1 Response to queens99sampras_henman

1. Voo de Mar says:

   March 3, 2022 at 12:17 pm

   Points won by each set: [ 47-54, 35-29, 43-41 ]
   Points won directly on serve:
   39 % Sampras – 47 of 118
   30 % Henman – 40 of 131

   # Arguably the toughest route for Sampras [3] to get a title when he needed five wins. Paradoxically he easily eliminated two left-handers possessing great serves (Arthurs, Ivanisevic) in matches that could have been anticipated as very tight. In the 1st set Henman [6] firmly fought off two set points at *4:5 and another one at 5:6. Given grass, the set was exceptionally long because of the last three games before the tie-break (they were consisted of 4, 1 and 6 ‘deuces’ respectively). Sampras obtained the only break of the final on his last BP chance, at 1-all in the 2nd set when Henman badly missed a high forehand volley having already saved two break points in that game. From that moment to the end, Henman – who was mixing a serve-and-volley game with the baseline strokes – hadn’t problems with nine holds; Sampras struggled in the decider at 1:2 (15/40) and 2:3 (30/40) – he saved four break points in those games, one of them being pushed to the no-man’s land, the last one with a perfect forehand volley. Only one mini-break separated them in the decisive tie-break – Sampras showed his special talent of delivering something extra in tight moments he’d been known for, when at 4-all he played a perfect backhand lob having not used that shot in the entire contest. He converted his first match point with a volley winner. That very difficult event turned around the season for Sampras – he came to London with a poor – by his standards record (11-6) – then he won four consecutive tournaments, including Wimbledon where he ousted Henman again, that time in the semifinals.

   Sampras’ route to his 57th title:
   2 Todd Woodbridge 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-4
   3 Wayne Arthurs 7-5, 6-3
   Q Goran Ivanisevic 7-5, 6-4
   S Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4)
   W Tim Henman 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(4)

   # Sampras saved mini-match points in 3rd sets vs Woodbridge (at 4-all; at 1-all trailed 0/40) & Hewitt (at 5-all);
   five points away from defeat to Woodbridge, three points away vs Hewitt & Henman

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