2 Responses to rg82wilander_vilas

1. Voo de Mar says:

   September 14, 2023 at 11:58 am

   Preparing the picture I used this thread

   Points won by each set: | 21-33, 46-47, 26-12, 34-32 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   6 % Wilander – 7 of 117
   7 % Vilas – 10 of 134

   That marathon it was a total novelty at the time. 41 years later, it’s still a match with a few unbeaten records as far as the finals are concerned. Above all, no-one before or after, played such a long match with so few total points. Until the recent US Open final, each set of the Wilander-Vilas final, was the longest given a specific score in a Grand Slam final. 4 hours 42 minutes it lasted in total, in Paris it was an unbeaten record for a 4-set battle until 2005 when Nadal defeated Mathieu after 4 hours 53 minutes; in 1987 Wilander was involved in a five-minute longer 4-set major final as he lost to Lendl at the US Open #. Prior to the Aussie Open 1987 Wilander and Vilas had played the longest game in terms of time comparing major finals (18 minutes, six deuces as Vilas raced to a 5:0 lead), they still have played the longest rally (90 strokes at 2-all ‘deuce’ in the 4th set, concluded with Wilander’s BH winner, after 3 minutes!).
   It was incredible that 17-year-old Wilander overcame the twelve years older opponent. He admitted afterward that he couldn’t believe in victory after the 1st set, in which he actually didn’t play badly; he was simply losing the vast majority of gruelling rallies. It changed after the opener. The serve meant nothing in that final, thus the spectators witnessed six consecutive breaks of serve in the 2nd set, with break points in eight (Wilander withstood break point chances for Vilas in games no. 1 and 11). Even though both players were returning all second serves for almost five hours, Vilas missed one, which was crucial – he decided to gamble, attacking the net with his return having a set point at 6:5* in the 16-minute tie-break, but sent his forehand long. In the 4th set he led *2:0, and there was 4-all (30-all), but the Swedish teenage sensation managed to get 6 out of the last 7 points, converting his first match point with a backhand winner (landed on the baseline) from the forehand corner. “It doesn’t matter that I’m the youngest ever champion, the most important thing is just to win,” said the youngest Grand Slam champion at the time. “I was very tired in the fourth set, and had a cramp in my arm, but playing slowly was the only way to beat Vilas.” It’s mind-blowing how 17-year-old kid could survive such a marathon against fully developed physically, very experienced man. I think one factor is extremely important: technology. The early 80s it was a transition from wooden to aluminium/graphite rackets. Wilander was using the graphite racket (Rossignol) since the beginning of his career which gave him an edge (topspins, less running) during rallies over older players who were still using obsolete equipment; Vilas was playing with a wood/graphite composite (Head).

   Wilander’s route to his maiden title:
   1 Alejandro Cortes 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
   2 Cassio Motta 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
   3 Fernando Luna 6-3, 6-1, 6-0
   4 Ivan Lendl 4-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
   Q Vitas Gerulaitis 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
   S Jose-Luis Clerc 7-5, 6-2, 1-6, 7-5
   W Guillermo Vilas 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-0, 6-4

   # Comparison of Wilander’s marathon 4-set finals at majors:
   1982 (Paris): Wilander d. Vilas 1-6, 7-6, 6-0, 6-4… 4 hours 42 minutes… Total points: 127-124 (breaks: 9-7)
   1987 (NYC): Lendl d. Wilander 6-7, 6-0, 7-6, 6-4… 4 hours 47 minutes… Total points: 160-142 (breaks: 8-4)
   

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   September 14, 2023 at 1:33 pm

   Teenagers to become the Grand Slam champions for the first time:
   17 years 3 months, Michael Chang (Roland Garros ’89)
   17 years 7 months, Boris Becker (Wimbledon ’85)
   17 years 9 months, Mats Wilander (Roland Garros ’82)
   17 years 11 months, Bjorn Borg (Roland Garros ’74)
   18 years 11 months, Rafael Nadal (Roland Garros ’05)
   19 years 28 days, Pete Sampras (US Open ’90)
   19 years 3 months, Carlos Alcaraz (US Open ’22)
   19 years 10 months, Stefan Edberg (Australian Open ’85)

   * Borg, Wilander, Becker & Nadal won two majors as teenagers

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