Miloslav Mečíř (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈmilɔslawˈmetʂiːr̝̊]; born 19 May 1964) is a Slovak former professional tennis player. He won the singles gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games, representing Czechoslovakia, and contested two major singles finals. In 1987 he won the WCT Finals, the season-ending championship for the World Championship Tennis tour. He reached a highest ranking of world No. 4 in singles in February 1988 and won 11 singles titles during his career. His son Miloslav Jr. is also a former professional tennis player.

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 in the US Open semi finals. He "handled the West German's booming serve with ease, used his groundstrokes to move Becker from side to side, and hit his serves so deep that Becker had trouble handling them" and Mecir won in five sets. In the final 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. 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 to claim the gold medal. He also won a bronze medal in the men's doubles, partnering Milan Šrejber.

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. He was overpowered by Lendl on a hot day when the court surface reached 135 degrees. Lendl's win saw him 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.

Major finals

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 2 (0–2)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss1986US OpenHardCzechoslovakia Ivan Lendl4–6, 2–6, 0–6
Loss1989Australian OpenHardCzechoslovakia Ivan Lendl2–6, 2–6, 2–6

WCT Year–end championship finals

Singles: 1 (1–0)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScore
Win1987DallasCarpet (i)United States John McEnroe6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2

Olympic finals

Singles: 1 (1 gold medal)

