Stats for 1982 RG final (Wilander-Vilas)

[krosero]

Wilander d. Vilas 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-0, 6-4

Wilander was 17 years 10 and ½ months old, then the youngest Grand Slam champion ever.

Vilas was 29. Here he’d beaten Noah on the way to the final. But he looks already to me like he might be a tiny bit slower than in 1977-80.

Vilas had won their only meeting, in Madrid on clay. But according to the ATP it was his only win in their rivalry. And the set he took here was the last one he would take from Mats.

Wilander was ranked 18th and unseeded. Vilas was seeded third (behind Connors and Lendl).

Wilander defeated four top-ten players: Vilas, Lendl, Gerulaitis (the fifth seed) and Clerc (the fourth seed). Of the top five seeds he defeated all but top-seeded Connors. He did not, of course, face the defending champion.

Wilander was broken 5 times, Vilas 8 times.

At 4-love in the first set, Vilas held in a game that lasted 18 minutes.

Vilas had a point for a two-set lead on Wilander’s serve at 5-6 in the tiebreak but hit a forehand return just long.

Vilas won only 12 points during the third set. He made several tired-looking shots.

At 2-all, deuce in the fourth set, with Vilas serving, there was a rally of 84 shots; Wilander finished it with a backhand winner.

The match lasted 4 hours, 47 minutes. The NY Times report said that this was (only) 5 minutes longer than the previous record set by Lacoste-Borotra in 1929, which is hard to believe, despite the fact that the 1929 match went to five sets and lasted 45 games.

The 1982 final was reported in an NBC graphic in 1987 as the longest French Open final at 4 hours 22 minutes.

Following a graphic shown on French television during the last game, the final was actually 4 hours 43 minutes long.


The following are my own stats.

Wilander had no aces or doubles.
Vilas had 1 ace and 5 doubles.

Wilander had 38 clean winners apart from service: 9 FH, 15 BH, 8 FHV, 4 BHV, 2 overheads.

Vilas had 40 clean winners apart from service: 9 FH, 8 BH, 7 FHV, 6 BHV, 10 overheads.

So Vilas had more winners from volleys/smashes than from ground strokes (also true in the 1978 final against Borg).

Wilander had no return winners. He had 3 lob winners (two backhand). He had 8 other passing shots, equally divided off his two wings.

Vilas had one return winner, a FH. He had 2 lob winners, both backhands. In addition he had 12 passing shots, also equally divided off his two wings.

 

[Q&M son]

Great work krosero, thank you.

Lucio.

 

[jean pierre]

This final was very cruel for Vilas. Vilas was very unlucky because he had a point to win the second set and he returns just a little bit long (in fact, is it sure that this ball is out ?). If Vilas won the second set, he won the match. So Wilander was very lucky to win this final.

 

[daddy]

Wilander was 17 years 10 and ½ months old, then the youngest Grand Slam champion ever. Wilander defeated four top-ten players: Vilas, Lendl, Gerulaitis (the fifth seed) and Clerc (the fourth seed). Of the top five seeds he defeated all but top-seeded Connors. He did not, of course, face the defending champion.

At 2-all, deuce in the fourth set, with Vilas serving, there was a rally of 84 shots; Wilander finished it with a backhand winner.

Impressive. Nothing less. Wilander taking out 4 of top 5 seeds at that age. And not to talk about the 80+ shots rally, in practise this is hard enough, not to speak about a GS final. Amasing. Ended up with a winner!

Can you somehow post a clip of this rally ? That would be over the top but Id understand if you can not. Thanks for the contribution anyways, regardless of can you do the thing I asked you !

 

[krosero]

Impressive. Nothing less. Wilander taking out 4 of top 5 seeds at that age. And not to talk about the 80+ shots rally, in practise this is hard enough, not to speak about a GS final. Amasing. Ended up with a winner!

Can you somehow post a clip of this rally ? That would be over the top but Id understand if you can not. Thanks for the contribution anyways, regardless of can you do the thing I asked you !

I'll keep it in mind; I saw it months ago but I remember the ball being faint even on a TV screen.

 

[krosero]

Wilander made 4 of 7 first serves in the tiebreak (57.1%), winning 2 of the 4. On set point against him he missed his first serve, and Vilas, controversially, returned the second ball long.

Vilas made 5 of 7 first serves in the tiebreak (71.4%), winning 2 of the 5.

In my judgment Wilander made 1 UE (driving an easy FH putaway out). Vilas made 5 UE’s, including two service returns (the only unreturned serves of the TB) and a double-fault.

