stockholm01schalken_nieminen

By | Published December 2, 2025 | Full size is 533 × 403 pixels

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2 Responses to stockholm01schalken_nieminen

  1. Voo de Mar says:
    December 2, 2025 at 7:02 pm
    Points won by each set: | 29-36, 31-18, 32-20, 33-36, 41-33 |
    Points won directly behind the serve:
    26 % Schalken – 37 of 142
    20 % Nieminen – 35 of 167

    Being strongly supported the crowd, Nieminen led *3:0 (30/0) in the 5th set when he netted a FH passing-shot from an easy position. He had two game points in that game anyway, at one of them Schalken struck a perfect FH return which landed on the sideline. Nieminen also led *3:2 (40/15) – he squandered six game points in total to get his fourth game in that set, and ultimately lost six games in a row (in the 4th set he led 4:0* before 5:4, 30-all) which makes that Schalken’s comeback one of the most impressive in the Open Era as far as fifth sets of the championship matches are concerned. The final outcome can be surprising for someone with knowledge that Nieminen was a five-set specialist while Schalken was known as an unreliable player in fifth sets, yet when they met in Sweden the circumstances were quite specific – for the 20-year-old Nieminen [103, qualifier] it was just his second main-level event, his first five-setter while five years older Schalken [40] had already played much longer five-setters (including a marathon against Philippoussis – one of the longest fifth sets in tennis history). When they met, the Dutchman not only had much more impressive experience, he also had played three matches fewer that week which allowed him to preserve more energy when it mattered the most. The following week, Schalken would play his best Masters 1K event, in Paris; having eliminated Kuerten and Roddick, he lost a dramatic encounter to Vinciguerra though (6-2, 6-7, 6-7). Nieminen would win another six five-setters to finish his career with one of the most respectable records (21-11).

    Schalken’s route to his 6th title:
    1 John van Lottum 6-1, 6-3
    2 Wayne Arthurs 6-4, 6-3
    Q Jan Vacek 6-3, 7-6(3)
    S Guillermo Canas 6-4, 6-2
    W Jarkko Nieminen 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3

    Serve & volley: Schalken 5/7, Nieminen 3/5
  2. Voo de Mar says:
    December 2, 2025 at 7:13 pm
    ☆ The 20-year-old Nieminen registered the first final appearance by a Finn in almost 20 years.
    Leo Palin lost his final to Ricky Meyer in Sofia, Bulgaria on December 20, 1981.

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