Tennis Nostalgia

Ever since I learned to play tennis, I've enjoyed watching it and reading about it. I learned to play a little in 1970. I don't play a lot better now, but I've played for most of the 37 years since.

In sorting old memorabilia, I found some ticket stubs for a tennis match from the (now defunct) World Championship of Tennis Tour. The Tour culminated each year in a final in Dallas. It never took on the importance of a grand slam, but it was right there in my home town before I moved to Austin. I had gone for a few years before this '76 event. If I'm not mistaken, my future husband went to Dallas from Austin to see part of this event with me. We would marry at the end of the month above. My memory is always a little vague on such things. I do remember seeing a match at WCT between a young (17?) Bjorn Borg and an aging Rod Laver (must have been forty).

Also, in, gulp, downsizing news...I have all these old VHS tapes that we recorded TV programs on. Some are pretty easy to toss. Say you recorded a "Northern Exposure" episode. It is or will be soon enough available on DVD. I already own a couple of seasons. No worries. A showing of the venerable movie "Casablanca" recorded off a TV airing? Already own the DVD.

But I found a VHS tape of the 1980 Wimbledon final. After 27 years the tape is still watchable although there are blackouts and static interruptions and obvious deterioration. I figured I'd watch a little of it, see how bad the quality was and toss it without a thought. I watched the whole thing. It is beyond fascinating for both the tennis and the culture. They play a tie-breaker in the fourth set that goes to 18-16 or something. They come to the net and, frankly, hammer out a better version of tennis for spectators than today's stars. And Borg's fiancée smokes nervously in the stands. Imagine seeing someone smoke in the stands today.

And what to do with this old video? Lots of tennis matches are available on DVD and the Wimbledon people used to sell this one. It is out of stock and, of course, it wouldn't be the U.S. version with all the old commercials either. Well, it occurs to me that I can't agonize over every thing this way or I'm never going to get through downsizing. Downsizing. Can't finish it. Can't quit talking about it.