Vilas made 3 straight winners to go up 3-2 and a mini-break, but from there he made 4 UE’s and only 1 winner. He made his DF up 5-4 and a mini-break.

 

[krosero]

Vilas’ serve here has not yet denegerated into that perfectly vertical jump that I saw in his match against Noah at Forest Hills in 1986; he is moving forward on the serve.

Both Wilander and Vilas were using graphite racquets. Perhaps this match is an example of what claycourt tennis could become when technology went ahead (allowing fewer errors) but the grinding tactics had not yet changed.

 

[krosero]

UPI reported that Wilander “used snappy passing shots and a devastating overhead lob as weapons to counter any attempt to hurry him from the net.”

They reported that the temperature soared to 97 degrees and that the match lasted 4 hours 47 minutes.

“It doesn’t matter that I’m the youngest ever champion, the most important thing is just to win,” said Wilander. “I was very tired in the fourth set, and had a cramp in my arm, but playing slowly was the only way to beat Vilas.”

.... The tone for the match was set in the first two games. With Wilander and Vilas stalking each other from the baseline and beyond, they played 330 strokes during the opening nine points, including three rallies of more than 55 strokes each.

Wilander won only one game, and 21 points, in the opening set which nonetheless took an hour to resolve as Vilas only occasionally came forward to force the pace.​

 

[krosero]

Impressive. Nothing less. Wilander taking out 4 of top 5 seeds at that age.

All 4 seeds that he defeated were top tenners for the year (end of the year), and I know of at least two other times that has happened.

At '84RG Lendl beat Jarryd, Gomez, Wilander and McEnroe.

At ’92 USO, Edberg d. Sampras, Chang, Lendl and Krajicek (who was 15th-seeded but finished in the Top Ten).

 

[krosero]

For '82 Vilas won 7 titles, which was more than anyone else except Connors who also had 7 and Lendl who won 15.

Wilander won 4 titles.

 

[kiki]

Wilander d. Vilas 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-0, 6-4

Wilander was 17 years 10 and ½ months old, then the youngest Grand Slam champion ever.

Vilas was 29. Here he’d beaten Noah on the way to the final. But he looks already to me like he might be a tiny bit slower than in 1977-80.

Vilas had won their only meeting, in Madrid on clay. But according to the ATP it was his only win in their rivalry. And the set he took here was the last one he would take from Mats.

Wilander was ranked 18th and unseeded. Vilas was seeded third (behind Connors and Lendl).

Wilander defeated four top-ten players: Vilas, Lendl, Gerulaitis (the fifth seed) and Clerc (the fourth seed). Of the top five seeds he defeated all but top-seeded Connors. He did not, of course, face the defending champion.

Wilander was broken 5 times, Vilas 8 times.

At 4-love in the first set, Vilas held in a game that lasted 18 minutes.

Vilas had a point for a two-set lead on Wilander’s serve at 5-6 in the tiebreak but hit a forehand return just long.

Vilas won only 12 points during the third set. He made several tired-looking shots.

At 2-all, deuce in the fourth set, with Vilas serving, there was a rally of 84 shots; Wilander finished it with a backhand winner.

The match lasted 4 hours, 47 minutes. The NY Times report said that this was (only) 5 minutes longer than the previous record set by Lacoste-Borotra in 1929, which is hard to believe, despite the fact that the 1929 match went to five sets and lasted 45 games.

The 1982 final was reported in an NBC graphic in 1987 as the longest French Open final at 4 hours 22 minutes.

Following a graphic shown on French television during the last game, the final was actually 4 hours 43 minutes long.

The following are my own stats. At least four points are missing from the coverage (in the second set between 5-all, ad-in and 15-30 in the next game).

Wilander had no aces or doubles.
Vilas had 1 ace and 5 doubles.

Wilander had 37 clean winners apart from service: 9 FH, 15 BH, 7 FHV, 4 BHV, 2 overheads.

Vilas had 40 clean winners apart from service: 9 FH, 8 BH, 7 FHV, 6 BHV, 10 overheads.

So Vilas had more winners from volleys/smashes than from ground strokes (also true in the 1978 final against Borg).

Wilander had no return winners. He had 3 lob winners (two backhand). He had 8 other passing shots, equally divided off his two wings.

Vilas had one return winner, a FH. He had 2 lob winners, both backhands. In addition he had 12 passing shots, also equally divided off his two wings.

