2 Responses to brussels88leconte_hlasek

1. Voo de Mar says:

   May 17, 2024 at 12:57 pm

   Points won by each set: | 43-38, 42-36, 29-26 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   34 % Leconte – 37 of 106
   43 % Hlasek – 47 of 108

   The end of the regular season, both players had already guaranteed participation at the “Masters” (Leconte due to withdrawal of Carlsson and Connors). It was the best season for them both, Leconte [13] was 25-year-old, Hlasek [8] one year younger. Their final in the Belgium capital foreshadowed what would happen in the early 90s on a constant basis, so many duels on faster surfaces with just one or two breaks of serve because all players were using improved graphite racquets which allowed them to serve faster. Leconte was playing pure “serve-and-volley” (first serve in ~70%) while Hlasek (first serve in ~60%) was doing it only behind his 1st serves. In the 1st set the Swiss had his lone break point at 5:4 (unreturned second serve), in the 2nd set tie-break he improved from 1:5 to 6-all, but left the ball which landed inside the court. Hlasek led 4:3 in the 3rd set when the Frenchman obtained the last three games (the only break as Leconte’s backhand passing-shot clipped the net-cord slightly changing the trajectory of the ball) finishing the championships with a forehand volley. Hlasek – the hottest player on the tour in the last quarter of the season, lost his first match after a career-best 14-match winning streak. Leconte would wait almost five years to get his 9th and last title (Halle ’93).

   Leconte’s route to his 8th title:
   1 Diego Nargiso 7-6(2), 6-2
   2 Eduardo Masso 6-3, 6-4
   Q Wally Masur 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
   S John Fitzgerald 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
   W Jakob Hlasek 7-6(3), 7-6(6), 6-4

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   May 17, 2024 at 2:12 pm

   18-year-old Nargiso, whom Leconte defeated in round 1, lost his first main-level tie-break having won the first 11

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