The Swede Down Under

On this day in 1988, Mats Wilander defeated Pat Cash in the Australian Open men's final in an epic five-sets - 6-3, 6-7 (3), 3-6, 6-1, 8-6. It was the first of three Slams Wilander would capture on the year - he also won the French and the U.S. Open.

Prior to Wilander, no one had won three legs of the Grand Slam since Rod Laver won all four in 1969. And since Wilander managed the trifecta in '88, it's only been done twice, both times by the Fed, in 2004 and last year. Odd that Wilander should find himself in such rarified company. He was great, but not Laver/Federer great. Also odd that Sampras never managed a three-fer. Obviously he never won the French, and he won the Australian only twice, in '94 and '97. In both of those years he won Wimbledon but not the U.S. Open.

Laver remains the only man to win the Grand Slam, and he did it twice, in '62 and '69. It's a testament to what an amazing achievement that is that with all the dominant players to follow - Borg, Mac, Lendl, Sampras, Fed - no one else has been able to manage it once, let alone twice.