This Date in U.S. Open History: August 27

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This Date in U.S. Open History: August 27

Johnny Mac survives opener

Published Aug 26, 2012

Every morning during the U.S. Open, Richard Pagliaro will take a look back at a significant match that took place on that calendar day.

August 27, 1985: John McEnroe d. Shlomo Glickstein, 6-1, 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (First Round)

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McEnroe was on the verge of making history for all the wrong reasons: The top seed was two points away from becoming the first defending U.S. Open men’s champion in history to fall in the first round.

Serving at 5-6 in the fifth set, McEnroe was dangling on the ledge of a loss, down 15-30 to the world No. 172, when he dug in to force a tiebreaker.  

“When we went into the fifth-set tiebreaker, I was in shock,” said McEnroe, who fought back from a break down in the fifth and was two points from losing three different times. “I realized I was in a really tough match and I had to fight my butt off to win.”  

Glickstein’s grit made this a battle right up until the final point. McEnroe had leads in the tiebreaker of 3-1 and 6-3, but as wife Tatum O’Neal rose to applaud her husband, Glickstein fought back, staving off four match points.  

“I don't know what went wrong,” said McEnroe. “I felt I've been playing well. The guy played an unbelievable match and jerked me around. He plays a very strange game and he served a hell of a lot better than I expected. Maybe I was too confident.”  

The 27-year-old Israeli, who took a set from McEnroe in their last prior meeting, three years earlier at Forest Hills, credited the champion, who sealed the win on his fifth match point.  

“I don`t think I lost this match. McEnroe played like a champion on the big points,” Glickstein said.  

McEnroe would not be so fortunate the following year: He suffered a four-set loss in the first round to fellow New Yorker Paul Annacone, who now coaches Roger Federer.

This Date in U.S. Open History

August 27:The defending champion survives his opener (1985)
August 28:Jimmy Connors' legendary run begins (1991)
August 29: Pierce rises from the dead (2003)
August 30:Santoro, Blake put on a show (2007)
August 31: Agassi's final, epic victory (2006)
September 1:Sampras' win streak snapped (1997)
September 2:Doubles players announce lawsuit vs. ATP (2005)
September 3:Safin survives in breakthrough tournament (2000)
September 4:A bizarre Williams vs. Williams match (2005)
September 5:Unbreakable: Pete vs. Andre (2001)
September 6:A Seles-Capriati classic (1991)
September 7: The late show with Agassi and Blake (2005)
September 8:Venus' late comeback vs. Hingis (2000)
September 9:Sharapova feels pretty powerful (2006)