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Jimmy ConnorsJimmy Connors (September 2, 1952 - ) is a famous American tennis player. James Scott Connors was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, and grew up in the adjacent town of Belleville, Illinois. Early in his career, he earned a reputation as the "brat" of tennis because of his brash conduct off and on court. As a teenager, he was already high in the rankings and was famous for his romance with fellow prodigy Chris Evert. Always aggressive in his game, Connors played like a Pit Bull, never giving away a point easily to anyone. That same personality resulted in frequent clashes with umpires and judges, Davis Cup officials, his own players' union, and even other players. For five straight years, Connors was ranked #1 in the world between 1974 and 1978 and won the US Open five times. He was the first high-profile tennis player to use a metal racket (Wilson T-2000), and along with Bjrn Borg and Chris Evert made the two-handed backhand shot a part of the game. He also suffered some embarrassment when his mother was threatened with ejection from the Wimbledon championships because of her habit of encouraging him loudly from the crowd. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title twice, in 1974 and 1982. After his first Wimbledon victory, he refused to accept the commemorative medal symbolic of the championship. But with time, Connors mellowed and became a crowd favorite. After his second Wimbledon win, he graciously accepted the medal and won over many British fans who previously had booed him repeatedly. Perhaps the defining moment of his career was the 1991 US Open. Connors, who celebrated his 39th birthday during the tournament, only made the event as a wild-card entry, but made an improbable run through the Open, losing in the semifinals to eventual finalist Jim Courier. (Courier went on to lose in the finals to Stefan Edberg). In 1998 Jimmy Connors was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Grand Slam titles (8) 1974 Australian Open Phil Dent 7-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 1974 Wimbledon Ken Rosewall 6-1, 6-1, 6-4 1974 U.S. Open Ken Rosewall 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 1976 U.S. Open Bjrn Borg 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 1978 U.S. Open Bjrn Borg 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 1982 Wimbledon John McEnroe 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 1982 U.S. Open Ivan Lendl 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 1983 U.S. Open Ivan Lendl 6-3, 6-7, 7-5, 6-0 Connors, Jimmy Connors, Jimmy Connors, Jimmy
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