ResultYearLocationSurfaceOpponentScore
Gold1988SeoulHardUnited States Tim Mayotte3–6, 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 (9–11)
ResultW–LDateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0–1Dec 1983Adelaide, AustraliaGrassUnited States Mike Bauer6–3, 4–6, 1–6
Loss0–2Sep 1984Palermo, ItalyClayItaly Francesco Cancellotti0–6, 3–6
Loss0–3Oct 1984Cologne, West GermanyCarpet (i)Sweden Joakim Nyström6–7, 2–6
Loss0–4Jan 1985Philadelphia, U.S.Carpet (i)United States John McEnroe3–6, 6–7(5–7), 1–6
Win1–4Mar 1985Rotterdam, NetherlandsCarpet (i)Switzerland Jakob Hlasek6–1, 6–2
Win2–4Apr 1985Hamburg, West GermanyClaySweden Henrik Sundström6–4, 6–1, 6–4
Loss2–5May 1985Rome, ItalyClayFrance Yannick Noah3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–7(4–7)
Win3–5Apr 1986Kitzbühel, AustriaClayEcuador Andrés Gómez6–4, 4–6, 6–1, 2–6, 6–3
Loss3–6Aug 1986US Open, New YorkHardCzechoslovakia Ivan Lendl4–6, 2–6, 0–6
Loss3–7Sep 1986Hamburg, West GermanyClayFrance Henri Leconte2–6, 7–5, 4–6, 2–6
Win4–7Jan 1987Auckland, New ZealandHardNetherlands Michiel Schapers6–2, 6–3, 6–4
Win5–7Jan 1987Sydney, AustraliaGrassAustralia Peter Doohan6–2, 6–4
Win6–7Feb 1987Miami, U.S.HardCzechoslovakia Ivan Lendl7–5, 6–2, 7–5
Loss6–8Mar 1987Milan, ItalyCarpet (i)West Germany Boris Becker4–6, 3–6
Win7–8Apr 1987WCT Finals, DallasCarpet (i)United States John McEnroe6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2
Loss7–9Apr 1987Hamburg, West GermanyClayCzechoslovakia Ivan Lendl1–6, 3–6, 3–6
Win8–9Jul 1987Stuttgart, West GermanyClaySweden Jan Gunnarsson6–0, 6–2
Win9–9Jul 1987Hilversum, NetherlandsClayArgentina Guillermo Pérez Roldán6–4, 1–6, 6–3, 6–2
Loss9–10Aug 1987Kitzbühel, AustriaClaySpain Emilio Sánchez4–6, 1–6, 6–4, 1–6
Loss9–11Feb 1988Rotterdam, NetherlandsCarpet (i)Sweden Stefan Edberg6–7(5–7), 2–6
Loss9–12Mar 1988Orlando, U.S.HardSoviet Union Andrei Chesnokov6–7(6–8), 1–6
Win10–12Sep 1988Olympic Games, SeoulHardUnited States Tim Mayotte3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–2
Loss10–13Jan 1989Australian Open, MelbourneHardCzechoslovakia Ivan Lendl2–6, 2–6, 2–6
Win11–13Mar 1989Indian Wells, U.S.HardFrance Yannick Noah3–6, 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 (8–3)
ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win1.28 July 1986Hilversum, NetherlandsClayCzechoslovakia Tomáš ŠmídNetherlands Tom Nijssen Netherlands Johan Vekemans6–4, 6–2
Win2.6 October 1986Toulouse, FranceHard (i)Czechoslovakia Tomáš ŠmídSwitzerland Jakob Hlasek Czechoslovakia Pavel Složil6–2, 3–6, 6–4
Win3.27 April 1987Hamburg, West GermanyClayCzechoslovakia Tomáš ŠmídSwitzerland Claudio Mezzadri United States Jim Pugh4–6, 7–6, 6–2
Loss1.11 May 1987Rome, ItalyClayCzechoslovakia Tomáš ŠmídFrance Guy Forget France Yannick Noah2–6, 7–6, 3–6
Win4.27 July 1987Hilversum, NetherlandsClayPoland Wojciech FibakNetherlands Tom Nijssen Netherlands Johan Vekemans7–6, 5–7, 6–2
Loss2.3 August 1987Kitzbühel, AustriaClayCzechoslovakia Tomáš ŠmídSpain Sergio Casal Spain Emilio Sánchez6–7, 6–7
Win5.10 August 1987Prague, CzechoslovakiaClayCzechoslovakia Tomáš ŠmídCzechoslovakia Stanislav Birner Czechoslovakia Jaroslav Navrátil6–3, 6–7, 6–3
Win6.21 September 1987Barcelona, SpainClayCzechoslovakia Tomáš ŠmídArgentina Javier Frana Argentina Christian Miniussi6–1, 6–2
Win7.9 November 1987Wembley, U.K.Carpet (i)Czechoslovakia Tomáš ŠmídUnited States Ken Flach United States Robert Seguso7–5, 6–4
Win8.7 December 1987Masters Doubles, New YorkCarpet (i)Czechoslovakia Tomáš ŠmídUnited States Ken Flach United States Robert Seguso6–4, 7–5, 6–7(5–7), 6–3
Loss3.15 February 1988Milan, ItalyCarpet (i)Czechoslovakia Tomáš ŠmídWest Germany Boris Becker West Germany Eric Jelen3–6, 3–6
Win9.6 February 1989Rotterdam, NetherlandsCarpet (i)Czechoslovakia Milan ŠrejberSweden Jan Gunnarsson Sweden Magnus Gustafsson7–6, 6–0

Singles performance timelines

Key
WFSFQF#RRRQ#DNQANH

Grand Slam tournaments

Tournament19831984198519861987198819891990Career SRCareer win–loss
Australian Open1R2RANHQFAF4R0 / 512–5
French OpenA1R3R2RSFA1R1R0 / 68–6
WimbledonA2R1RQF3RSF3R2R0 / 715–7
US OpenAA2RFQF3R3RA0 / 515–5
Grand Slam Win–loss0–12–33–311–314–47–210–44–3N/A50–23
Grand Slam SR0 / 10 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 40 / 20 / 40 / 30 / 23N/A
Year-end ranking101509961318116N/A

Grand Prix tournaments

Tournament19831984198519861987198819891990Career SR
Indian WellsAAAAQFQFW1R1 / 4
MiamiNHNH2RAWSF2RA1 / 4
Monte CarloAAA3RAAAA0 / 1
RomeA1RF3R1RA1RA0 / 5
HamburgAAWFFAAA1 / 3
CanadaAAAAAA1RA0 / 1
CincinnatiAAAAA1RAA0 / 1
ParisAAA1R2R2R2RA0 / 4
The MastersAAAARRAAA0 / 1
Grand Prix SR0 / 00 / 11 / 30 / 41 / 50 / 41 / 50 / 13 / 23

Record against top-10 players

Mečíř's record against those who have been ranked in the top 10, with active players in boldface.

