1 Response to olymp00kafelnikov_haas_

1. Voo de Mar says:

   July 23, 2020 at 5:15 pm

   Points won by each set: | 52-49, 27-35, 25-19, 25-32, 32-21 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   31 % Kafelnikov – 51 of 163
   33 % Haas – 55 of 164

   The fourth Olympic final of the Open Era lasted 3 hours 30 minutes, in front of the 10K crowd, and anticipated a trend of the first decade of the 2000s that the biggest finals on hardcourts would be played predominantly on the baseline by right-handers, involving a player with one-handed backhand (Federer) and a two-handed BH player (several names) – all US Open finals of the years 1989-2002 featured at least 1 serve-and-volleyer, and none since 2003.
   [8] Kafelnikov’s third most important title (beside winning Roland Garros ’96 and Australian Open ’99), perhaps the most important to him: “I would have given up all of my other tournament wins for my gold medal – all of them except my French and Australian Open titles. My country is taking over in tennis.” – referring to women’s tennis too, as Elena Dementieva won silver. In the 1st set Haas led 3:2 on serve after holding the longest game of the match (six deuces, saved three break points), then trailed 3:5. There was 3-all (deuce) in the decider when the Russian took the last three games. The 22-year-old Haas [48] had eliminated a teenage Federer in the semifinal with surprising ease.

   Kafelnikov’s (RUS) route to the Gold medal:
   1 Juan Antonio Marin (COS) 6-0, 6-1
   2 Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) 7-6(4), 6-4
   3 Mark Philippoussis (AUS) 7-6(4), 6-3
   Q Gustavo Kuerten (BRA) 6-4, 7-5
   S Arnaud di Pasquale (FRA) 6-4, 6-4
   W Tommy Haas (GER) 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

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