1 Response to ao89svensson_becker

1. Voo de Mar says:

   October 27, 2025 at 11:39 am

   Points won by each set: | 40-33, 32-26, 27-20 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   27 % Svensson – 23 of 83
   30 % Becker – 29 of 95

   Svensson [21] reached two major semifinals (1988 and 1990 in Paris) while given his whole career he could be satisfied with just one, on the other hand he can think he should have reached three major semifinals because in Melbourne ’89 he eliminated in straight sets Becker [4] who enjoyed his best season then (the Wimbledon & US Open champion) and in the quarterfinals he faced Gunnarsson whom had easily defeated in their three previous meetings, yet in their clash in extreme heat, Svensson was almost destroyed (0-6, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6) trailing 2:4 in the 3rd set. The Australian Open ’89 was very specific, what could help Svensson against Becker could also harm him against the fellow Swede. The first week of the event was played in exceptionally low temperatures for Melbourne standards in January, and suddenly the weather dramatically improved as the fourth round kicked off; with each subsequent day the temperature was raising being almost unbearable in the last days of the month… Becker was visible frustrated with the heatwave, initially he was only trying to hold his serve (collected just two points in Svensson’s first six service games), but after losing the opener 5/7 he threw his racquet at 2-all (0/30) – it didn’t help, he was broken for the first time then. In the next game he wasted a 40/0 lead to break back. In the 3rd set he decided to attack the net behind each 1st serve, but it worked out briefly, and the Swede won four games in a row from *2:3 onwards.

   Serve & volley: Svensson 2/2, Becker 9/17

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