The Examiner
There is no doubt that the fans of New York and former tennis great Jimmy Connors have a mutual love for each other. Connors was a tough, brash, in your face kind of player and that fit the kind of player that New Yorkers can really get behind. He is a five time U.S. Open winner starting when the tournament used to be held at Forest Hills.
Connors victory at the 1976 US Open came during the brief period (1975-77) when that tournament was held on clay courts. So while Connors never won the French Open he is, therefore, one of only five men Mats Wilander, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to have won a Grand Slam singles title on grass courts, hard courts, and clay courts.
He will be the lead broadcaster on the Tennis Channel for the U.S. Open starting Monday and in a recent conversation he talked about his fondest memories of the championship.
Connors on the U.S. Open:” Everything and I say that with the utmost respect. … It was the swirl around the US Open that attracted me to it. It was not like what you expected tennis to be like. I did not mine the airplanes, or people walking after points. I didn’t mind anything but being down there playing tennis. Everything else was just a bonus… The fans make the event what it is.”
On this the 25th Anniversary of Super Saturday: “I remember 25 years ago I lost…At the end of the day, that’s what happened. I’m glad it was a great day but not so much for me…It is still a day talked about by players… Sometimes the hype and what you expect is an overload. But on that day it was not an overload. You got everything you expected to see and more and walked out loving it.”
Connors on his former pupil Andy Roddick: “He is taking care of what is in front of him … keeping his mind on his business … Not looking so much into the stands… Going about his own game in his own way. Wimbledon was the kind of tennis you expect Andy to play.”
The combination of ESPN2, Tennis Channel and CBS will give tennis fans nearly 24 hours a day for almost two weeks.
The Tennis Channel will start the live action every day at 11a.m. then ESPN2 picks up their live coverage at 1p.m. and that will run till 6p.m. Then the night session will begin on ESPN2 7p.m. till at least 11p.m.
The Tennis Channel will take the night shift from 11a.m. for twelve hours to 11a.m. the next day with complete matches, features and highlights.
CBS will pick up action this weekend and will offer late night highlight shows.
Broadband all action will be on ESPN360 and the Tennis Channel.
