Ilie Nastase vs Stan Smith Wimbledon Final, 1972

[gzhpcu]

Another cool video for serve and volley fans. The Leaning Tower of Pasadena vs Nastase...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZezxpCqbI4#t=4055

I will let the video speak for itself...

[stotty]

The gifted one...and the not so gifted one

I have seen this video a few times. It's shame the picture is so blurry. I remember watching the match on TV when I was a boy. Nastase should have won that day. He was the best player in the world at that point. His fragile nervous system got the better of him that day as it so often did.

Nastase had so many excellent qualities but my favourite quality was his movement. He floated and glided around and was extremely quick. His wrists were also amazing. They were huge for a start, and he could pump a winner with them from almost anywhere. He could also bend his backhand which is unusual...never seen anyone else do that with a one-hander before or since.

I still to this day think Nastase is the most talented player ever wield a racket.

Stan was far less exceptional and I always found his game a little dull.

[klacr]

Nastase had the talent, the wizardry, the attitude. Smith had basic shots and athleticism. But he also held his nerve in that fifth set. Stan Smith was no "Mr. Personality" but was a hell of a tennis player. He had to be as the #1 seed for that year's Wimbledon.

Notice the number of half-volleys that were hit. Pretty cool. Also notice the amount of times these men went "against the grain" on their first volley and how they paid for it. Both men made the tactical error of hitting those first volleys in the opposite direction that they were moving, leaving enough court for the opponent to have an opportunity to pass or cause issues for the volleyer.

Stan Smith didn't defend his title in 1973 as 81 players boycotted Wimbledon on behalf of Niki Pilic.

Good clip. I turned it on mute and gave my own commentary.

Kyle LaCroix
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

Yes, Stotty, Nastase is a joy to watch. Stan is rather woodeny. Natural talent versus hard work.

I read somewhere, and am not sure if it is true, that he actually only really started playing tennis at the age of 18.

He is best known for his heroic 5 set win over Ion Tiriac, a partisan crowd and partisan linesman, judges in the famous Davis Cup Tie in Bucharest.

http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/8382

[stotty]

Yes, Tiriac took gamesmanship right to the very brink. He taught Nastase everything he knew so he could go on and carry the torch, the antics torch.

Nastase somehow got away with his antics. My mother said it was because he had charm and that men with charm had a habit of getting away with murder. My mother is probably right. My father, who only saw life in black and white, thought far less of Nastase.

I just loved his game. He was an artist, a true artist.

[gzhpcu]

Yes, Tiriac took gamesmanship right to the very brink. He taught Nastase everything he knew so he could go on and carry the torch, the antics torch.

Nastase somehow got away with his antics. My mother said it was because he had charm and that men with charm had a habit of getting away with murder. My mother is probably right. My father, who only saw life in black and white, thought far less of Nastase.

I just loved his game. He was an artist, a true artist.

Tiriac wanted to intimidate and did not want to smile. He had the nickname "Dracula". He took Nastase under his wing. Nastase smiled, and had charm, so he got away with a lot more...

[gzhpcu]

I found a much better YouTube link of the match, I corrected the initial page.