Points won by each set: | 36-33, 27-17, 25-12 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
48 % Sampras – 34 of 70
21 % Dreekmann – 17 of 80
Dreekmann [49] had been playing well until *5:6 (40/15) – then he served a double fault and lost five straight games in total. At 4:2 in the 2nd set Sampras [1] served four aces in a 5-point game, and didn’t lose a game to the end of the match winning 8 in succession. “I actually surprised myself,” Sampras said. “I thought I would have a letdown after the U.S. Open, but I didn’t. Once I won the first set, I relaxed and let my tennis take over. I realized he was having a tough battle. He’s never won a tournament and I think he faltered. It was a question of experience.” The 21-year-old German, who had almost reached semifinal at Roland Garros ’94, lost in Basel to Sampras his second ATP final, following Sun City ’94. He was considered as one of the most promising players born in the mid 70s, but afterwards notched just one very good result (quarterfinal in Miami ’97) and actually disappeared from the ATP tour as a regular player due to various injuries…
Sampras’ route to his 44th title:
1 Alex Radulescu 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
2 Tommy Haas 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
Q Mikael Tillstrom 6-3, 6-4
S Yevgeny Kafelnikov 7-6(4), 6-3
W Hendrik Dreekmann 7-5, 6-2, 6-0
# Sampras barely survived his opener against big-serving Radulescu. The American trailed *3:4 (15/40) in the 3rd set, then was two points away from defeat at 4:5 (deuce)
Points won by each set: | 36-33, 27-17, 25-12 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
48 % Sampras – 34 of 70
21 % Dreekmann – 17 of 80
Dreekmann [49] had been playing well until *5:6 (40/15) – then he served a double fault and lost five straight games in total. At 4:2 in the 2nd set Sampras [1] served four aces in a 5-point game, and didn’t lose a game to the end of the match winning 8 in succession. “I actually surprised myself,” Sampras said. “I thought I would have a letdown after the U.S. Open, but I didn’t. Once I won the first set, I relaxed and let my tennis take over. I realized he was having a tough battle. He’s never won a tournament and I think he faltered. It was a question of experience.” The 21-year-old German, who had almost reached semifinal at Roland Garros ’94, lost in Basel to Sampras his second ATP final, following Sun City ’94. He was considered as one of the most promising players born in the mid 70s, but afterwards notched just one very good result (quarterfinal in Miami ’97) and actually disappeared from the ATP tour as a regular player due to various injuries…
Sampras’ route to his 44th title:
1 Alex Radulescu 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
2 Tommy Haas 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
Q Mikael Tillstrom 6-3, 6-4
S Yevgeny Kafelnikov 7-6(4), 6-3
W Hendrik Dreekmann 7-5, 6-2, 6-0
# Sampras barely survived his opener against big-serving Radulescu. The American trailed *3:4 (15/40) in the 3rd set, then was two points away from defeat at 4:5 (deuce)