1 Response to dubai99golmard_kiefer

1. Voo de Mar says:

   December 14, 2025 at 3:45 am

   Points won by each set: | 28-24, 31-22 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   28 % Golmard – 14 of 49
   32 % Kiefer – 18 of 56

   Golmard (lived 1973-2017; died due to motor neurone disease) was an average French player in the second half of the 90s, playing quite nonchalant Volkovesque tennis, drifting between Challengers and main-level events, but in 1999, aged 26, he underwent a metamorphosis. After claiming the title in Dubai where he defeated five higher ranked opponents, he reached two quarterfinals and two semifinals (Monte Carlo included), which elevated him from no. 63 to 22 within three months. The Top 20 seemed within his grasp in the second half of the season, but he didn’t play it at all because of knee injury; when he came back in January ’00 he won his second title (Chennai). In the years 2000-01 he remained dangerous, but far away from the consistent form of Spring 1999. For 22-year-old Kiefer, who poorly played in that Dubai final, it was a breakthrough tournament as well. Between Dubai ’99 and Dubai ’00 (he claimed the title, defeating Golmard in the quarterfinals) he was playing top tennis becoming one of the best players in the world on hardcourts. His quite impatient game-style causing modest results on clay didn’t allow to assume he’d become the best in the world at the Sampras/Agassi twilight era, but no-one could think that Kiefer would irreversibly lose his Top 10 position in 2000. It was very likely connected to the fact surfaces slowed down at the beginning of the 21st Century, and the best players adapted more defensive attitude.

   Golmard’s route to his maiden title (69th main-level event):
   1 Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-3
   2 Karol Kucera 7-6(6), 6-1
   Q Tim Henman 7-6(4), 7-5
   S Carlos Moya 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 ☆
   W Nicolas Kiefer 6-4, 6-2

   ☆ Golmard saved two mini-match points against Moya (one at 4-all, one at 5-all)

   Serve & volley: Golmard 1/2, Kiefer 3/5

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