Vilas was maybe tired but certainly not slower in 82
Best shape and best season in yrs

 

[Goosehead]

This final was very cruel for Vilas. Vilas was very unlucky because he had a point to win the second set and he returns just a little bit long (in fact, is it sure that this ball is out ?). If Vilas won the second set, he won the match. So Wilander was very lucky to win this final.

you cant say that if vilas wins that 2nd set (set point long) that he wins the title. ..

obviously he would be in a strong position, but you can never be sure especially on clay when there is more time to turn things around, as lendl showed us 2 yrs later.

 

[krosero]

you cant say that if vilas wins that 2nd set (set point long) that he wins the title. ..

obviously he would be in a strong position, but you can never be sure especially on clay when there is more time to turn things around, as lendl showed us 2 yrs later.

The time issue is probably key, because in the Open Era only the French Open has had final-round victories from two sets down (1974, 1984, 1999, 2004).

Wimbledon -- or the AO and USO when they were played on grass -- is probably where you would expect to have the least time. And in fact Wimbledon has had 14 finals in the Open Era go to five sets, far more than any other Slam. But none of the 14 have had successful comebacks from two sets down.

A number of finalists have fallen behind two sets and forced a fifth set but still lost:

John Lloyd at Dec. '77 AO (grass)
Borg at '80 USO
Cash at '87 AO (grass)
Becker at '90 Wimbledon
Federer at '08 Wimbledon
Djokovic at '12 USO

 

[kiki]

I felt bad for Vilas after that final but, honestly said, Wilander was the stronger man that day.

a few months later, Wilander beat Vilas at the Barcelona GP final: 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.That set it up.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Both Wilander and Vilas were using graphite racquets.

wasn't Vilas' racquet mostly wood? with graphite inlay?

http://www.80s-tennis.com/pages/v-24.html

They reported that the temperature soared to 97 degrees and that the match lasted 4 hours 47 minutes.

just watched the last few games and the post match interviews. Mats had a cold, was sniffling throughout the interview. Unreal effort from him, to win such a long, grinding match in high temps, with a cold!

Plan on getting more stats on this(serve %'s, unforced errors)

 

[Indio]

All 4 seeds that he defeated were top tenners for the year (end of the year), and I know of at least two other times that has happened.

At '84RG Lendl beat Jarryd, Gomez, Wilander and McEnroe.

At ’92 USO, Edberg d. Sampras, Chang, Lendl and Krajicek (who was 15th-seeded but finished in the Top Ten).

That win over Sampras was a unique one for Edberg in 1992, for it was the only one he managed against a fellow Top 5 player (year end ranking). He finished the year with a 1-10 mark against the Top 5s, an indication that his best days were behind him, despite taking the US Open title.

 

[Vegito]

Tell me if I´m wrong. Watching some images of that final and other matchs of Vilas in 1982 I see him using much more top-spin than ever. I didn´t like that, many points were extremely long and not very funny.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

I remember watching a part of that final, very painful to watch because it was like watching paint dry.

 

[jean pierre]

Tell me if I´m wrong. Watching some images of that final and other matchs of Vilas in 1982 I see him using much more top-spin than ever. I didn´t like that, many points were extremely long and not very funny.

In that match, it's true. But in others, like in QF against Noah, Vilas went very often to the net and played faster. I think he didn't play a good final : his tactic was wrong. Tiriac is a little responsable.

 

[kiki]

1982 Vilas did change his game.Improved his sliced approach, net game amd improved a bit his serve, that went deeper.He was fitter than in the last few years and had new confidence within him.His first half of the year is only second to Lendl´s.

Borg´s retirement clearly enlightened the three top players that were regularly beaten by the swede: Connors,Vilas and Gerulaitis.

The other two top players, who were on relatively speaking equal terms with Borg, however, did not benefit of that in the same way.Talking, of course, about Johnny mac and I Lendl.

 

[Moose Malloy]

In my judgment Wilander made 1 UE (driving an easy FH putaway out). Vilas made 5 UE’s, including two service returns (the only unreturned serves of the TB) and a double-fault.

I didn't count one of the service returns that Vilas missed in the tiebreak as an UE since it was a Wilander 1st serve.

