French Open 1982 Final - Mats Wilander v Guillermo Vilas (part 1)

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[@MrJeepsters]

La progression de Wilander en 1982 est incroyable. En septembre 1981, il prend 6-1/6-1 contre Borg à Genève (terre battue). 8 mois après, il gagne après, il gagne Rolland Garros contre tous les spécialistes en étant inconnu.

[@luclamainfroide7820]

Il a des références il a gagné roland garros junior un des rares à avoir gagné les 2 tournois.

[@mubarak3457]

Tennis players were so elegant in those days

[@zeddeka]

Wilander said many years later that he felt Vilas was badly affected by nerves in this match, which may be one of the reasons why he faded so badly physically. All the pressure was on him.

[@mubarak3457]

That Cerruti polo was something 👍👍👍👍

[@SuperHammaren]

Wilander makes several unforced errors in the first set, then he realised that keeping the ball in play and well within the lines made Vilas do these errors (he seemed stressed). Very smart of an 17 years old player.

[@vanlendl1]

For me, Vilas ran out of gas.

[@SuperHammaren]

@@vanlendl1 If that is the case, then he did that in all coming matches versus Wilander as well. Never winning one set in any of their matches. For me, it seems Wilander had Vilas number after losing the first three sets their played (in Madrid and RG) never lost another one.

[@vanlendl1]

@@SuperHammaren After winning RG, Wilander made mentally a big step. No surprise for me. And yes, Wilander knew his number. Btw, I have two of these Rossignol racquets. Vilas needed to win the second set tie-breaker.

[@baya4303]

Incroyable talent par mats

[@alexvanroth175]

What moon ballers. Players today would put these points away after one shot. Love both these players but the French clay was ridiculously slow back then.

[@Uns_Maps_8]

Amazingly long rallies. They were basically just putting the ball in play 18:00

[@pedroV2003]

Wilander and Vilas two of my all time favorite players. I wish I could have been at this match. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that until now I had never noticed that Mats lets go of his left hand when he hits his two handed backhand much like Borg.

[@MultiStar83]

Yes, but that is bad hitting technique to be honest, no matter if Borg did it, Wilander did it, etc. You are taught by tennis teachers to not let the left hand go when hitting a two-handed backhand...

[@pedroV2003]

@@MultiStar83 I would like to hear a tennis instructor explain why its bad technique.

[@MultiStar83]

@@pedroV2003 Just because it is not the way you are taught to hit the two-handed backhand. If you are a beginner in tennis and a tennis coach is watching that you are hitting a two-handed backhand like that, he will try to correct it normally. When swinging the tennis racket over your shoulder both hands are supposed to stay on the racket. I am not a tennis instructor myself, but I am sure he or she will tell you the same. Of course you may have an effective backhand playing the style like Borg, Wilander, etc., but will not find it in the textbooks.

[@pedroV2003]

I’m not doubting what you’re saying but it’s not what I was asking. I would like the tennis pro to explain to me why letting go of the left hand after contact is a bad thing.

[@MultiStar83]

@@pedroV2003 My guess would be that you have more control over the shot when both hands stay on the racket at swinging over the shoulder. But yes, I am not a tennis pro or real expert.

[@lisasmith8554]

looking back at this, because of wood racquets, its seems they are playing in slow motion with not much pace. This was quite boring with all these long rallies. Wilander did learn later in his career how to be much more aggressive and come to the net

[@paolomontemurro2569]

This type of playing was invented by Borg,very lifted shots high over the net

[@patrickgauthier-manuel5817]

Vilas missed the set point in the second set , it's a pity.

[@bobcolbert1449]

Yes. He would have won the match ...

[@McClernand4]

@@bobcolbert1449 I don't think so. He was already exhausted. He would have lost in 5 sets instead of 4, I think.

[@coreyap1]

As much as I love Vilas, he played not to win but not to lose. Way way too passive. What was Tiriac thinking??

[@bobcolbert1449]

True. Very bad tactic. Tiriac often helped Vilas win, but here he was wrong

[@zeddeka]

Wilander said years later that he felt Vilas was badly affected by nerves after that first set- all the pressure was on him.

[@cpollero53]

I agree, Vilas should have attacked the net as he did against Connors in the US Open final in 77

[@onnyparun3244]

Vilas led 5:0 in the first set and was physically at the end

[@McClernand4]

absolutely. By the start of the second set, he had already lots the final, I Guess.

[@laurenttriaille1077]

He was overweight 5 kg more because he eat a lot of chocolate with Caroline the weeks before, and the first rounds were very easy to win so he didn't loose weight and he arrived to big for the final ... In 1980 he was very skinny.

[@vanlendl1]

He was too heavy for those baseline rallies. But the second set tie breaker was close.

[@robertcampbell5769]

I believe that even Wilander admitted this match was boring. All that loopy topspin. Who's going to miss first?

[@vanlendl1]

Wilander thought, that he could play all day long. But, second set tie breaker was close. If Vilas would have won the second set, who knows .... .

[@stephaneamady1745]

si ma mémoire ne me fait pas defaut Vilas était invaincu avant de jouer à Roland ça s'est joué a pas grand chose pour qu'il le reste. si il avait mené 2 sets a zéro il aurait surement gagné le match

[@ericl229]

Guillermo était pas dans son état habituel, quand on voit ce qu'il avait fait à Noah et Higueras, en plus il doit mener 2 sets 0 après il flanche physiquement, mentalement, il est tombé dans un total faut rythme.

