5 previous head-to-heads between Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe

09 July 2016 06:53

John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl have been hailed as 'super coaches' as they prepare to be rivals again in a grand slam final. McEnroe has been working with Milos Raonic for the grass-court season and Lendl is Andy Murray's coach.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, the pair had many fierce on-court battles, with Lendl leading their career head-to-head 21-15.

Here is a look at five key matches in that rivalry:

US Open semi-final, 1982: Lendl won 6-4 6-4 7-6

McEnroe entered this one on a 26-match US Open winning streak, having won three successive titles. But Lendl had his number, setting up a title match against Jimmy Connors that he would lose in four sets.

Wimbledon semi-final, 1983: McEnroe won 7-6 6-4 6-4

A reverse of the US Open semi-final outcome, this was their only Wimbledon showdown and for McEnroe it would prove a far tougher proposition than the final, which he won 6-2 6-2 6-2 against unseeded New Zealander Chris Lewis.

French Open final, 1984: Lendl won 3-6 2-6 6-4 7-5 7-5

Their most famous match, with Lendl coming back from close to defeat to win his first grand slam title. McEnroe chose not to give a speech at the trophy presentation and was jeered off the Roland Garros court by spectators. It was otherwise McEnroe's greatest year, winning the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon and finishing with a stunning 82-3 win-loss record.

US Open final, 1984: McEnroe won 6-3 6-4 6-1

The revenge for Paris was swift. McEnroe had destroyed Connors in the Wimbledon final, dropping just four games, and his victory over Lendl in New York was also utterly emphatic.

US Open final, 1985: Lendl won 7-6 6-3 6-4

Still in the era where their only meetings came in finals, this was a repeat of the previous year's title match but with a distinctly different outcome. McEnroe and Lendl had traded the number one ranking over the previous year, each man having several spells on top, but after this showdown in New York McEnroe would never hit the summit again. It was the start of the Lendl era, and he was number one for the next 157 weeks.

Source: PA