1988 – 1989, Australian Open

Australian Open, Melbourne
January 11, 1988; 128 Draw – $699,984; Surface – Hard

Just 6 out of Top 20 guys participated in the first edition at Flinders Park. Nevertheless Mats Wilander‘s triumph is fully legitimate because the best player for three years – Ivan Lendl – was there, also second best at the time & two-time defending champion Stefan Edberg, as well as national hero Pat Cash, whom Wilander beat in one of the most entertaining finals in the Open era.

New facility

Long the weak sister in tennis’ grand slam, the Australian Open debuts today in a new facility and with a new surface in hopes of bouncing back to respectability. Several tennis stories bear watching in 1988 along with the Open, the year’s first major tournament:
 – Can top-ranked Ivan Lendl, who lost in the semifinals of last year’s Open to Australian Pat Cash, achieve one of his remaining goals and capture the Australian, French and U.S. opens and Wimbledon for the grand slam?
– Will any up-and-coming USA men leave a calling card at the Open? And can the top USA male stars, none of whom are playing in Melbourne, recapture any glory?
“It would be nice, for once, to start the year strong,” says Lendl, who has won the French and U.S. opens but never the Australian Open or Wimbledon. “We will then see if anything can come out of it. Either way, I’m going to be competitive. I want to win the four grand slams in the one (calendar) year. The next best would be to win the four grand slams throughout your career.”
 The highest ranking USA male in the Australian Open is Paul Annacone, No. 31. Says Annacone: “I hope ’88 is going to be a turning point for American tennis, and the positive side, not negative, is projected.” Asked about his being the highest ranking male at Melbourne, Annacone says: “Actually, it’s kind of strange. A lot of Americans find it hard to come down here, it’s such a long way. Although it’s a grand slam and it’s exciting with the new facility, overall opinion is it’s too far to come for one tournament. Financially, it’s also a bind. I would have to do really well, what with 29 percent taxes, $2,000 for air fare and $2,000 for hotels. A lot of the players like to skip it and work for the American indoor circuit.” John McEnroe is not playing the Open this year because of a back problem, and Jimmy Connors, 35, is cutting his schedule. That a sneak peek at some of the answers for Lendl and others will come during the Australian Open is only part of the renewed vitality of this two-week tournament. Foremost is the change in scenery from the private club in Kooyong, a Melbourne suburb, to the public facility downtown. Of particular interest is the $50 million stadium, with a retractable roof, and the switch from grass courts to something comparable to the surface at the U.S. Open. The new facility – with 13 outdoor and five indoor courts – is close to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, site of the 1956 Summer Olympics. Center court has seating for 15,000, and the two show courts can hold 3,000 and 6,000 fans. Also pleasing to most players is the switch from grass courts, a fast surface where the ball bounces low and irregularly. That favors the serve-and-volley players, such as Navratilova, Cash and two-time defending champion Stefan Edberg of Sweden. But because so few tournaments remain on grass, such as Wimbledon, the majority of players don’t practice enough on that surface and prefer not to play on it. And the name of the game in pro tennis is attracting as many star players as possible. Thus, the switch to the “Rebound Ace” surface, composed of ground tires and supposedly less stressful to a player’s body. Edberg is one of a handful of players capable of challenging for the No. 1 ranking if Lendl can’t maintain his extraordinary level of self-motivation. Lendl thinks he can: “Why get satisfied with 75 percent when you can achieve 100 percent. I think I have a chance to win everything. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t play anywhere.” Lendl looks to Edberg, Mats Wilander, Henri Leconte and Cash as his prime challengers at the Australian Open. Wimbledon champion Cash is the man in Australia, much as Graf and Boris Becker are mega-stars in West Germany. Cash’s rise into the top-10 rankings has revived the country’s tennis interest, slumping since the days of Rod Laver, John Newcombe and Evonne Goolagong Cawley. Cash is determined to keep it going, even if the new surface is not his favorite. “Obviously, I lose the slight experience edge from the grass courts,” he says. If the seeded players win their matches as expected, Lendl and Cash will meet again in the semifinals. Another distraction could be an expected anti-apartheid demonstration aimed at Cash and others who played in the recent South African Open. “I’m going to be concentrating so hard I probably won’t even notice the demonstrators,” Cash says.

First round: AP

Top-seeded Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia defeated Australian teen-ager Bryan Roe 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-2 in the first round of the $1.9 million Australian Open championships today. Lendl, the world’s No. 1-ranked player, outclassed the 18-year-old left-hander, playing his first match in a Grand Slam event. But the Australian displayed remarkable poise in front of a center-court crowd and even held a set point in the second set before Lendl re-established control. Australian Pat Cash, who was the target of anti-apartheid protesters, won his first-round match in the new National Tennis Center in straight sets. Playing in front of a hometown crowd, Cash defeated Thomas Muster of Austria 7-5, 6-1, 6-4. Cash not only had to conquer Muster, he also had to concentrate despite demonstrations by groups of protesters who threw black balls onto the court during the first set. Six spectators were ejected from the stands. The demonstrators were protesting Cash’s visit to South Africa to play in the South African Open late last year (Cash won that tournament, Johannesburg). ”He’s a heck of a player. I’m delighted to win like that,” Cash said. ‘‘I was prepared for a five-set match.” He was fined $5000 for swearing at a linesman in the final game. France’s Jerome Potier [130] upset 13th-seeded Paul Annacone 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4, leaving the United States without a seeded player remaining in the men’s draw. Yannick Noah of France, the fifth seed, had to save two match points in a marathon before defeating Roger Smith of the Bahamas 6-7(7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 16-14 in his first-round match. Noah, still struggling with a long-standing groin injury, saved the match points in the 16th game (7:8) of the final set. ”After I saved the match points, I felt much stronger,” said the world No. 8, who was playing his first tournament match for three months. The match lasted 4 hours 51 minutes breaking the previous Aussie Open record of 1970 when Dennis Ralston defeated John Newcombe after a 10-minute shorter battle. Australian “wild card” juniors: Jason Stoltenberg [330] and Todd Woodbridge [413] celebrated the opening of the new $60 million National Tennis Center with first-round victories in the $1.9 million Australian Open today. Stoltenberg, 17, the world’s top junior in 1987, advanced to the second round of the 128-draw men’s singles with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 triumph over American Jon Levine. The 16-year-old Woodbridge,  and the world’s fourth-ranked junior, crushed American John Letts 6-2, 6-0, 6-1. His first Grand Slam match won also 17-year-old Richard Fromberg [392, WC], who ousted Marc Flur 6-2, 6-7, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. For Woodbridge and Fromberg it was second main level tournament, 7th for Stoltenberg. Also advancing was American Matt Anger, who crushed English Davis Cup player Andrew Castle 6-3, 6-1, 6-4. The first Grand Slam tournament of the year got off to a low-key start in brilliant sunshine, although more than 10,000 spectators filled the 15,000 capacity Center Court. Interest centered on the new hardcourt Rebound Ace surface and the newly-introduced South Korean-made Nassau balls. The Open previously was played on grass courts at nearby Kooyong. Defending champion Stefan Edberg believes the new synthetic Rebound Ace surface for the Open will benefit Lendl, the world’s top-ranked player. Lendl is the biggest threat to Edberg’s becoming the first player since Roy Emerson in 1965 to capture three consecutive Australian titles. Edberg, seeded second, lacked rhythm early but beat American Marty Davis 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-5. Third-seeded Mats Wilander of Sweden won his first-round match, defeating Richey Reneberg of the United States 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-3.

