Miloslav Mečíř

Miloslav Mečíř (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈmilɔslaʊ̯ ˈmɛtʃiːɾ]; born 19 May 1964) is a former professional tennis player from Slovakia. He won the men's singles gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games, where he represented Czechoslovakia, and played in two Grand Slam singles finals. In 1987 he won the WCT Finals, the season-ending championship for the World Championship Tennis tour.

Miloslav Mečíř
Mečíř at the victory ceremony after winning the 1987 Dutch Open
Country (sports) Czechoslovakia
ResidenceBratislava, Slovakia
Born (1964-05-19) 19 May 1964
Bojnice, Czechoslovakia
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Turned pro1982
Retired1990
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$2,632,538
Singles
Career record262–122
Career titles11
Highest rankingNo. 4 (22 February 1988)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenF (1989)
French OpenSF (1987)
WimbledonSF (1988)
US OpenF (1986)
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsRR (1987)
WCT FinalsW (1987)
Olympic GamesW (1988)
Doubles
Career record100–54
Career titles9
Highest rankingNo. 4 (7 March 1988)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open4R (1987)
French Open4R (1989)
Wimbledon3R (1987, 1989)
US Open4R (1987, 1988)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour FinalsW (1987)
Olympic GamesSF (1988)
Team competitions
Davis CupSF (1985, 1986)
Hopman CupW (1989)

His son Miloslav Jr. is a professional tennis player.[1]

Career

Mečíř was born in Bojnice, Czechoslovakia (now part of Slovakia).

He reached two ATP finals in 1984 and began 1985 by beating Jimmy Connors in the semifinal at Philadelphia, before losing to world No. 1 John McEnroe in the final. He won his first ATP singles title in Rotterdam later that year, and ended 1985 ranked just outside the world's top 10.

He consolidated his position as a world class player in 1986, beating rising Stefan Edberg in straight sets at Wimbledon, before losing to defending champion Boris Becker in the quarterfinals. He reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open later that year, beating Mats Wilander and Boris Becker along the way to the final, where he faced fellow Czechoslovak, defending champion and world No. 1, Ivan Lendl. The 1986 US Open was notable for the fact that four players from Czechoslovakia competed in the two singles finals for men and women – Mečíř and Lendl, Helena Suková and Martina Navratilova. Lendl won the match in straight sets 6–4, 6–2, 6–0. Mečíř's 1986 US Open final appearance was the last major final to see a player still using a wooden racket.

Mečíř improved further in 1987, winning six singles and six doubles titles, notably winning the WCT Finals in Dallas, where he defeated John McEnroe in four sets. He met Lendl again in three high-profile matches that year, winning the final of the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida, while Lendl won the final of the German Open in Hamburg and the semifinals of the French Open.

By this time, Mečíř's sedate playing style was known to frustrate a lot of the more-powerful top ranked players. The Swedish players, in particular, were said to dislike playing against him.

Mečíř was on top form at Wimbledon in 1988, where he defeated Mats Wilander in the quarterfinal. It was Wilander's only Grand Slam singles defeat of the year (he won the 1988 Australian Open, French Open and US Open) yet Mečíř beat him in straight sets. He took a two-set lead in the semifinal against Edberg with a similar display, and later led by a break of serve in the final set, but Edberg eventually wore him down on the way to his first Wimbledon crown.

The highlight of Mečíř's career came later in 1988 when he was selected to represent Czechoslovakia in the Seoul Olympics. He defeated Eric Jelen, Jeremy Bates, Guy Forget and Michiel Schapers and then in the men's singles semifinals he exacted revenge over Wimbledon champion Edberg, in a five-set match. He then met Tim Mayotte of the U.S. in the men's singles final and won in four sets 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–2 to claim the gold medal. He also won a bronze medal in the men's doubles, partnering Milan Šrejber.[2]

In 1989, Mečíř reached his second Grand Slam final at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Again he came up against Lendl and lost in straight sets. It was a tactical victory for Lendl, whose win saw him to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking from Wilander. After the match, Lendl apologized to the crowd, explaining that he and coach Tony Roche had decided the best tactic against Mečíř was to hit shots deep and down the centre of the court, denying his opponent the angles he thrived on.

Mečíř was a member of the Czechoslovak teams that won the World Team Cup in 1987 and the inaugural Hopman Cup in 1989. He is currently the Slovak Davis Cup captain.

