1 Response to lyon91sampras_delaitre

1. Voo de Mar says:

   August 29, 2024 at 3:39 pm

   * Delaitre saved a set point with a rare shot – perfect passing-shot, hitting the ball with a forehand side of his racquet behind his back

   Points won by each set: [ 28-16, 37-22 ]
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   63 % Sampras – 24 of 38
   15 % Delaitre – 10 of 65

   The 20-year-old Sampras [7] displayed phenomenal form throughout the week. On a fast surface in five matches he dropped just 18 games (1.8 games per set!); even though he didn’t face a big server and faced only one typically serve-and-volley opponent (Nijssen), that achievement is incredible anyway. The surprising finalist Delaitre [57] began quite optimistically having a double break point in the opening game – Sampras served an ace and from then, virtually to the end of the match, he was immaculate holding seven times. Asked if he produced his best performance ever, he replied “I played better against Gilbert yesterday”. Despite the punishment in front of the home-crowd, the 24-year-old Frenchman was happy – until August ’91 he’d been actually unknown, then reached the semifinal at Long Island (l. Edberg), won a Challenger in Istambul and advanced to the Tel Aviv quarterfinal as well as the finals of Bordeaux (l. Forget) and Lyon – within 2 months advanced from No. 131 to 41!

   Sampras’ route to his 7th title:
   1 Tom Nijssen 6-3, 6-2
   2 Thierry Champion 6-1, 6-3
   Q Jonas Svensson 6-2, 6-2
   S Brad Gilbert 6-1, 6-2
   W Olivier Delaitre 6-1, 6-1

   After the triumph, Sampras went to Stockholm where he barely defeated two weak Swedish players, then lost to Becker 5-7, 5-7 in the quarterfinal

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