1988: Connors Ends Easy Run to Championship
By David Aldridge
Washington Post Staff Writer
July 26, 1988
Tennis question of the week: Where was the competition for Jimmy Connors at the Sovran Bank Tennis Classic?
Andres Gomez, the third seed in the tournament, did his best to make a match out of it yesterday before a sellout crowd of 6,700 at the Washington Tennis Center. But when he picked up his game, top-seeded Connors did as well, and the result was a 6-1, 6-4 victory that gave the 35-year-old Connors his first tournament win since 1984.
Connors saved his best tennis for last, in front of a crowd that desperately wanted him to win. For once in this tournament, someone made Connors play better than just average. The result was Connors' 106th career singles title, adding to his record total. He had played in 56 tournaments since his last title, and it was the first time in 12 finals since the Tokyo Indoors in October 1984 that he walked off the court a winner.
"I feel a lot better now,"said Connors, the first three-time winner in Washington,"than if I'd have been sitting here and not have won that match today."
This tournament was good to Connors. Brad Gilbert, the second seed, was knocked out early. Rain spaced out Connors' early-round matches. He got a day off because of showers and avoided a two-match day when rain pushed his quarterfinal match past a reasonable time for him to be able to play again Saturday night.
He drew Aaron Krickstein in the semifinals, a young man trying very hard to keep from falling apart when he goes out to play his idols. And, of course, Connors was the overwhelming crowd favorite throughout the tournament, the compelling draw for a tournament with the misfortune to conflict with Davis Cup.
Afterward, Connors said he thought about his drought only so he could have an answer for the media's questions about winning that have continued, according to him, 3 years 9 months and 18 days. Or something like that.
"I go through a career and win 105 tournaments, and that's never enough, is it?"Connors said."Now I'm stuck on 106 until I win 107. I know it hasn't been 3 1/2 years since I've won a tournament now. Which is good, because I've taken a lot of crap over the last 3 1/2 years from you guys out there.
"It doesn't feel as bad not having won a tournament in about 25 minutes as it has in 3 1/2 years."
He played this week like it had been just 3 1/2 minutes since his last title. From his first point of the day -- a first-serve ace -- he was all over the court, putting away volleys when he came to the net and passing Gomez on the few times he tried the same.
At 2-1 in the first set, Gomez battled back from 0-40, only to see Connors bang a running backhand cross-court winner off a drop. Connors broke when he cranked a forehand return that Gomez hit long.
Connors held. On Gomez's serve, he angled a forehand approach that led to a smash, put a backhand at Gomez's feet that he couldn't handle, watched Gomez net a forehand with plenty of room and passed Gomez with another forehand. He held serve to win the first set.
Gomez sounded a lot like Krickstein, whom Connors dismantled Sunday.
"I can't generate any power because the ball comes so low,"Gomez said."The only time when I can generate power is when I've got him on the run. It's tough for me to hit the ball because it comes so low, and on my kind of shots, that's tough."
But Gomez, as he had throughout the tournament, started playing much better in the second set. Both held through the first eight games, when Gomez made his one big error of the set. It was 15-all when Gomez boomed a first serve. Connors, as he's done about 8,000 times in his career, managed to get a racket on it. But he was in no position to be in the point for very long.
Gomez, however, tried a drop when a quick putaway was more appropriate. And here came Connors, zipping across court to nail a cross-court forehand winner for 15-30.
"You don't have to give him too many chances, especially in the finals,"Gomez said."That volley was one of the few mistakes I made in the second set, but it was a big one."
"He had a good serve there,"Connors said."I hit a pretty weak return. He could have done most anything with it. I think he thought I was further back behind the baseline than I was, plus his drop shot wasn't very good. The ball stayed up too high, and I got there in pretty good time and could do really anything I wanted to with it. I think if he had that shot to do over again he'd choose a different shot."
A Gomez mis-hit made it 15-40, double break point. He went wide to Connors' backhand, with a very good first serve. But Connors turned it around with a crackling backhand for the break. As the ball bounced by Gomez, Connors put both hands in the air. It would not be long now.
Connors didn't give him any more openings, and when Gomez hit his last service return long, Connors stuck his index finger in the air. Soon after, he was accepting his check for $50,575 and his trophy, which looked something like a giant parenthesis.
But for Connors, all the fun is in the playing, because he's soured on some of the people who run the game and he's tired from the travel. All that remains is the game.
"My fun is going to end one day,"he said,"like {Kareem Abdul-} Jabbar's fun is going one day, or Pete Rose's fun ended one day. So until it ends, hey, have a good time. And that's what I'm doing."
"If he's not running like he's running, I don't think he'd be playing,"Gomez said."That's why he's still playing. He's still fit. The other day, I said I don't think he cares about the numbers of his age. He's got the body of a younger player . . . maybe he makes more mistakes than he used to, but in other ways he's getting more aggressive. He's got to win the points quicker, and he's got the kind of shots to make that happen."
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