Second round: Houston Cronicle

Ivan Lendl, seeking his first Australian Open singles crown, made quick work of second-round foe today. Lendl, 27, thrashed American Matt Anger 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 in just 1 hour, 29 minutes to power his way into the third round of the $1.9 million Australian Open Tennis Championships. Lendl won 90 percent of points when he got his first serve in and hit a plethora of winners on both backhand and forehand, mainly from the back of the court. Anger, clearly flustered, made a number of unforced errors. Lendl’s mistakes, by contrast, were almost negligible. “But if I made six errors, that’s still six too many,” Lendl said. Wimbledon champion Pat Cash stamped himself as a serious contender in the Australian Open tennis championships with a 6-1, 7-6(7), 6-3 victory over fellow Australian Carl Limberger on Wednesday. Aside from moving Cash into the third round, the victory helped still talk that the 22-year old doesn’t look good on an surface but grass. Cash played impressively on the new synthetic Rebound Ace. The hometown favorite next faces another local figure, Paul McNamee, in the third round of the $1.9 million event. The 33-year-old McNamee [193], a former Davis Cup player, plans to retire following the Open (he did it indeed). Lendl, who was critical of Cash’s performances on surfaces other than grass after he lost to Cash in last year’s Wimbledon final, made just six unforced errors Wednesday. Fifth seed Yannick Noah of France found his touch late in his second-round match. He defeated Italy’s Massimiliano Narducci 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. Noah was joined in the third round by 12th seed Christo van Rensburg of South Africa, who downed Nigerian Tony Mmoh 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Frenchman Henri Leconte, the seventh seed, advanced with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Australian Peter Doohan. Other seeds to advance included Sweden’s Jonas B. Svensson and Australian Wally Masur, the 14th and 16th seeds, respectively. Both defending champion Stefan Edberg and former titleholder Mats Wilander powered into the third round with victories at the National Tennis Center. Edberg, aiming for his third successive title, trounced West German Alexander Mronz 6-4, 6-3, 6-1, while third-seeded Wilander, the winner in 1983 and 1984, whipped Australian Simon Youl 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Another Swede, sixth-seeded Anders Jarryd, and No. 8 Slobodan Zivojinovic of Yugoslavia also moved into the round of 32 in the first Grand Slam event of the season, but Swede Peter Lundgren, seeded 11th, was ousted. Jarryd won 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-4 over Gian Luca Pozzi of Italy and Zivojinovic beat Steve Shaw of Great Britain 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-3.

Third round: AP

Ivan Lendl, the No. 1 tennis player in the world and the top seed in the $1.9 million the Australian Open, won easily today. But two other seeds were upset in stifling hot conditions. Lendl posted a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 rout of Australian left-hander Mark Woodforde. The temperature during Lendl’s victory approached 104 degrees (40 Celsius), while the court surface was a sizzling 130. ”It was very warm out there and it was burning my feet,” Lendl said after his one-hour, 43-minute match. ”I was trying to coast at about 75 percent,” Lendl said. “I was pacing myself because the heat was so unbelievable.” Fifth-seeded Yannick Noah also won, grinding down Eddie Edwards 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 in 2:15. But Todd Witsken, ranked 153rd in the world, upset seventh- seeded Henri Leconte 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, and Michiel Schapers ousted No. 12 Christo van Rensburg 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Later Friday, Wimbledon champion Pat Cash rolled to a 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 victory over compatriot and close friend Paul McNamee. McNamee, a former Davis Cup player, announced prior to the event that it would be his last before retirement. Cash said that made no difference in his approach to the match. ”We are great friends off the court, but on the court we are enemies,” he said. “I gave 100 percent because I know he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.” Cash said his purpose was to win matches. ”That’s what matters, and I feel I am playing better with every game.” Other men to advance include 14th-seeded Swede Jonas B. Svensson and Australian Wally Masur, the 16th seed. Svensson endured a tough match with compatriot Niklas Kroon before winning 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3, and Masur beat Davis Cup nemesis Ramesh Krishnan of India 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Masur, who defeated two-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker in the fourth round of last year’s Open, will meet Lendl in the fourth round. In men’s action Saturday, a pair of Swedes, two-time champion Mats Wilander and Anders Jarryd. both advanced to the fourth round. Wilander, the third seed, beat fellow Swede Magnus Gustafsson 6-1, 6-4, 6-1, while Jarryd, seeded sixth, downed American Paul Chamberlin 7-5, 6-1, 6-2. Wilander expressed satisfaction with his victory, even though Gustafsson appeared nervous and made numerous unforced errors. “I’m playing pretty good,” Wilander said. “I feel strong and the heat isn’t bothering me.” Jarryd said, “I think I can improve my game a little more. I’m not moving as well as I usually do. I’m still having a little trouble with my timing on this surface.” Australian junior champion Jason Stoltenberg, 17, the world’s top-ranked junior, advanced to the last 16 in men’s play by beating Joey Rive [92] of Puerto Rico 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. Stoltenberg moved through losing 2.1 games on average in a set in his three matches! Rive was hampered by an injury to his right knee and played with the knee in a brace, hampering his movement. Stoltenberg, the world’s No. 1 junior last year, would be an awkward opponent, Stefan Edberg said. ”You never really know what’s going to happen in a match like that because he has nothing to lose. It’s nice when you’re young and playing in front of your home crowd because everyone gets behind you.” Edberg eliminated Dan Goldie 6-4, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.

