2 Responses to masters97sampras_kafelnikov

1. Voo de Mar says:

   November 19, 2020 at 7:40 am

   Points won by each set: | 33-26, 28-13, 29-16 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   42 % Sampras – 29 of 69
   21 % Kafelnikov – 16 of 76

   # The most one-sided Masters final of the 90s, during times when the Russian was regularly beaten by the American, so the scoreline didn’t even surprise. Kafelnikov [6] had break points in Sampras’ [1] first three service games (broke twice!), afterwards he never got ‘deuce’, only once winning two points as a receiver…“We both got off to a slow start, then everything just clicked, from serves to returns and ground strokes,” Sampras said. “Yevgeny, I think, got a little bit down on himself and started missing some shots. I took advantage of it because it gave me that much more confidence. I felt I played extremely well.” That year the surface was changed from carpet to medium-fast hard (the so-called GreenSet on Wood) and it was reflected in the scorelines (17 tie-breaks in 1996, only 5 the following year). ☆

   Sampras’ route to his 52nd title:
   rr. Carlos Moya 3-6, 7-6(4), 2-6
   rr. Greg Rusedski 6-4, 7-5
   rr. Patrick Rafter 6-4, 6-1
   S Jonas Bjorkman 6-3, 6-4
   W Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-2, 6-2

   # Comparison of two most one-sided Masters finals of the 80s & 90s:
   New York ’88: Lendl d. Wilander 6-2, 6-2, 6-3… 2 hours 20 minutes… Total points: 87-63… Breaks: 8-2
   Hanover ’97: Sampras d. Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-2, 6-2… 1 hour 27 minutes… Total points: 90-55… Breaks: 7-2

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   July 15, 2026 at 2:28 am

   ☆ The literal difference between the 1996 and 1997 editions of the “GreenSet On Wood” surface
   was the volume of silica sand mixed into the acrylic resin topcoat, which dramatically altered the court friction.

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