Ivan Lendl, C or D?

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I remember as a kid waking up early and begging out of church (no mean feat) to catch the men's final of every major, every year, even if Lendl was in it and even if I knew he was going to win.

I admired him in a way. In many ways. But his stoicity translated straight to boring on TV and breathed a sigh when he finally bowed out.

Any fans? He almost seems to be written out of history. The U.S. press rarely mentions him anymore despite his long and dominating (and fairly recent) run through the mid-late 80s.

― Aaron A., Saturday, 3 April 2004 16:54 (twenty-one years ago)

that was me breathing the sigh. of relief.

― Aaron A., Saturday, 3 April 2004 16:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Over here it was like "Oh will he win Wimbledon this year?" and he never did. We liked him in our house.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 3 April 2004 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

the dastoors invited ivan lendl home? HOW COOL IS THAT SHIT?!?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 3 April 2004 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

The door was always open to stoical North and Eastern Europeans. Bad-mannered Americans were given short shrift. I now see the error of the family way.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 3 April 2004 17:01 (twenty-one years ago)

don't know about Lendl, but Ivan Drago's certainly a classic

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Saturday, 3 April 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember seeing a US Masters Final between McEnroe and Lendl where they both kept losing. That is all.

― Lara (Lara), Saturday, 3 April 2004 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Dud (because I wanted him to beat Becker so bad and he didn't) in the same way that Henman is dud.

― stevem (blueski), Saturday, 3 April 2004 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I can only imagine how I'd loathe Tim Henman were I his compatriot. As it is I kind of like him. You get the sense he really could win lots of stuff.

― Aaron A., Saturday, 3 April 2004 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

OMG, how did I miss this at the time? Yes, I was massively pro-Lendl for he was the anti-McEnroe (and that was a good thing pre-'85) and the anti-Becker (and that was a requirement post-'85).

I remember a US tennis mag feature on 'the next decade' from a 1987 POV - they very presciently said that Lendl's fame would die with his career, and he'd have virtually no residual celebrity beyond the day he retired. Which is kind of true, despite Ivan's attempts to make it as a (left-handed) golf pro. It was sad the way he went - multiple chronic injuries, slipping down the rankings, no-one is even quite sure when he quit. Why couldn't he have had a Sampras-style swansong? Wimb champ in '93 then immortality.

I think his defeat to Becker in the '89 Wimb semi is my all-time worst tennis moment. The bloody rain, man.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 29 June 2004 09:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I seem to remember he wrote off his Ferrari swerving to avoid a fox. "I could always replace the Ferrari, but I could never replace the fox".

― Tag (Tag), Tuesday, 29 June 2004 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

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