Fourth round: AP

Defending champion Stefan Edberg scored an unconvincing 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Australian teen-ager Jason Stoltenberg Monday to advance to the quarterfinals of the $1.9 million Australian Open Tennis Championships. Also posting fourth-round victories Monday were third-seeded Mats Wilander of Sweden and Andrei Chesnokov of the Soviet Union. Edberg, 21, aiming to win the men’s singles for the third straight time, never approached his peak form during the one-hour, 36-minute match. The powerful Swede frequently found himself extended by Stoltenberg, a 17-year-old ranked just 330th in the world. But Edberg had enough variety of shots to beat his opponent, who is the world’s No. 1 junior. “I had problems with my concentration today,” Edberg admitted. “The kid played very well. He got a lot of balls back.” Edberg, the No. 2 seed, will face Chesnokov in the quarterfinals. A French Open quarter-finalist in 1986, the 21-year-old Chesnokov reached the quarters by defeating West German Carl-Uwe Steeb 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. “I’m good at fast-court tennis,” Chesnokov said. “I’m pleased with my form. I’ve got good touch at the moment.” Wilander, twice the Australian Open winner, scored an impressive 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Christian Saceanu of West Germany. Ivan Lendl, the No. 1 seed and the world’s top-ranked player, beat Australian Davis Cup player Wally Masur, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4, in earning a quarter-final berth against the only American survivor, Todd Witsken. Pat Cash of Australia delighted a huge crowd with an emphatic 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 victory over 14th-seeded Jonas B. Svensson of Sweden. Cash’s next opponent is Dutchman Michiel Schapers, who upset fifth-seeded Yannick Noah of France, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-6(4), in a fourth-round match. Schapers [62] recorded a similarly surprising result three years ago in this tournament, defeating Boris Becker. Noah, a former French Open champion, said after his loss that he planned to cut back on his use of cigarettes, alcohol and his party going. “I’ll have to change a few things. I’m not in good enough shape to overpower my opponents,” Noah said. “I’m going to work very hard. You need to be 100 percent in top-level tennis.” Schapers said he hoped his victory would lift interest in tennis in his country. “Bjorn Borg had a great effect on tennis in Sweden and so did Becker in Germany” he said. “Maybe I could do the same in Holland.” Schapers said his victory over Noah was much better than his triumph over Becker in 1985. “I was smart and played well today,” he said. Schapers barely survived the first round in which he struggled past  qualifier Ivo Werner [326] 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 12-10. Cash, the fourth seed, is aiming for his second title in a Grand Slam event (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open). He had control at the net and appeared in a hungry and ruthless mood Sunday night, winning in 1 hour, 57 minutes. “Jonas is one of the toughest players around, particularly on hard courts, so I was pleased to win that well,” Cash said. “I beat him easier than I expected, and I’m doing certain things better with each match.” Witsken, a former Southern Cal All-American ranked 153rd in the world, scored a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 fourth-round triumph over unseeded Menno Oosting of The Netherlands. Witsken of Carmel, Ind., who upset seventh-seeded Henri Leconte of France in the third round, outclassed Oosting, who made a series of volleying errors. It was Witsken’s only Grand Slam quarterfinal. Also moving into the final eight were Anders Jarryd, who outlasted unseeded John Frawley, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(6), 7-6(2), 6-2, in a marathon lasting 4 hours, 9 minutes. ”I feel very happy with myself, that I could be out there four hours and still come back to win the match,” Jarryd said. ”When I won the fourth set I felt like now I’ve got a really good chance to win the match.” Still, Wilander and Edberg did not give Jarryd much of a chance to win the tournament. They felt Cash, the Wimbledon champion, and top-ranked Lendl were the only threats to them. ”I think the surface is playing very true and to beat one of the top guys somebody has to play very well,” Wilander said. ”I think all four are playing well. Lendl looks like he’s playing all right, Cash is playing very well, Edberg seems like he has picked up his game and I’m playing good too.”