During his career, Mečíř won 11 singles titles and nine doubles titles. His career-high world ranking in both singles and doubles was world No. 4. His final career singles title came in 1989 at Indian Wells. His last doubles title was also won in 1989 in Rotterdam.

Throughout most of 1989 and into 1990, Mečíř suffered from a worsening back injury and he retired in July 1990, aged just 26.

Playing style

Mečíř was a finesse player whose career straddled the transition from wooden and metal racquets towards modern graphite composites. He was noted for his touch shots as well as the ability to disguise his shots, particularly his two-handed backhand. His court coverage and graceful footwork earned him the nickname "The Big Cat". The French called him "Le Prestidigitateur" (The Conjuror).

Many top players used to cite Mečíř as the one player they most enjoyed watching because of his beautifully simple style and touch. He was known as the "Swede Killer" for the success that he had against Swedish players, especially Mats Wilander.[3]

Major finals

Singles: 2 (0–2)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1986US OpenHard Ivan Lendl4–6, 2–6, 0–6
Loss1989Australian OpenHard Ivan Lendl2–6, 2–6, 2–6

Singles: 1 (1–0)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Win1987DallasCarpet (i) John McEnroe

6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2

Singles: 1 (1 gold medal)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Gold 1988 Seoul Hard Tim Mayotte 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–2

ATP Career finals

Singles: 24 (11 titles, 13 runner-ups)

Legend
Grand Slam (0–2)
Year-end championships – WCT (1–0)
Grand Prix Super Series (3–4)
ATP Grand Prix (6–7)
Result W–L Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Dec 1983 Adelaide, Australia Grass Mike Bauer 6–3, 4–6, 1–6
Loss 0–2 Sep 1984 Palermo, Italy Clay Francesco Cancellotti 0–6, 3–6
Loss 0–3 Oct 1984 Cologne, Germany Carpet (i) Joakim Nyström 6–7, 2–6
Loss 0–4 Jan 1985 Philadelphia, U.S. Carpet (i) John McEnroe 3–6, 6–7(5–7), 1–6
Win 1–4 Mar 1985 Rotterdam, Netherlands Carpet (i) Jakob Hlasek 6–1, 6–2
Win 2–4 Apr 1985 Hamburg, Germany Clay Henrik Sundström 6–4, 6–1, 6–4
Loss 2–5 May 1985 Rome, Italy Clay Yannick Noah 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–7(4–7)
Win 3–5 Apr 1986 Kitzbühel, Austria Clay Andrés Gómez 6–4, 4–6, 6–1, 2–6, 6–3
Loss 3–6 Aug 1986 US Open, New York Hard Ivan Lendl 4–6, 2–6, 0–6
Loss 3–7 Sep 1986 Hamburg, Germany Clay Henri Leconte 2–6, 7–5, 4–6, 2–6
Win 4–7 Jan 1987 Auckland, New Zealand Hard Michiel Schapers 6–2, 6–3, 6–4
Win 5–7 Jan 1987 Sydney, Australia Grass Peter Doohan 6–2, 6–4
Win 6–7 Feb 1987 Miami, USA Hard Ivan Lendl 7–5, 6–2, 7–5
Loss 6–8 Mar 1987 Milan, Italy Carpet (i) Boris Becker 4–6, 3–6
Win 7–8 Apr 1987 WCT Finals, Dallas Carpet (i) John McEnroe 6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2
Loss 7–9 Apr 1987 Hamburg, Germany Clay Ivan Lendl 1–6, 3–6, 3–6
Win 8–9 Jul 1987 Stuttgart, Germany Clay Jan Gunnarsson 6–0, 6–2
Win 9–9 Jul 1987 Hilversum, Netherlands Clay Guillermo Pérez Roldán 6–4, 1–6, 6–3, 6–2
Loss 9–10 Aug 1987 Kitzbühel, Austria Clay Emilio Sánchez 4–6, 1–6, 6–4, 1–6
Loss 9–11 Feb 1988 Rotterdam, Netherlands Carpet (i) Stefan Edberg 6–7(5–7), 2–6
Loss 9–12 Mar 1988 Orlando, U.S. Hard Andrei Chesnokov 6–7(6–8), 1–6
Win 10–12 Sep 1988 Olympic Games, Seoul Hard Tim Mayotte 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–2
Loss 10–13 Jan 1989 Australian Open, Melbourne Hard Ivan Lendl 2–6, 2–6, 2–6
Win 11–13 Mar 1989 Indian Wells, U.S. Hard Yannick Noah 3–6, 2–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–3

