Written by Nigel Clark, Lawn Tennis Correspondent of the Daily Mirror in 1976.

It was the day when the rain came . . . the soaking Saturday when two of the world’s great tennis stars gave the game back to the public. llie Nastase of Rumania. and Jimmy Connors of the United States, proved that today’s rash of rich young globetrotters don’t always play for just the pay. The two men who have been involved in the major proportion of the world’s tennis headlines, last year saved the final of the John Player tournament from a wash out!

They played the singles final in a rain storm, and stayed on court for over an hour until the conditions became so dangerous, that further tennis was impossible. Television commentator Dan Maskell remarked at the time: “l have never seen anything quite like it, their performance was a marvellous advertisement for the game.”

Perhaps no two other players would have even ventured on court in the first place. But Nasty and Jimbo go out of their way to be different.

Nastase with his rebel reputation had clashed head on with the organisers a year earlier, just before the 1975 event began. After a burst of bad behaviour across Europe he was asked for a promise of good conduct and refused. He also pulled out of the tournament, Nasty’s eccentric tennis stage act, split fans into two camps, those who loved him . . . or loathed him. But he was, and still is the number one drawing card in British tennis.

It was the same with Connors. Bumptious, brash and brilliant. He had his share of admirers, and those with who he was less than popular. But he was the young pretender to the throne as world number one, and so often the straight man to Nastase’s clown act.

And both, would have been well within their rights not to set a foot on court with Wimbledon just two days away.

The rain, forecast for the finals, began to spit down at lunchtime. The finish of the Australia v. New Zealand Davis Cup tie, had already seen Brian Fairlie skidding and injuring himself on the slippery surface as he lost to John Newcombe.

Would Nastase and Connors play for the £10,000 first prize, or even go on court at all?

They did, and at great risk. The centre court stadium was crammed with spectators huddled in raincoats and under umbrellas. Others had climbed trees to get a view of two great players, who could also introduce the kind of slapstick comedy Morecambe and Wise would be proud of.

A few months earlier during the Dewar Cup doubles at London’s Albert Hall, Nastase and Connors had appeared on court wearing bow ties, bowler hats and sipping champagne. Their singles duel a few nights earlier had been full of fun and great tennis.

And it was to happen again. The rain had soaked the court, and when the preliminary inspection was made, Nastase and Connors volunteered to try it. They went on to play marvellously for the next hour producing delightful tennis, and break neck bravery. It was a skid pan surface, the balls were so wet they flung off a halo of moisture, both men took heavy falls, both produced unbelievable shots, and, a match that began as a fun final for the fans, became a deadly serious confrontation.

Connors took the first set 6-2. Nastase the second 6-4, showing off a battery of magical shots, sometimes played in the middle of a 15-foot skid, or slide.

Their respective ladies, Dominique Nastase, and Marjorie Wallace, the former lMiss World, had sat with the fans in the rain, laughing and sharing the fun.

Connors had in fact borrowed an umbrella and played with it over one shoulder in the early knockabout nonsense. But once Nastase began to produce his magic, Connors took the match much more seriously. Suddenly Nastase began to talk to him, and tease him. lt got to Connors who in a yell of exasperation shouted to the crowd. “l like this guy a lot, but . . . ” then to the Rumanian he yelled “Do you think you could play just two points quietly?” It was like that for the match. Exceptional tennis, exemplary behaviour, and it left the crowd in debt to two men who had taken real chances to entertain them.

It was 1-1 in the final set before they had to quit for safety sake as the rain became a downpour. Connors limped off with a slight strain saying “Don’t worry – it’s nothing, a hot bath and a massage will put that right. We had to stop, the court was lust too dangerous. It was pneumonia weather.”

And said Nastase “l too was worried about injury, at times I couldn’t even keep my legs together”. I stood with them in the referees’ room as they peeled off soakinq sweaters and saturated shirts and shorts. Both were just happy the fans had got their money’s worth.

The two shared the winners and runners up prizes, taking £7,875 back to London on the six o’clock train, and sharing the beautiful individual prizes of crystal glassware.

Said tournament organiser Tony Pickard: “Any debt we may have felt Nastase owed us for what happened in 1975, has been handsomely repaid.”

And the referee Calvin Dubois added: “l was astonished the match went on so long in such dangerous conditions.”

As a public relations exercise for tennis, Nastase and Connors had pulled a master stroke. Playing in the rain did an awful lot for the image of the tennis player, Nasty and Jimbo blew a gale of fresh air back into the game.

*Main image @NottsTennis Jimmy Connors & Ile Nastase were two of the world’s greatest tennis players.