HIGH STRUNG Paperback – Illustrated, June 8, 2012

Great book and returns the reader to a vintage era in tennis history but did notice a number of in accuracies. On page 13 It was claimed two years before the 1980 US Open five-set semi-final between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, the same two players clashed at the US Open in the quarter-finals, which is actually INCORRECT. Connors and McEnroe played out a semi-final at the 1978 US Open. On page 38 It was claimed Mark Edmondson lead Bjorn Borg two sets to one in an early round at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships, which is actually INCORRECT. Edmondson lead Borg two sets to love before losing in five sets. On page 145 It was claimed Bjorn Borg's name had sat on the highest rung in the mens draw at the US Open every year since 1975 but in 1981, Borg as the number two seed, had suffered the indignity of tumbling 127 places to the very bottom rung, which is actually INCORRECT. Borg was seeded number five at the 1975 US Open and was seeded number two at the 1976 US Open. On page 147 It was claimed in 1981, Bjorn Borg didn't play in the months of July and August, between Wimbledon and the US Open, which is actually INCORRECT. Borg won the Stuttgart Outdoor in July 1981 defeating Ivan Lendl in four sets in the final. On page 154 It was claimed Bjorn Borg thrashed Guillermo Vilas in the 1976 WCT Final in Dallas, which is actually INCORRECT. Vilas was beaten in four sets and only after the Argentine won the opening set 6-1. On page 170 It was claimed in the final of the 1986 Masters, Boris Becker and Ivan Lendl played to a fifth set, which is actually INCORRECT. This five set win for Boris Becker took place in the 1988 Masters final. The 1986 final was a win for Ivan Lendl over his German rival in three straight sets.

If you are not a diehard tennis fan, this book will most likely not interest you. If, however, you are passionate about tennis, and if you, like I, remember the epic matches between Borg and McEnroe during the 1980s, then Tignor's behind-the-scenes look at the mercurial Borg, the volatile McEnroe, and some of the other "unusual" characters found on the pro tennis tour in that era will prove to be quite entertaining.Professional tennis was different back then. Rather than today's refined and carefully manicured pros, it was much more rough-and-tumble, with many goings-on that would not be permissible in the politically correct arena we live in today. Some of Nastase's antics are worth the price of the book by themselves.The focus, though, is primarily upon the two protagonists, Borg and McEnroe, each highly strung in their own very different ways. Why did Borg walk away from riches, glamour, sex and fame by retiring at the height of his career? What prompted McEnroe's famous meltdowns on the court and his legendary abuse of linesmen and umpires? Tignor's analysis of each personality and behind-the-scenes events provides most of the answers.The emphasis is less on the legendary matches between Borg and McEnroe, and more a study of what brought them together, what made each highly successful, and the demons that haunted two players at the top of their sport during what is often considered to be "the golden age of tennis." It is an easy read, a revealing insight into one of sport's greatest rivalries, and most interesting to me, a journey into the minds and motivations of two of the more recognizable sports figures of our age.

"High Strung" is high quality reading - not just for tennis or sports fans but for any reader. The cast of characters is hard to beat - Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Ilie Nastase, Ivan Lendl, Vitas Gerulaitis, and others - high strung personalities and racquets. This was the golden age of tennis and the Tignor makes it come to life.The book is full of tense Grand Slam matches, interesting incidents, and new stories about these colorful pros, and well-researched background sketches of how they developed into the legends of the sport. The book is more than just Borg vs. McEnroe as chapters on Connors, Nastase, Lendl, Gerulaitis and others make for good reading.The descriptions of some of the finals in the Grand Slam matches bring back the tenseness of such matches. This was the greatest era for professional tennis and the author does it justice.

The memories came flooding back as I read about players and matches that I remember vividly. It was a great era for the sport.I found the book a bit disjointed, jumping around too much.