rg80solomon_vilas

Points won by each set: | 11-24, 36-32, 45-39, 44-40 |
Points won directly on serve:
7 % Solomon – 10 of 135
13 % Vilas – 19 of 136

Even though Vilas [4] enjoyed much more successful career than Solomon [6], and clay was his favorite surface, the Argentinian lost all four “the best of five” red-clay matches to the American; three of them at Roland Garros… ultimately edged their H2H 8:7 though. Just like four years before, Solomon defeated Vilas in four sets in the quarterfinal winning a 3rd set tie-break, but their ’80 quarterfinal was much tighter (there was 6-1, 0-6, 7-6, 6-1 in 1976). Vilas stormed to a 6-1, 3:1* lead doing whatever he wanted, had a break point at 3-all, yet Solomon managed to turn the tables being close to lose the sets three and four. In the 3rd set (7/3 in TB) he saved a set point at *3:5 forcing BH error, in the 4th set he trailed *4:5 (0/30). # Vilas will lose similar French Open quarterfinal (first set won then lost three being relatively close to win each of them) six years later.

# Comparison of Vilas’ similar French Open 4-set defeats in quarterfinals (points away from winning sets in parentheses):
1980: Solomon d. Vilas 1-6, 6-4, 7-6, 7-5… 3 hours 33 minutes… (9, 1, 2)
1986: Kriek d. Vilas 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6…. 3 hours 49 minutes… (1, 2, 2)

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