Mats Wilander beat Ivan Lendl 4-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the French Open fourth round, 1982 on clay
The unseeded 17 year old Wilander was playing his first French Open and would go onto win the first of 3 titles there - following up this win over the 2nd seeded Lendl with wins over the 3rd, 4th and 5th seeds in the next 3 rounds
Wilander won 159 points, Lendl 145 (Wilander won at least 4 other points, Lendl 2)
(Note: I'm missing 1 Wilander service game in which he held, 4 Wilander service points - won 1, lost 3 -, the conclusion of a Lendl service game which he held from 30-30 onwards, serve and return information for match point. A minimum of 10 points)
Serve Stats
Wilander...
- 1st serve percentage (105/141) 74%
- 1st serve points won (68/105) 65%
- 2nd serve points won (19/36) 53%
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (15/142) 11%
Lendl...
- 1st serve percentage (78/158) 49%
- 1st serve points won (52/78) 67%
- 2nd serve points won (36/80) 45%
- Aces 9, Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (21/158) 13%
Serve Patterns
Wilander served...
- to FH 19%
- to BH 77%
- to Body 4%
Lendl served....
- to FH 24%
- to BH 74%
- to Body 3%
Return Stats
Wilander made...
- 134 (27 FH, 107 BH)
- 2 Winners (1 FH, 1 BH)
- 10 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 9 Forced (3 FH, 6 BH)
- Return Rate (134/155) 86%
Lendl made...
- 125 (41 FH, 81 BH, 3 ??), including 15 runaround FHs, 1 return-approach and 1 drop shot
- 4 Winners (4 FH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 15 Errors, comprising...
- 13 Unforced (4 FH, 9 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 2 Forced (2 BH)
- Return Rate (125/140) 89%
Break Points
Wilander 7/18 (11 games)
Lendl 6/13 (9 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Wilander 44 (9 FH, 18 BH, 5 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 8 BHV, 2 OH, 1 BHOH)
Lendl 53 (23 FH, 9 BH, 9 FHV, 6 BHV, 5 OH, 1 BHOH)
Wilander's FHs - 4 cc (1 return), 3 dtl (2 passes), 1 inside-out pass and 1 lob
- BHs - 5 cc (1 return pass), 6 dtl (1 pass), 1 inside-out, 2 drop shots, 1 at net and 3 running-down-drop-shots (1 drop shot at net, 2 dtl)
Lendl's FHs - 7 cc (1 return, 4 passes), 3 dtl (2 passes), 7 inside-out (1 return), 3 inside-in (2 returns) and 3 at net (2 drop shots)
- BHs - 3 cc (1 pass), 5 dtl (1 pass) and 1 inside-out
- 2 from serve-volley points - 1 FHV, 1 BHV - both first volleys
- 1 other FHV was a swinging shot from well behind the service line and not a net point
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Wilander 66
- 27 Unforced (12 FH, 12 BH, 1 BHV, 2 OH)
- 39 Forced (21 FH, 14 BH, 2 FHV, 2 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.1
Lendl 96
- 72 Unforced (33 FH, 31 BH, 5 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 OH)
- 24 Forced (17 FH, 6 BH, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.2
(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)
(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Wilander was...
- 43/61 (70%) at net
Lendl was...
- 44/61 (72%) at net, including...
- 5/11 (45%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 4/9 (44%) off 1st serve and..
- 1/2 off 2nd serve
--
- 0/1 return-approaching
Match Report
Fitness - physical and probably mental - proves to be the deciding factor in this sluggers struggle. Things have been tight for most of 4 sets until Lendl seems to give up the fight - likely due to exhaustion - towards the end of the penultimate set. Wilander by contrast, seems to be as fresh as when the match started and maintains his steady level of consistency to the very end
Playing dynamics change over the course of such a long match as you'd expect and overall match stats are deceptive because of this. Broadly describing it
Serve & Return
The only damaging shot on show here is the Lendl first serve, which is strong enough to win points outright (9 aces, 2 service winners... Wilander has 0) or give him control of the points (which he utilizes to differing degrees). Both Wilander's serves and Lendl's second are innocuous point starters
Note both players serving overwhelmingly to the others BH (Wilander 77%, Lendl 74%). For Wilander, this is understandable as the Lendl FH is clearly the more dangerous side. For Lendl... don't think it would make much difference where he served. Wilander is both uber consistent in making the return and not being damaging with it off both wings
To get an idea of how harmless even Wilander's first serve is, see Lendl's returning position in the ad court. Not infrequently, he's standing closer to the outside of the doubles alley to return... a decent serve down the middle would catch him out. Wilander doesn't even try and is content to allowing Lendl to make FH returns. Occasionally, Lendl lets loose with a big FH return (runaround or otherwise), but its not a high percentage play. He makes a couple of errors trying (also hits 4 winners), and Wilander is usually up to neutralizing the play quickly enough. The return errors Lendl makes early on is simply a function of law of averages (you can't make 'em all, even if they are easy)… later on, he seems to tank a few or at the very least, plays them with astonishing casualness
Apparently, Wilander doesn't know about the law of averages. He effectively does "make 'em all"... does a great job blunting Lendl's powerful first serve and misses just 1 of 80 second serves (ironically, one of the weakest Lendl sent down). 86% return rate against the challenging Lendl serve.... very impressive, even on clay. Lendl is higher still at 89%, but he's not up against half as much.... both deserve credit for their returning, I'd say Wilander more
The unseeded 17 year old Wilander was playing his first French Open and would go onto win the first of 3 titles there - following up this win over the 2nd seeded Lendl with wins over the 3rd, 4th and 5th seeds in the next 3 rounds
Wilander won 159 points, Lendl 145 (Wilander won at least 4 other points, Lendl 2)
(Note: I'm missing 1 Wilander service game in which he held, 4 Wilander service points - won 1, lost 3 -, the conclusion of a Lendl service game which he held from 30-30 onwards, serve and return information for match point. A minimum of 10 points)
Serve Stats
Wilander...
