Both Finals Go Down To The Wire
by Christopher Gerby
Patrick Rafter vs. Andrei Pavel
Singles: Final
Centre Court
Yet another hot afternoon (31 degrees Celsius) greeted Patrick Rafter
and Andrei Pavel as they took the court for the singles final. Several
fans clad in yellow and red waved Romanian flags for their man Pavel.
Rafter, of course, had even more crowd support and doffed his cap
upon getting a big ovation during the pre-match warmup. The early
games of the match were service-dominated. Rafter was clocking an
uncharacteristic number of aces, including three in Game 5. Pavel,
meanwhile, continued his streak of successful holds -- he hadn't
suffered a break since his second round win over Francisco Clavet.
Rafter volleyed forcefully in a love hold for 4-3, but still couldn't
reach break point against Pavel. Well-placed serves and awe-inspiring
backhands carried Andrei to 5-all. Leading 40-0 in the next game,
Rafter struck what looked like a game-winning volley and even feinted a
move to his chair, but the ball was called out. At 40-15, he once
again just missed the baseline and made the same joking move toward
his chair. At 40-30 he finally did close out the game with a service
winner and pointed his racquet in the chair's direction, purposefully
striding to the changeover. Pavel then held at love to force a
pivotal first set tiebreak.
- Rafter skillfully makes a low forehand volley -- 1-0 RAFTER
- Backhand volley wide by Rafter -- 1-1
- Rafter chips a forehand approach long -- 2-1 PAVEL
- Rafter makes an indecisive stab at an overhead, tapping it into the net -- 3-1 PAVEL
- Pavel whips a cross-court backhand pass -- 4-1 PAVEL
- After a questionable non-call on a Rafter shot, Pavel nets a backhand -- 4-2 PAVEL
- Rafter hits a forehand into the net -- 5-2 PAVEL
- A running Pavel rips a forehand pass down the line -- 6-2 PAVEL
- Service winner by Rafter -- 6-3 PAVEL
- Pavel comes in behind his serve and puts away a forehand volley -- 7-3 PAVEL
Despite just losing four points in his six service games, Patrick
Rafter found himself down a set. He remained tenacious, though, and
earned four more break points against Pavel in the second set's long
opening game. Andrei finally put a forehand in the net, snapping his
consecutive holds streak at 46. Pavel nearly broke right back in the
next game, but Pat handled a high forehand volley for deuce and scored
a service winner for 2-0. Rafter upped his ace total to 10 as he took a
4-2 lead, playing the kind of relentless tennis he used to win
back-to-back US Open titles. He got within a point of a second break
and pounced, ripping a forehand pass that Pavel couldn't handle.
Now up a double break, Rafter put the hammer down, blasting another ace and
two service winners in closing out his 6-2 win of the second set.
It was vintage stuff from Rafter, who ran his total to 28 winners
(versus 18 unforced errors).
There wasn't a competitive service game in the final set until Game 5, when
Pavel dropped a couple points but held for 3-2. Big passing shots
took the underdog to deuce in Game 6, but Rafter answered with back-to-back
service winners for 3-3. Pavel got a lucky winner off the tape in
Game 7, a love hold. Still unbroken after two hours of play, the Aussie
double faulted to put himself in a 0-30 hole. He battled back with
an ace and a winning volley, then got to game point when a Pavel lob
went wide. The Romanian refused to crumble, though, and he drove a
backhand into the corner for deuce. Finally losing his magic touch,
Rafter missed two volleys in a row to surrender the game. Andrei
Pavel was now one game away from a widely unexpected victory. Pat
made him work for it, blocking a backhand return down the line for
30-30. However, Pavel's serve has been masterful on important points
all week. He smacked a service winner for 40-30 and an ace out wide
to clinch his first Masters Series title 7-6, 2-6, 6-3.
Pavel immediately dropped to his knees and tossed his racquet aside.
