wb91wheaton_lendl

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1 Response to wb91wheaton_lendl

  1. Voo de Mar says:
    Points won by each set: | 29-21, 29-35, 48-48, 30-23 |
    Points won directly behind the serve:
    47 % Wheaton – 62 of 131
    40 % Lendl – 53 of 132

    [3] Lendl’s last reasonable chance to conquer Wimbledon. Just like a year before he skipped the French Open to have more time to prepare himself for the grass season. In 1990 he reached the semifinal at Wimbledon quite convincingly, in 1991 he was on the verge of elimination already in the second round facing Washington. On Centre Court against Wheaton [20], Lendl’s only argument it was his huge experience on this particular court. Wheaton was a natural serve-and-volleyer, moreover a Top 5 server in the early 90s without any doubts. In the most balanced 3rd set, the American already led 5:2* (deuce), then he saved a double mini-set point at 5-all – forehand volley, Lendl’s missed return off the second serve. In the ensuing tie-break the progress of the set was repeated: Wheaton led 4:1*, but Lendl had a set point leading 6:5* – the nine years younger Wheaton played a backhand stretched-volley forcing an error. Great reflex-volley an 6-all, BH return winner at 7:6, and Lendl’s dreams to have won all Slams began to evaporate. Admittedly he led 2:1* (40/15) in the 4th set, but Wheaton managed to win 5 of the last 6 games playing great grass-court tennis, and he kept this shape for another two matches to reach his lone major semifinal.
    The scoreline of their Wimbledon encounter (given the first three sets) was almost repeated three years later in Washington D.C. as Wheaton survived 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(8) withstanding two match points in the tie-break. Lendl enjoyed winning H2Hs against other best servers of the early 90s who were attacking the net behind the serve on faster surfaces: 6-1 Stich, 5-1 Ivanisevic and Forget. Yet he had a 3-5 record against Wheaton; I think the explanation is Wheaton’s very solid two-handed backhand.

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