Men's Tennis: 4 amazing records set by Jimmy Connors
American tennis great Jimmy Connors was one of the most successful tennis players of the 1970s and 1980s. A left-hander, his two-handed backhands were among the best that the sport has ever had.
Connors did not have a great serve and his forehand wasn't the best but his ability to hit flat and low shots repeatedly from the baseline made him a potent force. He had a very long and successful professional career spanning 24 years. Post-retirement, Connors has dabbled in many different roles, including commentating and coaching.
He was involved in many heated discussions with old rival John McEnroe while the duo shared space in the commentary box covering Wimbledon matches. Later, Connors took up coaching responsibility of fellow American Andy Roddick and later, Russia's Maria Sharapova and Canada's Eugenie Bouchard.
Connors had the habit of energizing the crowd with his on-court antics to turn the match in his favour. Many a time, these antics helped him win quite a lot of big matches but sometimes they also drew the ire of the crowd.
Here's a peek into the past to look at four of the greatest records set by Jimmy Connors in the course of his hugely productive tennis career.
#4 12 consecutive years reaching at least the semi-finals of the US Open
One of the most consistent players of all-time, Connors maintained a high tempo for many years. Such was his level of consistency that for 11 straight years from 1974-1984 inclusive, Connors was ranked inside the ATP Top-3. In fact, he was ranked inside the Top-10 for 15 straight years from 1974 to 1988 - a record matched by only Roger Federer.
For 16 years from 1973 to 1989, Connors reached at least the quarter-final stage of the US Open barring just one year. As a matter of fact, he made the semi-finals for 12 consecutive years between 1974 and 1985.
Few could energize the New York crowd the way Connors did.