PlayerYearsMatchesRecordWin%HardClayGrassCarpet
Number 1 ranked players
United States Andre Agassi198811–0100%1–00–00–00–0
Romania Ilie Nastase198411–0100%1–00–00–00–0
United States Pete Sampras198911–0100%1–00–00–00–0
Sweden Mats Wilander1985–1988117–464%1–12–21–03–1
United States Jimmy Connors1985–198942–250%1–10–10–01–0
United States John McEnroe1985–198952–340%0–01–01–30–0
Sweden Stefan Edberg1983–1990155–1033%3–10–22–30–4
Austria Thomas Muster1986–198831–233%0–01–20–00–0
Germany Boris Becker1985–199092–722%1–20–10–11–3
Czech Republic Ivan Lendl1986–198961–517%1–20–20–00–1
Number 2 ranked players
United States Michael Chang198911–0100%1–00–00–00–0
Croatia Goran Ivanišević198911–0100%1–00–00–00–0
Czech Republic Petr Korda198811–0100%0–01–00–00–0
Spain Manuel Orantes198311–0100%0–01–00–00–0
Germany Michael Stich199010–10%0–00–00–10–0
Number 3 ranked players
France Yannick Noah1985–198932–167%2–00–10–00–0
United States Vitas Gerulaitis198410–10%0–00–00–00–1
Number 4 ranked players
France Guy Forget1986–198844–0100%2–00–00–02–0
Ecuador Andrés Gómez1986–198722–0100%0–01–00–01–0
United States Brad Gilbert1984–198832–167%0–01–01–00–1
Australia Pat Cash198721–150%0–01–00–00–1
Argentina José Luis Clerc198510–10%0–00–10–00–0
Number 5 ranked players
United States Jimmy Arias198711–0100%1–00–00–00–0
Sweden Anders Järryd1983–198794–544%0–02–30–22–0
United States Kevin Curren198710–10%0–00–00–00–1
France Henri Leconte198620–20%0–00–20–00–0
Number 6 ranked players
Sweden Henrik Sundström1984–198522–0100%0–02–00–00–0
Sweden Kent Carlsson1984–198764–267%1–03–20–00–0
Number 7 ranked players
United States Jay Berger198811–0100%1–00–00–00–0
United States Johan Kriek198711–0100%0–00–00–01–0
United States Tim Mayotte198811–0100%1–00–00–00–0
Switzerland Jakob Hlasek1985–198754–180%1–01–00–02–1
Sweden Joakim Nyström1984–198664–267%1–21–00–02–0
Spain Emilio Sánchez1986–199063–350%0–20–10–03–0
Spain Juan Aguilera1984–198930–30%0–00–30–00–0
United States Sandy Mayer198410–10%0–10–00–00–0
United States Brian Teacher198410–10%0–00–00–10–0
Number 8 ranked players
Czech Republic Karel Nováček1986–198733–0100%1–02–00–00–0
Number 9 ranked players
United States Bill Scanlon1986–198722–0100%1–00–01–00–0
Soviet Union Andrei Chesnokov1983–198821–150%0–11–00–00–0
Number 10 ranked players
Sweden Mikael Pernfors1986–198733–0100%1–02–00–00–0
Sweden Jonas Svensson1986–198864–267%0–01–10–03–1
Argentina Martín Jaite1983–198753–260%0–03–20–00–0
France Thierry Tulasne1985–198942–250%0–01–20–01–0
Poland Wojciech Fibak198610–10%0–00–00–00–1
Total1983–199014981–6854.36%25–13 (65.79%)28–28 (50%)5–8 (38.46%)23–19 (54.76%)

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