1 Response to kb96agassi_boetsch

1. Voo de Mar says:

   September 15, 2022 at 11:40 am

   Points won by each set: [ 40-37, 32-21 ]
   Points won directly on serve:
   23 % Agassi – 15 of 63
   20 % Boetsch – 14 of 67

   A semifinal that turned into a “final” of Key Biscayne ’96. Unfortunately, just like seven years before, one of the finalists (Goran Ivanisevic) wasn’t able to compete. The Croat entered the court with severe pain in his neck. His first serve was weaker than his standard second serve, there was *3:0 (40/0) for Agassi after 10 minutes when Ivanisevic decided it didn’t make any sense, especially that in 1996 “the best of five” format for the final was restored after several years of break. “To beat Andre you have to be 105 percent, and I was maybe 2,” Ivanisevic said. He woke up with a stiff neck and underwent three hours of treatment before the match…
   For Agassi’s semifinal (final) opponent, Boetsch [17], it was the best singles result in his career. Admittedly he had played a Mercedes Super 9 semifinals before, including Paris which he should have won, but in Key Biscayne he defeated former best players in the world in back-to-back matches (Edberg, Courier). Agassi was struggling a lot in his opening match (three points away from defeat at 4-all in the deciding tie-break), but then enjoyed a comfortable route to the title defeating – in the fourth round & quarterfinal – players for whom it were the best results of their careers. In the semifinal he built a *4:1 lead, then the Frenchman had two break points to level at 4 games apiece. Agassi won two longest games of the match in that set (6 & 5 deuces respectively).

   Agassi’s route to his 32nd title:
   2 Bernd Karbacher 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4)
   3 Jean-Philippe Fleurian 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
   4 Sebastien Lareau 6-4, 6-4
   Q Michael Joyce 6-4, 6-1
   S Arnaud Boetsch 6-4, 6-3
   W Goran Ivanisevic 3-0 ret.

   Serve & volley: Agassi 0, Boetsch 1/3

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