Quarterfinals: AP

Wimbledon champion Pat Cash trounced unseeded Michiel Schapers of the Netherlands in straight sets today, setting up a rematch with top-seeded Ivan Lendl in the semifinals of the Australian Open Tennis Championships. Lendl, who like the fourth-seeded Cash has yet to drop a set in the tournament, blitzed unseeded Todd Witsken, the final remaining American man, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(4). Cash, 22, the only player to beat Lendl in a Grand Slam tournament last year, defeated Schapers, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, in 1 hour, 39 minutes. “You can always improve, but I’m very happy with my form,” said the Australian, who beat Lendl in last year’s Australian Open semifinals and in the Wimbledon final. Said Lendl: “I just hope history doesn’t repeat itself.” Lendl is aiming for his seventh Grand Slam title and the 71st tournament victory of his career. Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg of Sweden figured to meet in the semifinals of the Australian Open and they will. But Andrei Chesnokov of the Soviet Union almost ruined the anticipated battle of the two friends. Edberg had to survive a torrid match with Chesnokov on Wednesday before winning, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4, in just under three hours while third-seeded Wilander reached the semifinal when he downed another Swede, sixth-seeded Anders Jarryd, 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-3. Edberg, the defending champion and second seed, has played Wilander on 13 occasions, with Wilander holding an 8-5 advantage. “I know what I can do. I know I can beat all the other players in the tournament,” said Wilander. “But I will have to play very well to do it.” Wilander, 23, said he felt conditions at the new $60 million National Tennis Center where the tournament is being played, would help him for than it would Edberg. “I think the wind suits my game a bit better than a serve-and-volley game – especially with Edberg’s serve,” said Wilander. “I will have to concentrate on my serves and then go for the returns. It is what you mainly have to do against him. You don’t have time to build up an attack.” Edberg, 22, who has won the tournament for the last two years, said he had not reached top form throughout the event. “I’m not playing well and I can still win, so that makes me feel good,” Edberg said. “I will have to work a lot to beat Mats, it’s going to be very difficult. I’ll have to lift my game another level, but I’ve got two days so hopefully it will change. I’ve been struggling for two weeks but I’m still in the tournament. It’s mostly a mental struggle because I’m in good shape physically. I think I just have to believe more in myself.”

Semifinals: AP

Mats Wilander outlasted defending champion Stefan Edberg, 6-0, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, today to move into the men’s final of the Australian Open. The third-seeded Wilander, who won the event in 1983 and ’84, has reached the final four times in the past five Opens. He did not compete last year. The second-seeded Edberg, who turned 22 Tuesday, had trouble with his first serve and his volley for much of the 3-hour 19-minute battle. He played from the baseline more than usual but was unable to match Wilander’s accuracy. “It was mostly psychological out there,” Wilander, 23, said of the victory over his friend and Swedish Davis Cup practice partner. “I feel I’m psychologically stronger than Stefan.” Wilander served and volleyed more than usual: “One of the reasons I was doing that was because I get a rhythm going, get more speed in my game, and return much better. But I can’t keep it up for the whole match.” “All these people keep telling me I can’t play on hardcourts,” Pat Cash said today after defeating Ivan Lendl to gain the final of the Australian Open. “I wonder what they think now?” The 22-year-old Wimbledon champion defeated Lendl 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in 3 hours 56 minutes, and will meet Mats Wilander on Sunday. Cash won the last four games of the match losing just four points. ”The fifth set came down to a battle of fitness and concentration and I came out on top,” Cash said. He advanced to the final for the second successive year. He lost to Edberg in last year’s final. ‘‘I’m not elated yet,” Cash said. “I know I’ve still got one more match to win.” Lendl, regarded as the best hardcourt player in the world, collapsed in the face of Cash’s fierce will-to-win in a battle between two heavyweight sluggers of the ball. U.S. and French Open champion Lendl said he thought the Australian was tired in the fourth set, but was lifted by the cheering, chanting crowd. ”The crowd gets behind him and I think he got pumped up in the fourth and fifth sets,” Lendl said. The normally volcanic Aussie kept his emotions in check throughout the roller-coaster battle, but Lendl was given a code of conduct warning for racket abuse in the third set. Both Cash and Lendl went into the match without having dropped a set in the tournament. Cash will try to become the first Australian since Mark Edmondson in 1976 to win the title. 

Final: Heral Wire Service

Hometown hero Pat Cash was hoping to turn the Australian Open tennis championships into a national celebration. But Mats Wilander spoiled the party. Wilander, a 23-year-old Swede, downed Cash in a marathon five-set final Sunday to win his third Australian Open. Wilander said he has worked hard to improve his game since losing the French and U.S. Open finals to Ivan Lendl last year. “I couldn’t have won this match six or seven months ago,” he said after his 6-3, 6-7(3), 3-6, 6-1, 8-6 (4 hours 27 minutes) victory in the rain-interrupted match. “I feel a lot stronger, particularly with my serve.” It was the fifth Grand Slam title (27th overall) for Wilander, who has also won two French Opens. And, seeking his first Australian Open singles crown, made quick work of second-round foe today. Lendl, 27, thrashed American it was the fifth straight time a Swede has won the Australian men’s final. “It is a long time since I’ve seen the top four players in the world so intense to win a tournament,” said third-seeded Wilander. “All four of us felt we could win it, and that’s why it feels so good to succeed.” Fourth-seeded Cash, who lost to Stefan Edberg in last year’s final, was backed by a vocal crowd of 15,000 at the new National Tennis Center. Cash had defeated top-ranked Lendl of Czechoslovakia in the semifinals, while Wilander downed Edberg. “I’m not greatly disappointed, although I obviously wanted to win,” said Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon champion, after Sunday’s loss. “You cannot play the best tennis of your life every day. There are only a few points between the top players in the world, and one day it will go one way, another day the other.” Wilander, who had lost his previous four Grand Slam matches against Cash, was leading by 4:1* (40/15) in the second set, in that game the match was halted by rain. After play resumed, Cash rallied to win the set in a tiebreaker. “I played the best tennis of my career in the first two sets, and I don’t know how I lost the second,” Wilander said. “But that’s one of Cash’s strengths. He came back and that’s why he is going to be one of the great players.” Wilander took a 2:0 lead in the final set before Cash rallied with a break to tie it. The Australian was two points away from victory twice leading 5:4* but on both occasions to get a match point, made errors. Wilander broke Cash for a 7:6 lead, then held serve to close out. There was no tiebreaker in the final set. The Swede said his serve was a key to victory. “I served well when I needed it, which is unusual for me because I don’t usually go for it on the first serve,” he said. Wilander said he thought Cash tired late in the match. “He got down for his volleys but he missed them and he didn’t serve as well,” he said. Cash, 22, said Wilander’s crisp service returns were a major factor. “Mats was just too good today,” he said. “He was returning incredibly well.” Wilander earned a total of $155,000 in prize money and bonuses for winning the $1.9 million tournament. Cash received $77,500 as runner-up. Wilander’s victory extended the Swedes’ success in the Australian Open. Wilander won in 1983 and 1984, while Edberg won in 1985 and 1987. There was no tournament in 1986 because the date was switched from December to January. This year’s tournament was played on a cushioned hard-court surface. It used to be played on grass in nearby Kooyong. Stats of the final.

