2 Responses to iw88becker_sanchez

1. Voo de Mar says:

   February 23, 2025 at 4:41 pm

   Points won by each set: | 41-29, 32-27, 19-30, 37-30 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   25 % Becker – 30 of 118
   28 % Sanchez – 36 of 127

   Becker’s biggest hardcourt title before he became a US Open ’89 champion. He came back to California as a defending champion but the prize money was elevated within a year from $350K to $510K. It was a very hot day (40°C), and the West German [6] couldn’t overwhelm the surprising Spanish finalist with his powerful serve. Generally speaking both players had a very offensive attitude, regularly attacking the net on serve either directly or with approach-shots, Becker was also attacking using the chip-and-charge tactics as a receiver. Sanchez [18] led 3:1 in each of the first two sets (also 5:4 and 4:3 respectively), but losing two balanced sets didn’t discourage him, and in the 3rd set he jumped to a 3:1 lead again, this time successfully. In the 4th set the Spaniard led 4:3, but Becker – like in the first two sets – took three consecutive games. The most important, at 4-all, he obtained converting his sixth break point (4 deuces – the longest game of the final). “As I know from the past, people only judge me on Wimbledon,” said – referring to ’87 when he didn’t win Wimbledon for the third straight time – Becker, who also triumphed in doubles that day (alongside Forget). “I can play bad, I can play good, if I’m Wimbledon champion, the year was great. If I’m not, the year was bad […] In the third, I was quite tired. In the fourth, I pushed myself because once I’m in the fifth, you never know what can happen, you can get unlucky.” They had already played two mutual five-setters, Becker won them both on clay. Two days after their Indian Wells final, they face each other in the Orlando first round, and Becker wins 7-6(7), 6-4 saving a set point at 5:6 in the tie-break.

   Becker’s route to his 13th title:
   2 Tim Wilkison 6-3, 6-4
   3 John Fitzgerald 6-0, 6-2
   Q Johan Kriek 6-3, 6-4
   S Andre Agassi 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
   W Emilio Sanchez 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

   # Becker three points away from losing to Agassi

   Serve & volley: Becker 23/41, Sanchez 12/28

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   February 23, 2025 at 5:25 pm

   This event featured the first main-level win of the best player of the 90s.
   17-year-old Pete Sampras [893, qualifier] defeated Ramesh Krishnan [37] 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(9) saving five match points (four in the tie-break)!

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