Tennishead top ten comebacks: pt.1

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Where would Hollywood be without our love of the plucky struggler? Everybody loves the underdog, the phoenix rising from the flames, and the gritty fighter – and here at Tennishead towers we’re no different.

So over the next week we’ll be reliving ten of our favourite tennis comebacks – be they one-match wonders, tales of the serial fightback masters or those who turned their careers around after testing times.

And here’s your first five:

10. Andre Agassi versus Andrei Medvedev, 1999 French Open

Andrei Medvedev might have been ranked No.100 in the world – the lowest ranked player to reach the final at Roland Garros – but that seemed to be the only thing in Andre Agassi’s favour as he looked to become only the fifth man to achieve a career Grand Slam.

The Agassi of old would have been the hot favourite, even if he had twice previously lost the final in Paris, but in 1999 the jury was out. Sure, he had three Grand Slams under his neon belt, but it had been only 18 months since his ranking had slumped to a lowly No.141 in the world and he was still in the process of restoring his reputation.

The American had almost withdrawn from the tournament with tendonitis in his right shoulder, and just in case he was superstitious, the good people at Roland Garros seeded him No.13. No thirteenth seed had ever won the French Open before.

So when Medvedev raced to a two-set lead against an out-of-sorts Agassi, there was a sense of ominous inevitability about the outcome. But Agassi clawed his way back into the match, finally finding his touch – and not a second too soon.

Serving at 4-4 in the third, the American lead 30-15 before double faulting twice to hand the Ukrainian a break point. After playing it safe with the serve, Agassi opted to play a risky drop volley to bring up deuce – to perfection. He held, and broke to take the set 6-4.

The momentum shift was palpable. Medvedev, who played well throughout the encounter, suddenly faced an altogether different Agassi. Suddenly able to match his aggression with his pinpoint accuracy, the American proved just too good for the remainder of the match, winning 1-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-4.

9. Richard Krajicek versus Tim Henman, New Haven, 1998

Tim Henman entered the quarterfinal match in Connetticut having never lost to Richard Krajicek – but, as the Dutchman explained, there was a reason for that.

Unlike their previous two encounters on the hallowed lawns of SW19, “we played on neutral ground,” the 1996 Wimbledon champion said afterwards. “It was nice that only five or six people were shouting his name instead of the whole stadium, the whole time.”

It didn’t look like the crowd would prove to be the key difference in the first set, as the Brit weathered a storm of big serving from his 6’5” opponent to clinch it 7-5. But Michaella’s half-brother got the better of the second set to claim it 6-2 and force the match into a decider.

Both players upped their games in the third with neither willing to drop serve – but as the tie-break approached Henman was in the ascendancy and Krajicek was holding on for dear life.

And hold on he did. Despite facing eight match points the Dutchman prevailed, claiming the breaker 18-16 when Henman shanked a return wide. The 34-point tiebreaker was the longest on tour for a singles match that year.

“Mentally it’s pretty tough,” Krajicek said. “You both feel the same pressure.” Henman agreed, adding, “I don’t think I played a closer match in my career.”

8. Philippoussis: from a wheelchair to the Wimbledon final, 2003

Mark Philippoussis was the marmite player of his generation – you weren’t sure whether to love him or loathe him. Gifted, athletic, and armed with a 135mph serve, ‘the Scud’ had the makings of a poster-boy for the 1990s – but questions remained about his attitude and commitment to the game, and a solitary Grand Slam final appearance at the 1998 US Open was considered a poor return.

Pat Cash touted him as the most talented player he’d ever seen – but Philippoussis’ desire was called into question too often. He refused to play Davis Cup tennis for Australia after falling out with officials and was often criticised for his partying lifestyle.

Then, in the 1999 Wimbledon quarter-finals, something strange happened. Philippoussis faced Pete Sampras – and, leading by a set and having nearly gone a break up in the second, was outplaying the five-time champion. But he lunged to return a rather ordinary serve on his forehand and grabbed his knee.

He had landed awkwardly on a backhand passing shot down the line a point earlier, and had felt a click. He felt the click again returning Sampras’ first serve, and then once more on his second. The trainer was called, but in vain as the Aussie retired.

The crowd reaction told its own story, with boos among the stunned but polite applause. Had the Scud given up too soon? Did he just not have the heart for success? Sampras was as shocked as the spectators, but magnanimous, admitting that he had been outplayed up to that point. “I can’t say I fended off Mark,” Sampras said. “He played better than me.”

