2 Responses to rg94larsson_dreekmann

1. Voo de Mar says:

   September 17, 2025 at 1:02 pm

   Stats without 11 games (77% done) from 3-all in 1st to 5:3 for Dreekmann in 2nd (number of aces, DFs correct for the entire match)

   Points played on serve (excluding the 2nd set) Larsson 111, Dreekmann 116

   19-year-old Dreekmann [89] was a point away from becoming one of the most sensational semifinalists in the French Open history. He was playing his barely 14th main-level event, hadn’t won a clay court match before presenting game-style more suitable to hardcourts, but managed to win four successive matches in Paris, eliminating three experienced and much higher ranked opponents, including a clay-court specialist (Carlos Costa). The first appearance on Centre Court didn’t intimidate him at all – he won the opener easily, and led 5:3* in the 2nd set when lost his serve for the first time; he played an excellent tie-break (7/1) and raced to a *2:0 (deuce) lead in the 3rd set. His potentially shocking straight-set victory brutally slipped away though. Larsson [46] escaped from 15/40 twice, at *4:5 and 5:6, saving six match points in total. But the truth is, Dreekmann couldn’t do too much on those match points – Larsson saved three with forehand winners, and three with powerful serves (ace, two unreturned). Only on one of those match points Dreekmann played two shots, the second one was a forehand volley, certainly many serve-and-volley specialists could have played better from his position, but he cannot blame himself, played a decent FH volley, and Larsson passed him. The Swede won the second tie-break 7/3, and Dreekmann couldn’t regroup mentally pondering about those match points. In the last two sets he was abysmal, an error machine; he withstood a double break point trailing 0:3 in the decider, and raced his hands in a sarcastic gesture. Larsson finished the three-hour contest with a backhand passing-shot winner… At the time many observers expected Dreekmann would become one of the best players born in the mid 70s, but nothing like that happened. He wouldn’t play a fourth round at majors, taking part in them regularly until the end of the 90s. Following his Parisian journey, he displayed flashes of brilliance only twice: in Basel ’96 where he reached the final, and at Key Biscayne ’97 where he also won four matches, but an injury (right foot) didn’t allow him to enter the court against Sampras in the quarterfinals.

   # Comparison of two similar Swedish-German duels on clay in the 90s:
   French Open 1994 (QF): Larsson d. Dreekmann 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-0, 6-1… 3 hours 3 minutes… Total points: 167-144… Breaks: 7-3
   Stuttgart-out 1999 (Final): Norman d. Haas 6-7, 4-6, 7-6, 6-0, 6-3… 3 hours 28 minutes… Total points: 166-148… Breaks: 9-5

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   September 17, 2025 at 1:27 pm

   ☆ Larsson defeats Dreekmann 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2 at the French Open ’95 in the second round,
   that time the German wins the 3rd set facing a few match points, but as opposed to Larsson a year before, is unable to win in five

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