Epic: John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, and the Greatest Tennis Season Ever

by Matthew Cronin

Overview

A top tennis writer tells the story of the greatest Wimbledon, the greatest U.S. Open, and the greatest rivalry in the history of the game

The epic 1980 Wimbledon final that ended with John McEnroe's defeat by his idol, Björn Borg, is considered the greatest tennis match ever. The U.S. Open final later that year, when McEnroe got his revenge, is considered the greatest U.S. Open ever. These two matches marked McEnroe's transformation from tennis player into an American icon, the high point of tennis's gigantic leap into the national consciousness, and the beginning of Borg's rapid and surprising decline. This book takes you back to that amazing summer at the height of the golden age of tennis.

• Includes fascinating details about John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg both on and off the court, from grueling practice sessions to late-night partying
• Packed with stories and anecdotes of top tennis players and coaches, including Vitas Gerulaitis, Mary Carillo, Lennart Bergelin, and others
• Highlights a pivotal moment in the evolution of the game-from quiet to loud, from wood to metal racquets, and from European to American dominance
• Written by veteran tennis writer and analyst Matthew Cronin

Whether you're a longtime tennis fan or a recent convert, Epic will give you a deeper understanding of the game and of two of the most amazing players ever to have played it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780470190623
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	04/01/2011
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	312
Sales rank:	299,905
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Matthew Cronin is the main tennis columnist for Fox Sports and a senior writer for Inside Tennis magazine. He contributes regularly to Reuters and USTA.com and appears fre-quently as a tennis analyst on radio and television stations throughout the United States and abroad. He is the main writer for TennisReporters.net, the award-winning, second-largest pro tennis site in the United States, and is a radio analyst at all the Grand Slams: the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.

Foreword (Tracy Austin).

Introduction: July 5, 1980.

Part One: WIMBLEDON.

1 Taming a Passionate Spirit.

2 A Losing Set Is Not So Much after All.

3 "A Little Boy or a Midget in Disguise?"

4 Better Call a Cab.

5 Th e Sport's First Rock Star.

6 "I Can Do Anything with a Tennis Ball".

7 France to Stanford.

8 A Four-Hour Match.

9 "Borg Is Borg".

10 The Battle Begins.

11 To the Ends of the Earth.

12 Both Still Alive.

13 In Search of the True Genius.

14 The War of 18-16.

15 "A Notch above Son of Sam".

16 Love and Sets.

17 Th e Genius Tested in London.

18 True Nature.

19 "Something in Me Wilted".

20 Living the Moments.

Part Two: THE U.S. OPEN.

21 Rock of Gibraltar.

22 The Cowboy Bucks Up.

23 "I Didn't Know What Was Happening".

24 The North Star of Vitas.

25 Willing and Able.

26 Among the Bad Actors.

27 Frozen in Time.

28 "You Are Not Going to See a Tougher One".

29 "Poetry Written on Water".

Epilogue: Th e End of a Great Rivalry.

Bibliography.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

In the late 1970s, professional tennis held a firm grip on the United States, and no two players better personified the sport's growth than cool-as-ice Swede Borg and brash New Yorker McEnroe. In his first book, Fox Sports tennis columnist Cronin captures a series of pivotal events in the evolution of the sport from European to American dominance, from wood to metal racquets, and from staid players to a colorful cast of supporting characters including Ilie Nastase, Vitas Gerulaitis, Jimmy Connors, and Guillermo Vilas. Despite its misleading subtitle, Epic recounts much than that magical 1980 season, with the marathon 1980 Wimbledon final serving as Cronin's hook. In that match, the veteran Borg (en route to his record fifth consecutive Wimbledon title) outlasted the upstart Mac (who grew up with a Borg poster on his bedroom wall) in a five-set showdown. Chapters containing point-by-point analysis of that match take advantage of the author's seasoned knowledge of the game, and a lengthy denouement recounts Mac's revenge against Borg at the 1980 U.S. Open. Although it appears he didn't have personal access to his protagonists, Cronin gets to the heart of Borg's genius and explores the catalyst for McEnroe's ugly on-court temperament, while providing context with historical and pop-culture references and mostly avoiding melodramatic play-by-play prose. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

* In the late 1970s, professional tennis held a firm grip on the United States, and no two players better personified the sport's growth than cool-as-ice Swede Borg and brash New Yorker McEnroe. In his first book, Fox Sports tennis columnist Cronin captures a series of pivotal events in the evolution of the sport from European to American dominance, from wood to metal racquets, and from staid players to a colorful cast of supporting characters including Ilie Nastase, Vitas Gerulaitis, Jimmy Connors, and Guillermo Vilas. Despite its misleading subtitle, Epic recounts much than that magical 1980 season, with the marathon 1980 Wimbledon final serving as Cronin's hook. In that match, the veteran Borg (en route to his record fifth consecutive Wimbledon title) outlasted the upstart Mac (who grew up with a Borg poster on his bedroom wall) in a five-set showdown. Chapters containing point-by-point analysis of that match take advantage of the author's seasoned knowledge of the game, and a lengthy denouement recounts Mac's revenge against Borg at the 1980 U.S. Open. Although it appears he didn't have personal access to his protagonists, Cronin gets to the heart of Borg's genius and explores the catalyst for McEnroe's ugly on-court temperament, while providing context with historical and pop-culture references and mostly avoiding melodramatic play-by-play prose. (Apr.) (PublishersWeekly.com, 16 May 2011)

Advance Praise for EPIC

"Like the subjects he so deftly profiles, Matt Cronin brings his A-game to bear. Alternately a dual biography, a riveting account, a psychological profile, and a compelling study in contrasts, Cronin's book shows why McEnroe-Borg lives as one of sport's enduring rivalries. Tennis writing at its best." — Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated, author of Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played

"Epic is an appropriate title indeed. 1980 was a resplendent season in the history of the sport, and Matt Cronin brings it all back to us in these entertaining pages. Many of the game's most notable names weigh in with memories and insight that explain and explore a truly remarkable time in tennis." — Mary Carillo

"As much as anyone in tennis, Matt Cronin has his finger on the pulse of the game. In Epic, he uses his vast insider's knowledge to capture the seminal moment of the seminal rivalry in the booming post-amateur era." — Doug Robson, lead tennis writer, USA Today

"Thirty years later, John and Björn still captivate us. Matt Cronin takes us from their beginnings through the magic summer of 1980. Rivals then and great friends now, John and Björn crafted a story for the ages which Matt captures brilliantly." — Ted Robinson, NBC Sports/Tennis Channel

From the Publisher