2 Responses to mc87wilander_arias

1. Voo de Mar says:

   November 25, 2025 at 2:49 pm

   Points won by each set: | 23-32, 36-32, 31-15, 30-22 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   26 % Wilander – 29 of 109
   5 % Arias – 6 of 112

   Wilander [5] and six days older Arias [53], two prodigies born in 1964, who had won their first professional matches as 16-year-old boys, therefore a great rivalry between them could have been anticipated pondering about the entire 80s, yet nothing like that happened because Arias sunk into mediocrity in the mid 80s. At Monte Carlo ’87 he somehow channelled his best tennis from his teenage years by reaching his first Grand Prix final in almost two years. In the 1st set of the final his performance initially looked mind-boggling as he broke in the opening game, and was producing winners all over the place (struck 21 in the 1st set!!, Wilander 2). The Swede, known as a brilliant tactician, accelerated his serves and returns which changed the complexion of the encounter. He already led 3:0* (30/0) in the 2nd set, from 5-all onwards his superiority was unquestionable. Arias had claimed 5 titles as a teenager, he didn’t add any in his 20s, losing seven consecutive finals, that biggest one in Monaco was the fourth in the streak.

   Wilander’s route to his 23rd title:
   2 Jan Gunnarsson 6-3, 6-2
   3 Thierry Tulasne 7-5, 6-3
   Q Andrey Chesnokov 6-1, 6-3
   S Ulf Stenlund 6-2, 6-2
   W Jimmy Arias 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-3

   Serve & volley: Wilander 5/17, Arias 4/7

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   November 25, 2025 at 3:18 pm

   ☆ Wilander didn’t officially win a Mercedes Super 9/Masters 1K title,
   but if we count those biggest tournaments one tier below the Slams in the 80s, he claimed 8 big titles (beside 7 Slams):

   1983 – Monte Carlo, Cincinnati
   1984 – Cincinnati
   1986 – Cincinnati
   1987 – Monte Carlo, Rome,
   1988 – Key Biscayne, Cincinnati

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