1 Response to hamburg91novacek_stich

1. Voo de Mar says:

   August 14, 2020 at 2:00 pm

   Points won by each set: | 35-29, 17-27, 39-36 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   17 % Novacek – 17 of 96
   29 % Stich – 26 of 87

   [15] Stich’s 47th main-level event, and the first successful on clay. Before Hamburg ’91, he had played 10 events on that surface, never winning two matches in a row, and then he almost won five, defeating only quality opponents. In the 1st set he couldn’t find his service rhythm, facing break points in all four service games, but opened the 2nd set at love with four unreturned serves, and had no problems to hold until he led *5:3 (30-all) in the decider. Then a linesman called him the first foot fault of the match (1st service winner) – Stich committed a double fault. In the tie-break he improved from *0:3 to 5:4* but the Czechoslovak [26] got the last three points converting the first match point with a brilliant FH pass. Novacek was quite lucky at the end because in the game he broke back and in the tie-break, he got two points after mishit returns that turned into lobs. It was the second semifinal of the day, like in the first one, the winner obtained fewer points than the loser!

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