1 Response to masters96_sampras_becker

1. Voo de Mar says:

   December 1, 2020 at 4:36 pm

   Points won by each set: | 19-26, 37-42, 36-36, 42-44, 32-30 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   31 % Sampras – 56 of 179
   43 % Becker – 71 of 165

   Unbelievable match, one of the best indoor finals in history, between two players who ruled ‘Masters’ editions in Germany. The stats made in a day the match was played (one of the first ones I ever prepared) with some improvements 24 years later. Forehand & backhand winners were counted as winners during baseline rallies, return & passing-shots as other shots… Becker started the 4-hour final serving 4 consecutive aces! He was unbroken until the 9th game of the deciding set (held 27 times in a row). The German saved two match points in the 4th set tie-break (5:6* & 8:9). Just like in the “Masters ’88” final, Becker played the longest rally on match point – there were 24 strokes and the German manufactured a BH error in the end. It was Becker’s eight and last ‘Masters’ final (record: 3-5). # Sampras lost two long tie-breaks to Becker within a week, generally he wasn’t good at it even though his tie-break record overall was very good (62%).

   Sampras’ route to his 44th title:
   rr. Andre Agassi 6-2, 6-1
   rr. Boris Becker 6-7(10), 6-7(4)
   rr. Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-4, 6-4
   S Goran Ivanisevic 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 7-5
   W Boris Becker 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), 6-7(11), 6-4

   Sampras was three points away from losing to Ivanisevic in the 2nd set

   # Sampras’ longest tie-breaks lost:
   11/13 – Forget, Becker
   10/12 – Borwick, Korda, Becker, Rafter
   9/11 – Forget, Philippoussis, Ivanisevic, Marin, W.Black, Roddick
   8/10 – Curren, Matsuoka, Eltingh, Rafter, Johnson, Korda, Woodbridge, Parmar, Safin (2x)

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