1 Response to ao01rafter.hrbaty

1. Voo de Mar says:

   January 15, 2016 at 6:50 am

   Points won by each set: | 28-17, 41-50, 41-36, 24-8 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   33 % Rafter – 40 of 118
   25 % Hrbaty – 32 of 127

   The neighbors in the ATP ranking, but Rafter [15] was a heavy favorite as a two-time Grand Slam champion, fresh after an impressive win over Henman. Despite Rafter’s 8 aces in the 2nd set, Hrbaty [16] found his way to steal the set trailing *5:6 (0/30), and he stunned the Australian crowd in the 3rd set because he added to his rock-solid returns, quick serves and serve-and-volley actions. He led 4:1* (30-all), but when the things got tighter, he stepped back and Rafter took advantage of that with his efficient chip-and-charge play. The Australian won the last nine games of the match (2 hours 31 minutes). Hrbaty will lose a quite similar major quarterfinal (different assembly of sets 2 and 3) three years later to Henman in New York.

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