European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 13, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday september 13,1988 the stars and stripes Page 25 Lendl endures lingering death b Thomas  Washington Posl writer new York in the . Open final sunday mais Wilander and Ivan lend split the afternoon. Then they split he evening. Finally and we do mean finally Wil Anderwon the night. In a match in which the tide turned so often that the Moon 501 confused in a match so Long that it made "60 minutes look like a commercial Wilander not Only won the . Open but grabbed the men s no. 1 ranking in the world. The reigning Tennis Champion of Australia France and the United slates is a swede. Unfortunately Wilander has also won the enduring enmity of All i Host who truly believe in their hearts that no human activity even Between consenting adults is entertaining enough 10 last five hours. Al though this came close. Was this an epic or an Cmelich actually it was some of both. If opera and symphony film and theater baseball and football weddings and funerals and even presidential inaugurations must explain themselves when they pass the three hour Mark then How do two Guys from Greenwich Conn. By Way of Ostrava Czecho Slovakia and Varjo Sweden gel to play a double header on network to Tennis needs a new Rule. When Lendl and Wilander meet in the . Open they should have to play the first two sets Back in the hotel lobby. Steffi Graf took d hours 57 minutes combined to win All four of her grand slam finals this year. Lendl and Wilander required 4 54 to finish this debate 6-4, 4-6,6-3, 5-7, m. Last year the same pair on the same court Tor the same Slakes consumed 4 47 in a tour set Lendl Victory. Jus think one More tie breaker won by Wilander in 87 and they would have had 8 shot at the six hour Barrier. If Lendl had t been so erratic in this Marathon making 83 unforced errors and missing 85 serves the match might have been much longer.1 As it was Many Points ended after rallies of no More than 20 or 30 shots. What s frightening is that neither looked tired or played less than spectacularly in the fifth set. At least a Quarter of the crowd of 20,036, and per haps As much As a third had left Flushing Meadow More than 90 minutes before the final shot. Those who stayed that Long also stayed to the end. And they were rewarded. What had been cold porridge for hours turned into filet mignon by the end. For those either Here in Louis Armstrong stadium or on to who stuck with this Marathon the compensations were considerable. Few Tennis matches hold such Nice tactical trends. Lendl punched like a heavyweight on Bis first serves and Baseline ground strokes. He had More outright winners than Wilander by a huge margin 89-39. But he also had far More errors 83-36. In fact Lendl made More mistakes on his forehand alone 40than i Lander made on forehand backhands volleys and overheads combined. By contrast Wilander placed enormous weight on commentary Iwa Lendl comme Ati on and a j Marathon match. Placing his first serve in play even at the expense of Pace and depth. The 24-year-old was actually twice As accurate As Lendl on first serves 86 percent to 43 percent which is a staggering advantage. While Wilander and Lendl had apposite approaches to their ground strokes and Baseline play they seemed to reverse personalities completely when it came time to decide whether or not to come to the net. For years Wilander has been just As reticent 10 charge As Lendl. Bui in the last year or so Wilander has summoned his courage polished his volleying skill and added enormous variety to his game. In his final he came to the net 131 times to 77 for Lendl. "1 mixed it up belter this year said Wilander. I chipped his first serve Back and that worked really Well. I also came in on his backhand More. I be Bruins a my to no. 2. In poll by i1erschel Nissenson a football writer Urcla s impressive 41-28 Victory Over Nebraska vaulted the Bruins from fifth place to second in the associated press College football poll monday. Idle Miami held onto the top spot. Nebraska fell from second to 11 the. Notre Dame climbed into he top 10 and Michigan state and Texas dropped out of the rankings. Miami s defending National champions who took Over the no. 1 spot a week ago by trouncing Florida stale 31-0, received 46 of 55 first place votes and 1,082 of a possible 1,100 Points from a nationwide panel of sports writers and sportscasters. Three Finisi place votes and 1,019 Points went to Urcla whose ranking this week is the highest since the Bruins were no. 2 behind Alabama on oct. 27, 1980. Clemson a 23-3 Winner Over Furman remained third with four first place Voles and 940 Points. Oklahoma opened its season with a 28-0 Victory Over North Cardina and held on to fourth place with one first place vote and 918 Points. The other first place ballot went to Southern California which rallied to defeat Stanford 24-20. The trojans received 795 Points in jumping from sixth place to fifth. Nebraska s crushing loss also enabled Auburn and Georgia to move up one position. Auburn which Defeated Kentucky 20-10, is sixth with 758 Points and Georgia went from eighth in seventh with 753 