Steve Tignor

Steve Tignor

High Strung: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, and the Untold Story of Tennis’s Fiercest Rivalry

High Strung is the untold story of the golden age of tennis, focusing the legendary rivalry between John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg and the 1981 U.S. Open final. As the brilliant excerpts published on Tennisplayer covering the life and career of Ilie Nastase show, however, it is much more, as Steve’s vignettes bring to life the other stars of this great bygone era, including Jimmy Connors, Vitas Gerulaitis, and Ivan Lendl among others.

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Mr. Nasty: Part 3
Tennis History
Mr. Nasty: Part 3

Nastase obliterated whatever restraints remained in tennis from the "amateur" days. Ilie Nastase lacked the drive to win that powered Borg, Connors, and all other great tennis champions. He could be bored by straight forward success, and he often courted...

July 2012

Mr. Nasty: Part 2
Tennis History
Mr. Nasty: Part 2

What made Nastase the first casualty of the Open era? That Illie Nastase would be the first casualty of the Open era wasn't all that surprising. He had come to stardom midway through his career and been caught unprepared. Mobbed...

June 2012

Mr. Nasty
Tennis History
Mr. Nasty

No one knew what Ilie Nastase might do next—on court or off. It was late on the second day of the 1981 U.S. Open, and the wind had begun to kick up. Many of the 8,000 or so fans scattered...

May 2012