Bjorn Borg was similar to Rafael Nadal, he made tennis physical - Orantes
In an interview to AS, Manuel Orantes commented on Bjorn Borg's legacy. "I was lucky to play with Bjorn Borg, Ilie Nastase, Guillermo Vilas, all of them very good. What impressed me the most, not for his technique like Federer would be, was Borg, similar to Nadal for his gamestyle. He started introducing the physical and mental thing to tennis, he played five sets at a very hard level, he started changing the way to play. After that, all the players play in the same way on all surfaces, while before there were more differences."
He was not able to triumph in the French Open, though. "I had two or three opportunities. In 1972 I was the favourite, but I lost in the semifinals against Proisy. In 1974 final, I was leading against Borg two sets to love but I lost in five. At the time I had a back injury and when the match got longer, he made me feel more pressure and it escaped away."
Orantes concluded: "I always did things well in tennis and I never felt appreciated or helped by the Federation, at all. I was what I was thanks to the ones who helped me and when I retired and I wanted to have that mentality and so I created my own school. I have to motivate the younger guys, but they have to motivate me as well, but the mentality and the fighting spirit now is not the same one."
Nadal will play his next tournament at the Mutua Madrid Open.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2vuHBBJ
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