 

[Moose Malloy]

here are my stats(didn't count winners since krosero did those)

Wilander won 127 pts, Vilas 124

Wilander served at 67%(78-117)
He won 48 of 78 pts on 1st serve(61.5%)
and 13 of 39 on 2nd(33%)
drew 7 return errors(1 on 2nd serve)
9-19 on break points(Vilas made 1st serves on 5 of them)

Vilas served at 54%(72-134)
He won 38 of 72 pts on 1st serve(53%)
and 30 of 62 on 2nd(48%)
drew 9 return errors(1 on 2nd serve)
1 ace, 5 df's
7-14 on break points(Wilander made 1st serves on 8 of them)

net pts
Wilander 33-54(61%)
Vilas 32-54(59%)
Vilas attempted the only 2 S&V pts of the match, and won both

unforced errors(including df's)
Wilander 61(23 fh, 35 bh, 3 volleys)
Vilas 54(26 fh, 15 bh, 8 volleys, 5 df's)

based on the stats, it's hard to see how Wilander won since he made more errors & less winners than Vilas. But when you subtract the winners & errors from his total points you see he forced more errors from Vilas than Vilas did to him.

At 2-all, deuce in the fourth set, with Vilas serving, there was a rally of 84 shots; Wilander finished it with a backhand winner.

At break point after the rally, Mats made 2 unforced errors(one rather wild one) and a return error to allow Vilas to hold for 3-2. Maybe some nerves there.

“I was very tired in the fourth set, and had a cramp in my arm, but playing slowly was the only way to beat Vilas.”

Mats started coming in more in the last few games than he had at any other stretch in the match, perhaps due to that cramp. He made 4 of 5 first serves in the last game of the match.

Vilas had 40 clean winners apart from service: 9 FH, 8 BH, 7 FHV, 6 BHV, 10 overheads.

You had Vilas with 3 winners and 31 UE's from his backhand in the '78 final. Looks a bit better here - 8 winners, 15 UE's from the backhand.

 

[krosero]

Wilander won 127 pts, Vilas 124

251 points, a relatively small number.

In the Open Era, these RG finals had more points:

2000 - Kuerten/Norman - 316 points
1984 - Lendl/McEnroe - 310
1989 - Chang/Edberg - 309
1993 - Bruguera/Courier - 299
1999 - Agassi/Medvedev - 296
2004 - Gaudio/Coria - 285
1991 - Courier/Agassi - 278
2005 - Nadal/Puerta - 274
2011 - Nadal/Federer - 273
1987 - Lendl/Wilander - 263
2007 - Nadal/Federer - 255
1979 - Borg/Pecci - 252
1982 - Wilander/Vilas - 251

Keep in mind, though, we don't have the total number of points for these:

1996 - Kafelnikov/Stich
1995 - Muster/Chang
1994 - Bruguera/Berasategui
1992 - Courier/Korda
1986 - Lendl/Pernfors
1981 - Borg/Lendl
1977 - Vilas/Gottfried
1976 - Panatta/Solomon
1975 - Borg/Vilas
1974 - Borg/Orantes
1973 - Nastase/Pilic
1972 - Gimeno/Proisy
1971 - Kodes/Nastase
1970 - Kodes/Franulovic
1969 - Laver/Rosewall
1968 - Rosewall/Laver

 

[krosero]

unforced errors(including df's)
Wilander 61(23 fh, 35 bh, 3 volleys)
Vilas 54(26 fh, 15 bh, 8 volleys, 5 df's)

Using your numbers, the Aggressive Margins were:

Wilander: 4.8%
Vilas: 3.6%

Compare that to the '78 final:

Borg: 10.5%
Vilas: -15.8%

From these numbers you could say that Wilander did not play up to Borg's level, but Vilas performed significantly better in '82 than he did in '78.

Some of that you could attribute to the fact the Vilas was facing someone of less caliber than Borg. Still, there's such a large gap between Vilas' AMs in '78 and '82 that you could say he played objectively better in the '82 final.

He probably went into it with more self-belief and inspiration. That certainly showed in the first set.

You had Vilas with 3 winners and 31 UE's from his backhand in the '78 final. Looks a bit better here - 8 winners, 15 UE's from the backhand.

And here is one great example of Vilas' better play.

Again, part of this is because Borg put more pressure on Vilas' BH than Wilander did. Borg would hit sharp crosscourt BH's to pull Vilas wide, then follow up with strong FH's into the open court. He forced a lot of BH errors from Vilas that way, but I think Vilas also coughed up a lot of UE's errors under that pressure.

Mats didn't have Borg's forehand and he didn't have the inclination to attack with that shot. The '82 final was much more a battle of attrition and endurance -- not just because it was longer (that's obvious), but in terms of the strategies employed.

 

[krosero]

Wilander served on 117 points, and 7 serves did not come back: 6.0%
Vilas served on 134 points, and 10 serves did not come back: 7.4%

(In the ’78 final Borg’s number was 7.4%, Vilas’ 4.6%).

