2 Responses to munich98enqvist_agassi

1. Voo de Mar says:

   May 5, 2023 at 4:22 pm

   Points won by each set: | 43-46, 45-44, 31-20|
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   32 % Enqvist – 38 of 118
   30 % Agassi – 34 of 111

   Despite the class of both finalists, it was an unexpected finish of the “BMW Open”: Agassi was rarely playing events on European clay (his first final under these circumstances since French Open ’91) while for Enqvist, clay was arguably his worst surface (47% ratio). Enqvist was one of Agassi’s toughest opponents because no one else in the 90s, could play the way Agassi [20] was playing: returning only ~1m behind the baseline on 1st serves, ~1m inside the court on 2nd serves, and constructing baseline rallies with fast & flat ground-strokes off both wings, more or less in the area typical for the return positions, with sporadic trips to the net (in that final a first volley winner occurred after 80 minutes!). Enqvist [21] had a better serve, but he hadn’t Agassi’s talent to be sufficient in a more complex game, covering the entire court. That day, in the mirroring battle, nuances decided. Agassi led 5:4* in the 2nd set tie-break when Enqvist fired an ace. Only two breaks of serve in the first two sets, then the decider began with four consecutive breaks, and Enqvist fought off a break point at 2-all to prevent extending the streak to five. There was 3-all when he easily won the last three games converting the championship point with a powerful backhand down the line, his trademark shot. “We both played very well during the whole match,” Agassi said. “I was improving all the time during the week and it was a perfect preparation for the French Open.“ # Four years later Agassi defeats Enqvist after identical scoreline on a hard court.

   Enqvist’s route to his 13th title:
   1 Magnus Norman 7-5, 6-3
   2 Marc Rosset 6-2, 6-3
   Q Oliver Gross 6-3, 6-3
   S Magnus Gustafsson 6-3, 6-4
   W Andre Agassi 6-7(4), 7-6(6), 6-3

   Serve & volley: both 0

   # Comparison of their matches with identical scoreline (H2H 5-5):
   Munich ’98 (Final): Enqvist d. Agassi 6-7, 7-6, 6-3… 2 hours 19 minutes… Total points: 119-110… 2 pts away
   Washington ’02 (QF): Agassi d. Enqvist 6-7, 7-6, 6-3… 2 hours 23 minutes… Total points: 125-118… 3 pts away

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   December 31, 2024 at 12:40 pm

   Enqvist had won a clay-court title before, but on a green clay, three years earlier in Pinehurst (North Carolina) against Javier Frana 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the final.
   The Swede finished his career with a negative record on clay (58-63) which was tough to expect when he was a teenager, French Open junior runner-up of years 1990-91

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