1 Response to uo94stich_bjorkman

1. Voo de Mar says:

   February 6, 2024 at 9:30 am

   Stats without the first six games: number of aces, double faults & break points valid for the entire contest

   Points won by each set: | X, 34-30, 38-41, 42-39 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   ~35 % Stich ~55 of ~150
   ~25 % Bjorkman ~35 of ~140

   Something what seemed like a routine straight sets victory for Stich [4] almost turned into a five-setter. An all-serve-and-volley night session match (just a few points played with mutual ground-stroke rallies) was pretty boring for 1.5 hours. The German got early breaks in the first two sets, and led 4:2 in the 3rd against an underdog. Bjorkman [71] broke back, and pumping himself he managed to erase a *2:5 deficit in the tie-break to win it 9/7 on his third set point. In the 4th set Stich netted an easy FH volley to lead 4:1, and at 4-all he was forced to save two mini-set points, at the first one his BH volley landed on the sideline. It was career-best result for the 22-year-old Bjorkman at the time (well deserved as he had ousted the two-time champion Edberg in round 3), but he confirmed it wasn’t a fluke three years later, advancing to the US Open semifinal, and becoming a Top 5 player for a while.

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