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.
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.
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