1 Response to ao96tillstron_muster

1. Voo de Mar says:

   January 24, 2021 at 2:07 am

   Points won directly behind the serve:
   24 % Tillstrom – 30 of 123
   19 % Muster – 21 of 108

   That two-hour encounter meant arguably the biggest upset at majors of 1996. Muster was a contender to take the No. 1 spot during the tournament while the 23-year-old Tillstrom [105] lost in the first round of qualies to Doha a few weeks earlier (6-7, 3-6 to Daniel Nestor), participating in his only third Grand Slam event (the first in Australia). The Swede, aware of Muster’s slight right-ankle injury, implemented a great tactic harassing Muster with constant backhand dropshots – it paid dividends at the end – Muster led 2:1* in the 4th set, but lost five games in a row. # The 28-year-old Austrian suffered similar defeat at Flinders Park a year before.
   ***
   Despite little experience, Tillstrom wasn’t totally anonymous then. He’d reached the US Open junior final in 1990 & enjoyed a great ATP debut in 1992 (Monte Carlo, 3R lost to… Muster), but injuries sidelined him twice: for five months in 1993 (foot) and two months in 1995 (knee) – between the injuries he reached the fourth round at the French Open ’94 before losing after an equal four set match to Pete Sampras.

   # Comparison of Muster’s lost four-setters in back-to-back Aussie Opens:
   1995 (3R): Eltingh d. Muster 6-3, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5… 1 hour 58 minutes… Total points: 129-114…
   1996 (4R): Tillstrom d. Muster 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2… 2 hours 1 minute… Total points: 129-102…

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