Quote:
Originally Posted by Xavier G
I like the Mac-Wilander rivalry. Mats was really a great player for most of the 80's and gave John a few surprising defeats in my eyes like the AO semi final in 83 for instance. That was a good chance for Mac to win the Australian Open. The USO semi of 1985 was another classic which McEnroe just closed out, but it took a lot of him for the final.
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McEnroe often seemed to have more trouble with Wilander than with Borg. Even in their first meeting, when Wilander was still only 18 and in some ways still a claycourter, McEnroe needed 6 hours to beat him in that Davis Cup match -- and that was on indoor carpet.
I think two things helped Wilander. He stood in closer to the baseline than Borg; and he showed McEnroe fewer second serves than Borg did. He could do that because he didn't do as much with the first serve, tending to spin it in; but that meant that McEnroe had fewer chances to attack a second ball and get into net.