1 Response to antwerp87lendl_mecir

1. Voo de Mar says:

   November 28, 2025 at 1:54 pm

   Points won by each set: | 34-38, 27-15, 38-31, 38-29 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   17 % Lendl – 23 of 128
   12 % Mecir – 15 of 122

   It was a third big ’87 final between the best Czechoslovaks of the 80s, each one in different conditions “the best of five”: Mecir won in straight sets on an outdoor hardcourt (Key Biscayne), Lendl took his revenge on clay (Hamburg) also in straights, and when they met under the roof in Belgium, finally there was a 4-setter with quite long uncertainty who would prevail because after more than two hours there was 4-all in the 3rd set – Lendl won five games in a row then, establishing his superiority. In the last game of the 3-hour 18-minute final, he struck two aces, and converted his third match point with a BH-volley winner. “This was a hard match. He was extremely tiring in the first set,” Lendl said. “I was not really feeling tired but I certainly was not as fresh as I wanted to be.” Indeed, it was a rare situation that Lendl was profusely sweating in the opening set due to Mecir’s resistance in baseline rallies, and got a time-violation warning (30 seconds at the time) which he couldn’t accept. Lendl, who earned a $215,000 check, also renewed his chance to add to his collection a second million-dollar Diamonds Trophy – a golden racquet inlaid with more than 1,600 diamonds.

   Scorelines (26.X.-1.XI. – indoor hard; $940,000)

   First round:
   Leconte – Arias 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
   Mayotte – Jones 6-4, 6-4 ☆
   Fibak – Stenlund 7-6(6), 6-3 ☆☆
   Casal – Chesnokov 6-3, 6-4
   Fleurian – Wilkinson 6-1, 6-4
   Jaite – Novacek 7-5, 6-4
   Jarryd – Masur 6-2, 6-2
   Svensson – Tulasne 7-6(5), 7-5

   Second round:
   (1)Lendl – Leconte 6-4, 7-6(4)
   Mayotte – (7)Nystrom 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
   Fibak – (5)Noah 6-3, 6-0
   (4)Cash – Casal 7-5, 6-2
   (3)Mecir – Fleurian 6-1, 6-4
   (6)J.McEnroe – Jaite 6-4, 6-4
   (8)Gilbert – Jarryd 6-2, 6-3
   (2)Wilander – Svensson 6-4, 3-6, 10-8

   Quarterfinals:
   (1)Lendl – Mayotte 6-3, 6-3
   (4)Cash – Fibak 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
   (3)Mecir – (6)J.McEnroe 7-5, 6-4
   (2)Wilander – (7)Gilbert 6-2, 6-4

   Semifinals:
   (1)Lendl – (4)Cash 6-4, 7-6(4)
   (3)Mecir – (2)Wilander 6-1, 6-3

   Final:
   (1)Lendl – (3)Mecir 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3

   ☆ Ten players of the Top 20 in the draw (Mayotte & Jarryd were unseeded)
   ☆☆ The 35-year-old Fibak [392] – the best Polish player of the 20th Century, played his penultimate tournament
   reaching his first quarterfinal in more than a year

   Serve & volley: Lendl 1/1, Mecir 0

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