***********************************

Australian Open, Melbourne
January 16, 1989; 128 Draw (16 seeded) – $933,342; Surface – Hard

Ivan Lendl [2], with Roland Garros and US Open titles captured in the mid 80s, dreamed about winning Australian Open and Wimbledon. After several unsuccessful attempts (three consecutive semi-final defeats), he finally won the coveted Australian Open title in his 200th professional event, playing arguably the best tennis of his life, especially in service games. During the tournament he met the last time in majors his arch-rival John McEnroe. It was a breakthrough event for a 17-year-old qualifier – Goran Ivanisevic of Yugoslavia, who took an advantage of very favorable draw to secure his spot in the quarter-finals.

The compilation prepared based on articles written by the Associated Press

First round: AP

While most American stars are skipping the Australian Open in Melbourne, John McEnroe is playing the Grand Slam event for the first time in three years. ”Just being here is a positive move,” he said. ‘‘Even if I don’t win, getting off to an early start should help me later in the season.” McEnroe, at No. 7, is the top-seeded American in the men’s field. The three highest- ranked U.S. players – Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors and Tim Mayotte – are not playing in the first major tournament of the year, at the National Tennis Center. Connors is recovering from foot surgery, Mayotte has tendinitis and Agassi didn’t feel like making the long trip…
Mats Wilander [1] had mixed feelings after his more than three hour 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 win over Tobias Svantesson [100] in which he made more unforced errors than he usually does in a whole championship. “I’m not pleased with the way I played, but I’m pleased the way the match turned out because I think it’s very important to get a long match, especially as I haven’t played too many matches in the past two weeks,” said Wilander , winner of three grand-slam titles last year. “In a grand slam (tournament) it takes awhile to get into it. You can’t just go through the first round very easily if you haven’t played for a while. You just have to hope that you stay in the tournament for a few more rounds and then I think you know you’ll be 100 percent.” It was Wilander’s first match of the year after a remarkable season ’88, in which he won 3 major titles and Key Biscayne – so-called “5th Grand Slam” at the time.
In other opening-round matches, hard-serving Jan Gunnarsson of Sweden upset sixth-seeded Henri Leconte 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Gunnarsson, ranked 85th in the world, needed only 87 minutes to eliminate Leconte from the first Grand Slam event of the year. He served 11 aces, including three straight in the sixth game of the final set. ”I was serving well, and he was not playing his best,” Gunnarsson said. “I got a lot of easy points.”
Second-seeded Ivan Lendl overpowered Alexander Mronz [276] of West Germany, 6-0, 6-1, 6-3, today in the first round of the Australian Open. Lendl, from Czechoslovakia, took less than two hours to eliminate Mronz, ranked 276th in the world. “He was even better than I expected,” Mronz said. “He didn’t miss any balls, and I had to hit an unbelievable shot just to win a point.” Lendl, who has never won the Australian title, was satisfied with his effort. “It’s just good to get the first one over with,” he said.
John McEnroe [11], playing his first match in Melbourne in three years, beat [121] Michael Westphal 6-4, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 today in the first round of the $2.4 million Australian Open. McEnroe, seeded No. 7, rebounded after losing the third set to break Westphal twice in the fourth.  “I felt I was hitting the ball well,” McEnroe said. “My concentration slipped a little in the second set, but I got it back. I feel good, reasonably fit and the fact that I’m here is the main thing for me. The important thing is to win some matches.”  It was the last professional event for 24-year-old Westphal at the time, simultaneously the first match after one and a half years break. He passed away two years later due to AIDS †… No. 8 seed Yannick Noah was dumped by Mark Woodforde, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-4 in a four-hour match. It was Noah’s first-round in majors loss for the first time since Wimbledon 1981, he didn’t play a match since the US Open 1988.

It was a time when the final decisions were made concerning the future of the ATP… Moscow and Beijing will hold men’s professional tennis tournaments in 1990, and events in New York, Boston, Dallas and Detroit will be dropped from the new tour run by the Association of Tennis Professionals. ”The fans will be the biggest winners with a tour that is better organized, an ‘official game’ that is easier to understand and a system that has the support of the players,” ATP chief executive officer Hamilton Jordan said Thursday in announcing the revamped schedule. The new tour includes 77 tournaments worth $38-million (the Du Pont Classic in Orlando among them), significant increases in prize money for players at every level, and a break at the end of the year. The ATP Tour will replace the Grand Prix, which is run by the Men’s Tennis Council. Besides Moscow and Beijing, professional tournaments will be held for the first time in Yugoslavia and Portugal. Other additions to the tour are the North American Indoor Championships in Toronto, a grass-court tournament in Rosmalen, Holland, and a second stop in South Africa. Among the events that have been dropped are the Tournament of Champions at the famed West Side Tennis Club in New York and the WCT finals in Dallas. Boris Becker, the No. 4 player in the world, said he was pleased with the schedule. “I think they’ve done just about everything the players asked for,” he said in Melbourne, where he is competing in the Australian Open. Jordan said 22 of the world’s top 25 players have signed to play on the ATP Tour. The announcement climaxed a long effort by the ATP to take over the organization of the men’s tour. Currently, the tour is administered by the Council. The ATP, tournament directors and the International Tennis Federation each have a one-third say in decision-making.

