1 Response to daviscup93fromberg_goellner

1. Voo de Mar says:

   October 30, 2023 at 5:07 pm

   Points won by each set: [ 24-30, 34-39, 41-41, 32-21, 57-54 ]
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   28 % Fromberg – 52 of 183
   25 % Goellner – 48 of 190

   Two 23-year-old guys, both the same size (196 cm), with similar game-styles (based on one-two punch combination) and similar ranking positions (Goellner – 31, Fromberg – 40). It lasted 4 hours 32 minutes and up to this day it’s a record for the most match points saved in the Davis Cup finals (Open Era). Nothing indicated at the beginning it’d be such a thriller. The vital point occurred as Goellner led 2:0* (40/15) in the 2nd set – Fromberg played very good BH-volley after the serve, won the game & realized that serve-and-volley tactics would be efficient in that contest. At 5-all in the 3rd set Gollener overacted after a successful passing-shot which gave him a mini-match point – it was the first of many wasted chances for him. Fromberg fought it off with a stop-volley. In the tie-break he faced three match points: 4:6* (double fault, BH-volley after the serve), 6:7* (Goellner’s backhand error in a 5-stroke rally). In the 5th set the Australian saved another double match point, that time at *6:7 (15/40) – ace down the T, another BH volley directly after the serve! At 7-all Goellner led 40/0 but lost his serve and it was game-over for him. They’d faced each other once before, also on ckay in Hilversum a few months earlier, Fromberg survived 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-6(9), so I suppose he saved at least one match point then as well! Fromberg’s amazing victory could have been a pivotal moment in the final, because the Woodies were favorites to win doubles on Saturday, and then after Stich’s anticipated win over Fromberg, the final rubber Goellner vs Stoltenberg could be open for all potential scenarios. Stich was in tremendous form at the end of 1993 though, and his genius allowed him to beat the Woodies with the help of Kuhnen. # Quite intriguing stuff about Fromberg – I wouldn’t say he was a mental giant, but he’s one of very few players to win at least three ‘best of five’ encounters saving match points, each time against strong opposition.

   # Fromberg’s three MP-down wins in ‘best of five’ (always double MP saved):
   1993 Davis Cup (F): Goellner 3-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-2, 9-7… Five MPs… 4 hours 32 minutes… Total points: 188-185 (aces: 22-18)
   1999 US Open (1R): W.Ferreira 7-6, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6… Two MPs… 3 hours 29 minutes… Total points: 171-176 (aces: 13-15)
   2000 Aussie Open (1R): Enqvist 6-4, 7-6, 4-6, 3-6, 10-8… Two MPs… 3 hours 44 minutes… Total points: 181-179 (aces: 25-14)

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