https://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/10/19/Jimmy-Connors-overpowered-fellow-American-Eliot-Teltscher-6-2-6-4/2247340776000/

Jimmy Connors overpowered fellow American Eliot Teltscher 6-2, 6-4...

By PAUL ANDERSON

Oct. 19, 1980

CANTON, China -- Jimmy Connors overpowered fellow American Eliot Teltscher 6-2, 6-4 Sunday to win the $50,000 Canton Grand Prix Tennis Classic, the first professional sports event in China.

Connors won five straight games to begin the match and whizzed by the 21-year-old Teltscher to wrap up the first set in 30 minutes.

The Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., youngster rallied in the second set and managed to hold off the relentless Connors for 90 minutes before the veteran put away the match.

China's first professional sporting event was played under the blazing sun in the 4,000-seat Guangdong Sheng People's Stadium before the first full house of the seven-day tournament.

Tennis is not a popular sport in China and the stands of the outdoor stadium normally used for basketball were virtually empty most of the week.

The arrival of tennis fans from Hong Kong for the finals and free tickets given to the Chinese people by the organizers filled the stadium Sunday.

Inside the bowl-shaped stadium, the Chinese spectators were surrounded by advertisements for goods not available to them, including American cigarettes and soft drinks, Japanese cars and hotels in the South Pacific.

Teltscher, ranked no. 8 on the pro tennis tour, appeared during most of the match to be on the defensive as the 28-year-old Connors forced him to chase line drives into the corners, ready to pounce if he faltered.

In the doubles final, veterans Jaimie Fillol of Chile and Ross Case of Australia downed the American duo of Andy Kohlberg and Larry Stefanski 6-2, 7-6. The final set was decided by an 11-9 tie-breaker.

Fillol, 34, and Case, 29, used their years of experience on the tour ot outlast Kohlberg, of Los Altos, Calif., and Stefanski, of Lakeway, Tex., in the exciting second set.

For his victory, Connors picked up a check for $8,750 and Teltscher won $4,350. Double winners Fillol and Case got a total of $2,600 and Kohlberg and Stefanski took home $1,150.

In his post-match press conference Connors echoed the feelings of many of the 32 players who came to China for the tournament when he commented on the lack of response by the mostly Chinese audience.

'At the beginning of the week and until today, or maybe yesterday, they didn't participate,' the Belleville, Ill. 'But by the end of the week they understood the game better, and they applauded some shots.'

'When you're out there playing you don't feel like you're in China,' Connors remarked. 'But when it's over you realize again you're in China.'

Despite transportation problems and sparse crowds, most players praised China's first professional tennis tournament, and indicated they would be back next year if there is a China stop on the Asian pro tennis circuit.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3984043&forum_id=2#36107855)

>>China's first professional sporting event

woah so i was right. that's pretty wild it was tennis and jimbo

>>Tennis is not a popular sport in China

now: https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/2013/10/rafael-nadal-change.jpg

>>Inside the bowl-shaped stadium,

is this a reference to the haircuts of the fans?

>>Connors remarked. 'But when it's over you realize again you're in China.'

"these NOWAGs are disgusting, you should see the loogies they were spitting," Connors added

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3984043&forum_id=2#36107892)