1 Response to stuttgart97rafter_martin

1. Voo de Mar says:

   December 26, 2025 at 1:16 pm

   Points won by each set: [ 29-36, 54-51, 33-28 ]
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   39 % Rafter – 45 of 114
   27 % Martin – 32 of 117

   Interesting event for the 27-year-old Martin who was coming back from a 7-month break due to elbow injury. The American [64] lost his qualifying match to Alex O’Brien (5-7 4-6), but entered the draw as a lucky loser, then beat in straight sets Agassi, Moya, Kuerten, and almost repeated it against Rafter! The Australian [3] trailed *0:2 in the 2nd set also 0:2* in the tie-break, in the meantime he fought off a mini-match point with a service winner; in the 9/7 tie-break he converted his fifth set point. The 3rd set was decided in the 5th game as Rafter broke after Martin’s volley error. Almost exactly one year later, Martin would avenge that defeat, surviving a tighter indoor encounter in Paris, saving a match point in the deciding tie-break #

   # Comparison of their two dramatic indoor matches:
   Stuttgart-In 1997 (QF): Rafter d. Martin 4-6, 7-6, 6-4… 2 hours 24 minutes… Total points: 116-115 (aces: 16-5)
   Paris-Bercy 1998 (3R): Martin d. Rafter 5-7, 7-6, 7-6… 2 hours 42 minutes… Total points: 121-125 (aces: 14-8)

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