1 Response to toulouse82noah_smid

1. Voo de Mar says:

   December 15, 2025 at 7:42 pm

   1982: Points won by each set: | 30-22, 29-16 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   36 % Noah – 18 of 49
   6 % Smid – 3 of 48

   1985: Points won by each set: | 32-24, 34-27 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   47 % Noah – 27 of 57
   23 % Smid – 14 of 60

   Comparison of two finals between the same players (top seeded in both cases) in the initial editions of the event held on hardcourts (GreenSet) in Palais des Sports de Toulouse (the years 1982-2000). Both finals reflected the unprecedented transition in racquet technology witnessed in the first half of the 80s: in 1982 Noah [11] was using a wood-graphite composite while Smid [25] was still playing with a wooden racquet, three years later the Frenchman [8] would switch to a fully graphite racquet while Smid [17] picked up a wood-graphite composite (in both cases the brands were unchanged: Le Coq Sportif for Noah, Slazenger for Smid). In 1982 Noah was returning almost all Smid’s serves, so the match was one-sided from start to finish, three years later Smid played much better, in the 1st set he led 4:3* (30/0) when had a good position to pass Noah with his backhand, in the 2nd set he led on serve until 3:2. Noah finished the contest in a spectacular style with the help of a tweener. “This is my third tournament victory this year and I have no reason to be unhappy,” the top-seeded Noah said after the ’85 final. “You can never let up against a player like Smid because you know that he’s going to keep coming at you. I had to play a complete game. I served and returned well.”

   Noah’s route to his 11th title:
   1 Paul Torre 6-2, 6-2
   2 Robert Reininger 7-5, 1-6, 6-1
   Q Anders Jarryd 6-4, 6-4
   S Stanislav Birner 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
   W Tomas Smid 6-3, 6-2

   Noah’s route to his 17th title:
   1 Ricardo Acuna 7-6(3), 6-1
   2 Mark Dickson 7-6, 6-1
   Q Jakob Hlasek 6-3, 7-5
   S Guy Forget 6-4, 6-2
   W Tomas Smid 6-4, 6-4

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