1 Response to stuttgart99enqvist_krajicek

1. Voo de Mar says:

   June 17, 2024 at 12:11 pm

   Points won by each set: | 26-13, 30-24, 36-42, 37-33 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   33 % Enqvist – 40 of 118
   43 % Krajicek – 54 of 125

   The Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart it was [8] Krajicek’s favorite indoor venue. He notched an impressive 23-5 record in the 90s, didn’t play there in 1991 (his first ATP year) because his ranking was too low to avoid qualies, and in 1994 due to injury. He triumphed there in 1995 and 1998 while in the years 1993, ’97 and ’99 he lost in the finals (the event was upgraded in 1996). As one of the best servers of the 90s, he was expected to drop his serve just once in two sets indoors in general, but the beginning of the final against Enqvist [18] was stunning – Krajicek couldn’t have found his rhythm and was broken twice quickly. From *0:5 (18 minutes) to the end of the final it was a balanced match though. At 4-all in the 2nd set the Dutchman led 40/0, yet he lost the game after three deuces. In the 3rd set at 4-all he saved three-mini match points – all with aces in the same direction (down the T). He had an 8-point winning streak converting his first set point with an accidental dropshot winner off his backhand sliced return. In the 4th set he led *3:1, but Enqvist broke back, and converted his sixth mini-match point at 5-all with a backhand passing-shot – the ball could have been wide, but no hawk-eye system at the time, Krajicek complained in vain. # “This was my best tournament in career, my best week. I beat four Top 10 players,” said Enqvist, 25-year-old at the time, “I like playing serve-and-volley players but Richard is always tough. He has a huge serve and he covers the net very well.”

   Enqvist’s route to his 15th title:
   2 Michael Chang 6-4, 6-2
   3 Gustavo Kuerten 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
   Q Marcelo Rios 6-4, 6-2
   S Andre Agassi 6-3, 4-6, 6-0
   W Richard Krajicek 6-1, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5

   # Certainly one of the most magnificent Masters 1K (Mercedes-Super 9) triumphs in history: Enqvist defeated three former/future Nos 1. and two players who were separated just one match/event from reaching the top. When he triumphed, the ranking of his opponents respectively: 73-5-9-1-8

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