Ivan Lendl beat Mats Wilander 6-2 6-2 6-3 in the final of the Masters (Year End Championship/ World Tour Final) 1987 on carpet
It was Lendl's 5th and final Masters title and capped another highly dominant year
Lendl won 88 points, Wilander 62
Serve Stats
Lendl....
- 1st serve percentage (27/65) 42%
- 1st serve points won (24/27) 89%
- 2nd serve points won (20/38) 53%
- Aces 8, Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (18/65) 28%
Wilander. ...
- 1st serve percentage (64/85) 75%
- 1st serve points won (30/64) 47%
- 2nd serve points won (11/21) 52%
- Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (16/85) 19%
Serve Pattern
Lendl served...
- to FH 33%
- to BH 67%
Wilander served...
- to FH 43%
- to BH 57%
Return Stats
Lendl made...
- 67 (31 FH, 36 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 14 Errors, comprising...
- 4 Unforced (4 FH), including 1 runaround FH
- 10 Forced (3 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (67/83) 81%
Wilander made...
- 45 (18 FH, 27 BH), including 6 runaround FH and 2 chip-charges
- 7 Errors, comprising...
- 2 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 5 Forced (4 FH, 1 BH)
- Return Rate (45/63) 71%
Break Points
Lendl 8/12 (9 games)
Wilander 2/2 (2 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Lendl 38 (17 FH, 12 BH, 3 FHV, 4 BHV, 2 OH)
Wilander 11 (2 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 2 OH)
Lendl had 19 passes (9 FH, 10 BH)
- the FH passes comprise (5 cc, 3 dtl, 1 lob), with 3 of the cc's being running shots
- BH passes comprise (2 cc, 6 dtl, 1 dtl/i-o, 1 i-o)
- the non-pass FHs include 1 shot at net, the sole return winner (inside-in) and a longline down the middle with Wilander pulled out of position
- 2 non-pass BHs are a drop shot and a shot at net
- 1 FHV is a swinging shot, and 1 a drop volley. 1 BHV is a sharp reflex volley played point blank with Wilander at the net
Wilander had 2 BH passes - a lob and a shot at net
- 2 drop volleys - 1 FHV, 1 BHV. It's not clear if the ball bounced twice before Lendl touched the latter, but I think so
- 1 FHV was a c/c return point
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Lendl 33
- 16 Unforced (7 FH, 7 BH, 1 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- 17 Forced (6 FH, 8 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index = 50
Wilander 30
- 16 Unforced (2 FH, 11 BH, 3 BHV)
- 14 Forced (2 FH, 5 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index = 46.3
[Note: The Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is a measure of how forceful the average UE was.
20 is minimum (defensive), 60 is maximum (aggressive). 40 is neutral
This version is made with the 6-4-2 index]
(Note 2: All half-volleys refer to such shots played at net)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Lendl was 16/24 (67%) at net, including 1/2 serve-volleying - both first serve points
Wilander was 25/55 (45%) at net, including 8/21 (38%) serve-volleying - 7/19 (37%) off first serve, 1/2 off second second - and 2/2 chip-charge returning
He was 0/1 when forced back from net
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Match Report
Clinical from Lendl but disappointing from Wilander who just doesn't show up. Lendl breaks 8 times as Wilander holds 5 times, while the defending champion controls most of his service games comfortably
There are many aspects of Lendl's performance that stand out. "Measured" might be the best word to describe his showing
He returns effectively. Granted the Wilander serve doesn't look damaging, but I didn't think it was a dip-your-bread excercise either, the way Jimmy Connors' feels sometime. Furthermore, he follows it to net a fair amount (21 times - 19 off first serve)
Doesn't matter. Lendl gets it back without strain or undue power
We see the same thing on Lendl's passes, which he makes right, left and center all match of both wings. He doesn't exactly hit them gently, but it's precision of placement rather than power that catches the eye. It should be noted that Wilander covers the net and actually volleys well... the credit here goes to Lendl's passing shots
One senses that Lendl has the exact measurement of what's required of each shot - and executes accordingly, without being tempted to spectacularly go for more
From the baseline, inevitably there are who-blinks-first BH cc rallies and these are about even, with Lendl slicing a fair bit. On the FH, by contrast, the Czech tends to take command of the point and the Swede is pushed on the defensive. In this match anyway, his FH is all shield no sword
I thought Mats could have been more patient on the neutral rallies. The BH points didn't seem to be going anywhere in a hurray but Wilander tended to manufacture an approach than just keep going
He was also apt to passivity against the second serve. He returned almost every one of them without difficulty.... so why not go for a bit more when the rallying dynamics were going so against him?
The highlight for Mats was breaking Lendl with four successive winners - a FHV, an OH and 2 BHVs. ... surprising given he only hit 7 others in the whole match
Lendl returned and passed particularly well and was on top of the percentage play from the baseline. Always doing just enough, never getting carried away
All in all, a highly one sided encounter, measured and secure from Lendl, below par from Wilander
It was Lendl's 5th and final Masters title and capped another highly dominant year
Lendl won 88 points, Wilander 62
Serve Stats
Lendl....
