1 Response to montecarlo81connors_vilas

1. Voo de Mar says:

   September 25, 2026 at 1:04 pm

   Points won by each set: | 32:30… |
   Unreturned serves:
   15 % Connors – 4 of 26
   8 % Vilas – 3 of 36

   Connors never won any of the biggest clay-court titles in Europe (Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros), but the outlook to do it in 1981 was quite optimistic. He led 3:1 H2H vs Vilas on clay (all four matches on the American green clay though), thus he could be perceived as a slight favorite. The match was played in a drizzle, the court was slow, yet bizarrely no break of serve in the first ten games with eight easy holds up to 4-all. Then Vilas needed to save a break point, in the next game he led 5:4* (30/0), so two points away from the set. Connors won four straight points, and when they began the game no. 11, drizzle turned into downpour, and the slow court into a super slow – heavy bounces probably made an impact on the longest rally, 48 strokes, Connors finished it with a forehand winner, and didn’t even wait for umpire’s decision – he immediately ran to his chair to get his belongings and leave the court. The match was postponed to Monday, but the persistent rain made it impossible to resume, and the final would be ultimately abandoned. A few years later also Connors’ Rotterdam final vs Lendl would be abandoned due to a bomb threat – in that final Lendl was distinvtively leading (6-0, 1:0). Connors’ final vs Nastase in Nottingham ’76 had been abandoned due to rain too, therefore Connors has in his activity 55 finals finished as a runner-up, even though he lost 52 finals.

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