Ab Fab and Green

Borg Will Test Game On New `Senior’ Tour

Chicago Sun-Times November 2, 1992 | Len Ziehm Bjorn Borg, who rarely played tennis in Chicago in his heyday, will headline the opening Friday of the new Advanta Tour at SCORE Tennis Center in Countryside. go to site driving test game

The only time Borg, 36, played in Chicago was at the Sun-Times Challenge of Champions, a one-year spectacular that packed the Horizon in 1981. This week, he returns at an indoor club that seats about 2,500.

Borg, one of eight former stars competing for $100,000 in prize money, insisted that his appearance not be billed a comeback attempt.

“Don’t call it a comeback, just say I’m back to tennis,” said Borg, who will play his first match at 7 p.m. Friday. “To make a comeback, you have to play almost every week. I’m not doing that.” And when he has played, it hasn’t been very well.

“It’s been difficult because people expect a lot,” Borg said. “There’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m not 100 percent comfortable playing match points before crowds again.” Borg’s greatest accomplishment was his five consecutive Wimbledon titles, the last coming in 1980. He also captured the French Open six times and won 51 other singles titles. But he never won the U.S. Open.

His last victory came in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1981. He retired in 1983 amid a messy divorce fight and reports of cocaine use.

“I was really tired of tennis,” Borg said. “I don’t regret retiring.” The need for money probably induced Borg to start playing again.

“It was just a matter of me being away from it for so long,” he said. “Three years ago, I starting watching more matches on TV and found out I wanted to go out and practice.” He returned to competition with his old equipment, and that was a mistake. The mid-sized wooden racquet Borg wielded so well in the 1970s put him at a disadvantage in the 1990s, when his rivals used technologically superior oversized racquets with frames of graphite and other exotic substances.

“I switched this year to a Donnay graphite,” Borg said. “I like it, but even that has taken time to get used to. I need to become more consistent.” He said he is not so sure the game is better now than when he left it.

“Sometimes it is, sometimes not,” he said. “The players are more powerful. They’re bigger, stronger and faster. But the most important thing is that people come to watch. Sometimes it’s not very exciting tennis.” Borg has had little success trying to compete against the younger players. After eight years off the circuit, he’s no Jimmy Connors. He also is trying to spend as much time as possible with his 7-year-old son, who lives in Sweden. see here driving test game

“He just started school,” Borg said, “and he’s the most important thing to me. Tennis is not the most important anymore. I have no goals in tennis at all. There’s no way I can be No. 1 again. If I lose now, it’s not the end of the world – as it used to be. I still try to do my best, but I’ve got to be realistic.” Borg should have a better chance on the circuit for older players than he does at the bigger-money open events he used to dominate.

“He’s still not up to playing the main circuit,” said Marty Riessen, who also is in the field. “I played with him as my doubles partner a few weeks ago, and he didn’t play well. Two weeks ago I played him in singles, and he was much better. As he plays a lot, he will adjust.” Advanta is just one circuit trying to lure the older players. The Association of Tennis Professionals has another, and Connors is trying to start his own.

“I hope everyone gets together,” said Borg, who has homes in Sweden and Monte Carlo. “The important thing is that it’s serious tennis. If we do it like golf in the United States (the Senior PGA Tour), and everyone plays and gets fit for singles, it will be good for tennis.” Len Ziehm