[@bobcolbert1449]

@@ericl229 Exactement. 13 ans d'écart, température caniculaire, ce n'était pas un bon choix d'essayer de gagner à l'usure ... Vilas est passé tout près quand même mais la tactique était clairement très mauvaise.

[@McClernand4]

Justement, je ne crois pas. Il était déjà physiquement épuisé. Il n'avait plus les ressources nécessaires pour gagner encore tout un set, à mon avis. Il se serait produit le même scénario que celui de la finale Borg-Orantes, 8 ans plus tôt : Orantes avait réussi à mener deux sets à zéro en arrachant le second set au tie-break. Mais après, il n'a plus existé, pendant les 3 sets suivants, tellement il était cuit. Et Dieu sait pourtant si j'étais pour Guillermo, mon idole de jeunesse.

[@stephaneamady1745]

@@McClernand4 possible. De toute façon Guillermo s est trompé de tactique en voulant jouer l'usure avec un joueur qui avait battu Lendl et Clerc qui étaient de gros clients sur terre Il aurait aller plus vers l avant. Abréger les points quand il en avait l occasion comme il l avait fait contre Noah en quart et Higueras en demi. Il a un peu sous estimé Mats

[@McClernand4]

@@stephaneamady1745 Je suis d'accord. Il aurait dû se montrer plus agressif. Par exemple, en montant derrière de grosses balles liftées sur le revers de Mats, afin d'empêcher ce dernier d'ajuster des passings trop précis (comme Noah le ferait l'année suivante). Avec cette tactique d'usure, je pense que la finale était d'ores et déjà perdue pour lui, dès le milieu du second set. ce que je ne comprends pas, c'est qu'il ait pu sous-estimer Mats, malgré toutes les victoires accumulées par celui-ci, jusqu'à la finale. On ne bat pas successivement Lendl, Gerulaitis et Clerc par chance ou par accident. Passe encore pour Lendl en 1/8ème, qui avait un peu "balancé" le match, il faut bien le dire. Mais ensuite, il a fait mieux que confirmer, contre d'autres favoris du tournoi.

[@helix1061]

Each point can last 2 to 3 minutes on these slow courts.

[@bobcolbert1449]

Vilas too defensive. He got tired quickly.

[@marcusmaher-triskellionfil5158]

The 2nd point of the 1st set was a 59 shot rally that lasted 1 min 48 seconds, this was the pattern of the game right there. I like Mats but he just was moon balling rallies and most of the time he just outlasted his opponent, he couldn't get away with that today as most would just smash anything short.

[@alberts2208]

Wilander would not play the same style with racket and string technologies these days

[@SuperHammaren]

Look on AO 83/84 and you see him play quite different on a quicker surface. Here he is 17 years old and one can observe that Vilas one handed backhand has difficulties to handle high bounces while Wilander can take the ball quicker on the rise if he wants to. To move Vilas around was thus a great tactic. And, you know, the players in 2060 might play differently than today..

[@luclamainfroide7820]

Mate ce vil en der quand guillemo vit là.

[@robertsims6718]

I wonder if Vilas is underrated

[@Dasato123]

The AMF Head co. made a racket with his name on it. McEnroe, Conners, Navratilova, Wilander and most tennis greats didn’t get that honor.

[@MrJeepsters]

@@Dasato123 Lendl aussi.

[@MrJeepsters]

Vilas avait balayé tous ses adversaires avant Wilander. Il était archi-favori. Wilander l'a démoli physiquement. Vilas a réalisé une bonne année 82 : finalist à RG, demi-finaliste à l' US open.

[@jeremyd1021]

Overrated in my opinion

[@alexvanroth175]

Throw in a drop shot.

[@IvanLendl87]

While I genuinely liked both players, I vividly remember this being the single more boring GS final I’ve ever seen.

[@richardgosselin9548]

Haha. I'm 62 but I remember my Dad then asking me how I could watch this crap. He was not a fan of long rallies.

[@A.Lundberg.wp3du]

Vilas believed that Wilander was Borg.kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYe6mKKLn9yGsKs

[@davidr.5789]

Un match chiant comme la pluie.

[@jeremyd1021]

Possibly the most boring GS final in history. The recently retired Borg practiced with Wilander before the French Open that year. They played 20 sets together. No prizes for guessing who won every single set. Borg would have walked that year's tournament.I believe he presented the trophy that year, which must have been a very strange feeling for him.

[@henriksrensen3220]

Borg would not have won

[@jeremyd1021]

@@henriksrensen3220 They played competively once In Th geneva final of late 1981, Borg had lost interest by then. Still Borg beat him 6-1, 6-1 and Wilander fully admits that Borg gave him those two games so as not to double bagel him and shatter his confidence. 8 Months later if Borg would have played RG he would have won easily against Vilas, Wilander or anyone else who got to the final, no doubts about that at all.

[@mr.majestic3851]

@@jeremyd1021 Borg beat him in 3 sets twice here in final , 75 - 78 , So yeah he had a good chance to win 7 and 8 in 83, playing Noah .

[@badavi33]

One of very boring matches... ㅠㅠ