Points by trouncing Texas Christian 38-10. Notre Dame leaped from 13lh to eighth with 643points after a 19-17 Triumph Over Michigan which slipped from ninth to 15th. Leu which was Idle Rose from 1 Ith to ninth with 608 Points and Florida stale remained no. 10 after rebounding from its loss to Miami by whipping Southern Mississippi 49-13. The second id consists of Nebraska West Virginia Alabama South Carolina Michigan Penn stale Washington Ohio slate Iowa and Oklahoma state. Last week s second 10 was leu West Virginia notre Dame Alabama. Michigan state South Caro Lina Iowa Penn state Texas and Washington. However Michigan stale was upset by Rutgers 17-13 and Texas lost 10 Brigham Young 47-6. Ohio slate and Oklahoma stale made the top 20 for the first Lime this season. Ohio stale debuted under new coach John Cooper by beating Syracuse 269 and Olahoma stale ripped Miami of Ohio 52-20. Changed my thinking. I want to gel beaten by passing shots. I want to see what my opponents can do under pressure. Could i have won without coming to the net More this year ? i Don t think  Wiland Ralso could not have won without his Cour age. Early in inc fifth set he seemed weary and beaten. Lendl was prancing and pumping his fist while inc smaller Wilander looked lost. If this had been a Normal tournament i would have Given up in the beginning of the fifth set said i Iander. Suddenly lend was taking Over the match. I Felt hopeless but 1 tried to get myself together and win because it was just one set. The set of a lifetime perhaps for sure this is the Best Victory i have Ever had said Wilander. This meant so much to me. I be never won this tournament. A swede has never won this tournament. And i m going to be no. I on inc com Puter now this beats most of my  Lendl had won their last six meetings but always by narrow margins. Nobody beats me seven times in a Row said Wilander. Laughing. Now it is Wilander who will probably Start beating everybody even the Best players Many limes in a Row. Aside from his horrible record at Wimbledon where he has Only reached the quarterfinals twice in eight pro seasons Wilander will find himself the favorite in Al most every tournament on almost every surface. Always Nick and Nick with lend on Clay i Lander has two French open titles to la adj s three the swede has rounded out his game so admirably that he is 30-1 on hard courts in 1988, including four of Bis five tournament wins. If this interminable lest of wife was not a watershed Many Lennis watchers will be footed. This takes me to a new level mentally said Wilander adding later. It s always Good when the no. 1 player in the world changes la has to be Good for  when Bjorn Borg failed in his 10th and final at tempt to win the . Open carved up in the finals by John Mcenroe Borg walked out of the stadium and into retirement. What happens on the stadium court Here can have huge Tennis repercussions More so even than what transpires Ai Wimbledon because the Green courts there arc something of an anachronism. Hard courts and Clay Lell who la be no. I in the world. Wimbledon is for tradition endorsements and glory. Asked about his Early defeat again Al Wimble Don Wilander simply laughed at the Gap in his grand slam season. Far Mare even than Lendl Wilander would cause mass fainting if he Ever won on Centre court. Of i m really upset now Wilander said. For Lendl this was a defeat with total dignity. After a season of defeats and disappointments he played i Gallant match that he might easily have won Wilh Only a few late Breaks. It was t a great match for a Long White said Lendl but when you have a 6-4 fifth set after i Don t know Haw Long obviously it has to be a Good  Tennis has had a very Long wait for Mats Wilander s full arrival. Almost nine years. Another five hours no matter How Long it May have fell to the patrons Here seems a Small enough Price to pay for a new and worthy King. Wilander from Page 21 when chair Umpire Jay Snyder gave him a warning for stalling on his serve. Lendl won the next two Points with a forehand Volley and a forehand Winner. Wilander look a 30-15 Lead in his next service game but Lendl Hii a backhand on the next Point that nicked the net and skipped past Wilander for a Winner. After Wilander made two forehand errors to lose the game Lendl served out the 58-Minule set at love. There was Only one break in the 46-minute third set and in belonged to Jlander. He broke Lendl Al 15 in the second game on a Crisp forehand Volley. Wilander not known As a powerful server lost Only four Points on his serve the rest of the set. One of the key Points in the set was a muffed Over head by Lendl in the fifth game. He could have taken a 30-15 Lead with a successful smash and moved Inlo position to break Wilander Back. But Lendl hit the Ball straight Down on Bis Side of the court then missed two backhands to drop the game and fall behind 4-1. The players held serve in the fourth set until i Lander broke to take a 4-3 Lead. Lend led the game 30 0, but Wilander came Back to win it As Lendl made three unforced errors. Lend broke Back Wilh perfect backhand lob in the next game and broke again in the final game with a forehand Volley that landed on the line