3 youngest men's singles champions at the Australian Open

#1 Mats Wilander: 19 years 111 days (1983)

Mats Wilander at the 1983 Australian Open

The 1983 edition of the Australian Open saw the arrival of higher-ranked players like Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Mats Wilander and Vitas Gerulaitis.

One of the finest claycourters in the world at that time, second seed Mats Wilander proved his prowess on grass by beating third-seeded American John McEnroe in a four-set semifinal to book a title clash with top-seed Ivan Lendl. That marked the first all-non Australian final at the tournament since 1912.

In a match-up between two men seeking their first major grasscourt title, it was Wilander who was faster off the blocks, producing the steadier baseline tennis - a rarity on that surface in those days. With neither player displaying a propensity to rush the net, baseline exchanges remained aplenty during the match - as was evident in 12 rallies of 20 or more shots, 3 of them reaching the 40 shot mark.

Wilander rode on two breaks of the Lendl serve to take a one set lead and never looked back.

It was Lendl who was on the ascendancy in the second set, securing his first, and what would prove to be the only break of Wilander's serve, to open up a 4-2 lead as he sought a way back into the contest. But the advantage proved short-lived as Wilander won four games on the trot to take a commanding two-set lead.

Wilander broke Lendl for a 2-1 lead in the third, and the single break of serve sufficed as the Swede served out a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory at the first time of asking. In the process, he became the youngest Australian Open winner in the Open Era.