1 Response to rome91sanchez_mancini

1. Voo de Mar says:

   September 15, 2022 at 7:22 pm

   Points won by each set: | 30-19, 29-16, 15:3… |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   33 % Sanchez – 16 of 48
   7 % Mancini – 5 of 64

   Quite paradoxical situation that a much lower ranked player [105 vs 16] could be perceived as a slight favorite. Mancini had won their three previous encounters (all on clay) and triumphed at Foro Italico two years before (Sanchez gave him a walkover in 3R). He was struggling with injuries in 1990 therefore his ranking worsened significantly. It seemed that in Rome ’91 he rediscovered his normal self, but paid the price for a demanding event (two qualifying matches, saved 5 match points in 2R vs Svensson, was a few points from defeat in 3R vs Koevermans). Sanchez advanced to the final without any troubles and he was fresh like a daisy; when Mancini began to feel a severe pain in his left groin, he knew his chances to win three sets were extremely limited. “It started hurting after the first game of the second set,” said Mancini “I tried to play through it, but it just got worse. After a while, it was like playing without my legs.” An ATP trainer Alex Stober explained the second final retirement in the second season of Mercedes Super 9 events (previously Paris ’90): “It is very painful, and also makes it nearly impossible for him to move sideways.”

   Sanchez’s route to his 13th & biggest title:
   1 Todd Woodbridge 6-1, 6-1
   2 Horst Skoff 6-4, 6-3
   3 Wayne Ferreira 6-2, 6-2
   Q Richard Fromberg 6-2, 6-2
   S Goran Prpic 6-4, 6-2
   W Alberto Mancini 6-3, 6-1, 3-0 ret.

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