 

[krosero]

net pts
Wilander 33-54(61%)
Vilas 32-54(59%)
Vilas attempted the only 2 S&V pts of the match, and won both

Wilander and Vilas each came to net on 22% of all the points played in the match.

(In the '78 final Vilas came to net on 37% of all the points played -- about twice as frequently as Borg did).

 

[Moose Malloy]

I took stats on the 3rd set of Vilas' QF win over Noah that year. It was the only complete set I had. Very entertaining, and very different style of tennis from Vilas than in the final.

Vilas made 24 of 28 1st serves(86%)
won 16 of 24 pts on 1st serve(67%)
3 of 4 on 2nd(75%)
1 ace, no doubles
drew 1 return error
14 winners(4 fh, 3 bh, 2 fhv, 4 bhv, 1 ov)
4 unforced errors(3 fh, 1 bh)
11 of 15 at net(73%)

Noah made 15 of 29 1st serves(51%)
won 10 of 15 pts on 1st serve(67%)
4 of 14 on 2nd(28%)
no aces or doubles
drew 6 return errors, 2 on 2nd serve
9 winners(2 fh, 3 fhv, 2 bhv, 2 ov)
9 unforced errors(4 fh, 4 bh, 1 fhv)
12 of 23 at net(52%)

 

[The Green Mile]

Was this match seriously 4 hours and 47 minutes? ******* hell....

Anybody have this match?

 

[Moose Malloy]

Was this match seriously 4 hours and 47 minutes? ******* hell....

Anybody have this match?

Yeah it really was that long. It had the longest rallies I've ever seen. And they rarely took more than 10 seconds between points, even after that 80 shot rally. I enjoyed watching it, but I doubt I would have enjoyed watching it in 82(most former players and commentators at the time thought it was torture to watch)

Borg and Wilander had unreal stamina. Even baby Wilander.

 

[The Green Mile]

Yeah it really was that long. It had the longest rallies I've ever seen. And they rarely took more than 10 seconds between points, even after that 80 shot rally. I enjoyed watching it, but I doubt I would have enjoyed watching it in 82(most former players and commentators at the time thought it was torture to watch)

Borg and Wilander had unreal stamina. Even baby Wilander.

Oh wow, I just read this...

they played 330 strokes during the opening nine points, including three rallies of more than 55 strokes each.

 

[li0scc0]

I remember watching a part of that final, very painful to watch because it was like watching paint dry.

Was possibly the most boring finals tennis ever seen.

 

[krosero]

Was this match seriously 4 hours and 47 minutes? ******* hell....

Anybody have this match?

Yep, it was. As Moose mentioned, Mats had a cold, so maybe that had something to do with his passive play. But then again Borg always played Vilas the same way, out-lasting him in long rallies.

Wilander is one of my favorites so I actually enjoyed watching it.

But ... I'm not sure I would ever watch it again...

Little bit from Sports Illustrated, June '85:

In June 1982, Wilander was No. 12 on the computer but relatively unknown. Two months shy of his 18th birthday—even younger than Borg had been when he won the French for the first time, in 1974—Wilander beat Ivan Lendl, Vitas Gerulaitis, Jose-Luis Clerc and Guillermo Vilas in succession to triumph at the French Open. Wilander made two other lasting impressions in Paris that year, and these characterize Swedish tennis: He displayed good sportsmanship and a feeling for group camaraderie. In the semis, Wilander silenced the normally yawping Court Central crowd when he gave back a point to Clerc. Never mind that it was match point. After a bad call the umpire had declared the match over, but Wilander insisted the point be replayed. "I cannot win this way," he said. On an earlier day Wilander had skipped all preparations for his own match because he was running rackets back and forth from the locker room to his bosom buddy, Nystrom. "When Joaky loses, I lose," Wilander says often.

The point is this: Wilander's '82 French showed the Swedes they could win. They didn't even have to live up to Borg anymore. Matsy was one of them, younger than many. He was not a genius and hardly a workaholic. He pushed shots and won on anticipation and ingenuity. The other Swedes beat him all the time in practice. Now Matsy had gone out and whipped the world. So, when Matsy did it, no one came down with that disease known as kungliga Svenska avundsjuka (royal Swedish jealousy). "You can't imagine how excited we were for Mats those two weeks," says Jarryd. As well as for themselves.​

 

[BringBackWood]

I took stats on the 3rd set of Vilas' QF win over Noah that year. It was the only complete set I had. Very entertaining, and very different style of tennis from Vilas than in the final.