- 1st serve percentage (27/65) 42%
- 1st serve points won (24/27) 89%
- 2nd serve points won (20/38) 53%
- Aces 8, Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (18/65) 28%
Wilander. ...
- 1st serve percentage (64/85) 75%
- 1st serve points won (30/64) 47%
- 2nd serve points won (11/21) 52%
- Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (16/85) 19%
Serve Pattern
Lendl served...
- to FH 33%
- to BH 67%
Wilander served...
- to FH 43%
- to BH 57%
Return Stats
Lendl made...
- 67 (31 FH, 36 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 14 Errors, comprising...
- 4 Unforced (4 FH), including 1 runaround FH
- 10 Forced (3 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (67/83) 81%
Wilander made...
- 45 (18 FH, 27 BH), including 6 runaround FH and 2 chip-charges
- 7 Errors, comprising...
- 2 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 5 Forced (4 FH, 1 BH)
- Return Rate (45/63) 71%
Break Points
Lendl 8/12 (9 games)
Wilander 2/2 (2 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Lendl 38 (17 FH, 12 BH, 3 FHV, 4 BHV, 2 OH)
Wilander 11 (2 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 2 OH)
Lendl had 19 passes (9 FH, 10 BH)
- the FH passes comprise (5 cc, 3 dtl, 1 lob), with 3 of the cc's being running shots
- BH passes comprise (2 cc, 6 dtl, 1 dtl/i-o, 1 i-o)
- the non-pass FHs include 1 shot at net, the sole return winner (inside-in) and a longline down the middle with Wilander pulled out of position
- 2 non-pass BHs are a drop shot and a shot at net
- 1 FHV is a swinging shot, and 1 a drop volley. 1 BHV is a sharp reflex volley played point blank with Wilander at the net
Wilander had 2 BH passes - a lob and a shot at net
- 2 drop volleys - 1 FHV, 1 BHV. It's not clear if the ball bounced twice before Lendl touched the latter, but I think so
- 1 FHV was a c/c return point
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Lendl 33
- 16 Unforced (7 FH, 7 BH, 1 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- 17 Forced (6 FH, 8 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index = 50
Wilander 30
- 16 Unforced (2 FH, 11 BH, 3 BHV)
- 14 Forced (2 FH, 5 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index = 46.3
[Note: The Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is a measure of how forceful the average UE was.
20 is minimum (defensive), 60 is maximum (aggressive). 40 is neutral
This version is made with the 6-4-2 index]
(Note 2: All half-volleys refer to such shots played at net)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Lendl was 16/24 (67%) at net, including 1/2 serve-volleying - both first serve points
Wilander was 25/55 (45%) at net, including 8/21 (38%) serve-volleying - 7/19 (37%) off first serve, 1/2 off second second - and 2/2 chip-charge returning
He was 0/1 when forced back from net
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Match Report
Clinical from Lendl but disappointing from Wilander who just doesn't show up. Lendl breaks 8 times as Wilander holds 5 times, while the defending champion controls most of his service games comfortably
There are many aspects of Lendl's performance that stand out. "Measured" might be the best word to describe his showing
He returns effectively. Granted the Wilander serve doesn't look damaging, but I didn't think it was a dip-your-bread excercise either, the way Jimmy Connors' feels sometime. Furthermore, he follows it to net a fair amount (21 times - 19 off first serve)
Doesn't matter. Lendl gets it back without strain or undue power
We see the same thing on Lendl's passes, which he makes right, left and center all match of both wings. He doesn't exactly hit them gently, but it's precision of placement rather than power that catches the eye. It should be noted that Wilander covers the net and actually volleys well... the credit here goes to Lendl's passing shots
One senses that Lendl has the exact measurement of what's required of each shot - and executes accordingly, without being tempted to spectacularly go for more
From the baseline, inevitably there are who-blinks-first BH cc rallies and these are about even, with Lendl slicing a fair bit. On the FH, by contrast, the Czech tends to take command of the point and the Swede is pushed on the defensive. In this match anyway, his FH is all shield no sword
I thought Mats could have been more patient on the neutral rallies. The BH points didn't seem to be going anywhere in a hurray but Wilander tended to manufacture an approach than just keep going
He was also apt to passivity against the second serve. He returned almost every one of them without difficulty.... so why not go for a bit more when the rallying dynamics were going so against him?
The highlight for Mats was breaking Lendl with four successive winners - a FHV, an OH and 2 BHVs. ... surprising given he only hit 7 others in the whole match
Lendl returned and passed particularly well and was on top of the percentage play from the baseline. Always doing just enough, never getting carried away
All in all, a highly one sided encounter, measured and secure from Lendl, below par from Wilander
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