- 1st serve percentage (105/141) 74%
- 1st serve points won (68/105) 65%
- 2nd serve points won (19/36) 53%
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (15/142) 11%
Lendl...
- 1st serve percentage (78/158) 49%
- 1st serve points won (52/78) 67%
- 2nd serve points won (36/80) 45%
- Aces 9, Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (21/158) 13%
Serve Patterns
Wilander served...
- to FH 19%
- to BH 77%
- to Body 4%
Lendl served....
- to FH 24%
- to BH 74%
- to Body 3%
Return Stats
Wilander made...
- 134 (27 FH, 107 BH)
- 2 Winners (1 FH, 1 BH)
- 10 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 9 Forced (3 FH, 6 BH)
- Return Rate (134/155) 86%
Lendl made...
- 125 (41 FH, 81 BH, 3 ??), including 15 runaround FHs, 1 return-approach and 1 drop shot
- 4 Winners (4 FH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 15 Errors, comprising...
- 13 Unforced (4 FH, 9 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 2 Forced (2 BH)
- Return Rate (125/140) 89%
Break Points
Wilander 7/18 (11 games)
Lendl 6/13 (9 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Wilander 44 (9 FH, 18 BH, 5 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 8 BHV, 2 OH, 1 BHOH)
Lendl 53 (23 FH, 9 BH, 9 FHV, 6 BHV, 5 OH, 1 BHOH)
Wilander's FHs - 4 cc (1 return), 3 dtl (2 passes), 1 inside-out pass and 1 lob
- BHs - 5 cc (1 return pass), 6 dtl (1 pass), 1 inside-out, 2 drop shots, 1 at net and 3 running-down-drop-shots (1 drop shot at net, 2 dtl)
Lendl's FHs - 7 cc (1 return, 4 passes), 3 dtl (2 passes), 7 inside-out (1 return), 3 inside-in (2 returns) and 3 at net (2 drop shots)
- BHs - 3 cc (1 pass), 5 dtl (1 pass) and 1 inside-out
- 2 from serve-volley points - 1 FHV, 1 BHV - both first volleys
- 1 other FHV was a swinging shot from well behind the service line and not a net point
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Wilander 66
- 27 Unforced (12 FH, 12 BH, 1 BHV, 2 OH)
- 39 Forced (21 FH, 14 BH, 2 FHV, 2 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.1
Lendl 96
- 72 Unforced (33 FH, 31 BH, 5 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 OH)
- 24 Forced (17 FH, 6 BH, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.2
(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)
(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Wilander was...
- 43/61 (70%) at net
Lendl was...
- 44/61 (72%) at net, including...
- 5/11 (45%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 4/9 (44%) off 1st serve and..
- 1/2 off 2nd serve
--
- 0/1 return-approaching
Match Report
Fitness - physical and probably mental - proves to be the deciding factor in this sluggers struggle. Things have been tight for most of 4 sets until Lendl seems to give up the fight - likely due to exhaustion - towards the end of the penultimate set. Wilander by contrast, seems to be as fresh as when the match started and maintains his steady level of consistency to the very end
Playing dynamics change over the course of such a long match as you'd expect and overall match stats are deceptive because of this. Broadly describing it
Serve & Return
The only damaging shot on show here is the Lendl first serve, which is strong enough to win points outright (9 aces, 2 service winners... Wilander has 0) or give him control of the points (which he utilizes to differing degrees). Both Wilander's serves and Lendl's second are innocuous point starters
Note both players serving overwhelmingly to the others BH (Wilander 77%, Lendl 74%). For Wilander, this is understandable as the Lendl FH is clearly the more dangerous side. For Lendl... don't think it would make much difference where he served. Wilander is both uber consistent in making the return and not being damaging with it off both wings
To get an idea of how harmless even Wilander's first serve is, see Lendl's returning position in the ad court. Not infrequently, he's standing closer to the outside of the doubles alley to return... a decent serve down the middle would catch him out. Wilander doesn't even try and is content to allowing Lendl to make FH returns. Occasionally, Lendl lets loose with a big FH return (runaround or otherwise), but its not a high percentage play. He makes a couple of errors trying (also hits 4 winners), and Wilander is usually up to neutralizing the play quickly enough. The return errors Lendl makes early on is simply a function of law of averages (you can't make 'em all, even if they are easy)… later on, he seems to tank a few or at the very least, plays them with astonishing casualness
Apparently, Wilander doesn't know about the law of averages. He effectively does "make 'em all"... does a great job blunting Lendl's powerful first serve and misses just 1 of 80 second serves (ironically, one of the weakest Lendl sent down). 86% return rate against the challenging Lendl serve.... very impressive, even on clay. Lendl is higher still at 89%, but he's not up against half as much.... both deserve credit for their returning, I'd say Wilander more
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