But that click – diagnosed as a cartilage tear – lead to a cascade of injuries and surgeries that plagued Philippoussis and sent him tricking down the rankings. He underwent three operations to put the knee right – the last of which left him in a wheelchair for two months – and was warned that he may never play again.

With the time out came a new sense of perspective. Philippoussis ditched the party lifestyle for a surf-centred, tennis focussed existence at his new Cardiff Bay home in California and worked hard on his fitness. Eventually the change in attitude lead to a change in fortunes – epitomised when he returned to Wimbledon in 2003 and reached the final, only to meet one R. Federer.

Sure, it might not have been the fairytale ending his new neighbours up in Hollywood would have been looking for, but they didn’t have to wait long for the perfect ending. Philippoussis, recalled to the Australian Davis Cup team, won the decisive rubber in the 2003 final against Spain, heroically playing despite tearing a pectoral muscle in the third set to beat Juan Carlos Fererro 7-5 6-3 1-6 2-6 6-0.

7. Mary Joe Fernandez versus Gabriela Sabatini, 1993 French Open

Great friends during their playing careers, Fernandez and Sabatini are often remembered as the also-rans in an era dominated by the fledgling careers of Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. Sabatini did claim the 1990 US Open, but the Argentine lost next year’s Wimbledon final and came out second best in a further nine Grand Slam semis.

American Fernandez also had her chances to join the game’s elite, but had lost the 1990 and 1992 Australian Opens – to Graf and Seles. But in the quarters of the 1993 French Open, the pair produced a match that lives long in the memory.

Sabatini shot out of the blocks, the first set disappearing 6-1 to the Argentine before Fernandez really knew what was going on. Little changed in the second set as Fernandez, now 5-1 down and comprehensively outplayed for 11 of the 13 games of the match so far, found herself facing match point and the embarrassment of returning to the locker room less than an hour after taking to the court.

But Sabatini double-faulted. And Fernandez broke back to stay in the match. And then the American held to make it 5-3. Then, when Sabatini brought up three match points in the next game, Fernandez saved them and broke once more. Suddenly the set was back on serve, and soon Fernandez had levelled the match after claiming the tiebreak 7-4.

The third set was a gruelling affair, neither player gave up their serve until Fernandez dropped game 13 of the long final set – and once again Sabatini was serving for the match. But Fernandez wouldn’t give in and broke back again.

Then in game 18, after three and a half hours on court, it was Fernandez who found herself at match point. Sabatini refused to hand it to the American, who herself spurned four chances for victory before ripping a backhand winner past the spent Argentine and seal the match 1-6 7-6(4) 10-8.

6. Jimmy Connors versus Mikael Pernfors, 1987 Wimbledon

If anyone needed proof that Jimmy Connors was perhaps the greatest fighter to ever step on to a tennis court, here it is.

The American’s career had been a running success story of a man who made up for physical frailties with dogged determination. But at the age of 34, and having not won a tournament for four years, it looked as if time had finally caught up with the eight-times Grand Slam champion.

But it was his fourth-round match at Wimbledon against Mikael Pernfors that Connors proved that he still had the measure of the emerging generation of players.

The Swede – ten years Connors’ junior – raced to a 6-1 6-1 4-1 lead as the light started to fade on Centre Court. Connors had read many premature obituaries to his career over the previous few years, but even he would have laughed on hearing that The Times assumed the game was up and published details of his inglorious exit from the Championships.

But Connors was having none of it. Despite being beaten at his own baseline, he refused to change – and just forced himself to raise the quality of his play. He went on to win 18 of the next 25 games, and complete the amazing turnaround – even if it didn’t amaze him.

‘‘I don’t think I’m surprised I won,’‘ he said. ‘‘I think I can still play. I didn’t have time to be embarrassed today, I was too busy trying to do something to win. If I didn’t want to win, I’d just lose, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, and get off there.’‘

The Swede, the perennial ‘other guy’ whose other claim to fame was being across the net when John McEnroe was disqualified at the 1990 Australian Open, did not know what had hit him.

‘‘He’s such a great hustler,” Pernfors said. “Even in the third set, I felt he was getting more confident, stepping into my shots, hitting them earlier.’‘

“My ego was hurt,” The American said afterwards. “I had to do something. So I decided to fight even harder.”

Connors continued his age-defying run until the semi-finals, where he lost to eventual champion Pat Cash.

So how did we do? Was your favourite in there, or will it appear in part 2? Check back next Friday to catch the second installment of our top ten comebacks