1 Response to rg96kafelnikov.sampras

1. Voo de Mar says:

   March 25, 2016 at 12:00 pm

   Points won by each set: | 42-37, 27-11, 29-17 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   30 % Kafelnikov – 23 of 75
   26 % Sampras – 23 of 88

   In terms of the scoreline, very similar French Open final occurred twelve years before as McEnroe outplayed Connors. Sampras [1] had a positive record vs Kafelnikov [7] entering that semifinal, but after losing the 1st set in which he led 6:5* (deuce) & 4:2 in the tie-break, he wilted… Sampras experienced one of the toughest routes to the French Open semifinal in history. Already in the first and second round he faced players who could be seeded in 1996 if the current rule had been applied (32 seeds). He won three five-setters in total, including two against the best clay-court players of the first half of the 90s (Sergi Bruguera & Jim Courier). So he was playing the best clay-court tennis of his life, yet physical & mental tiredness caught him in very hot conditions after the 1st set against the Russian, who was fresh like a daisy winning each round quickly…

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