Great Ivan Lendl video

President

Legend
The video chronicles his ambition to win Wimbledon and what it meant to him. He's a very funny guy it seems, watch till the end for some good humor. The players seemed much less politically correct back then, more honest with their thoughts and words. For a younger guy like me who didn't have the chance to watch these guys live and get to know them while they were still playing, it's a fascinating video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJTbJXMlQ_A&feature=player_embedded
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
Lendl always had a very good, very dry sense of humor. One of the greats in an era with a lot of characters.
 

comeback

Hall of Fame
Great video, Too bad Lendl didn't get his Wimbledon win after all that preparation (Courier too) .Like Borg's US Open, Connors's,Becker's,Mcenroe's, Djokovic's, Sampras' French.
Fed, Rafa, Agassi will never have that one slam regret that these guys had.
 
Lendl won me over with his quest to win Wimbledon. You can't help but admire someone who put so much effort and was so straightforward with their desire to have this one tournament.
 

Shroud

Talk Tennis Guru
Great video, Too bad Lendl didn't get his Wimbledon win after all that preparation (Courier too) .Like Borg's US Open, Connors's,Becker's,Mcenroe's, Djokovic's, Sampras' French.
Fed, Rafa, Agassi will never have that one slam regret that these guys had.

Don't forget Wilander's Wimbledon, Seles Wimbledon and Henin's Wimbledon
 

big ted

Legend
i remember some of those interviews leading up to the '90 wimbledon and some of the top players still didnt give lendl much of a chance.
-mcenroe said something like 'if he practiced a hundred years on grass he still wouldnt win it'
-and connors said lendl had technical flaws on his low forehand volley that would cause him problems
- from that video becker said he didnt think lendl really believed he could win it after one of their matches a year or two before. and lendl said that semi loss to becker was probably the best chance he had at possibly winning the tourney but it just didnt happen. i think there was a rain delay too in that match that may have affected the tide of the match.
 

big ted

Legend
And Hingis FO
Specially after what happened in 99
The most painful missing of all time

thats true, in that sense i dont even think lendls missing piece of the puzzle is even that heartbreaking since he was usually straight setted by cash, edberg, or becker in the final rounds. lendl even said hes actually more proud of his wimbledon achievements than disappointed. someone like hingis, edberg, or mcenroe may have more sleepless nights over their missing gs title than lendl
 

comeback

Hall of Fame
thats true, in that sense i dont even think lendls missing piece of the puzzle is even that heartbreaking since he was usually straight setted by cash, edberg, or becker in the final rounds. lendl even said hes actually more proud of his wimbledon achievements than disappointed. someone like hingis, edberg, or mcenroe may have more sleepless nights over their missing gs title than lendl
Yeah, those 3 had heartbreaking losses, the kind that a player never forgets.
 

hawk eye

Hall of Fame
The video chronicles his ambition to win Wimbledon and what it meant to him. He's a very funny guy it seems, watch till the end for some good humor. The players seemed much less politically correct back then, more honest with their thoughts and words. For a younger guy like me who didn't have the chance to watch these guys live and get to know them while they were still playing, it's a fascinating video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJTbJXMlQ_A&feature=player_embedded

He looked better in that vid then I remember him from those years.
 

Phoenix1983

G.O.A.T.
And Hingis FO
Specially after what happened in 99
The most painful missing of all time

1999 was the most painful defeat, but 1997 was the most ridiculous one.

Hingis really should have beaten Majoli that day - if she had, she would have won the CYGS aged 16 !!!
 

kiki

Banned
1999 was the most painful defeat, but 1997 was the most ridiculous one.

Hingis really should have beaten Majoli that day - if she had, she would have won the CYGS aged 16 !!!

I agree.A big chance missed...overconfidence? most likely
 

helloworld

Hall of Fame
Great video, Too bad Lendl didn't get his Wimbledon win after all that preparation (Courier too) .Like Borg's US Open, Connors's,Becker's,Mcenroe's, Djokovic's, Sampras' French.
Fed, Rafa, Agassi will never have that one slam regret that these guys had.

I don't think Sampras will regret much not winning the French. Even Federer said he prefer a career with 1 Wimbledon rather than a career with 20 slams but no Wimbledon.
 

Rosewall

Rookie
Not sure how much I agree with Becker. Yes, Lendl made a couple of finals, but didn't threaten. I always thought Lendl's hands betrayed him. As the Wimbledon courts wore down and bad hops became more of a factor, he started to struggle. You could see his frustration build.

And as he mentioned himself, he was not a great volleyer. He was a waist bender. He would come to the net and if the volley was low, he would bend at the waist instead of his knees and reach for the ball. He was just too stiff for grass.
 

CEvertFan

Hall of Fame
Not sure how much I agree with Becker. Yes, Lendl made a couple of finals, but didn't threaten. I always thought Lendl's hands betrayed him. As the Wimbledon courts wore down and bad hops became more of a factor, he started to struggle. You could see his frustration build.

And as he mentioned himself, he was not a great volleyer. He was a waist bender. He would come to the net and if the volley was low, he would bend at the waist instead of his knees and reach for the ball. He was just too stiff for grass.

Lendl's problem on grass was that he was taking himself completely out of his comfort zone by serve/volleying on every point. I really don't think he needed to do that but he thought he did and it just never worked quite well enough to get him the title.

Lendl was also a player who hated the weather, wind, sun etc. Just look how much better he played indoors - he was a beast on an indoor court.
 
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kiki

Banned
his BH return was also faltering him.The problem was Ivan had a great timing and complete arms movement to hit those great groundies but he really never had a wrist, which you need on fast grass if your returns are gonna be succesful.

Becker was even heavier and slower than Lendl but the true key to Boris three Wimbledon wins is his Bh return.He hada mighty rolling wrist and he got those uncredible returns almost at will.In clay or hard, that had no influence and Lendl´s style was the way to play.but not on grass
 

Rosewall

Rookie
Lendl had one of the best forehands in the history of the game, but I find his technique on the take-back a bit odd. Traditionally, you turn, the racquet goes back with the head up. He makes the turn, but the raquet head never goes up or back. He chicken wings it. His elbow goes way up and behind him leaving the racquet head almost parallel to his elbow and out front a little bit. This causes a little more of a loop in the swing, but I wonder if jacking that elbow up (think hitter in baseball keeping his back elbow up) gave him more torque and was the key to his forehand power.

I have never see another player's forehand mechanics remind me of Lendl.
 

kiki

Banned
Good point.What made Lendl´s FH so damn good IMo is a combination of Ivan´s confidence on whacking this shot and timing.He didn´t hit the ball on the rise a la Connors but not as down as Borg or Wilander.He unfolded extremely well his arms and gave a final kick to the ball,like a wipping motion only that shorter.

The proof is that his FH was not only great on clay, when he had timeto adjust, but on fast courts, where it could also do more dammage.
 
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