2 Responses to philadelphia90sampras_gomez.

1. Voo de Mar says:

   June 10, 2026 at 2:46 pm

   Points won by each set: | 45-37, 38-29, 33-24 |
   Unreturned serves:
   37 % Sampras – 32 of 86
   25 % Gomez – 31 of 120

   This final of February ’90 is more important in retrospect because they both won their maiden Slams that year which had been highly unlikely when they faced each other in Pennsylvania: 30-year-old Gomez [18] never played a Slam semifinal before while 11 years younger Sampras [32] never played a Slam quarterfinal. Sampras’ path to become the best player of the 90s actually began in Philadelphia that week. He was recognised as a big talent, but seemed like a fourth best American teenager behind Agassi, Chang & Courier, his appearance in Philadelphia wasn’t even certain until the last moment because a week before he had retired in the second round in Memphis due to groin injury. In the 1st set of the final as a receiver he squandered a (40/0) lead twice, once (40/15), but it didn’t bother him at all, he explained his laid-back attitude after the final: “If I lose, big deal; if I win, that’s great.” In the tie-break a super tight FH passing-shot gave him a 6:4 lead which was crucial. In the 2nd set at *4:5 his break point conversion was 0/10 (4) but every time he created a chance, he took it in three games on Gomez’ serve that followed. In the 3rd set the South American broke his pattern of attacking the net behind each 1st serve, but it didn’t help him, and the teenager finished the championships with a perfect stop-volley. “He is a complete player,” said Gomez, who was unable to play one ‘deuce’ in Sampras’ 16 service games. “I tried really hard to find his weaknesses, but I just couldn’t. He can serve and volley or stay back, which I don’t think Chang or Agassi will ever be able to do. I definitely think he’s the best of those three guys.” The legendary 75-year-old Don Budge, the winner of all Slams in 1938, sitting in the stands, said during the 1st set: “I see him winning Wimbledon in a short time.” Perhaps the great American champion thought about the years 1990-91, Sampras ultimately triumphed at Wimbledon in 1993, and would rule there for the rest of the 90s.

   Sampras’ route to his maiden title (33rd main-level event):
   2 Milan Srejber 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3
   3 Andre Agassi 5-7, 7-5 ret. ☆
   Q Tim Mayotte 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
   S Mark Kratzmann 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
   W Andres Gomez 7-6(4), 7-5, 6-2

   ☆ Sampras’ first of 20 wins over Agassi, who retired due to food poisoning

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   June 10, 2026 at 6:26 pm

   ☆☆ Ranking of four American teenagers at the end of 1989:
   5 – Chang, 7 – Agassi, 24 – Courier, 81 – Sampras

   Other teenagers in the Top 100:
   26 – Bruguera, 40 – Ivanišević, 45 – Rosset, 73 – Davín, 82 – Čerkasov, 84 – Stoltenberg

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