Word: borg
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...foreboding to conjecture how Borg will react if his appeal is rejected. Certainly, Borg's principal, and perhaps only, goal left in tennis is to win the U.S. Open, a title that has eluded him in the finals for the past two years. Face with a denial there, he would probably play the qualifying Wimbledon, for Borg, more an asterisk in the record books than a present challenge, is crucial as a tune-up for the September open classic in New York...
...king of international tennis, the Ice-man epitomized the qualities of a superstar, a hero to cheer about and not be ashamed of. Now, however, Borg's reputation is being impugned by fans questioning his dedication to the game: Is he truly a champion, whose love for the challenge remains, or is he like the "others," vitiated by extraordinary talent into a celebrity profit-making enterprise...
...Borg's request is not the typical whining of bad-boy greedy athletes seeking privileged status. His case is genuinely different...
First off, on the basis of his record, he has certainly won the "privilege" to be excused from at least preliminary foot-soldier status. Indeed, invoking the rule doesn't question Borg's ability. As it stands now, if Borg did play his way through the qualifying rounds he would--upon entry to the main round--receive a seeding (as occurred last week when he made a comeback in Monte Carlo, his first tournament since his five-month layoff.) Borg's current request does not even include a demand for a top seed...
...attested by his straight set, 45-minute routing by Yannick Noah last week on his favorite surface, clay. Borg's return to top-flight tennis will require both time and match play against his real competitors (Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, and Jimmy connors), and not against satellite stars whom he would meet in qualifying rounds...