It is a full six weeks before the start of the 2010 Grand Slam tennis season with the start of the Australian Open in mid-January. Many may have forgotten that the Australian Open used to be played in December, sometimes over the Christmas holidays that keep away many of the world’s best players. This week, WorldTennisMagazine.com will provide excerpts from the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com) that detail Australian Open events that happened this week.
ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY – December 9
1985 – Nineteen-year-old Stefan Edberg wins a major singles title for the first time in his career, defeating fellow Swede Mats Wilander 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, preventing Wilander from winning a third-straight Australian title. Says Wilander on the rain-delayed Monday final, “If there’s somebody I don’t mind very much losing to, its Stefan. He’s a very good friend.” Wilander and Edberg are so chummy in preparation before the final that they share beers the night before their match and even practice with each other the morning of the final. Says Ederg following the match, “I have never been so happy. This is a wonderful day for me and for Sweden. I am very glad to be able to win for my mother and father.”
1984 – Mats Wilander wins the Australian Open men’s singles title for the second year in a row, defeating Kevin Curren of South Africa 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-2 in 2 hours, 52 minutes in the singles final. The title is the 20-year-old Wilander’s third major title to go with this 1982 French title and his 1983 Australian title. Wilander leads 4-0 in the first set tie-break, but loses seven of the next eight points to lose the 52-minute first set. Wilander registers the first service break of the match in the third game of the second set en route to tying the match at a set apiece, but each player is broken three times each in a tumultuous third set – including Curren when he serves for the two-sets-to-one lead at 5-3. Wilander wins the fourth-set tie-breaker and then breaks Curren twice in the fourth set to finish off the match.
1983 – Mats Wilander upsets John McEnroe 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in 2 hours, 45 minutes in the semifinals of the Australian Open. Wilander, known as a clay court specialist, receives a standing ovation from the crowd at the Kooyong Tennis Club for his grass-court victory over the reigning Wimbledon champion.