Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Apolinario Vilas (born 17 August 1952, in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) is a retired and former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Argentina. Whilst peaking at No. 2 on the ATP rankings in 1977, several sources and publications, as well as through the current ATP-ranking system, rank Vilas as the real World No. 1 that year (often ranked equally with Björn Borg). Vilas was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.
Career
Raised in the seaside resort of Mar del Plata, Vilas was a southpaw and played his first tour event in 1969. He was in the year-ending top ten from 1974 through 1982. He was a clay-court specialist but also played well on hard, grass, and carpet surfaces. He won four Grand Slam titles: the 1977 French Open and the 1977 US Open (both played on clay) and the 1978 and 1979 Australian Open (both played on grass). He was also the runner-up at the French Open three times (1975, 1978, and 1982) and at the Australian Open once (January 1977). In 1974 he won the year end Masters Grand Prix title. In addition he won five Championship Series titles (1975–80) the precursors to the current Masters 1000. Best year
A left-handed baseliner, Vilas's best year on tour was 1977 when he won two of the four Grand Slam singles tournaments and 16 of the 31 Association of Tennis Professionals tournaments he entered. His playing record for 1977 was 145 wins against 15 losses (ATP win-loss record was 130–15). Not including the Masters year-end championship, he won 72 of his last 73 ATP matches in 1977. The highest point during this phenomenal run was winning the last US Open played at Forest Hills against Jimmy Connors 2–6, 6–3, 7–6(4), 6–0 in a match where Vilas surprised his American rival by attacking the
Guillermo Apolinario Vilas (born 17 August 1952, in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) is a retired and former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Argentina. Whilst peaking at No. 2 on the ATP rankings in 1977, several sources and publications, as well as through the current ATP-ranking system, rank Vilas as the real World No. 1 that year (often ranked equally with Björn Borg). Vilas was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.
Career
Raised in the seaside resort of Mar del Plata, Vilas was a southpaw and played his first tour event in 1969. He was in the year-ending top ten from 1974 through 1982. He was a clay-court specialist but also played well on hard, grass, and carpet surfaces. He won four Grand Slam titles: the 1977 French Open and the 1977 US Open (both played on clay) and the 1978 and 1979 Australian Open (both played on grass). He was also the runner-up at the French Open three times (1975, 1978, and 1982) and at the Australian Open once (January 1977). In 1974 he won the year end Masters Grand Prix title. In addition he won five Championship Series titles (1975–80) the precursors to the current Masters 1000. Best year
A left-handed baseliner, Vilas's best year on tour was 1977 when he won two of the four Grand Slam singles tournaments and 16 of the 31 Association of Tennis Professionals tournaments he entered. His playing record for 1977 was 145 wins against 15 losses (ATP win-loss record was 130–15). Not including the Masters year-end championship, he won 72 of his last 73 ATP matches in 1977. The highest point during this phenomenal run was winning the last US Open played at Forest Hills against Jimmy Connors 2–6, 6–3, 7–6(4), 6–0 in a match where Vilas surprised his American rival by attacking the