2 Responses to kb88connors_mecir

1. Voo de Mar says:

   March 19, 2024 at 11:39 am

   Points won by each set: | 32-25, 23-31, 40-37, 33-25 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   20 % Connors – 25 of 120
   18 % Mecir – 23 of 126

   36-year-old Connors [6] advanced to his last big final with that 3-hour 7-minute victory over the defending champion… Despite his perfect break point conversion in the first three sets (6/6, later it’d be 8/8), Mecir [7] lost two sets leading in them – 3:1* in 1st and *3:0 in 3rd. It was a drousy match until the opening game of the 2nd set as Mecir led 40/15 on serve when Connors went berserk after a controversial line-call of the umpire Richard Kaufmann. Connors got a warning and afterwards he was questioning all close calls against him. At 3:5* (30/40) in that set he couldn’t agree with another decision, and got a point penalty which meant a set for the (Czecho)Slovak. Connors argued with the officials he wouldn’t continue, his tirade lasted five minutes. Ultimately he decided to play (two years before he had left the court in the 5th set vs Lendl at Boca Raton after receiving a game penalty). Mecir had won six straight games, but Connors calmed down and changed the rhythm of the match taking very long breaks between the points, especially on serve (30 seconds allowed then). He won the set breaking Mecir four times, and raced to a *5:1 lead in the 4th set. Mecir improved to create a break point at 3:5, but Connors finally saved a break point with a forehand winner and converted his first match point with his only ace (down the T). “My mind was kind of blank,” Connors explained his behaviour in the 2nd set. “The best thing to do was just try to get my composure back and get a few balls in play. I’ve said my whole life the overrule is the worst rule in the game. I’ve said it when I’ve won, I’ve said it when I’ve lost.” Connors was fined $1.250 for his outburst.

   Serve & volley: Connors 3/7, Mecir 0

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   March 19, 2024 at 5:06 pm

   The first three sets repeated the scoreline of their previous match (World Team Cup ’85). Connors won it 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 despite Mecir leading *4:0 in the 3rd set!
   In 1989 they face each other for the fourth and last time, Mecir wins it easily.

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