1 Response to rome97corretja_rios

1. Voo de Mar says:

   September 25, 2020 at 1:59 pm

   Points won directly behind the serve:
   18 % Corretja – 20 of 110
   13 % Rios – 13 of 94

   Rather ugly final of two players, who’d enter the French Open ’97 as the main favorites (and both lost in the fourth round). Rios [9] was visibly tired after three straight matches concluded in deciding sets… In the 1st set Corretja [15] held at 0:2 after 9 deuces (17 minutes) saving two break points: an ace and Rios’ backhand error. In the 2nd set the Chilean led 5:4 (30-all) on serve. “I thought that if I don’t win that game, the set is almost gone and it will be tough to beat him,” said Correjta on the 3rd game of the match. “It was really important to win that game. Mentally, I began to believe in myself more and more.” Following Monte Carlo, it was their second ‘Mercedes Super 9’ final that year. Ultimately 5-5 in their H2H, never co-created a dramatic encounter.

   Corretja’s route to his 3rd title:
   1 Hicham Arazi 6-0, 6-3
   2 Arnaud Boetsch 6-2, 6-3
   3 Carlos Moya 6-4, 6-4
   Q Karim Alami 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
   S Goran Ivanisevic 7-6(5), 7-6(4)
   W Marcelo Rios 7-5, 7-5, 6-3

   # Corretja was two games away from defeat to Alami; against Ivanisevic (2:01 hrs), he trailed *3:5 in the 1st set, broke his opponent for the only time in the match in the 10th game, and saved a set point in the 2nd set.

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