9781422284285

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From July of 1979 to September of 1982, either Sweden’s Björn Borg or American John McEnroe were ranked number one in the world. Borg held the top spot and the number one seed when the two met in the 1980 Wimbledon final. McEnroe, who had a well-earned reputation for being hot tempered and combative with officials, came into the match as the villain in the eyes of the fans. He had been particularly contentious in his semifinal win, so the crowd was backing defending champion Borg, fresh off his victory at the French Open. McEnroe was undaunted and easily won the first set 6-1. Borg rallied to win the next two, however, and the fourth went to a tiebreaker that stands as a classic. McEnroe prevailed 18-16 in the tiebreaker to force a fifth set, which went without a service break until the 14th game, claimed by Borg for his fifth straight Wimbledon title. 1980Wimbledon Men’s Final

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