Doubles: 12 (9 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Legend
Grand Slam (0–0)
Year-end championships – ATP (1–0)
Grand Prix Super Series (1–1)
ATP Grand Prix (7–2)
Result No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1. 28 July 1986 Hilversum, Netherlands Clay Tomáš Šmíd Tom Nijssen
Johan Vekemans
6–4, 6–2
Win 2. 6 October 1986 Toulouse, France Hard (i) Tomáš Šmíd Jakob Hlasek
Pavel Složil
6–2, 3–6, 6–4
Winner 3. 27 April 1987 Hamburg, Germany Clay Tomáš Šmíd Claudio Mezzadri
Jim Pugh
4–6, 7–6, 6–2
Loss 1. 11 May 1987 Rome, Italy Clay Tomáš Šmíd Guy Forget
Yannick Noah
2–6, 7–6, 3–6
Win 4. 27 July 1987 Hilversum, Netherlands Clay Wojciech Fibak Tom Nijssen
Johan Vekemans
7–6, 5–7, 6–2
Loss 2. 3 August 1987 Kitzbühel, Austria Clay Tomáš Šmíd Sergio Casal
Emilio Sánchez
6–7, 6–7
Win 5. 10 August 1987 Prague, Czechoslovakia Clay Tomáš Šmíd Stanislav Birner
Jaroslav Navrátil
6–3, 6–7, 6–3
Win 6. 21 September 1987 Barcelona, Spain Clay Tomáš Šmíd Javier Frana
Christian Miniussi
6–1, 6–2
Win 7. 9 November 1987 Wembley, U.K. Carpet (i) Tomáš Šmíd Ken Flach
Robert Seguso
7–5, 6–4
Win 8. 7 December 1987 Masters Doubles, London Carpet (i) Tomáš Šmíd Ken Flach
Robert Seguso
6–4, 7–5, 6–7(5–7), 6–3
Loss 3. 15 February 1988 Milan, Italy Carpet (i) Tomáš Šmíd Boris Becker
Eric Jelen
3–6, 3–6
Win 9. 6 February 1989 Rotterdam, Netherlands Carpet (i) Milan Šrejber Jan Gunnarsson
Magnus Gustafsson
7–6, 6–0

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)
Tournament19831984198519861987198819891990Career SRCareer Win-Loss
Australian Open 1R 2R A NH QF A F 4R 0 / 5 12–5
French Open A 1R 3R 2R SF A 1R 1R 0 / 6 8–6
Wimbledon A 2R 1R QF 3R SF 3R 2R 0 / 7 15–7
US Open A A 2R F QF 3R 3R A 0 / 5 15–5
Grand Slam Win-Loss 0–1 2–3 3–3 11–3 14–4 7–2 10–4 4–3 N/A 50–23
Grand Slam SR 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 2 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 23 N/A
Year-end ranking 101 50 9 9 6 13 18 116 N/A

Grand Prix singles tournament timeline

Tournament19831984198519861987198819891990Career SR
Indian Wells A A A A QF QF W 1R 1 / 4
Miami NH NH 2R A W SF 2R A 1 / 4
Monte Carlo A A A 3R A A A A 0 / 1
Rome A 1R F 3R 1R A 1R A 0 / 5
Hamburg A A W F F A A A 1 / 3
Canada A A A A A A 1R A 0 / 1
Cincinnati A A A A A 1R A A 0 / 1
Paris A A A 1R 2R 2R 2R A 0 / 4
The Masters A A A A RR A A A 0 / 1
Grand Prix SR 0 / 0 0 / 1 1 / 3 0 / 4 1 / 5 0 / 4 1 / 5 0 / 1 3 / 23
  • Note these events were known as The Championship Super Series (single Week) from 1970 to 1989 as part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour they became known as the Championship Series (single week) by the ATP from 1990 to 1993 eventually becoming the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 as they are known today

NH = tournament not held

A = did not participate in the tournament

SR = the ratio of the number of Masters Series singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played

References

  1. "ITF Tennis – Mens Circuit – Player Biography: MECIR, Miloslav (SVK)". Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Miloslav Mečíř". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  3. "Stefan Edberg's matches on tape".
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