John McEnroe v Ivan Lendl 1985 Stratton Mountain Final

[smoledman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJpFD_mkO90

This is some good stuff.

[kiki]

Last time Mac defeated Lendl in a tour final.

[Frankc]

Thanks for the post - will enjoy

[Gizo]

Mac really did toy with Lendl both in this final, and again in the Canadian Open final at Montreal one week later. He made a great player like Lendl look completely helpless on both occasions.

The tennis that Mac played in the summer of 1985 after his Wimbledon defeat to Curren and until the US Open against Lendl, was just as good as his 1984 standard. Breathtaking stuff.

The role reversal for Lendl was pretty funny. He trashed Connors badly in warm-up tournaments ahead of the 1982 and 1983 US Opens, only for Jimbo to beat him when it really mattered in those US Open finals.

However ahead of both 1984 RG and the 1985 USO, McEnroe had destroyed him twice in lead-up events (at Forest Hills and Dusseldorf in 1984). However on those occasions he was able to turn the tables on Mac and beat him when it really mattered in those major finals.

[Maui19]

I was at that match. I remember that when Lendl came out on the court, he struck me as being the most healthy, fit person I'd ever seen. I'm not sure why--he wasn't huge or ripped or anything like that. He just exuded this feeling of fitness. It was quite interesting.

[Mustard]

I have it on DVD. McEnroe was way too good for Lendl in this match. They had a similar match in the 1985 Montreal final soon after, although that was ridden with arguments the players had with the umpire, Jeremy Shales. Soon after that came the match that changed both players careers, the 1985 US Open final.

[Mustard]

Originally Posted by kiki

Last time Mac defeated Lendl in a tour final.

That was actually the 1985 Montreal final.

[kiki]

Mac was dominating Ivan just a week before the start of the USO 1985...all of a sudden, Mac retroceded years after he lost the USO final to Lendl.

[Goosehead]

in the 1985 u s open final mcenroe was a victim of played the 2nd semi final on (non) super saturday..a 5 set thriller in hot conditions v wilander..

mcenroe core fitness was starting to go down by this point due to off court lifestyle etc...so mac was tired and facing a fresher lendl who had (i think) an easy 3 set win vs connors in the first semi...

mcenroe lost his title and his world no1 rank forever..cue mcenroes lost weekend lasting 7 months.

[Prodigy1234]

Beginning of the end....

[Mustard]

Originally Posted by Goosehead

in the 1985 u s open final mcenroe was a victim of played the 2nd semi final on (non) super saturday..a 5 set thriller in hot conditions v wilander..

mcenroe core fitness was starting to go down by this point due to off court lifestyle etc...so mac was tired and facing a fresher lendl who had (i think) an easy 3 set win vs connors in the first semi...

mcenroe lost his title and his world no1 rank forever..cue mcenroes lost weekend lasting 7 months.

I'm not so sure. For the first time, Lendl had an extremely positive mindset in a major final, even when he went 2-5 down in the first set. It seemed to take McEnroe by surprise.

[Frankc]

That Wilander-Mac 5 setter was beyond belief in the heat. One of my favorites to savor again and again (especially on a snowy, cold weekend) - but it was beyond brutal as to rallies and the utter heat. If I remember right( that is always iffy at best), the next day, Mac stated in his book that he felt well out of it - in a dream state of sorts.
If you watch that semi (in the heat) you have to ask how can anyone play the next day after that?

[Goosehead]

yes it was tough on mcenroe, maybe if mac could've sneaked that 1st set point and blahblahblah..although in 84 he managed to win in 3 vs lendl at his peak..despite again having a 5 set semi...but lendl's level went up another notch, 85 mac was up and down in performances and i dont think as fit..

mac had four poor defeats in the majors in 85..the worst being vs curren, then losing a 5th set 6-0 to slobodan whatsisname in australia..he gave up

the start of the 83 aust open is a laugh..its like wimbledon now..slower grass, and i counted an 18 shot and 20+ shot rally..imagine that at wimbledon in the 80s..no way.

[Mustard]

Slobodan Zivojinovic. He beat McEnroe in the 1985 Australian Open quarter finals by the score of 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-0. And yes, watching some old Australian Open matches on the Kooyong grass-courts, I also notice the similarities in style to today's Wimbledon matches.

Tanner, Vilas and Wilander seemed to like the Kooyong grass. Vilas and Wilander were nowhere near as good on the Wimbledon grass as they were in Melbourne, even if Vilas was facing players like John Marks and John Sadri in his finals there instead of Borg, Connors and McEnroe.

[Goosehead]

Originally Posted by Mustard

Slobodan Zivojinovic. He beat McEnroe in the 1985 Australian Open quarter finals by the score of 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-0. And yes, watching some old Australian Open matches on the Kooyong grass-courts, I also notice the similarities in style to today's Wimbledon matches.

Tanner, Vilas and Wilander seemed to like the Kooyong grass. Vilas and Wilander were nowhere near as good on the Wimbledon grass as they were in Melbourne, even if Vilas was facing players like John Marks and John Sadri in his finals there instead of Borg, Connors and McEnroe.

good old roscoe tanner..surprised alot of folk by taking borg to 5 at wimbledon..in fact he had a decent chance to win..imagine the same match at kooyong one way traffic, easy borg win..

yes mr s zivojinovic..mcenroe shouldnt have lost that one..but he wouldve been likely defeated by wilander again in sf much like 83 and like in french 85 too..i always thought 83 and 84 were macs best chances at kooyong rather than 83 and 85..but pulling out of aust 84 (i'm sure he was initially going to play; meant he blew his big chance) and with the wheels starting to come off in 85 meant no dice for supermac.