1 Response to wb85leconte_lendl

1. Voo de Mar says:

   February 19, 2025 at 4:03 pm

   Points won by each set: | 25-32, 27-22, 29-19, 33-19 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   37 % Leconte – 36 of 95
   33 % Lendl – 37 of 111

   Lendl [2] established himself as the (second) best player of the world in the mid-80s; he was overwhelming many good players, but the things were tricky as he was facing the two best Frenchmen. After that Wimbledon fourth round, the second best man from France – Leconte [26] led 5:3 (!) in H2H against Lendl despite just one Slam quarterfinal juxtaposed with Lendl’s 7 finals at this level (1:6 record). In 1986, Lendl led just 7:6 against the best Frenchman Noah. Both Leconte and Noah had different styles, yet they both were able to enter the zone, having the crowd behind them, and making Lendl’s methodical approach uncomfortable… Leconte found his inner power at *3:4 in the 2nd set, and something what seemed like a routine 3-set victory for the Czechoslovak turned into an easy 4-set victory for Leconte. Especially the game at 4-all was crucial: Leconte played a lucky defensive lob and two brilliant DTL passing-shots to break his opponent for the first time (Lendl got a warning for obscenity). Afterwards he was playing freely as a more natural grass-court player, breaking Lendl twice in the 3rd set, and thrice in the 4th set. Lendl couldn’t have held his serve in the last four attempts… In the second half of the 80s Lendl solved the French puzzle, and dominated his both nemesis, finishing at 9-5 against Leconte (two major confrontations: US Open ’86 and Wimbledon ’87) and 11-7 against Noah.

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