1 Response to rg95schaller_sampras

1. Voo de Mar says:

   October 27, 2021 at 4:05 pm

   Points won by each set: | 43-35, 27-29, 37-43, 32-23, 34-31 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   8 % Schaller – 14 of 167
   26 % Sampras – 44 of 167

   In 1995 a 26-year-old journeyman Schaller was awarded for many years of hard work. Entering the French Open ’95 he [24] had beaten on clay in straight sets three Top 10ers – Bruguera, Stich & Kafelnikov, so even though Sampras [2] was a huge favorite, better oriented spectators knew it could be a difficult match for the American. The beginning didn’t indicate anything like that – Sampras raced to a 2:0* (30/0) lead, but once Schaller entered the scoreboard, the match was going to be tighter and tighter. The Austrian admittedly led 4:2* (deuce) in the 2nd set, but Sampras significantly improved from that to build a *3:1 lead in the 3rd set when the match was halted due to rain. On the following day Schaller broke back, but Sampras won the set in a tie-break 7/4. Schaller won the 4th set saving break points in three different games despite his rather poor serve. There were two breaks of serve for each of them as Sampras saved in very good style two mini-match points at 3:4 (already trailed *1:4); it seemed that he’d win one of the most dramatic matches in his career. Schaller got an opening point in the 9th game though, with his best forehand passing-shot of the day, and held at ‘love’. In the 10th game he passed again, that time with his backhand from a very difficult position – it was the first match point, and he stunned the American after 4 hours 2 minutes! In the second round Schaller unexpectedly lost an exceptionally dramatic match to Scott Draper (6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 5-7, 6-8) holding a match point on serve at 5:4 in the 3rd set and coming back from a 0:3* deficit in the last two sets.

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