Ivan Lendl reached 10 semifinals or better on grass courts in the grand slams.
Lendl's struggles at Wimbledon are well-documented, but of course, it's not to say he didn't do well there. What many fans of tennis have forgotten is his Ivan's results in another slam held on grass were pretty good, too.
The Australian Open was the grand slam that no one wanted to play. For one, it was played in December, when you want to be at home. For another, the prize money was very little. Finally, it was played on grass. Around December and even in January where it was eventually moved (They even played two, one in January and one in December of 1977) in 1987, were many tournaments played indoors. So it didn't make sense to break the cycle of playing on the same surface to travel all the way Down Under. The Australian Open was played on grass.
So that should have discouraged Lendl. He actually gave it a try down there in 1980, and was seeded second. But Ivan lost in the second round. Three years later (He did not play in it in 1981 and 1982), Lendl gave it another shot. This time, he beat hometown boy Pat Cash in the round of 16, fellow countrymen Tomas Smid in the quarters and Tim Mayotte in the semifinals. But waiting in the finals was Swede, Mats Wilander. Lendl won only nine games in the straight set defeat.
Lendl had played in his first ever semifinals in a grand slam played on grass earlier in '83. He lost to John McEnroe at Wimbledon. The next year, he got to the same round, losing to Jimmy Connors. McEnroe routed Connors in the finals. Lendl again played in Australia that year, but only won three matches.
At Wimbledon in 1985, the year Boris Becker made his first big splash at the tender age of 17, Lendl only made it to the fourth round, losing to France's Henri Leconte. His Australian Open was much better. Having finally won the US Open following three straight finals losses, Lendl headed back to Australia, determined to win his first Grand Slam on grass. But waiting in his path was Stefan Edberg. Stefan was a Swedish teenager at the time, much like Wilander in 1983.
But Edberg had that serve-and-volley game that drove Lendl crazy. Ivan stayed right with the young man, and this thing was destined to go five. Edberg, seeking his first grand slam tournament win, snatched it 9-7 in the fifth. In the finals, he made short work of Wilander.
Lendl might have had thoughts of coming back and winning it in 1986, because he reached the finals at Wimbledon for the first time. Lendl, however, had all sorts of problems in the semifinals again. While he managed to prevail against unseeded Slobodan Zivojinovic, it took five sets. Boris Becker, back for a chance at back-to-back wins, made it abundantly clear his win the previous year was no fluke. He beat Lendl 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 in the finals. This was the first of three losses to Becker by Lendl at Wimbledon.
No Australian Open was held in 1986, however. The decision was made to move it to January, hoping to attract a larger audience. Obviously, it could not be held in '86.
The first slam of 1987 was a grim reminder to Lendl of what he would face at Wimbledon. Reaching the semifinals for the second straight time, he faced Pat Cash. It went four, and Pat took the first and third sets in tiebreakers. That helped propel Cash to the win. Pat could not, however, overcome Stefan Edberg in the finals. This ended up being the last ever Australian Open held on grass, as the tournament moved to Flinder's Park the next season. The surface was now a form of hard court that Lendl found to his liking. Within three years, Ivan had himself a pair of Australian Opens.
But Wimbledon remained elusive.
1987 was Lendl's best chance to win it. Becker somehow lost early. Ivan beat Stefan Edberg in the semifinals. He was playing well. Now, only Pat Cash remained. But the frequently injured Australian played one amazing finals. He put pressure on Lendl's serve from the get-go. Cash had a set point at 4-5 in the first, only to see Lendl come up with some big serves and net play. The set went to a tiebreaker. Lendl fought off four set points from 1-6, but Cash took it eventually, 7-5.
Cash raced through the second without losing a point on his serve. Lendl, making one last gasp, broke him early in the third. But serving for the set at 5-3, he came undone with a double fault. Pat motored on in from there. Lendl didn't win another game.
