rg82wilander_lendl

Points won by each set: | 34-37, 41-35, 23-30, 36-30, 27-15 |
Points won directly on serve:
10 % Wilander – 16 of 150
13 % Lendl – 22 of 158

The beginning of their 12-year-old rivalry – Lendl won 15 out of 22 matches, but at majors they were tied with eight meetings (3:2 Wilander in the finals)… The Swedish teenager outsmarted the four years older rival in a four-hour contest escaping from 4:5* (0/30) in the 2nd set. The first two sets were punishing, plenty of long rallies (67 strokes the longest). Wilander [18] accumulated more energy after more or less three hours of play. Lendl [3] accelerated the game in the 3rd set, he had a break point at 1:0 in the 4th, but failed to convert and visibly became more & more inpatient as he felt that his body couldn’t allow him to win the match from the baseline. Wilander took absolute control over the match once he broke at 3-all in the 4th set, losing just 3 points in his last 24 points on serve. # Seven years later on the same court Lendl will lose again the French Open fourth round to a 17-year-old player who goes to win the title as the Swede did in 1982!

Serve & volley: Wilander 0, Lendl 6/14

# Comparison of Lendl’s two 5-set defeats to 17-year-old players in the French Open 4R:
1982: Wilander d. Lendl 4-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2… 3 hours 59 minutes… Total points: 161-147 (49 games – 308 points)
1989: Chang d. Lendl 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3…. 4 hours 38 minutes… Total points: 155-155 (47 games – 310 points)

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