Then he lied down face first on the court and spent a good 20 seconds
there before giving the purple surface a kiss. Pavel eventually
shook hands with Rafter, sprinted over to embrace his personal trainer,
gave the crowd a gracious round of applause, and threw a ball to the
unofficial Romanian section of the stands. Participating in what may
be the final trophy ceremony of his career, Rafter received a standing
ovation and opened his speech by congratulating Pavel. Andrei would
return the favor in his own speech, calling Rafter "a great champion" and
issuing a "thank you to almost everybody." As Pavel posed for pictures
with his new Waterford Crystal trophy, Rafter modestly crouched behind
the photographers.
While the players were leaving the court, the classic Aretha Franklin
song "Respect" happened to be playing over the PA system. It was
quite appropriate, since Andrei Pavel (essentially called a nobody by
several journalists this week) earned a huge dose of respect with
this victory. Nonetheless, he was reluctant to brag about the way he
played. "I hope I showed that. I don't have to say it. I guess I had
a great week. I'm trying to do that again. I'm trying to play better
and better on the big tournaments, and I hope I can reach those goals."
He'll get his next opportunity almost immediately, since he's set to
face '99 Montreal champ Thomas Johansson in the first round of Cincinnati's Masters Series
event on Tuesday. I asked if that quick turnaround would cut his
celebration short. "No, I guess I will enjoy tonight. I have my
family here. And I guess I will go a little bit in the swimming
pool," Pavel said, referring to a public pool located just outside
the stadium. "It doesn't have to be alcohol, I guess, but I think I
will have a glass of wine and a nice meal. But, yeah, next week is
another week... I hope I can get my mind together. I have a
really difficult match against Thomas Johansson, who has been playing
the last year great tennis."
"It's just getting a little boring not finishing off the tournaments,
getting close and not finishing them off," said Patrick Rafter, looking
more subdued than we'd seen him in the previous press conferences.
"Just a couple of loose shots. I didn't play particularly smart in
the tiebreaker. Bit loose and he took advantage of it." Rafter is
planning to take an extended break at the end of the season, but left open the possibility that
Canadian fans will see him again. "If I miss the game and I'd like to
prepare for the US Open next year, then Toronto would definitely be a
stop for me." Unfortunately, full-fledged retirement is also an
option. "Been my 12th year this year travelling. And it's very tiring,
very boring. I'm going to miss the competition more than
anything, but sometimes you don't want to compete... Sometimes you don't
want to deal with people expecting you to win all the time and sort of
getting down on you." As a Grand Slam champion, he isn't terribly interested
in collecting more runner-up plates like the one he received today.
"I've got a big family and they need a lot of plates to eat off. They
can use them. Might as well use them. No good sitting on a
mantlepiece."
Johnson/Palmer vs. Novak/Rikl
Doubles: Final
Centre Court
Jiri Novak and David Rikl didn't have to wait long for a chance to
avenge their loss in last month's Wimbledon final. They got their
rematch in Sunday afternoon's title bout versus Donald Johnson and
Jared Palmer. Wearing their matching red-and-black attire despite the
steamy conditions, the Czechs drew even at 4-4 in the first set.
Johnson then played a loose service game at the wrong time, double
faulting and missing a volley on the way to 15-40. Palmer pushed a
backhand volley wide on double break point to fall behind 4-5. Breaks
are precious commodities in men's doubles and the Americans couldn't
get this one back. A service winner from the left-handed Rikl wrapped
up the 6-4 opening set.
The first break points of Set 2 came at 2-1, when Palmer ripped a
forehand winner down the line. Johnson then delivered a winning
forehand of his own, breaking Rikl for 3-1. The # 2 seeds extended
that lead to 5-2 and earned a set point. Novak saved it with a
winning volley, though, and Rikl held for 3-5. A service winner by
Johnson gave his team a second set point, but Rikl fought it off with a
nice backhand. Don got to set point # 3 and netted a volley. A fourth
chance followed two points later and the Wimbledon champions finally
made good. Palmer powered a smash into the stands, taking the second
set 6-3. At that point, the hearty fans in the cheap seats were all
invited down to the 100 (courtside) level for a closer look at the
action. Meanwhile, the press box was becoming a ghost town. The
refrigerator was emptied, information sheets were taken off their
shelves, and the TV monitors were removed. It was like sitting in the
middle of a very low-key riot.
