ao98_rios_escude_

Points won by each set: | 29-15, 32-22, 32-23 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
28 % Rios – 21 of 73
20 % Escude – 16 of 80

Their first official match, but they played in French Open ’93 quarterfinal as juniors (Rios won 6-3, 6-4). Thanks to that win, Rios reached his only Grand Slam final and up to this day he remains the only former slam-less No. 1 in the world (reached that position two months afterwards). Escude [81] was spent after demanding route to the semifinal – became the first Open Era man to win three matches in a major trailing 0-2 in sets (Larsson, Reneberg & Kiefer). Something similar to Escude at Melbourne Park experienced other Nicolases: Lapentti the following year and Kiefer in 2006.

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