1 Response to rg04santoro_clement

1. Voo de Mar says:

   March 6, 2024 at 10:59 am

   Points won by each set: | 35-33, 31-23, 42-41, 28-37, 99-94 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   24 % Santoro – 56 of 229
   14 % Clement – 34 of 234

   The Suzanne Lenglen court and the epic battle of two short Frenchmen playing in very similar styles. # The longest match in the French Open history, and the longest match overall at the time, breaking the previous 22-year-old record by 11 minutes… Clement [33] was two points away from a straight-set defeat at 5-all in the tie-break which he won 7/5, and as he led 3:0* (30-all) in the decider after +4 hours of play, it seemed that he was on his way to beat a fellow Frenchman for the third time escaping from the loss with a tie-break at 0-2 in sets (had defeated Pioline 3-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 in Paris 1999 and Grosjean 5-7, 2-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-2 in Melbourne 2001). Santoro [58] relaxed himself then, and broke back in the 5th game. At *4:5 (30/40) he saved a match point with a service winner to Clement’s backhand and a moment later at 5-all the match was suspended due to darkness after 4 hours 38 minutes of play. “I only took one litre of water out with me today,” Santoro said after the match, “I told myself we’d play maybe 10 or 15 minutes. I didn’t think I had another two hours in my legs.” Instead of 10-15 minutes played in 2-4 games, they played twenty games in almost two hours, so it was like an additional “11-9” set – similar scenario in a match that would break the record of the Frenchmen – Isner defeated Mahut after 11 hours in a three-day battle, winning an “11-9” set on day 3 of that unbelievable marathon. In the second day, Santoro had two difficult games on serve to stay in the match: at *10:11 (30-all) when Clement made a volley error and at *13:14 (0/30) when good serving helped him to get three points quickly. Clement had his second match point in that game, but netted his forehand in an 18-stroke rally. Serving for the match the second time (the first at 12:11), Santoro found himself at 0/40 to win five straight points (on first BP Clement’s lob was a few centimetres long). The five years older Frenchman celebrated the victory on his back. Clement’s third and last defeat at Roland Garros blowing a match point in the 5th set (Puerta, Corretja).

   Serve & volley: Santoro 14/26, Clement 14/21

   # Comparison of two longest matches in history (the state of 2004):
   Davis Cup 1982: J.McEnroe d. Wilander 9-7, 6-2, 15-17, 3-6, 8-6… 6 hours 22 minutes… Total points: 250-249 (total: 499)… Breaks: 7-4
   French Open 2004: Santoro d. Clement 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, 16-14… 6 hours 33 minutes… Total points: 235-228 (total: 463)… Breaks: 10-9

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