Yes I've watched this and was very impressed by Vilas' play. His returns were sharp and aggressive, his BH especially impressive in that regard. His FH was a weapon, and he was coming in off really deep approaches. Not far off what all court players nowadays feel comfortable coming in on. Too often I've watched Vilas (off grass, for he did win 2 AO's S &V) be way too defensive, and just rely on his speed and fitness.

 

[travlerajm]

UPI reported that Wilander “used snappy passing shots and a devastating overhead lob as weapons to counter any attempt to hurry him from the net.”

They reported that the temperature soared to 97 degrees and that the match lasted 4 hours 47 minutes.

​

“It doesn’t matter that I’m the youngest ever champion, the most important thing is just to win,” said Wilander. “I was very tired in the fourth set, and had a cramp in my arm, but playing slowly was the only way to beat Vilas.”​

​

.... The tone for the match was set in the first two games. With Wilander and Vilas stalking each other from the baseline and beyond, they played 330 strokes during the opening nine points, including three rallies of more than 55 strokes each.​

​

Wilander won only one game, and 21 points, in the opening set which nonetheless took an hour to resolve as Vilas only occasionally came forward to force the pace.​

Sounds like Mats went in with strategy to outlast and wear out the old man.

 

[jrepac]

I remember watching a part of that final, very painful to watch because it was like watching paint dry.

I seem to recall this being referred to as the most boring of GS finals that season...

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

I seem to recall this being referred to as the most boring of GS finals that season...

Plus CBS was the network that was airing it in the US and they did a split tape delay: they aired the first set or two on tape delay and then had some other programming for a while before they aired the rest. Noted tennis broadcaster Brent Musburger was providing the commentary with gems like "Vilas appears tired when he shoots"

 

[jean pierre]

Plus CBS was the network that was airing it in the US and they did a split tape delay: they aired the first set or two on tape delay and then had some other programming for a while before they aired the rest. Noted tennis broadcaster Brent Musburger was providing the commentary with gems like "Vilas appears tired when he shoots"

Yes, Vilas was very tired since the second set. I think he trained too much the day before or the morning + bad tactic during the match. I think Tiriac made mistakes when he prepared this match ... But Vilas was very unlucky because he had a second set point

 

[andreh]

I've heard this match being referred to as "the most boring tennis match of all times" on a number of occasions. Anyone else heard this? Seeing a few rallies on the Tube makes me think it's just a normal tennis match. Looks pretty much like how game is played today, only a bit slower.

 

[Vegito]

 

[NicoMK]

I've heard this match being referred to as "the most boring tennis match of all times" on a number of occasions. Anyone else heard this? Seeing a few rallies on the Tube makes me think it's just a normal tennis match. Looks pretty much like how game is played today, only a bit slower.

I guess it is subjective. Give me any match with Mats and I'm happy. I've watched this one on several occasions when I was younger and I loved it, mainly because I love Mats.

Now give me a Djokovic-Murray match and, no offense to these players, but I'll get bored after 10 minutes.

Sure that this 1982 final was not the most enjoyable match to watch because there was a lot of long baseline rallies but that was how the guys played on clay at that time. I'm not sure that a Borg-Vilas match on that same surface was much more enjoyable. The difference back in the days is that you could have serve and volley on grass a few days after.

Now you get baseline rallies played at 200% for 3-4 hours all year long and, in my opinion, it's much more boring.

 

[NicoMK]

Great talks by Mats. Love him. Thanks for this video.

 

[aliceinpains]

I loved watching Mats play in the 80's. An amazing athlete he was.

 

[BorgTheGOAT]

Interesting that Mats had 24 ground stroke winners with three lobs and eight other passing shots meaning that he hit 13 winners where both players were on the baseline (more or less at least could of course also be winners at net or hit from the middle of the court). Such kind of winners where rare during that time especially on clay, and Mats wasn’t exactly an aggressive player. In Borg’s clay matches that are statted here in this forum he never came on such a high number.

 

[bobcolbert]

Interesting that Mats had 24 ground stroke winners with three lobs and eight other passing shots meaning that he hit 13 winners where both players were on the baseline (more or less at least could of course also be winners at net or hit from the middle of the court). Such kind of winners where rare during that time especially on clay, and Mats wasn’t exactly an aggressive player. In Borg’s clay matches that are statted here in this forum he never came on such a high number.

Yes, he made a lot of winning shots with his backhand. But Vilas really took a wrong tactic in this final.