Two Tennis Legends - Bjorn Borg versus Rafael Nadal
Let us put the 2010 Wimbledon Champions Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg side by side. At first look, both of these players seem to have simply nothing similar. Bjorn Borg who was a renowned clay court master back in 70’s as well as 80’s acquired celebrity looks that made him a fan beloved further boosted by long hairs, dark blue eyes along with a cool appearance.
In comparison, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, the recent clay court master, is gifted with dark complexioned hot looks, swelling muscles and a heart breaking smile combined by a burning, fighter appearance on the courts of tennis.
On the surface they battle like Ice and Fire.
The dissimilarities are not complicated to measure. Moreover, Nadal is slightly taller by two inches. He plays using his left hand, Borg, on the other hand is a right handed player. One is Spanish and the other is Swedish.
However, both the players have a stiff style of their game that essentially operates a misleading serve along with a devilishly two handed back hand. To comment that their professional lives have followed same lines is simply downplaying the understandable.
Borg from 1973 to 1981 contested in a total of eight French Open tournaments, succeeding in six finals and four in a row. He missed the competition back in 1977. The Swedish tennis ace stays six for eight in efforts on the clay court of Stade Roland Garros. His success rating there is around 96.08. Borg was twenty five years of age when he contested in his last French Open Championship.
As of July 10th 2010, Rafa has contested in a total of six French Open tournaments title in a row from 2005 to 2010, triumphing in five of them and four in a row. His success ratings of Stade Roland Garros are 97.44 [38-1]. Nadal just turned twenty four during the finals of the French Open Championship this year.
At the grass court Grand Slam tournament, Borg succeeded in a total of five Championships in a row from 1976 to 1980, falling down in his last game at the All England Club back in 1981 while playing against John McEnroe. The Swedish tennis ace contested at Wimbledon for nine years in a row from 1973 1981 succeeding in five of nine with a success percentage of 92.73 (51-4). Borg triumphed in a series of Wimbledon /French Open Championships from 1978 to 1980 for a total of three years in a row.
Nadal has contested in six grass court Grand Slam tournaments from 2003 to 2010, skipping 2004 as well as 2009. He gained two titles back in 2008 as well as 2010, with a success percentage of 87.87 (29-4). The man has earned two one after the other French Open / Wimbledon titles, however not in a row.
It took Nadal five attempts before he gained his first Wimbledon trophy. Borg succeeded in his first tournament at the All England Club on his fourth attempt and afterwards the Swedish tennis ace settled in for 5 on consecutive basis.
There is a difference of thirty years in the ages of both these tennis stars. However, both were born during the first week of June, Borg in 1956 and Nadal in 1986.
Borg relished his very first victory on clay, succeeding in the French Open final at the age of 18. Nadal on the other hand also triumphed in his first major in Paris clay courts back in 2005 at just nineteen years of age.
As similar as their professional careers appear on grass and on clay, there is one field where Nadal is expecting not to match Borg and that is in Borg’s failure to grab a title in New York at the United States Open tournament. Nadal so far seems right in position to share Borg’s distress in the Big Apple.
As far as their records at the Australian Open Championship are concerned, Borg played in the tournament during the times when it was contested on grass apart from the fact that it was the concluding Championship of the season held in the month of December.
When Borg could not succeed in New York, he never cared to actually contest in Australia as his interest was in succeeding a calendar season slam, not in gaining exclusive slam trophies.
As a result, Borg just participated in the Championship once back in 1974 and was knocked down in round number four. After that, he never contested again.
On the other hand, Nadal has succeeded at the Australian Open Championship, proving that he can succeed on the hard courts and he actually did well by hammering down his real contender, Roger Federer, back in the season 2009 in the finals in another five set match.
This season moving into New York, Nadal must be feeling more confident. He has both the Wimbledon title as well as the French Open title in his possession, hoping to make it a sweep by grabbing the trophy in New York.
However Rafa unlike Borg will remain the course and never retire as long as his knees permit. He desires to tie his main rival, Federer by triumphing on all courts and ruling the game of tennis in exactly the similar manner. That will all begin if he can succeed in New York.
Moreover, opposite to the Swede, Rafa will enter the Big Apple with high level of courage, something Borg could never gather in a place where the game of tennis was contested under lights with screaming fans and New Yorkers backing for their country boys.
As far as their flair and perfection of the game is concerned, there is certainly no doubt about the fact that both have provided some of the most exciting moments of tennis to their fans and thus contributed in making the game all the more thrilling!
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