Second round: AP

Smooth-stroking Ramesh Krishnan of India outplayed dispirited defending champion Mats Wilander 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(5) in 2 hours, 17 minutes, in the second round of the Australian Open tennis championships today, leaving Wilander contemplating a complete break from the sport. Krishan, 27, played an intelligent, composed game against the Swede, the top seed and winner of three of last year’s four Grand Slam tournaments. The Indian, ranked 51st in the world, mixed up his shots, using guile and touch to baffle Wilander, who made a succession of uncharacteristic unforced errors. Wilander, who has won the Australian Open three times in the past five years and took over as world No. 1 following his U.S. Open victory last September, suffered his earliest loss in a Grand Slam event since losing to Slobodan Zivojinovic of Yugoslavia in the first round at Wimbledon in 1985. “Once you get out onto the court numbers don’t matter,” Krishnan said. “It was just him against me.” Krishnan, whose father was a Wimbledon semifinalist in 1960 and 1961, squandered three match points before winning. “You feel the pressure when you are that close to the biggest win of your career. The court seemed to get smaller,” said Krishnan, playing only his third tournament since the U.S. Open. He had been sidelined by a back injury. Krishnan, quicker after a weight-loss program, won last week’s New Zealand Open championship in Auckland. “To beat the No. 1 player in the world is thrilling, but he is not in good form,” Kirshnan said. Wilander, who has slumped since his U.S. Open victory and lost to lowly rated Carl-Uwe Steeb in Sweden’s Davis Cup final loss to West Germany in Gothenburg in December, said he was feeling the pressure of being No. 1 and was disgusted with his form. “I played really short and you can’t get away with that against Ramesh,‘” Wilander said. “Mentally I just wasn’t in the match. He never let up and didn’t make any mistakes. “It has been difficult for me to motivate myself since the U.S. Open. That was such a big thing for me. Maybe being No. 1 has got to me, because from there you can only go down.” Wilander said he was bored, not enjoying his tennis and was considering a break. A pattern of a champion who wins back-to-back Aussie Open titles, was broken for the first time since 1981 (Johan Kriek, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg were winning titles in succession).
John McEnroe kept his temper in check and defeated stubborn Australian Brod Dyke in four sets today to advance to the third round of the Australian Open. McEnroe, bidding to win his first Grand Slam event since the 1984 U.S. Open, subdued Dyke 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 after questioning a number of line calls but maintaining his composure. “There were stages when I wasn’t concentrating properly,” said McEnroe, whose form wavered between brilliant and bad. “I felt I should have been in better control of the situation.”  McEnroe was incensed by a number of line calls during his match, and was angered by his response. “Instead of dwelling on stupid calls I should have concentrated on winning the set,” said the New Yorker. Four-time U.S. Open champion McEnroe faces West German Patrick Kuhnen in the round of 32.
Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia, who can regain the world No. 1 ranking from Swede Mats Wilander if he wins the tournament, progressed with a routine 6-2, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory over West German Davis Cup hero Carl-Uwe Steeb [65]. Lendl was in scintillating form against Steeb, his regular practice partner in recent weeks. “It seemed as if he was serving aces in every game,” the West German said.
Olympic champion Miloslav Mecir also moved into the third round with a 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-2 victory over Australian Mark Kratzmann. Mecir, the No. 9 seed, said he has recovered from a virus that forced him to pull out of the New South Wales Open in Sydney last week. “I felt pretty good,” Mecir said. “I’ve had a few days off, and I`m feeling stronger.” Kratzmann, a former U.S. Open junior champion ranked 115th in the world, said Mecir took advantage of his erratic serve. “I did not serve well enough today,” Kratzmann said. “I was under pressure all the time.”
Boris Becker, playing his first outdoors match in four months, breezed past Kelly Evernden 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 Thursday to advance to the third round of the Australian Open tennis championships. “I played much better than I did in the first round,” said Becker, whose last outdoor match was a second-round loss to Darren Cahill at the U.S. Open in early September. “If I keep playing like this, I`ll be happy.”
Also advancing today were fourth-seeded Stefan Edberg of Sweden; two-time finalist Pat Cash of Australia, the 13th seed; No. 11 Thomas Muster of Austria, and No 16. Amos Mansdorf of Israel. Cash had to fight for three hours to overcome former NCAA champion Richey Reneberg of the U.S. 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(1), 4-6, 6-3. “I played brilliantly for two sets and then totally lost it,” Cash said “I just had to go back to basics and start again.” He also was fined $500 for an audible obscenity during the match. The Australian cruised through the first two sets, became angry as he dropped the next two and then reeled off five games from 0-2 in the final set to regain the ascendancy. Two-time Australian title holder Johan Kriek of the U.S. clinched a meeting with Edberg, also a two-time titlist, by beating Australian junior Todd Woodbridge 7-5, 6-3, 6-1. U.S. Open semifinalist Darren Cahill, who upset No. 5 seed Jakob Hlasek of Switzerland in the first round, also went through with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win over Frenchman Olivier Delaitre.

Third round: AP

Ivan Lendl breezed into the fourth round of the Australian Open today with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Swedish teenager [175] Nicklas Kulti, and Stefan Edberg struggled to beat Johan Kriek 7-5, 7-5, 7-5 in a battle of two-time champions. Lendl, who has lost only one set in the tournament, eliminated Kulti in less than two hours. “He was not reading my serves very well,” Lendl said. “I got two or three easy points on my serve each game. I found a weakness and took advantage of it.” Edberg, seeded two spots below Lendl at No. 4, broke Kriek in the 11th game of each set after they had battled to 5-all. Both players had a hard time holding serve, with Edberg breaking eight times and Kriek five. “There were a lot of service breaks, but I played some good points and had some good gets,” said Edberg, the reigning Wimbledon champion. Aaron Krickstein, the No. 10 seed, also advanced to the fourth round with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Nicklas Kroon.  “A lot of people wrote me off as a top player (following a series of injuries),” said Krickstein, who won his first tournament in five years last week in Sydney.  “But I’m healthy now and I’m proving I can still play.” “Krickstein is not the type of player who beats himself, but if I keep up my concentration I think I`ll be in good shape,” McEnroe said Sunday after beating Patrick Kuhnen 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.  Magnus Gustafsson rallied after losing the first two sets to beat U.S. Open semifinalist Darren Cahill 6-7(7), 0-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4. Gustafsson rallied after losing the first two sets and trailing, 2:4. Cahill`s defeat left only one Australian man left in the singles, 13th-seeded Pat Cash. Boris Becker did a good imitation of another famous West German tennis player Saturday night when he routed Canadian Chris Pridham in 70 minutes. “I can`t remember playing a faster match than that,” Becker said following his 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 third-round victory. “I feel almost like Steffi Graf.” Becker is ranked fourth in the world, 204 spots above Pridham, and the gap showed. “Maybe he was nervous because it was his first time on center court,” said Becker, who finished the match with four straight aces. Former NCAA champion Mikael Pernfors, the 12th seed, was beaten by Michiel Schapers 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-6(5), 6-0. Pernfors twisted his neck while diving for a shot in the third-set tiebreaker and had to be massaged by a trainer during changeovers. Ramesh Krishnan, who beat defending champion Mats Wilander in the second round, was eliminated by Leonardo Lavalle 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. “I`m not going to try to explain it,” Krishnan said. “That’s the way the game is. I just have to learn to play at a higher level all the time.”

