Memories of the 1988 Men’s US Open

A new emphasis on videos for Tennis Abides.  We all miss tennis, but maybe some memories will make tennis seem not as far away. This court and color scheme were not in existence in 1988,  but it is a US Open photo.

If you are upset about … Pete Sampras’ 14 majors (Part 1 of a Series)

One thing I have learned in the age of Twitter is that tennis fandoms run deep and acrimony toward non-favored players can be unexpectedly strong.  I’m sure there are some Andre Agassi fans out there who are not thrilled about Pete Sampras generally being considered to be the top player of their generation.  Sampras’ 14…

A Mechanical Man? Reviewing Love Means Zero

How does one reach the biggest stages in tennis?  What are the costs? Not, if you have one in the extreme, you become very unscientific; if you have another to the extreme, you become, all of a sudden, a mechanical man, no longer a human being. – Bruce Lee I don’t know Nick Bollettieri.  I…

What if Muster was Never Injured? A Roland Garros 1989 Counterfactual

Could we have seen this in 1989? Michael Chang’s improbable 1989 French Open title is one of the great underdog stories in the history of tennis.  The 17-year-old Chang rallied from two sets down to beat the #1 seed, world #1, and three-time French Open champion Ivan Lendl.  He followed that up with 4-set wins…

My 5 Favorite Memories of Louis Armstrong Stadium – Part 1*

* I’ve written a fair amount about Jimmy Connors as well as his 1991 US Open run so I won’t use any Jimmy Connors matches. Honorable Mention:  1987 John McEnroe d. Slobodan Zivojinovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 McEnroe went bonkers during the match.  “Bobo” was a player I liked to watch due to his crushing…

US Open 2016: My 5 Favorite Men’s US Opens

Tournaments can take on a personality of their own based on the draw and actual matches that unfold.  5 US Opens stand out for me.  I vaguely remember Connors v. McEnroe in the 1984 US Open semifinal, but I don’t remember an impression of an entire tournament prior to the 1986 US Open (Mecir beating…