Lendl-Gerulaitis 1981 Volvo Masters 3rd Set Tiebreak

Ivan Lendl had a somewhat unfair reputation as a player who folded in the clutch as a young up-and-comer. The 1981 Masters triumph was probably his first truly great accomplishment as a tennis professional and one he truly had to earn against American Vitas Gerulaitis. Down two sets and a match point, Lendl fought back to win 67(5), 26, 76(6), 62, 64. Here is the third set tiebreak in its entirety, with Gerulaitis looking to put the match away. Lendl has other ideas and shows the kind of mettle that one would expect of the champion he would become.

The Masters actually took place between 13-17 of January of 1982 at the Madison Square Garden in New York. However officially this is recorded as a 1981 event, as the Masters would eventually shift to November.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• ivan
• lendl
• tennis
• vitas
• gerulaitis
• new
• york
• grand
• prix
• volvo

[krosewall]

are you going to post the infamous head shot?

[chapaev36]

What set was that in?

[krosero]

Just four months earlier Gerulaitis had beaten Lendl in 5 sets at the US Open. I think if Lendl had pulled that one out, he would have had a great chance of beating McEnroe in the semis and meeting Borg in the final. Lendl had beaten Mac in straight sets at Flushing Meadow a month before the Open, in Davis Cup. And at this Masters, he beat Mac 6-4, 6-2 in the semis.

[chapaev36]

Thanks for the comments, krosero. Indeed, Lendl really troubled Mac around this time - at least until '83 when Mac made adjustments. I've been watching more Vitas matches lately and really appreciate his game more than ever now. He's not powerful nor without faults, but his placements are unreal.

[federergreatest]

Nobody beat Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row!

[BORGCONNORS]

I still remember this final in January 1982. Vitas played great until the tie break & he deserved to win but he was a little bit to passive on match point.

For personality my favorite tennis player, very Charismatic & Charming.

[subban]

Go Vitas,

[subban]

Go Vitas, If it was'nt for the drugs, he could have been one of the greatest!!

[timthemartin]

This is the only time that I have seen Lendl cross through with his right leg on service. Normally he leads with his left foot. He must have ben experimenting with it at the time.

[moxur]

how beautiful was this sport with wood raquests when u had to fight shot by shot, instead of today, when having this raquets the game is so fast and is hard to watch more than three shot every point

[moxur]

here, the most beautiful wood raquets ever:snawert gerulaitis and the besl shirt ever , the adidas lendl one

[KARVAYO777]

I had this recorded on VHS and though I would never see again as I lost it long time ago. It s fantastic to be able now to remember this,Masters where different those days than now,The Madison Square Garden with its atmosphere and the cameras filming from low level.

[bevanne12]

vitas was like a cat on the court...had the best footwork and speed to the net