1 Response to wb96krajicek_stoltenberg

1. Voo de Mar says:

   September 14, 2022 at 11:29 pm

   Points won by each set: | 36-30, 36-23, 33-22 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   43 % Krajicek – 38 of 88
   26 % Stoltenberg – 24 of 92

   The most forgotten major semifinal of the 90s? There were special circumstances; semifinals of Grand Slam events are played on Centre Courts, but that match was exceptionally scheduled on court no. 1. Two reasons were behind it.
   – the first semifinal was suspended by darkness on Friday and the rain was expected on Saturday, so the officials were afraid of possibility that the second semifinal would be extended to Sunday!
   – a semifinal between the best grass-court players of the 90s (Sampras & Ivanisevic) was expected, their conquerors Krajicek & Stoltenberg didn’t create big attention, so it was quite easy to put them on court no. 1… Sampras-Ivanisevic it was a court no. 1 semifinal of 1992 anyway, due to rain of course

   Both semifinals began on Saturday at the same time (11 am), Martin & Washington spent 67 minutes on Centre Court to finish their clash, while on court no. 1 Krajicek needed 100 minutes to destroy Stoltenberg. The initial phase didn’t indicate it’d be so one-sided encounter. The Australian [46] broke first, then at 3-all he had a double break point. When Krajicek [13] led 6:5* he played an excellent return game breaking at ‘love’. Stoltenberg fell apart afterwards, admittedly he delivered a few beautiful backhand passing-shots cross-court, but his serve totally deserted him. The stands were quite empty given the stage of the event and he acted like he didn’t feel he was playing a match of his life. He was 26, which was an advanced age for tennis players at the time, another match of this magnitude wouldn’t occur for another five years of his career.

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