02 juillet 2007

Wimbledon 1972

100 most memorable sporting moments :

n°38 The Stan Smith-Ilie Nastase Wimbledon final

A classic five-setter between men of contrasting styles and bearing. Nastase appeared to have the upper hand in the fifth set but lost it 7-5. 'I really thought there was something else in my corner during that set,' Smith said. 'I couldn't go to church today. But I shall be there next Sunday as usual.'

Sue Barker has seen many of Wimbledon's finest moments as a player and BBC presenter.

Here she looks back at the epic encounter between Stan Smith and Ilie Nastase in the 1972 men's singles final.

Certain names are inextricably bound together in the history of Wimbledon, and those of Stan Smith and Ilie Nastase are destined to always be mentioned in the same breath,

The reason? Their truly epic encounter in the 1972 men's singles final, in which Smith eventually triumphed 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest-ever Wimbledon finals, it was a match which enthralled both the Centre Court crowd and the millions watching around the world.

The two men were such opposites: Smith, the popular, unflappable all-American sporting hero; Nastase, the volatile Romanian showman whose antics often divided tennis fans. My most vivid memory of the final is Nastase's racquet problems. The strings, the tension, the grip - nothing was right, and it cost him the title.

His title ensured Smith's status as an American national hero, as well as the world's No. 1 player, while Nastase would never have a better chance of winning Wimbledon.

Smith again beat Nastase when it mattered most later that year on clay in Bucharest to launch the United States towards victory in the final of the Davis Cup.

But the match between the pair that will always be remembered is that Wimbledon final.

Posté par stansmith à 17:04 - Commentaires [0] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]