There has been much talk about the greatest match of all-time. The last two Wimbledon finals (Rafael Nadal defeating Roger Federer 9-7 in the fifth set in the 2008 final and Federer edging Andy Roddick 16-14 in the fifth set in 2009) certainly are integral part of this conversion. One match that deserves consideration is the 1996 final of the year-end ATP Tour World Championship between Pete Sampras and Boris Becker. The summary of this match, as well as other events that also happened on November 24, are documented below in this book excerpt from ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com).
November 24
1996 – Pete Sampras and Boris Becker play what many say is one of the greatest matches of all-time, with Sampras fending off Becker and a raucous pro-German crowd 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-7 (11), 6-4 to win the year-end ATP Tour World Championship in Hannover, Germany. Sampras says the match is perhaps the most dramatic of his career. “This is one of the best matches I have ever been part of,” says Sampras. “This is what the game is all about. It’s not the money, it’s not all that, it’s the great matches.’
1996 – Steffi Graf needs five sets to defeat 16-year-old Martina Hingis 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 to capture the year-end Chase Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York. Graf wins despite twisting her knee in the seventh game of the fourth set. Hingis, herself, considered quitting the match after pulling her left thigh muscle in the fourth set.
1991 – Seventeen-year-old Monica Seles wins the year-end Virginia Slims Championships, defeating Martina Navratilova 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in a rematch of the U.S. Open women’s singles final. The win ends one of the most lucrative years in the history of women’s tennis as Seles wins three major singles titles – the Australian Open, the French Open and the U.S. Open – as well as 10 tournament titles. She reaches the final of all16 tournament she enters and earns $2.457 million in prize money, a record at the time.
1999 – Andre Agassi defeats top rival Pete Sampras 6-2, 6-2 in round robin play at the year-end ATP Tour World Championships in Hannover, Germany. Playing only his third match after recovering from hip and back injuries, Sampras gives much of the credit to Agassi for his victory, ”I was a touch rusty, but it had a lot to do with Andre,” Sampras says. ”It’s not an excuse, he clearly outplayed me.” Says Agassi, “On my best day, I couldn’t beat Pete 2 and 2 if he’s playing what he’s capable of. I could have everything go well for me and I am not going to beat him 2 and 2.” Says Sampras of his rivalry with Agassi, “When we are both playing well, on top of our game, there’s a good chance we’ll get through these tough matches and meet in the finals or semis of the Slams. If that happens, we can definitely take this game to a whole new level, especially in the United States.”
1969 – Neale Fraser, the retired Australian tennis standout and current insurance salesman, is named captain of the Australian Davis Cup team. The 36-year-old Fraser replaces Australia’s legendary Harry Hopman, who steers the Australian Davis Cup team for 22 years – and 16 titles – since 1939. Fraser goes on to captain the Aussie Davis Cuppers for one more year than Hopman – a record 23 years – and guides Australia to four titles.
Seles- the best.Had she not been stabbed, she could have won so many more majors for sure.Graf benefited big time.
Absolutely!
My vote goes to Sampras-Agassi 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 in the 2001 US Open QF.
The greatest hardcourt tennis I've ever witnessed.
1989 French open semi final,where Steffi Graf beats Monica Seles with the score 6-3,3-6,6-3
really both are great players.and Graf also won more majors among 1990-92 if her father doesn't create scandals at that time.yes its true,seles won that much becase of graf's headaches!
and stabbing spoils not only seles life,but graf's too.
Monica would still have won eight Majors before the stabbing without Graf’s personal problems. In fact, she might even have won /more/ Majors, due to the psychological edge she would have gained from beating Graf in all those Major finals that Graf failed to reach.
The only ways in which the stabbing spoiled Graf’s life were that it devalued her achievements after the stabbing, and that she received death-threats. She never showed true remorse for what her fan Günther Parche did to Monica.
Best match ever to me is FO women's final 92, Seles beats Graf 6-2 3-6 10-8.
I feel that Steffi always dealt awkwardly with the stabbing of Monica. She certainly played great and had to win all these titles, but it was obvious that she was the second best player when monica was around and the stabbing has tarnished some of her achievements.
What was meant to be the greatest rivalry of the 90s was cut short.
french final'92 was a great final. To say Seles would have won many more is not a fair statement to Graf. Graf held the head to head in this rivalry, even before the stabbing. I do thing the rivalry would have dominated the 90's if Seles would have not had the unfortunate physical, as well as mental, stab. However, I beleave Graf was too competitive to let Seles get away with beating her. This showed a month later after the French final when Graf beat her in straight sets and when Seles came back to the game and rolled her way to the final at the US Open in 1995 to be stopped only by Graf.