Word: kooyong
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...shelters. Sydney's Hordern Pavillion, normally a venue for pop concerts and agricultural shows, was transformed into a tennis stadium for the first two matches. Seats ranging from $36 to $3,600 (for courtside boxes) were laid out behind a row of dainty lemon dahlias. Melbourne's Kooyong Stadium was transformed even further for the final match. Kooyong is Australia's Wimbledon, the most hallowed tennis ground under the Southern Cross. But Kooyong's center court is grass, and Borg refused .to play on that fast surface. So Promoter Paul Dainty shelled out another...
Such concessions did not go unnoticed. Cartoonist George Haddon for the Melbourne Herald drew a Kooyong groundsman scattering dollar bills over center court and commenting: "Tell Borg we're covering the court with his favorite surface." The players, however, insisted that money wasn't the issue. Said McEnroe: "It would be good to get a psychological edge by winning here." Said Borg: "John McEnroe is my threat to Wimbledon. The threat will be less if I beat him in Australia...
...though it took a while. Before 10,000 fans at Kooyong Stadium, McEnroe was leading Borg 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 in the five-set match when rain interrupted play. After the showers stopped, Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser led a group of volunteers armed with towels to mop up the moisture. Play resumed, and McEnroe won the fourth set 6-4 to give him the match...