THE
SCOOP: U.S. OPEN DAY 8, SEPTEMBER 2
Jimmy Connors and Guillermo Vilas: Life begins at 50 for former
champions
By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net
FROM THE U.S. OPEN –Today,
September 2, 2002, marks the day that Jimmy Connors can become
a card-carrying member of AARP – the American Association
of Retired Persons. That’s right, as hard as it might
be to believe, the brash Belleville bomber, an eight-time
Grand Slam champion, turned 50-years-old this Labor Day.
Susan
Mullane
Camerawork USA, Inc
|
While Connors rarely makes
the tennis scene these days, his old friend and on-court nemesis
Guillermo Vilas, has been braving the raindrops at Flushing
Meadows in honor of the 25th anniversary of his winning the
U.S. Open. Vilas, who celebrated being on this earth for a
half- century on August 17, became the last U.S. Open titlist
to grace Forest Hills when he outlasted Connors 2-6, 6-3,
7-6, 6-0 in the 1977 final.
With rain pouring down on
Sunday, the USTA offered Vilas for a press conference and
the former four-time Grand Slam champion, spent close to an
hour discussing a variety of topics, including Connors.
Prior to heading in to meet the press, Vilas stopped for a
chat.
“Hey, I bet you don’t
remember what day it was that I won the Open?” Vilas,
at one point in the conversation, inquired of yours truly.
“September, 11, 1977,” I quickly replied.
“Ah, you do remember,” Vilas said, starting to walk
towards the interview room. “ You know, it’s kind
of weird to think about that, that it was 9/11 that I won.”
NEW YORK SUPPORTS THE SOUTH AMERICAN
Vilas wasted little time in describing the surreal
scene surounding his winning effort at the normally pristine
Westside Tennis Club. The Argentinian know as the “Bull
of the Pampas” admits he was surprised and overwhelmed
that the crowd was predominantly rooting for him in his opponents’
own country. When the final point, which Connors questioned,
was ruled in Vilas’s favor, fans stormed the court and
a few fans raised the triumphant Vilas on their shoulders,
canceling out the traditional end-of-match handshake between
the two players.
“I was impressed by that,” said Vilas, noting the
crowd support he received that day. “Because I thought
they were gonna kill me. When I play (Yannick) Noah in France,
nobody would clap for you or anything. It was a surprise,
but it is New York.”
While Connors never waited around to shake hands that day,
Vilas holds no grudge against his friend, knowing that it
was not his fault.
“He couldn’t come close,” said Vilas, who never
made it to the net. “It was crazy. I thought the people
coming (down to the court) were from Argentina, so I also
kind of went to them. But then nobody was from Argentina,
they were from Puerto Rico, they were from all over, Mexicans.
It was a very amazing feeling.
“They made a big thing out of it, that he couldn’t
shake hands. You know Jimmy, he was not going to follow all
the jumping (people) and try to shake hands with me. He said,
‘He’s not here, I’m going.’ I understand
the guy.”
Since Connors has sold his interest in the senior’s tour
a few years back, he’s rarely been spotted in tennis
circles. When they unveiled the new Arthur Ashe stadium in
1997 with a parade of former champions, Connors was noticeably
one of the few superstars absent, while players like Vilas
made the scene.
CONNORS, IN DISGUISE, VISITS OPEN
Nevertheless, Vilas, who is in constant touch with
Connors, dropped a bombshell, insisting that the former American
star visits the Open, incognito, every year. The last time
that Connors appeared at the Open officially was when he reached
the second round just a few days shy of his 40th birthday
in 1992.
“You know, Jimmy is the Howard Hughes of tennis,”
Vilas said, smiling. “He comes here every year. You don’t
know this, but he does. Every year – I know this. He
comes in and watches and goes. I know because every time I
say, ‘You were there this year?’ and he says, ‘Yes,’
and I say, “Which day?’ and he tells me everything.
He knows when. He always comes to be here.”
When Vilas was asked why Connors
keeps such a low profile, sneaking into the event, he alluded
to the problem Connors has had with the USTA.
“I think I don’t want to get into something that
is not mine,” Vilas said. “You know, he has his
own views about things. You know, when he doesn’t like
you, he doesn’t like you for life, you know that? When
he likes you, he likes you for life. I think like it’s
something he has with the USTA, but I don’t know what
it is for sure. Probably, you know, every player expects more
than what they get. So something is missing for him to come
back and be here.”
Vilas, however, is not expecting Connors to be at the '02
U.S. Open, believing that the memory of his loss 25 years
ago would weigh heavily on the Americans’ mind.
“It’s a good date for me, it’s not a good date
for him,” Vilas said. “For sure this year, I don’t
think he was going to come to celebrate the 25th anniversary
of this tournament.”
When asked if he has any advice he can impart to his good
friend “Jimbo,” having a few weeks experience at
the young age of 50, Vilas just laughed.
“Jimmy needs no advice,” Vilas said. “He’s
a man; he carries himself very well. He’s a very good
friend. You have to understand that Jimmy has his own way
of understanding life, which is not like everybody else. He
lives in his own rules. Most of us do.
“But, you know, he’s a survivor. So he’s having
a good time. He misses tennis like we all do. But I think
every time when the U.S. Open comes, he prays for rain. That’s
why it’s raining so much, so they put his old matches
on the TV.”
Happy Birthday, Jimmy!
