2 Responses to tokyo92courier_krajicek

1. Voo de Mar says:

   December 14, 2024 at 9:14 am

   Points won by each set: | 42-32, 33-28, 45-43 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   27 % Courier – 30 of 110
   23 % Krajicek – 26 of 113

   The 20-year-old Krajicek [30] confirmed his aspiration to become an elite player in the 90s, reaching his second ATP final (the first one he’d played in Asia too – Hong Kong ’91) shortly after the Aussie Open semifinal where he was supposed to face Courier [2], but withdrew. Therefore their Tokyo final it was in some sense a response to what would have happened in Melbourne if the Dutchman hadn’t been injured (shoulder)… Krajicek showcased a very strong serve-and-volley performance in Japan, attacking the net behind each and every serve (Courier won 4 out of his 5 serve-and-volley actions), but his backhand was vulnerable; he missed several Courier’s second serves with his backhand slice – this inability to keep the ball in play longer from his left side remained a problem for the rest of his career as he vastly improved his serve. Nevertheless Krajicek had his chances in each set: he had a mini set point at 4:3 in the opener, had break points in Courier’s first two service games of the 2nd set, and led 6:5* (30/15) in the 3rd set when Courier played well at the net. In the tie-break, Courier collected two successive points from 4:3 with return winners. Thanks to that title, Courier regained the top spot in men’s ranking, and he kept it until the end of the year.

   Courier’s route to his 6th title:
   2 Kevin Curren 6-1, 6-1
   3 Gianluca Pozzi 6-3, 6-3
   Q Amos Mansdorf 7-6(5), 6-4
   S Michael Chang 6-2, 6-3
   W Richard Krajicek 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(3)

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   December 14, 2024 at 9:33 am

   What separates Courier from other players who reached No. 1 in the world before and after him, it’s his ability to win the biggest titles with a modest experience. The 22-year-old American had only six titles under his belt after the Krajicek final, but already two Slams (French Open ’91, Aussie Open ’92) as well as two “Masters 1K” titles – Indian Wells & Key Biscayne ’91, and two “ATP 500” titles – Basel ’89, Tokyo ’92. Five of those six important finals he won in the ‘best of five’ format.

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