'THE BET'

History will show that Jimmy Connors won his first eight matches against Ivan Lendl and the last seventeen matches went Lendl's way but one match caught my attention more than any other. There was a semi final played at Key Biscane in 1986 that was one of the most entertaining tennis matches I had ever seen, simply brilliant.
Whilst travelling between tournaments in Europe I mentioned to Brett and Peter that I knew the score and the circumstances of the default to Connors in the fifth set of that match. I am not sure whether it was the fact that the older bloke of the tour was imparting some knowledge that was not appreciated or perhaps the fact that I sounded like a know it all but it created arguments for the rest of the trip.
I believe it was more from Brett's side but the amount of money placed on the actual outcome of this particular match could have sent one of us around Europe twice again.
It may have been the small car syndrome that created some heated banter but whatever it was it turned into a circus by the end of the trip. I was adamant that no set from that particular match went over the score of 6-2 but neither Brett or Peter agreed with me. I have always been fascinated with certain tennis scores and the Key Biscane match between those two legends was a rarity in more ways than one.
The score was in fact 1-6, 6-1, 6-2, 2-6, 5-2 Default Mr Connors with Lendl leading. You don't see too many score lines like that so I suppose it was one of the reasons why I brought it up in the first place. I also vividly remember the standard of the match as one that I referred to as 'ping pong' due to the fierceness of the rallies. When Jimbo finally went nuts for the last time and was defaulted it was a real shame as it was one of the best matches I had ever seen up to that point.
So to the bet, I knew I was right, I prided myself on my tennis score memory. I even remembered the score between my 'second' hero Mats Wilander and John McEnroe in that Davis Cup epic Quarter Final in 1982, the same year Wilander won the French Open. Without even looking it up I knew that Mac won 9-7, 6-2, 15-17, 3-6, 8-6 in just a tick under six and a half hours. I even told Brett and Peter that I knew the score of that match so how on earth could I have got the Connors/ Lendl match wrong ??
Maybe they were just taking the piss but it infuriated me every time we talked about it and another hundred francs or a tennis racket was placed on the bet. So what did Brett think ? He thought that the match involved at least a 6-4 set plus a tie breaker. No where near it Patsy. I don't remember what Pete's argument was but I think he was just agreeing with Brett as they were a lethal doubles combination in Western Australian tennis for years.
Looking back we wasted a lot of time on a silly argument that was mainly had in the small confines of 'Le Car' but I think it was just a way to pass the time on some long stretches of highways that were nothing short of spectacular. Given our time again I am sure we would have buttoned up and taken in the scenery a little more rather than try to gain some sort of tennis knowledge supremacy.
So did I ever receive my hundreds of French francs or a new tennis racket ? Of course not. It's on the internet for all to see now but unfortunately the net didn't exist back in 1991 so backing up arguments was hard work.
One day I will send both Brett and Peter an invoice for what they owe me for winning that particular bet. They know better than to argue with me now days over tennis scores......