1 Response to masters97sampras_kafelnikov

1. Voo de Mar says:

   November 19, 2020 at 7:40 am

   Points won by each set: | 33-26, 28-13, 29-16 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   42 % Sampras – 29 of 69
   21 % Kafelnikov – 16 of 76

   # The most one-sided Masters final of the 90s, during times when the Russian was regularly beaten by the American, so the scoreline didn’t even surprise. Kafelnikov [6] had break points in Sampras’ [1] first three service games (broke twice!), since then never got ‘deuce’, only once winning two points…“We both got off to a slow start, then everything just clicked, from serves to returns and ground strokes,” Sampras said. “Yevgeny, I think, got a little bit down on himself and started missing some shots. I took advantage of it because it gave me that much more confidence. I felt I played extremely well.” That year the surface was changed from carpet to hard and it was reflected in the scorelines (17 tie-breaks in 1996, only 5 the following year).

   Sampras’ route to his 52nd title:
   rr. Carlos Moya 3-6, 7-6(4), 2-6
   rr. Greg Rusedski 6-4, 7-5
   rr. Patrick Rafter 6-4, 6-1
   S Jonas Bjorkman 6-3, 6-4
   W Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-2 6-2

   # Comparison of two most one-sided Masters finals of the 80s & 90s:
   New York ’88: Lendl d. Wilander 6-2, 6-2, 6-3… 2 hours 20 minutes… Total points: 87-63… Breaks: 8-2
   Hanover ’97: Sampras d. Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-2, 6-2… 1 hour 27 minutes… Total points: 90-55… Breaks: 7-2

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