Lendl was back in the final four in 1988, as he looked across the net to his old pal Becker (Who upended Cash in just three sets in the quarterfinals). Lendl looked lost for two sets. An exciting tiebreaker was to follow, with both competitors going back and forth, toe to toe. Lendl managed to outlast the German, 10-8. Play at this point was suspended, sadly. Becker came back the next day and scrapped his way to a 6-4 win in the fourth set.
When the two players met again the next year, same round, Lendl looked like he finally had him. Ahead two sets to one, the Czech was looking poised and ready to overcome adversary. However, fate again intervened. A rain delay stopped play in the fourth with Ivan up a break. When the action resumed, Boris stormed back to win the next two sets. So close, yet so far again for Lendl.
Lendl had one last shot at the great trophy that eluded him in 1990. Now 30 years old, and having raised his second Australian Open crown in January, Lendl decided to skip the French Open (Having already won it three times) to do some grass-court refining. This helped him beat Boris Becker in straight sets in the finals at Queens. Lendl won 6-3, 6-2. A bit of revenge.
However, none of that could stop a third straight Becker-Edberg finals. Lendl made it to the semifinals for the seventh time in his career. But it was Edberg playing at an even higher level than he'd showed Lendl in Australia five years ago. The Swede, serving and returning amazing all match long, needed less than two hours to hand the hard-luck Czech a straight set defeat. Edberg went on to conquer Becker in the finals in five.
A tough run for Lendl. He'd conquered all surfaces except grass. Despite that, he'd put together a pretty good record on lawn tennis. The play there just did not suite his style, despite a strong first serve. Lendl preferred to hang back at the baseline and win the big, long rally. But grass, ever so fast, does allow players to do that, except in more recent years. It was Lendl's misfortune to come along when McEnroe and Connors were still good, Wilander had some surprising results, and three guys named Cash, Becker and Edberg came along.
Feinstein, John. Hard Courts. New York: Villard, 1991. Print.
Lendl's struggles at Wimbledon are well-documented, but of course, it's not to say he didn't do well there. What many fans of tennis have forgotten is his Ivan's results in another slam held on grass were pretty good, too.
The Australian Open was the grand slam that no one wanted to play. For one, it was played in December, when you want to be at home. For another, the prize money was very little. Finally, it was played on grass. Around December and even in January where it was eventually moved (They even played two, one in January and one in December of 1977) in 1987, were many tournaments played indoors. So it didn't make sense to break the cycle of playing on the same surface to travel all the way Down Under. The Australian Open was played on grass.
So that should have discouraged Lendl. He actually gave it a try down there in 1980, and was seeded second. But Ivan lost in the second round. Three years later (He did not play in it in 1981 and 1982), Lendl gave it another shot. This time, he beat hometown boy Pat Cash in the round of 16, fellow countrymen Tomas Smid in the quarters and Tim Mayotte in the semifinals. But waiting in the finals was Swede, Mats Wilander. Lendl won only nine games in the straight set defeat.
Lendl had played in his first ever semifinals in a grand slam played on grass earlier in '83. He lost to John McEnroe at Wimbledon. The next year, he got to the same round, losing to Jimmy Connors. McEnroe routed Connors in the finals. Lendl again played in Australia that year, but only won three matches.
At Wimbledon in 1985, the year Boris Becker made his first big splash at the tender age of 17, Lendl only made it to the fourth round, losing to France's Henri Leconte. His Australian Open was much better. Having finally won the US Open following three straight finals losses, Lendl headed back to Australia, determined to win his first Grand Slam on grass. But waiting in his path was Stefan Edberg. Stefan was a Swedish teenager at the time, much like Wilander in 1983.
But Edberg had that serve-and-volley game that drove Lendl crazy. Ivan stayed right with the young man, and this thing was destined to go five. Edberg, seeking his first grand slam tournament win, snatched it 9-7 in the fifth. In the finals, he made short work of Wilander.