Fourth round: AP

Jonas Svensson [21] upset error-prone Boris Becker 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-3 today to advance to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Svensson, the 14th seed, played steadily and kept Becker on the defensive throughout the match. “I played a professional game today. I did my job and I did it well,” said Svensson, a semifinalist at last year`s French Open. “I knew if I played as well as I did in Paris that I could win.” Becker, who has never gotten past the quarterfinals here, made 38 unforced errors and got in only 48 percent of his first serves. The two-time Wimbledon champion became so frustrated in the second set that he slammed his racket to the ground and received a warning from umpire Richard Ings. “Two things happened to me today – I didn’t play my best and I came up against an opponent where I had to play my best to win,” said Becker, the No. 3 seed. “He played superb tennis over three sets. He didn’t let anything distract him, and he never let me into the match.” Jan Gunnarsson [85], who is unseeded, beat Michiel Schapers [50] of the Netherlands 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-2 in the fourth round. Gunnarsson, a 10-year veteran, never has previously made a Grand Slam quarterfinal and last year considered retirement. “It’s like a dream,” Gunnarsson said. “I came here with no expectations. It has taken a 10 years for me to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal, but it’s better late than never.”
Czechoslavakia’s Miloslav Mecir, ranked 13th in the world, needed just 94 minutes to defeat Christo van Rensburg of South Africa in another fourth-round match. Mecir, seeded ninth, beat Van Rensburg, ranked 36th in the world, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 to move into the quarterfinals against Yugoslavian teen-ager Goran Ivanisevic, who playing only the second Grand Slam tournament of his career, also reached the last eight. Ivanisevic, 17, rallied to beat Mexican Davis Cup player Leonardo Lavalle 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. “I only expected to make it through one round here,” said Ivanisevic, a qualifier who is playing only his fifth senior tournament and is ranked 300th in the world.
Long-time rivals Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe set up a quarterfinal showdown with straight-set victories at the Australian Open on Tuesday. Lendl overcame a slow start to beat Israeli [26] Amos Mansdorf 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-2, while McEnroe cruised to a 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-3 victory over fellow American Aaron Krickstein on a sweltering day at the National Tennis Center.   Lendl, seeking his first title here, rallied from 3:5 down to win the first set and then seized control with his attacking ground-strokes. Two-time champion Stefan Edberg, playing almost faultlessly, capitalized on Pat Cash‘s erratic serve to trounce the hometown hero 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 in another fourth-round match. Edberg hurt his back while serving two aces in a row to go 30/15 in the final game. After taking a timeout to stretch his lower back and get it sprayed with a painkiller, the Swede quickly served another ace and Cash then hit a backhand passing-shot. On the second match points Edberg delivered a service winner. Cash, beaten by Edberg in the 1987 Australian Open final (in five sets on grass), lost 11 straight games after leading 4:3* in the first set. The brash Australian served 11 double-faults and got only 38 percent of his first serves in, while Edberg made just six unforced errors the entire match. Cash wasn’t fit as well, he had been struggling for months with knee and ankle injuries. After the Aussie Open, he played only a Davis Cup tie against Austria and a tournament in Tokyo, then took almost a year break, his second very long career  despite barely 24 years at the time. He never fully recovered after that…

Quarterfinals: AP

Ivan Lendl, playing almost perfect tennis, beat longtime rival John McEnroe, 7-6(0), 6-2, 7-6(2), today to reach the Australian Open semifinals for the fourth straight time. Lendl, who has never won the tournament, didn’t allow a single break point and continually frustrated his net-rushing opponent with pinpoint passing shots. The victory, Lendl’s fourth straight over McEnroe, gave him a 15-14 edge in their decade-long rivalry. “I played very well, but he played better,” McEnroe said. “I kept thinking he was going to start missing a few shots, but he didn’t.” Lendl, who can regain the No. 1 ranking by winning the title, hit seven straight winners to take the first-set tie-break. He broke McEnroe twice in the second set while losing only one point on his own serve, then blasted five more winners in the last tie-break. “Maybe I should have mixed it up a little more, but that’s easier said than done when balls are coming at you at that pace,” said McEnroe, who hasn’t won a Grand Slam title since beating Lendl in the 1984 U.S. Open final.
Two-time champion Stefan Edberg withdrew from his match against Austria’s Thomas Muster [15] because of a back injury, moving Muster into the semifinals against Lendl. Edberg, the fourth seed, hurt his back near the end of his fourth-round win over Pat Cash yesterday. The 23-year-old Swede managed to finish the match after receiving treatment, but he was bent over and wincing in pain as he left the court. “I was so stiff this morning, I couldn’t move,” Edberg told a packed news conference today. “I couldn’t even put my socks on.” Muster, who had never previously advanced beyond the third round of a Grand Slam tournament, said he had mixed feelings about the win. “On one hand, I’m very happy to reach the semifinals,” he said. “But I’m also sorry for Stefan. He had a good match against Cash and was in good shape.” Edberg, the Australian Open winner in 1985 and 1987, suffered the injury – later diagnosed as a strained ligament in his lower back – while serving an ace to go up, 30/15, in the final game.  It’s been the only walkover in the last 8 at the Australian Open in the Open era. Edberg’s compatriot, unseeded Jan Gunnarsson, who almost retired last year after suffering a serious knee injury, reached his first Grand Slam semifinal with a 6-0, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over fellow Swede Jonas Svensson. Svensson, who played brilliantly in his fourth-round upset of Boris Becker, was plagued by a wild forehand in today’s match. The 14th seed appeared to be mounting a comeback after rallying from a 2:4 deficit to win the third set, but Gunnarsson [85] broke him in the opening game of the fourth set and held serve the rest of the way. Miloslav Mecir [13], a runner-up to Lendl at the 1986 U.S. Open, ended Goran Ivanisevic‘s longshot bid in less than two hours 7-5, 6-0, 6-3. Ivanisevic, ranked 300th in the world, was the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since Ricardo Acuna at Wimbledon in 1985. ”He fought hard,” said Mecir, who can reach the final without facing a seeded player. ”Goran was my toughest opponent so far.” Ivanisevic had two break points leading 3:0 in the first set.

