Talk:Ivan Lendl

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What is the source for the statement about the Flushing Meadows hardcourt on Lendl's lawn? Google only seems to find it on Wikipedia mirrors. -- Jao 08:36, Aug 13, 2004 (UTC)

I know that Ivan had talk about it himself, it is also stated in 2001 ATP Players Guide in Lendl's biography -- Feardes 14:10, 23 June 2007 (UTC)

I think we need a picture.

Contents 1 Lendl holds the record for the most Men's Grandslam single finals 2 Nationality 3 Supposed unofficial titles 3.1 Please add io:Ivan Lendl 4 Pronunciation

[edit] Lendl holds the record for the most Men's Grandslam single finals

Something often overlooked is that Lendl holds the record at 19 Grand Slam singles finals. Some people say - yes, but he lost 11, not a good record (42%). That is a nonsensical statement, because of the following illustration:

What represents a better record - Winning 8 Grandslam finals, and losing in the first round for 11 others - giving a grand slam final record of 100%. Or making 19 Grand slam finals losing 11 for a winning percentage of 42%. Obviously the latter because it is a far more impressive feat to make a Grand slam final than lose in the first round.

• • • • Sure Lendl has a poor percentage (42%) in Grand Slam tournaments finals but one can calculate Lendl's "Grand Slam tournaments finals played / Grand Slam tournaments played" percentage : it is probably one of the best in the "open era".

Carlo Colussi 10:28, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

However, 4 of Lendl's victories were against Mecir, Mecir, Pernfors, Edberg (injured), Mecir ad Pernfors being top-10 journeymen at best with no Grandslam titles to their name. So in reality, he only won 4 of his 18 Finals against champion-quality players. In an era littered with such players, Edberg, Wilander, McEnroe, Connors, Becker, Borg (partial), Sampras (partial), Agassi.

Also, Lendl was 1 of 7 at one point in Grand Slam finals. The only victory coming 1984 French Open against McEnroe in what is widely considered a result of McEnroe's own implosion on court while leading 2-0 and up a break too, I believe. By this time, Lendl had won numerous smaller tournaments in 1981,82,83,84,85. So this reflects his limitations as a "weak big-match player against the very elite competitors." I would say Lendl's 1985 US Open win over McEnroe was a rare big-match win. Only a 16-month frame in 1986-1987 was a period where he dominated all top-flight players of the time.

[edit] Nationality

I changed his nationality to Czechoslovakia/United States as I think it's a misleading to classify him as American when he won no titles after he became a citizen of the USA and all of his success, for which he is known, was as a Czechoslovakian.

[edit] Supposed unofficial titles

I've changed the section title "Other singles titles (unofficial) (15)" in "Other singles titles including invitational tournaments titles (15)" because if some tournaments have been just invitational ones other were completely official but forgotten or not included by the ATP : for instance Forest Hills 1990.

Do not forget that tennis has existed for a century before the ATP and that the ATP statistics of the start of the open era are very incomplete : for instance for 1969 the ATP Website just shows three meetings (Australian, Philadelphia and US Opens) between Roche and Laver whereas in reality Roche led Laver 5-4 that year : January 19, Roche won the New South Wales Open in Sydney 64 46 97 1210 over Laver in the final ; January 25 or 26, Laver beat Roche in the semifinal of the Australian Open, Brisbane, 75 2220 911 16 63 ; February 3, Roche b Laver in the New Zealand Open final, Auckland, 61 64 46 63 ; February 9, Philadelphia Open final, Laver b Roche 75 64 64 ; February 13 or 18, Hollywood (Florida) Pro final, Roche b Laver 63 97 64 ; February 26 or 27 or 28, Oakland Pro final, Roche b Laver 46 64 119 ; May, Amsterdam Pro 3rd place, Roche b Laver 63 36 62 ; September 7, US Open, Forest Hills, final, Laver b Roche 79 61 61 62 ; November 22 or 23, Wills Open Covered Courts, Queen's Club & Wembley Arena Laver b Roche 64 61 63.

Many tournaments of that era are missing, for example the Dunlop Sydney Open in March 1970 (winner Laver) or the 1973-1974 New South Wales Championships (winner Mal Anderson and Tony Roche) or the 1970 US Indoor Open tournament in Salisbury (winner Nastase) or the 1970 Wembley Pro tournament (winner Laver).

So the ATP statistics being very incomplete until the 70s other statistics shall not be considered as unofficial. Though the ATP claims that Connors is the player having won the most titles (105) it is completely untrue : Rod Laver (with at least 181 wins), Bill Tilden, Jaroslav Drobny and Ken Rosewall have won more tournaments than Connors. ATP statistics are just open era statistics far from being exhaustive for the first years of that open era and ATP Statistics are not the only official statistics.

Carlo Colussi 09:05, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

WHERE ARE PICTURES OF IVAN LENDL???

[edit] Please add io:Ivan Lendl

Please, add the link to the Ido wikipedia: io:Ivan Lendl —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 200.161.186.161 (talk) 21:39, 30 March 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Pronunciation

What language is the pronunciation in? I don't think it is supposed to be the English pronunciation yet Czech would be different (no schwas, the first schwa would be same as tub and the second wouldn't be there at all, the ultimate 'l' acts as a sonorant in Czech). +Hexagon1 ^(t) 07:46, 8 February 2008 (UTC)