Lendl might have had thoughts of coming back and winning it in 1986, because he reached the finals at Wimbledon for the first time. Lendl, however, had all sorts of problems in the semifinals again. While he managed to prevail against unseeded Slobodan Zivojinovic, it took five sets. Boris Becker, back for a chance at back-to-back wins, made it abundantly clear his win the previous year was no fluke. He beat Lendl 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 in the finals. This was the first of three losses to Becker by Lendl at Wimbledon.
No Australian Open was held in 1986, however. The decision was made to move it to January, hoping to attract a larger audience. Obviously, it could not be held in '86.
The first slam of 1987 was a grim reminder to Lendl of what he would face at Wimbledon. Reaching the semifinals for the second straight time, he faced Pat Cash. It went four, and Pat took the first and third sets in tiebreakers. That helped propel Cash to the win. Pat could not, however, overcome Stefan Edberg in the finals. This ended up being the last ever Australian Open held on grass, as the tournament moved to Flinder's Park the next season. The surface was now a form of hard court that Lendl found to his liking. Within three years, Ivan had himself a pair of Australian Opens.
But Wimbledon remained elusive.
1987 was Lendl's best chance to win it. Becker somehow lost early. Ivan beat Stefan Edberg in the semifinals. He was playing well. Now, only Pat Cash remained. But the frequently injured Australian played one amazing finals. He put pressure on Lendl's serve from the get-go. Cash had a set point at 4-5 in the first, only to see Lendl come up with some big serves and net play. The set went to a tiebreaker. Lendl fought off four set points from 1-6, but Cash took it eventually, 7-5.
Cash raced through the second without losing a point on his serve. Lendl, making one last gasp, broke him early in the third. But serving for the set at 5-3, he came undone with a double fault. Pat motored on in from there. Lendl didn't win another game.
Lendl was back in the final four in 1988, as he looked across the net to his old pal Becker (Who upended Cash in just three sets in the quarterfinals). Lendl looked lost for two sets. An exciting tiebreaker was to follow, with both competitors going back and forth, toe to toe. Lendl managed to outlast the German, 10-8. Play at this point was suspended, sadly. Becker came back the next day and scrapped his way to a 6-4 win in the fourth set.
When the two players met again the next year, same round, Lendl looked like he finally had him. Ahead two sets to one, the Czech was looking poised and ready to overcome adversary. However, fate again intervened. A rain delay stopped play in the fourth with Ivan up a break. When the action resumed, Boris stormed back to win the next two sets. So close, yet so far again for Lendl.
Lendl had one last shot at the great trophy that eluded him in 1990. Now 30 years old, and having raised his second Australian Open crown in January, Lendl decided to skip the French Open (Having already won it three times) to do some grass-court refining. This helped him beat Boris Becker in straight sets in the finals at Queens. Lendl won 6-3, 6-2. A bit of revenge.
However, none of that could stop a third straight Becker-Edberg finals. Lendl made it to the semifinals for the seventh time in his career. But it was Edberg playing at an even higher level than he'd showed Lendl in Australia five years ago. The Swede, serving and returning amazing all match long, needed less than two hours to hand the hard-luck Czech a straight set defeat. Edberg went on to conquer Becker in the finals in five.
A tough run for Lendl. He'd conquered all surfaces except grass. Despite that, he'd put together a pretty good record on lawn tennis. The play there just did not suite his style, despite a strong first serve. Lendl preferred to hang back at the baseline and win the big, long rally. But grass, ever so fast, does allow players to do that, except in more recent years. It was Lendl's misfortune to come along when McEnroe and Connors were still good, Wilander had some surprising results, and three guys named Cash, Becker and Edberg came along.
References
Collins, Bud. The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. Washington, D.C.: New Chapter, 2010. Print.
Philip, Robert. Agassi: The Fall and Rise of the Enfant Terrible of Tennis. London: Bloomsbury, 1993. Print.
Haylett, John, and Richard Evans. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Tennis. New York: Exeter, 1989. Print.
Callery, Sean. The Pictorial History of Tennis. New York: Gallery, 1990. Print.
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