Semifinals: AP

Ivan Lendl beat the heat and Thomas Muster today to reach his second Australian Open final. Lendl, closing in on a Grand Slam title he has never won, out-slugged the hard-hitting Austrian 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 on a sweltering day at the National Tennis Center. “My feet are still burning,” Lendl said a half-hour after the match. “It was hard to breathe out there.” Lendl can regain the No. 1 ranking in the world by winning the tournament. Muster, a 21-year-old left-hander playing in his first Grand Slam semifinal, tried to out-stroke Lendl from the baseline on a day when temperatures soared into the high 90s and the court surface reached 130 degrees (54-55 Celsius). But Lendl, who prides himself on his stamina and fitness, refused to wilt after Muster mounted a serious challenge midway through the 3-hour, 12-minute match. “I got a little tired in the third set,” said Lendl, who served 17 aces. “But in the fourth set, he seemed to be more tired than I was.” Muster, who reached the semifinal without meeting a seeded player, said, “Those were the hottest conditions I’ve ever played under.” “I’ve got blisters all over my feet,” the 11th seed said. “I feel like jumping into ice water.” After losing the first two sets, Muster fought back to win the third and had a chance to go up 6:5 in the fourth. But he netted an easy overhead on game point and followed with a long backhand and a double-fault to lose the game. Lendl, who lost the 1983 Australian Open final to Mats Wilander, then clinched the victory with a love service game. “If I had taken the fourth set, I think I would have had a good chance to win the match,” said Muster, who suffered nosebleeds early in the match.
Lendl will play in the final Sunday against ninth-seeded Miloslav Mecir of Czechoslovakia, who defeated unseeded Jan Gunnarsson of Sweden 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 today in the other semifinal. Gunnarsson took a 5:2 lead over Mecir in the first set but won only four games the rest of the match. “He didn’t start out so good, but after 2:5 he didn’t make too many mistakes” Gunnarsson said. “It’s almost impossible to read his shots. At the last minute, he can hit the ball crosscourt or down the line.”

Final: AP

A victory Down Under put Ivan Lendl [2] back on top of the tennis world today. Lendl overpowered [13] Miloslav Mecir 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 to win his first Australian Open and regain the No. 1 ranking he lost to Mats Wilander last September. Lendl, who has won three French Opens and three U.S. Opens, said winning the Australian championship was more important to him than being No. 1 because it was one of two Grand Slam titles that had eluded him. ”I didn’t come here to be No. 1, I came here to win the tournament,” said Lendl, who needs a Wimbledon title to complete his Grand Slam collection. ”I wanted to win this tournament very badly. It’s such a tremendous feeling, I can’t describe it.”
Mecir, who is 1-5 against Lendl, praised the victor. ”I think he played very well, not only against me but against all the other players,” Mecir said. Lendl, ranked No. 1 for three years before Wilander beat him at the 1988 U.S. Open, took only two hours to defeat Mecir for the second time in a Grand Slam final. He also defeated Mecir in straight sets at the 1986 U.S. Open. Both players wore caps to shade themselves from the searing heat on Center Court, where the temperature on the cushioned hard-court surface reached 135 degrees (57 Celsius!). Mecir, broke to take a 2:1 lead in the first set, but that was his high point of the match. Lendl broke right back at love and never trailed again. Mecir, known for his quickness and court coverage, was a step slower than usual. He tried to keep Lendl off balance by hitting short off-speed shots, but Lendl teed off on them like a home-run hitter taking batting practice. ”It wasn’t pretty the way I played him, but that’s what works,” said Lendl, who lost his only previous Australian Open final to Wilander in 1983. “It’s ugly, but that’s the way to play him.” Both players remained on the baseline most of the match, but Lendl’s ground strokes were more reliable. Lendl also had the superior serve, hitting 14 aces. The ninth-seeded Mecir’s serve sagged when Lendl pressured him. He double-faulted 10 times. ”I was surprised at how easy it was,” Lendl said. “I haven’t seen him serve that badly for a long, long time. When he started to serve those double faults, I couldn’t believe my luck.” After winning the first set in 33 minutes, Lendl fought from 0/40 to hold serve in the opening game of the second set and then raced to a 5:1 lead. Mecir, bidding for his first Grand Slam title, broke back at love to make it 5:2, but couldn’t hold his serve in the next game and lost the set. Lendl immediately took control of the third set, taking a 3:0 lead. Mecir won the next two games but Lendl shrugged off a time-violation warning for serving slowly and won the last three games for the title. Lendl received $140,000 for winning his seventh Grand Slam title. Mecir earned $70,000. Lendl’s 75th title (7th major) Two months later, 25-year-old Mecir won at Indian Wells and it was a moment when his downhill started. The unorthodox Czechoslovakian player hammered by injuries finished his career after Wimbledon ’90.