Johnson and Palmer had the momentum and were looking all kinds of
fired up. They both raised clenched fists after a winning Palmer
volley got them to deuce in the final set's first game, but Novak
battled back to hold. Palmer broke into a double fist pump after
saving a break point in Game 4. Brief opportunities were being missed
by both teams as the set went with serve to 3-2. Johnson went up
30-0 in Game 6, but then sandwiched two double faults around a winning
Rikl volley. On break point, Don sent a backhand volley long and
angrily smacked a ball off the court. A love hold by Rikl put the
end in sight, but Palmer staved off elimination with a hold for 3-5.
A service winner by Novak brought the Czechs to double match point in
Game 9. A high ball floated to Rikl at the net and he knocked home a
winning backhand volley. David raised his arms in victory and got a
big bear hug from Novak. The tough loss at Wimbledon was avenged in
style: 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
The match lasted 95 minutes, which is about how long the three
remaining reporters waited to hear from the champions. They were
supposed to appear in the interview room within 10 to 15 minutes, but
that time frame passed with no sign of the Czechs. Walkie-talkies
were set in motion as we were first informed that Novak and Rikl were
"hiding in the locker room" and then told they were busy showering.
Our journalistic ranks dwindled to two and then to one. Just as yours
truly was prepared to bail out, Nathalie Boivin of Tennis Canada
insisted that I follow her down to the player lounge and wait there
for Novak and Rikl. The lounge is every bit as spacious and lush as
it was the last time I paid it a visit, following the '99 doubles
final. A few minutes after I settled into one of the comfy sofas, the
Czechs strolled in. Rikl immediately got distracted and wandered off,
but his better known partner sat right down for the following
one-on-one interview. (Hey, it's an On The Line exclusive -- gotta
milk it for all it's worth.)
On The Line: Did you try any strategy today that was different
from the Wimbledon final?
Jiri Novak: No, I don't think so. We know these kind of players
so well, because we played so many matches against them already and
we know the tactics what we have to exactly play. In the Wimbledon,
it was a completely different story, because it was a little bit of the
psychology match. It was the final of Wimbledon, the final of a Grand
Slam tournament, the most famous tournament in the world. But today
we played such a great match. We been just trying to play our best
tennis, you know, how we did during this week.
On The Line: Were you glad they allowed the fans to come down and be
closer to the action?
Jiri Novak: Yeah, I think it was, especially for them. It was just
a little bit question of concentration during the first two or three
games in the third set, because they were just coming down. The
people were standing and walking and it's very difficult to play.
You just playing the ball, you know, and you can see also the people,
it's very tough to hit the ball. But then it was, I think, nice fun.
We made the break in the third set, so it was very important for us.
On The Line: Do you feel like the past couple months are the
best you and David have played together?
Jiri Novak: Yeah, I think so, because we are playing already
five or six years together. Since last year, we made the final at the
tournament in Stuttgart. After five years we made the final in Super
Nine tournament and after that we won at Key Biscayne. You know, we
won at Stuttgart, we won at Monte Carlo, we been in the final in
Wimbledon. I think this is the best part of our career right now.
On The Line: The question I've been wondering all week is,
when did you shave your head?
Jiri Novak: (laughing) Why or when?
On The Line: When or why.
Jiri Novak: It was, I think, Tuesday? Yeah, I think so,
Tuesday. Tuesday in the evening, after the match against (Juan
Carlos) Ferrero. I just decide because it is so beautiful weather
and I'm for the five or six weeks away from the home, you know. I
can do it because my wife will not see me for the five weeks.
On The Line: Does it make you any faster on the court?
Jiri Novak: No, I don't think so, but if you are just taking care of the
hair, you know, every morning, three or four times per day. It is so
nice to be like this.
Just as I was thanking Jiri for his time, David Rikl walked over and
joked that he disagreed with whatever his partner had been saying. I asked
David if his successful mixed doubles partnership with Karina Habsudova
would continue at the US Open. "Yeah, I'm playing with her, yeah,
mixed doubles. Last three years. Yeah, and we lost three times to
the winner of mixed doubles, each Grand Slam. So hopefully we make it
one time." And with that, the last reporter on the premises packed up
his stuff and headed for the exit.
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https://tennis-ontheline.com/01mo07.htm © 2025
Last updated 26 September 2015
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