krosero
05-07-2008, 08:16 PM
McEnroe d. Nystrom 6-1, 6-0, 7-5
I had never seen any part of this match, but I remember vividly the reaction to it. Rino Tommasi gave an interview on CBS and said, almost casually and to wide agreement, that if McEnroe played as he did in the first two sets against Nystrom, no one was going to beat him.
However, to me McEnroe looks better – faster – in the previous year’s final than he does here.
Mac lost 3 points on his serve in the first set. He broke Nystrom five times in the last two sets. McEnroe himself was broken twice, both times in the third set.
Steve Wynyard was in the chair. He ordered a point to be replayed that had put McEnroe up 3-love in the third. Nystrom held; he had not won a game since the second game of the match. McEnroe was broken in the next game for the first time in the match, and lost his next service game. In all Nystrom won 5 games in a row and took a 5-2 lead in the third (with a set point on his serve at 5-3). But McEnroe then won 5 straight games to close out the match.
McEnroe was never quite happy – certainly not as serene as he was in 1984. Watching this match I decided that McEnroe, not Lendl, is the grouchiest tennis player I’ve ever seen.
Nystrom had just beaten Becker in the 4th round. He'd beaten McEnroe in 5 sets in Dallas and taken Becker to 5 at Wimbledon. He was a good doubles player who could volley.
McEnroe had defeated Nystrom 7-5 in the fifth in Paris.
My count:
(I'm missing almost all of the first two games).
McEnroe had 9 aces and 6 doubles.
Nystrom had 4 aces and 2 doubles.
I gave McEnroe 7 service winners, Nystrom 1.
McEnroe had 26 winners: 5 FH, 6 BH, 9 FHV, 4 BHV, 2 overheads.
Nystrom had 20 winners: 11 FH, 7 BH, 2 FHV, 0 BHV, 0 overheads.
McEnroe made two service return winners off his backhand side; one was off Nystrom’s first serve and was a pass. McEnroe also made 3 BH passes and 1 FH.
Nystrom did not make a service return winner until the third set, when he knocked off McEnroe’s second serve once with a forehand and his first serve twice with backhands; all of these were passes. He also had 12 passing shots that were not returns: 10 forehands and 2 backhands. Finally, he had two winning BH lobs in the third set.
McEnroe was broken twice, Nystrom 8 times.
At 5-love in the second per USA, they were both serving at 63%.
I had never seen any part of this match, but I remember vividly the reaction to it. Rino Tommasi gave an interview on CBS and said, almost casually and to wide agreement, that if McEnroe played as he did in the first two sets against Nystrom, no one was going to beat him.
However, to me McEnroe looks better – faster – in the previous year’s final than he does here.
Mac lost 3 points on his serve in the first set. He broke Nystrom five times in the last two sets. McEnroe himself was broken twice, both times in the third set.
Steve Wynyard was in the chair. He ordered a point to be replayed that had put McEnroe up 3-love in the third. Nystrom held; he had not won a game since the second game of the match. McEnroe was broken in the next game for the first time in the match, and lost his next service game. In all Nystrom won 5 games in a row and took a 5-2 lead in the third (with a set point on his serve at 5-3). But McEnroe then won 5 straight games to close out the match.
McEnroe was never quite happy – certainly not as serene as he was in 1984. Watching this match I decided that McEnroe, not Lendl, is the grouchiest tennis player I’ve ever seen.
Nystrom had just beaten Becker in the 4th round. He'd beaten McEnroe in 5 sets in Dallas and taken Becker to 5 at Wimbledon. He was a good doubles player who could volley.
McEnroe had defeated Nystrom 7-5 in the fifth in Paris.
My count:
(I'm missing almost all of the first two games).
McEnroe had 9 aces and 6 doubles.
Nystrom had 4 aces and 2 doubles.
I gave McEnroe 7 service winners, Nystrom 1.
McEnroe had 26 winners: 5 FH, 6 BH, 9 FHV, 4 BHV, 2 overheads.
Nystrom had 20 winners: 11 FH, 7 BH, 2 FHV, 0 BHV, 0 overheads.
McEnroe made two service return winners off his backhand side; one was off Nystrom’s first serve and was a pass. McEnroe also made 3 BH passes and 1 FH.
Nystrom did not make a service return winner until the third set, when he knocked off McEnroe’s second serve once with a forehand and his first serve twice with backhands; all of these were passes. He also had 12 passing shots that were not returns: 10 forehands and 2 backhands. Finally, he had two winning BH lobs in the third set.
McEnroe was broken twice, Nystrom 8 times.
At 5-love in the second per USA, they were both serving at 63%.