BREAKFAST AT WIMBLEDON: HIGH STRUNG - A GIVEAWAY AND REVIEW

GIVEAWAY ENDED
HIGH STRUNG

And the Untold Story Of Tennis's 
Fiercest Rivalry

 BY STEPHEN TIGNOR

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The golden age of tennis came crashing down suddenly at the 1981 U.S. Open. Bjorn Borg, the stoical Swede who had become the richest and most famous player in the sport's history, had just lost to his brash young rival, John McEnroe, in the final at Flushing Meadows. After his last shot floated out, Borg walked to the net, shook McEnroe's hand in silence, and disappeared from the game he had dominated for the last decade.

No one realized it at the time, but the era that Borg and the three other semifinalists at that year's Open—McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, and Vitas Gerulaitis—had helped define had also ended. For nearly a century, the lawns of tennis had been reserved for wealthy amateurs—gentlemen, in the original British parlance—but in 1968, the game was opened to professionals and was forever changed. The 1970s were boom years for tennis. Thanks to charismatic young players and dramatic matches, participation skyrocketed in the United States and brought the game to a new peak of global popularity. In the ensuing decade, the sport would be taken further from its genteel roots than anyone thought possible.

Through the lens of that era's final tournament, the 1981 U.S. Open, High Strung chronicles the lives and careers of the men who made those Wild West days of tennis so memorable. The Swede known as "Ice Borg," who secretly harbored an inner madman. McEnroe, the tortured, bratty genius who was destined to slay his idol. Connors, the blue-collar kid who tore the cover off the ball—and the game itself—becoming a beloved antihero. Ilie Nastase, the Romanian clown who tested the outer limits of acceptable behavior and taste. Gerulaitis, the New York charmer and Studio 54 regular who was friend to them all. And Ivan Lendl, the robotic Czech who became a harbinger of tennis's high-powered future.

The struggles these men shared were as compelling off the court as they were on. Some thrived, some survived, some were destroyed, but none has ever been forgotten.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stephen Tignor is the Executive Editor of Tennis magazine. He writes a daily blog on Tennis.com, where he has written about the sport for the past 12 years.

Photo by Lori Berkowitz

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
A walk down memory lane, or shall I say center court, in such a well-written book as HIGH STRUNG, brought memories of my youth and own tennis days flooding back to me. In Stephen Tignor’s new book HIGH STRUNG, he looks back around 30 years ago when the tennis courts were ruled by Bjorn Borg with several superbly talented players nipping at his heels. This blue-eyed, blonde Swede, was the kind of player tennis was not used to seeing. Normally, players were almost business like in their play with their passion for the game shown by their achievements on the court. However, with Borg, especially at Wimbledon, young and old alike, clamored to see him as if he was a celebrity. With his calm, quiet manner, Borg was often called “the ice Borg” because nothing seemed to faze him on or off the court, but then again, this was when tennis was still a gentleman’s game with proper manners and play. 

In 1980 that all began to change as the “Superbrat”, young American John McEnroe, came on the scene. With his powerful game and equally powerful personality and temper, McEnroe brought to tennis a new set of “social graces”. Men’s tennis went from amateur to professional, and the money a player could make far exceeded anything that had been heard of before. Yes, commercialism had truly grasped the sport. It was at this time, that Bjorn Borg, one of the best, if not all-time best, players walked away from the game.

With the supporting cast of tennis talent, Tignor’s well researched book explores this time period and brings back not only memories and history of the game, but also the rivalry between Borg and McEnroe and their famous matches. True connoisseurs will relish the information included on other talents of the time like Jimmy Connors, Ilie Nastase, Ivan Lendl, Vitas Gerulaitis, and others who tended to also follow somewhat of McEnroe’s style with their “high strung” rackets as well as behavior! Chapter titles give preview to not only the excitement of this book but the fascinating narrative that keeps you reading on like a novel. Some of the titles are: The Angel and the Brat, Barbarians on the Lawns, The Next Victim, The Dark Prince of Queens, Tearing the cover Off the Game, Mr. Nasty, The Lord of discipline, Ivan the Powerful, Heroes and Villains, and Requiem for an Assassin.

Starting out with the Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe match in 1980 at Wimbledon, Tignor reminds readers of what he calls “the Battle of 18-16“. This was a seemingly never ending tiebreaker in the fourth set that not only was long but filled with top quality shots. These were the kind of shots that put fans like me on the edge of their seats and on their knees exhausted when it was over.  While John McEnroe won the set, it was Bjorn Borg who ultimately won the match. However, this put McEnroe into another category now showing he could hold his own with the greatest. Soon, he would even beat Borg and not even two years went by before Borg left tennis, shocking the entire tennis world!

To this day, not even Borg can truly explain his departure. Some say it was because as talented as he was, for some unlucky reason, he could never win the US Open. Some say he missed his home and the personal issues of leaving his long time coach and also his wife. At the same time, tennis made other changes younger readers may not be aware of like the change from wooden rackets to metal, and the introduction of all kinds of technology that would begin to improve players form. While McEnroe was the master of finesse and had that certain touch to win points, Borg had a baseline shot he could hit over and over again and do in the impatient opponent every time.

If you are interested in reading a narrative of modern tennis, Stephen Tignor has written about the greatest era in the sport and whether you need reminders of this splendid time, or are learning about it for the first time, this is the book. HIGH STRUNG is an excellent read and just what you are looking for.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MARK AND THE

GOOD FOLKS AT HARPER COLLINS,

I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS MEMORABLE

BOOK TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY READER

 

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: READ ABOUT HIGH STRUNG ABOVE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THE BOOK THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN IT

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY 

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHETHER YOU PLAY TENNIS, WATCH TENNIS, OR JUST DON'T CARE ABOUT TENNIS 

+1 MORE ENTRY: SIGN UP FOR SWAGBUCKS IN MY RIGHT SIDE BAR AND EARN SWAGBUCKS TOWARD PRIZES-WHEN YOU EARN, I EARN AS WELL AND THAT IS HOW I BUY SOME OF THE BOOKS I GIVE AWAY. IT ALSO GIVES YOU CHANCES EACH MONTH FOR EXTRA ENTRIES TO MY GIVEAWAYS. IF YOU ALREADY SIGNED UP ON MY WEBSITE THEN JUST TELL ME AND I CAN CHECK. THANKS!

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JULY 18

GOOD LUCK!