1 Response to kb87noah_wilander

1. Voo de Mar says:

   November 28, 2021 at 3:41 pm

   Points won by each set: | 36-30, 29-20, 31-37, 24-34, 46-46 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   33 % Noah – 53 of 160
   14 % Wilander – 25 of 173

   The first of three Key Biscayne editions when it made sense to call it “fifth Grand Slam” because the format was the same (128 players, each round “the best of five”) and the most intriguing match of the tournament occurred in the quarterfinal between two French Open champions who were applying different styles on hardcourts (and clay). Noah [4] took the opening two sets with surprising ease, but in the 3rd set the conditions were changed (sunset, artificial lights) as well as Wilander’s game-style – he began to serve faster and attack the net frequently. The Swede [5], who had been six points away from a straight sets defeat (4-all, 15/30 in 3rd on serve) came back from a break twice in the decider to put himself in a position of one game away from victory twice. Noah held firmly though, and in the tie-break at 4-all he struck one of his few solid backhands from the baseline forcing Wilander’s error. On the first match point the Frenchman played a perfect (difficult) drop-volley. The match lasted 3 hours 47 minutes, four minutes shy of Wilander’s match a night before against Tim Mayotte. Noah had also plenty of tennis in his body as he needed to play 3 five-setters and 2 four-setters to reach the semifinals! It cost him too much, right shoulder bothered him and when he was almost two sets down against Mioslav Mecir (5-7, 1-5), he decided to retire. Noah will play another two semifinals in the “fifth Grand Slam”; there will be a similar story of ’89 – he plays almost to the limit, and in the semifinal he runs out of gas in its second part.
   

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