2 Responses to basel85.86edberg_noah

1. Voo de Mar says:

   January 28, 2025 at 3:02 pm

   Back-to-back serve-and-volley Basel finals played between the same guys on a hard court (GreenSet) indoors; there were a few baseline rallies on Noah’s serve;
   a 10-minute loker-room break after 3rd set of each final (I’ve counted a regular 2-minute break instead)

   Points won by each set: | 37-41, 32-26, 41-41, 38-23 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   30 % Edberg – 41 of 135
   28 % Noah – 41 of 144

   Just sixth final in [8] Edberg’s career, but already his second against Noah [5]. Previously when they met in Memphis, Noah was injured and couldn’t have played at his standard level, losing the serve constantly. In they both Basel finals breaking the opponent’s serve turned to be a very difficult task. In the 1985 edition just one break in the first two sets (Edberg broke in the first game of the 2nd set; before it happened he’d squandered a set point at 7:6* in the tie-break – improving from 4:6 – as he made a backhand error off Noah’s second serve). In the crucial 3rd set Edberg led 4:2* (40/30) – Noah fired an ace to avoid a double break deficit. In the 2nd tie-break Edberg led *4:1, Noah levelled at 4-all, but at *5:6 he made a casual volley error. The 4th set Edberg opened holding after four deuces, then broke at 1:0 and 4:1.

   Edberg’s route to his 4th title:
   1 Jakob Hlasek 6-3, 6-1
   2 Balazs Taroczy 7-6, 6-2
   Q Hans Schawier 6-1, 6-4
   S Wojtek Fibak 6-3, 6-1
   W Yannick Noah 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-1

   ==========================================================

   Points won by each set: | 48-44, 29-21, 45-45, 43-39 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   31 % Edberg – 45 of 144
   28 % Noah – 48 of 170

   Twelve months later Edberg [4] looked basically the same while Noah [8] had shaved his face. Until the latter stages of the 3rd set the Swede had no problems to hold his serve: at 4:5 and 5:6 he saved set points, and improved in the tie-break from *1:5 and 3:6 to 7:6 on his serve. When he could have expected that the set would be his after withstanding six set points, Noah played one of his best backhand returns counting their eight mutually manufactured sets in Basel. The Frenchman fought off three mini-match points at 3:4 in the 4th set, and a decider seemed inevitable as he established a *4:1 lead in the tie-break – Edberg’s backhand cross-court return landed on the line. There was 5-all when Edberg took the last two points finishing the event with a FH-volley winner, celebrating against the rules before the second bounce (the ball was beyond Noah’s reach though). Their third Basel final could not come true because Edberg skipped the ’87 edition while Noah was injured and skipped the entire Autumn ’88 – Noah triumphed in Basel ’87 defeating Agenor in the final, Edberg advanced to the Basel final again in 1988, and needed four sets again to capture the title for the third time in three trips within four seasons. In 1989, when Edberg played the final for the fourth time there (lost to Courier), Noah – in the last good season of his career – didn’t appear in Switzerland.

   Edberg’s route to his 7th title:
   1 Rolf Hertzog 6-0, 6-1
   2 Claudio Mezzardi 6-1, 6-4
   Q Stefan Eriksson 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
   S Brad Gilbert 7-6(5), 6-2
   W Yannick Noah 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-7(7), 7-6(5)

   # Comparison of their two Basel finals:
   1985: Edberg d. Noah 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-1… 2 hours 41 minutes… Total points: 148-131… Breaks: 4-1
   1986: Edberg d. Noah 7-6, 6-2, 6-7, 7-6… 3 hours 20 minutes… Total points: 165-149… Breaks: 2-0

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   January 28, 2025 at 4:25 pm

   Edberg, triumphing in Basel twice in a row, showcased a lot of maturity even though he was just 19/20 (his both Swiss titles were separated by his first major crown – the Aussie Open). In the mid 80s he was applying the art of attacking the net as a receiver following his returns regardless of either 1st or 2nd serve of his opponents. This tactics which had featured many of decades in the wooden racquet times, was generally neglected at the time Edberg was an upcoming player.
   Edberg would win two Grand Prix finals after four-setters against the same player again in the future, he did it against Svensson (Stockholm ’87 and Stuttgart ’91).
   Coincidentally neither Noah (0-6) nor Svensson (0-10) defeated Edberg despite many tries.

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