1 Response to rg98pioline_safin

1. Voo de Mar says:

   May 21, 2024 at 1:00 pm

   Points won by each set: | 35-30, 25-31, 37-38, 32-19, 32-24 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   31 % Pioline – 45 of 143
   23 % Safin – 38 of 160

   When 18-year-old Safin [116] defeated in back-to-back five-setters the two-time former runner-up (1990-91) Agassi as well as the defending champion Kuerten, and supported those wins by a victory over a solid serve-and-volleyer Vacek, people began to talk that he’d become the first Grand Slam champion who had played qualifying rounds. The draw was wide open: Rios was the main favorite, but Safin couldn’t have faced him before the final, moreover the Chilean hadn’t won a major title, so big pressure was on him. Against the 11 years older Pioline [17] on Centre Court, Safin confirmed his great potential, but his seventh match in two weeks meant too much for his young body; it was also the first time in his short career that such a big crowd (14K) cheered for his opponent. The Russian led 5:3* (30/15) in the 1st set, but it doesn’t make sense to say “if he had won the opener, he would have defeated Pioline in straight sets” because the atmosphere could have been totally different during sets 2 and 3. From the beginning of the 4th set it was clear that Safin wouldn’t be as effective in defence as in the preceding sets & matches, Pioline dropped just 1 point on serve in that set, and also wasn’t seriously threatened in the decider (no deuce) – he obtained the crucial breaks at 4-all and 1-all in respective sets. Two years later they face each other on the same court in the fourth round again, this time the Russian prevails 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5.

   Serve & volley: Pioline 1/1, Safin 0

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