’t matter to him? I kept watching the NFL playoffs after my team, WFT, lost. Does that mean I don’t care about the team I’ve been a die-hard fan of for over half-century, and that it doesn’t matter to me that they didn’t win the Super Bowl?

 

[RochLion]

They had a mini oral history from a Michael Chang about his 4th round win there in 1989 against Ivan Lendl. This match predates my interest/participation in the sport, but I knew Chang won and it was a big deal (he was only 17). But, I didn’t know how borderline absurd the match became as Chang started to cramp and was having trouble running. He started lobbing every shot, serving underhand, and crowding the service line (like 2 inches from it) to force Lendl to double fault (which he did to ultimately lose the match). Crazy. Anyone remember watching live?

I was never a big Chang fan but he was part of a golden era of American men’s tennis (Sampras, Chang, Agassi, Martin, Courier) and always played hard. I remember his brother would often be seen in his box drinking wine.

I was never a big Chang fan either but appreciated his effort and determination. Other US players from around that era that I liked, but were lesser known, were David Wheaton and Paul Annacone. I remember being amazed by Annacone's blistering serves and ground strokes. Jeff Tarango was another talented player who was best known for walking off the court at Wimbledon claiming a bad call by the chair umpire. To add insult to injury the chair umpire was slapped in the face afterwards by Tarango's wife!

 

[Obliviax]

I was never a big Chang fan either but appreciated his effort and determination. Other US players from around that era that I liked, but were lesser known, were David Wheaton and Paul Annacone. I remember being amazed by Annacone's blistering serves and ground strokes. Jeff Tarango was another talented player who was best known for walking off the court at Wimbledon claiming a bad call by the chair umpire. To add insult to injury the chair umpire was slapped in the face afterwards by Tarango's wife!

“You have GOT to be kidding me!”

 

[Midnighter2]

I was never a big Chang fan either but appreciated his effort and determination. Other US players from around that era that I liked, but were lesser known, were David Wheaton and Paul Annacone. I remember being amazed by Annacone's blistering serves and ground strokes. Jeff Tarango was another talented player who was best known for walking off the court at Wimbledon claiming a bad call by the chair umpire. To add insult to injury the chair umpire was slapped in the face afterwards by Tarango's wife!

Remember Wheaton well.

 

[RochLion]

They had a mini oral history from a Michael Chang about his 4th round win there in 1989 against Ivan Lendl. This match predates my interest/participation in the sport, but I knew Chang won and it was a big deal (he was only 17). But, I didn’t know how borderline absurd the match became as Chang started to cramp and was having trouble running. He started lobbing every shot, serving underhand, and crowding the service line (like 2 inches from it) to force Lendl to double fault (which he did to ultimately lose the match). Crazy. Anyone remember watching live?

I was never a big Chang fan but he was part of a golden era of American men’s tennis (Sampras, Chang, Agassi, Martin, Courier) and always played hard. I remember his brother would often be seen in his box drinking wine.

Yesterday I watched the whole of 18 min. of Jen Brady and Coco Gauff. Gauff won the 1st set 6-1. Brady was putting up zero battle yesterday and was just not into the match right from the get go. After the first set she called a physio and tearfully said she couldn't continue. Unfortunate. Still don't know what the injury was. She had just started with a new coach within the past few weeks and only had one practice session with him coming into the French!