French Open fun, Anil Kumble's top-spin and the inimitable Jim Leighton
1) The French Open is at its business end, so let’s have a look back to 1989 when a 17-year-old Michael Chang won the men’s competition – the first American so to do since Tony Trabert in 1955. In the fourth round, he faced the world No 1 and three-time champion Ivan Lendl, eventually prevailing in five sets but not before exhaustion forced him to serve underarm. Here he is looking back at that match, and beating Stefan Edberg in the final, thereby preventing the Swede from joining the small group of players to have won all four majors. More fun from elsewhere: the Australian Open crowd are chastised by the umpire after mimicking Aryna Sabalenka’s grunting; an Israeli doubles player struggles to serve, so busy is she laughing at her opponent’s missed smash; and Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi get passive-aggressive … in a charity match.
2) Now let’s enjoy the women’s final from 1989. In 1988, Steffi Graf won an unprecedented golden slam, taking in all four majors and Olympic gold, then added the 1989 Australian Open – here’s a doc detailing just how brilliant she was. But she was prevented from making it six titles in a row by Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, the Barcelona Bumblebee, who nabbed the first of her three Roland-Garros titles.
3) At difficult times we rely on sport to keep us amused, a task to which Manchester United’s back five have taken with alacrity. And this is nothing new: here they are defending disastrously in 1989-90, inspired by the inimitable Jim Leighton.
4) More a top-spinner than a legspinner, Anil Kumble could bowl nevertheless. Here he is with eight for 141 at the SCG in 2004 – not enough to earn him the man-of-the-match award, given to Sachin Tendulkar for 241 not out – here’s his all-10 against Pakistan in 1999, a feat achieved by only one other bowler in the entire history of Test cricket, and here he is knocking over Brian Lara at the Oval.
5) Who doesn’t love a bit of Bully on a Sunday night? Well, this lad, for whom the pressure of it hitting the right section of the board was too much, and this guy, for whom the pressure of hitting the board was too much. And while we’re here, let’s enjoy Alas Smith and Jones’ timeless darts sketch.
6) A massive, and dangerous, karting strop. Luca Corberi throws his bumper back on to the track at a rival.
Our favourites from below the line last week
1) When Dean Jones tried to rile Curtly Ambrose with a sweatband request – and how it backfired.
2) Chris Froome’s remarkable Giro
d’Italia comeback in 2018.
3) Great penalty kick pressure moments. 4) Some heroic AFL kicks, and the evolution of the drop punt.
5) A young Lennox Lewis takes Olympic gold in Seoul.
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