1 Response to paris88mansdorf_gilbert

1. Voo de Mar says:

   March 7, 2025 at 2:37 am

   Points won by each set: | 34-27, 28-17, 34-27 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   20 % Mansdorf – 18 of 86
   27 % Gilbert – 22 of 81

   23-year-old Mansdorf, the best Israeli in the Open Era, enjoyed the best two weeks of his tennis life in Europe between October 24 and November 6, 1988. # He came to Paris as a player ranked No. 33, and had plenty of luck at the beginning, because the best player in the world – Wilander – withdrew from their match in the last moment due to flu; the potential substitutes already left France, so Mansdorf didn’t face a ‘lucky loser’.
   Certainly it helped him to conserve the required energy for another matches: he won them in straight sets, and entered the biggest all-🇮🇱Jewish final of the Open Era being relatively fresh. Generally speaking Mansdorf and Gilbert [23] were playing very similar classical & elegant tennis, already archaic ten years later; on that day the fitter Mansdorf was more patient during careful rallies, and he won the final smoother than anyone could have expected, especially that Gilbert had easily defeated Mansdorf two weeks before in the Tel Aviv semifinal. The crucial moment came at *5:3 in the 1st set as Mansdorf emerged victorious from a spectacular rally at the net saving a break point. In the 2nd set he broke twice to get a 4:0* lead, Gilbert responded trying to change the pace of the match attacking the net frequently, but in vain… As opposed to the first two editions of the years 1986-87, the year 1988 marked the elevation of Paris-Bercy in men’s tennis structure. It was the first year it could have been called “the biggest indoor event of the regular season” despite a somewhat disappointing field. Mansdorf earned $262.000, more than ten times his best previous tournament pay-check. “I was taking a lot of chances on the big points, and the ball was going in,” said Mansdorf after the final, “When I came to Paris I saw the draw and thought I got unlucky to play the No. 1 player in the world in the first round in a big tournament. But I just got lucky this time.“ The unexpected triumph in the French capital it was such a confidence booster for the Israeli that in the following week he reached the semifinals in Antwerp (the most prestigious ‘exho’ event at the time), stunning No. 2, the defending champion Ivan Lendl 6-2, 6-2 in the second round!

   Mansdorf’s route to his 4th title:
   1 Mats Wilander w/o
   2 Derrick Rostagno 6-3, 6-2
   Q Aaron Krickstein 6-3, 7-6(2)
   S Jakob Hlasek 7-6(8), 7-6(2)
   W Brad Gilbert 6-3, 6-2, 6-3

   Serve & volley: Mansdorf 2/3, Gilbert 7/9

   # Wilander withdrew just before his match, three other best players (Lendl, Becker, Edberg) skipped Paris for different reasons.
   A situation of a first round withdrawal without a ‘lucky loser’ replacement won’t be repeated until Stockholm 2002 when Hewitt d. Enqvist w/o

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