If Mac had won FO84

[jrepac]

McEnroe's fitness wasn't as good as Lendl's in the 1984 French Open final, and it cost him, with McEnroe's first serve percentage declining a lot in the latter period of the match which seemingly stalled any serious McEnroe momentum at that point. McEnroe had also wasted a lot of energy arguing with cameraman and the umpire in the earlier part of the match.

I don't know what to believe, even after all this time. Lendl was not exactly Mr. Fitness in '84 either. It was a war of attrition. I just recall Mac missing a key volley in the 3rd, then losing some steam, getting distracted, etc. Kind of like several things happening that broke his concentration. Gave Lendl a chance to get into the match. It was just hard to fathom, given the level Mac started at. He certainly didn't make the same mistake at W.

 

[jrepac]

In line with previous comments about why the 1984 RG final is talked about so much, that seems pretty blatant to me. I mean to list some reasons why:

- It was an all-time classic, that had everything in terms of high quality tennis, excitement and drama.
- Mac’s long-standing bitterness about the result added to the intrigue and appeal.
- Mac came into it having won his last 42 sanctioned matches.
- He also came into it having already achieved almost everything else of note and multiple times over; winning Wimbledon, the USO, the Davis Cup, the Masters, the WCT Finals, Philadelphia, being recognised by the ITF, ATP and all / nearly all of the major tennis magazines and writers as the best player in the world in different seasons etc. So a win that day would have rounded off his career record very nicely.
- His 1984 is already widely recognised as one of the greatest seasons ever, and a win that day could have catapulted it to an even higher status.
- It could ‘potentially’ (I stress that word) have set him up, for a bid to try to emulate his idol Laver by completing the grand slam.
- He was just 5 points away from and so tantalisingly close to a 4 set win, leading 4-2 in the 4th set and then with a game point serving at *4-3, during which his low, stretched forehand volley into the open court landed long. That was after he cruised through the first 2 sets conceding just 10 points in his 8 service games.

I assumed the original post was about the negative association between Mac and this match?? As it is remembered as a huge shortcoming in his career?? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Depends on your POV. I never cared to watch the match again...I found it more depressing down the stretch than exciting. Of course, at the time, I couldn't stand Lendl and was rooting for Mac all the way. I wrote the loss off as a fluke. Made it easier that way.

 

[WCT]

That's right there were no deuces in Mac's service games. In a couple of those games (I think), it got to 30-30 before Mac then won the next 2 points - that was the most pressure he faced on serve.

He only conceded 11 points in his 11 service games, on top of also winning most of the points (39/70 - 56) on Connors’ serve.



Yep and he wasn’t even taken to deuce on serve during those 2 sets either. I did make an error before though, as he had 9 service games during the first 2 sets not 8. With him also holding to love in his opening service game of the 3rd set (before then finally facing serious pressure on serve), he only lost 10 points in his first 10 service games of the match, which was crazy.

In their Forest Hills final the previous month, Mac only faced 3 break points in his 9 service games. He was only broken once, during his final service game when leading *5-1 in the 2nd set and seemingly losing concentration, before immediately regrouping to break in the next game and seal the win.

Then a couple of weeks later when they played each other in Dusseldorf, I believe (I might be wrong) that Mac wasn’t broken at all, and faced 5 break points during his 9 service games.

So across 6 straight sets plus the very start of the next set against each other clay, before that dramatic and entertaining turnaround at RG, Mac was was only broken once (when he seemingly switched off) and only faced 8 break points (I think) in 28 service games. If we add in their previous sanctioned match in Brussels on carpet during which he didn't face any break points, it was 1 break and 8 break points across 36 service games vs. Lendl. But in addition to the gold standard serving, clearly Mac's returning and returns + net approaches ('rip and charge' not 'rip and volley' as I wrongly said before) were insanely good during that stretch as well.

However in the 5th set in RG, as a something of a role reversal I think Mac only won 7 points in Lendl's 6 service games, all concentrated within 2 of those 6 games including when he had 2 break points at 3-3.

Comprehensively outplaying an opponent that he disliked over 6 consecutive sets on clay, only to then lost the next 3 sets and with it the match and title on the surface that really counted, clearly was a bitter pill to swallow.

Just unbelievable stats there. But that was the level he played at, especially through Wimbledon. And I always say it. One of my I can't believe this moments is that this guy never one another slam. You told me that after the 84 US Open and I'd ask what are you smoking. That's why they play the matches.

 

[jrepac]

Just unbelievable stats there. But that was the level he played at, especially through Wimbledon. And I always say it. One of my I can't believe this moments is that this guy never one another slam. You told me that after the 84 US Open and I'd ask what are you smoking. That's why they play the matches.

so very true...and he had a pretty good '85 going, even w/the W loss to serving-out-of-his-mind Curren. Had a dominant summer season. Then it all started to crumble......