Word: borge
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...quandary--which Borg himself has forced--is actually a stab-in-the-back irony, considering it was on the Wimbledon grass courts that he won his unprecedented five consecutive titles, establishing himself at least for some as the greatest player of all time. Only eight years ago the teen angel drew the adoring squeals of British schoolgirls, and later the throngs of the tennis world who crowded his Wimbledon appearances. In the following seasons and pilgrimages to the English shrine of tennis, his revolutionary playing style and no-nonsense court side conduct earned him respect and defined professionalism...
...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...