NEW YORK: The 1991 U.S. Open will long be remembered for the old man who played when it seemed he couldn’t and for the teenage girl who didn’t play when it appeared she could have

Jimmy Connors didn’t win the U.S. Open but emerged as much a champion as titlist Stefan Edberg. Monica Seles captured the women’s crown although her moment of triumph will be diminished for her refusal to play on another day.

The small lines in the record books will forever say that Edberg and Seleswere the 1991 U.S Open champions. For those who witnessed the championship though it was simply the Jimmy Connors.

After undergoing career-threatening wrist surgery last October forcing him to sit out five months Connors made a remarkable run at the Open. He was admitted to the draw as a wild card and car much as top seed Boris Becker was knocked out of his quarter of the drain the third round and thus had to deal with only one seeded player-no 10 Kareal Novacekuntil the semi-finals. But for a man who feared a few months earlier he might never play again and who turned 39 mid-ways through the championship his accomplishment was as rewarding as that of the five open crowns he won during his prime.

Connors who spoke glowingly 5 years ago of how enticing retirement would be is not thinking in terms of “a new beginning”.

“I’m almost starting out like I was 17-yr-old again because I never ever thought I’d play tennis again” he said following the victory over Novacek. “Because of that my enthusiasm and my intensity and my enjoyment for the game are all lifted.

“To be able to start over and to come back and to work and to put everything I did when I was 17 to do that again when I am 37 38 years old either I got to be nuts or

I really love the game more than ever thought I did”.

Navratilova a 34-yr-old who lost to Seles in the women’s final hopes the general public can take a lesson from her and Connors.

“Obviously you lose a little bit when you get older but there are intangible things you gain” she said. “Maybe you don’t play the same way but maybe you’re a better player when you are 40 than when you are 30. The bottom line is that Jimmy has a great time playing tennis and it doesn’t matter if he is 39 or 40. I feel the same way. I’m still enjoying myself.

“Hopefully be can lead by example and inspire people to get out of their wheelchairs or to get off their fat butts and lose some weight and get something going. It’s not too late It doesn’t matter if you’re 20 or 60. You can still go out there and do your best”.

The other players usually obvious to the results of matches not Connors Pete Sampras the 1990 champion said this would always be known as Connors tournament and Edberg termed’ the performance “great for tennis”.

“Jimmy Connors performance here has really created lot of publicity for tennis and it has given the U.S. Open a boost.” Edberg said on Sunday after crushing Courier 6-2 6-4 6-0. “I thank him”.

With her 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 victory over Navratilova in Saturday’s women’s final Seles completed her Grand Slam season with 20 consecutive victories Having won the Australian French and U.S. Opens Seles missed a possible Grand Slam by failing to play Wimbledon because of shin splints.

Only three women Maureen Connolly (1953) Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf(1988) won all four majors in the same calendar year while Nayratilovya completed a non-calendar year slam in 1983-84.

“I can’t erase what happened” Seles said “But as said if] were to 0 play Wimbledon I don’t think

I could have played the Open. I really feel that way That is the decision I made at that point.

Connors Vaults Up: Jimmy Connors’ exciting run to the U.S open semi-finals also sent the 39-yr-old left-hander vaulting up the world rankings.

Connors who started the two week tournament ranked 174th in the world moved to No.66 in the ATP. tour computer rankings released on Monday because of his low ranking at the time Connors needed a wild card from the U.S. Tennis Association to play in the U.S. Open where he delighted fans until being eliminated in Saturday’s semifinals by Jim Courier

By capturing their first U.S. Open titles Stefan Edberg and Monica Seles both regained the No.1 spots Graf who dropped to No.2 lost in the semi-finals to Martina Navratilova who moved up from eighth to sixth place her highest ranking ever.

Article extracted from this publication >> September 27, 1991