The Tennis Machine - the answer
2007-04-16
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"When I go out on the court and I sense I am playing well, I feel there
is no way a guy can hit a winner, because I am going to be there. I think I
can do anything with a tennis ball. It is the best feeling. Then I will try
something I have never done before, and that works too. I don't really know
what I'm doing out there because something strange is going on. I think I am
Superman, and I start to try all kinds of things because suddenly, I know I
can't miss the ball. I make an unbelievable shot, and it feels just like all
the others. So then I want to show the people even more, give them these most
fantastic shots that maybe they have never seen before in their lives. But I
want to show them these shots because suddenly, I know I can. I cannot miss,
not even one shot can I miss. It is like I am dreaming. It is wonderful."
Who said it? Was it:
A) J O'Donnell
B) H Håkansson (comparing the feeling he gets when he plays with Penn balls
as opposed the one he gets from the Dunlop "stonecakes")
C) B Borg
D) R Jordan (elaborating on the feelings he had after his first ever gummarm
victory)
E) M Kärkkäinen (after the last world championship final, having beaten Eliasson
21-11 on clay)
Answer:
The quote above was included in a Time article in 1980, just before Borg was about to win his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title a feat that contributed to the fact that Borg was elected "Sweden's best athlete of the 20th century" a few years ago.
The article continues:
"That is what it is like to be Bjorn Borg. To have taught himself to play
a game, then to grow within that game, to change it, to refine it. On rare occasions,
the game within takes on a life of its own, so that fleetingly, the control
of its possibilities is absolute."
Fresh news about Borg is almost Racketlon related in that he is currently taking part in the Swedish O45 tennis league - which means matches against Enskede LTK in Enskede Rackethall (the Racketlon Mekka of Sweden since the end of the Eighties).
Below are some photos from one of his recent matches (against Björn Jarlvik, Enskede LTK, a couple of weeks ago). Borg lost one game...
Björn Borg, in Stockholm 2007.
Borg's opponent; Björn Larvik, Enskede LTK.
/H
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