1 Response to olymp04chile_germany

1. Voo de Mar says:

   July 31, 2024 at 6:25 pm

   Points won by each set: | 31-18, 31-35, 22-31, 39-39, 36-31 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   32 % Chileans – 47 of 144
   30 % Germans – 51 of 168

   “What a day for Chile. What a tremendous amount of emotions in one day,” Gonzalez said. “At the beginning of the (doubles) match, I was very tired, and I’m still tired. It was difficult to move.” It was a monumental effort from both Chilean players. Gonzalez came back to the court a few hours after winning the bronze medal in dramatic circumstances saving a match point (6-4, 2-6, 16-14 against Dent). The doubles final lasted until 2:39 a.m. on Sunday. Massu slept a few hours in the morning (from six till noon) and began his singles final around 7:30 p.m. the same day to get his second gold medal!
   In a quite unusual final in which every player was better in singles than in doubles, German players were the favorites. They were fresher (Kiefer lost 3R in singles, Schuettler was ousted in 1R), playing a classic doubles game, so attacking the net behind the serve and behind the return when possible – usually responding to second serves of the Chileans – before them no pair had won such a prestigious title in a game-style where the server was standing on the baseline! The Chileans were playing surprisingly well for an hour and led 6-2, 4:2* (40/30). They wasted a break point in the seventh game though, and the Germans began to establish their supremacy. After three sets the Chileans changed their shirts (from red to white), Gonzalez needed a treatment to his sore legs. No ‘deuce’ in the 4th set and the tie-break had to decide. The Germans were on fire, as they led 6:2* it seemed impossible they wouldn’t win this match, but a miracle happened – two volley errors, two forehand winners, and the quadruple match point evaporated. The Chileans converted their second set point to win the breaker 9/7. The Chilean duo broke first in the decider, but the Germans raced to a *3:1 (30-all) lead. Another three games for the Chileans, but the Germans broke back again, and the serving Kiefer, who regained his fighting spirit, had a game point at 4-all. Schuettler lost his touch at the net though. Kiefer was broken in all his three service games of the decider. Gonzalez was serving for the gold medal; he and Massu made some easy mistakes, but on the third match point Schuettler missed a backhand return off the second serve, and the Chileans celebrated the 3-hour 44-minute victory lying on the court in embrace.

   The Massu/Gonzalez [CHI] route to the Gold medal:
   1 Knowles / Merklein [BAH] 7-5, 6-4
   2 Etlis / M.Rodriguez [ARG] 6-3, 7-6(2)
   Q B.Bryan / M.Bryan [USA] 7-5, 6-4
   S Ancic / Ljubicic [CRO] 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
   W Kiefer / Schuettler [GER] 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-4 – 4 m.p.

   

   From left: Kiefer, Schuetter – Gonzalez, Massu – Ljubicic, Ancic
   The Croats defeated a Hindu pair – Mahesh Bhupathi/Leander Paes 7-6(5), 4-6, 16-14 in the Bronze medal match after 3 hours 58 minutes

   Log in to Reply