Got to hit with Wilander and also Q and A

[Gonzalito17]

Thanks for sharing Zimbo, awesome read, love hearing or reading what Mats has to say about tennis, it's always a privilege and you shared a ton of info. Where did you have the pleasure to meet him?

[slowfox]

Originally Posted by Zimbo

He still hits a very clean ball. He doesn’t hit out much but when he does he can really rip it. His average ball has a lot of spin and is hit with a lot of depth but isn’t very heavy compared to a lot of guys. When he rips it his ball does have a lot of topspin that dips very quickly and explodes off the ground. His slice backhand has good penetration. Most of his rally shots had a huge clearance over the net.

How high over the net? Just wondering. And thanks for posting. Fun read and very informative. Cheers.

[Gonzalito17]

translation: Wilander is a moonballer.

[Frankc]

Or Wilander is the Ultimate Professional (Knows the percentages)...

[BTURNER]

you can die a happy man. To get that kind of time from Wilander, must be wonderful.

[Pebbles10]

Originally Posted by Gonzalito17

translation: Wilander is a moonballer.

Then you have not seen him play

[Zimbo]

Originally Posted by slowfox

How high over the net? Just wondering. And thanks for posting. Fun read and very informative. Cheers.

I would say a good 5-8 feet, it would be hit with decent pace and drop a few feet from the baseline.

[Zimbo]

Glad you guys have enjoyed the post. If any of you guys have the chance I would totally recommend doing the Wilander on Wheels fantasy. Awesome experience. I met him briefly years ago at a Wilander vs Borg exo, but WOW was a dream come true. Being able to hit with him and chill with him at dinner was a tennis experience I will never forget. He's a super cool dude. Very easy to talk too.

[Squidward]

Great Read! Thanks For Posting!

He comes to our area in May, Might have to check this out!

[Zimbo]

Originally Posted by Defcon

The respect for Mats has gone up more, its great to hear his opinions and views. Is he still doing Eurosport segments?

Originally Posted by Mustard

Yeah, Mats is still on Eurosport.

I actually asked him since he lives in the US would he ever consider working for ESPN tennis coverage instead of Eurosport. His reply, "I don't think they would hire me because I'm not American." But I reminded him that Cahill isn't American. His reply, "yeah but he wasn't a great player." Too funny. Hahahahha

[I Heart Thomas Muster]

Thanks Zimbo that was a great read. I watched him do his Wilander on Wheels demo in Pasadena (but did not interact with him) and was impressed with his game and the fact he seemed to be enjoying himself as much as the kids he was hitting with.

[BeHappy]

Mats is possibly more obsessed with this stuff even than us. If you ever hear him on Eurosport he will just talk for hours and hours about these kind of questions.

He doesn't like Gilles Simon for some reason, I've noticed this when he commentates on his matches. It seems to go back to when he coached Matheiu.

[Raul_SJ]

Our club is looking into bringing him in.

But I can't afford the $250 registration.

[Sander001]

"Does Giles Simon remind you of yourself?"

Ouch.

[ttwarrior1]

what would conners say about wilander?

[Tennusdude]

Thanks Zimbo!
I was lucky enough to meet Mats at the either the 1999 or 2000 US OPEN when he was coaching Safin. He was so easy to speak to and he was willing to answer any questions. A really down to earth guy who makes you feel comfortable in his presence. One of my favorite players.
Borg is my number 1.

[Mustard]

Originally Posted by Tennusdude

Thanks Zimbo!
I was lucky enough to meet Mats at the either the 1999 or 2000 US OPEN when he was coaching Safin. He was so easy to speak to and he was willing to answer any questions. A really down to earth guy who makes you feel comfortable in his presence. One of my favorite players.
Borg is my number 1.

It was the 2001 US Open when Wilander was coaching Safin. Alexander Volkov was Safin's coach when Safin won 2000 US Open.

[DNShade]

Great post and spot on with what Mats said when I spent the day hitting with him a while back. And yes -- he is still in as amazing condition as ever.

I too second the WOW experience if he is ever in your area. He and Cameron are great guys and after we spent the day on court we then went out to dinner and spent the rest of the evening hanging out and I'm still in touch with them. Great guys.

[Pebbles10]

He have said that he never been in such great shape since the early 90s

[droliver]

WOW! Great post. That's some real interesting insight on some of the matches and technology change. Mats was my favorite player as a child. I got a Rossignol F-200 as my first real adult racquet in the fall of 1982 when I was 11 following his French Open win. Played with it for 15 years!