steffi graf opponents

Steffi Graf was already world number one, and just shy of 19 years old, when she began the 1988 season. The German allowed Zvereva just 13 points, three of them in that one early game. Key; W F SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A . Graf vs Williams H2H MATCHES PLAYED All Rounds Final 1/2 1/4 First Second Third Fourth Qualifying q-First q-Second Pre-q Rubber 1 Rubber 2 Rubber 3 Rubber 4 Rubber 5 Robin Bronze N/A And each time the opponent threw a problem her way, she . The 19-year-old Graf lost the first set 7-5 before getting the measure of her rival and fighting back to take the next two sets 6-2, 6-1. Martina [Navratilova] won more on fast courts and I won more on slow courts, but Steffi came along and won more titles on both surfaces. Graf is the only female athlete in the list of Forbes Top-30 Most recognizable and marketable athletes in 1995. [28][29][30][31] The official time of the match given on the scoresheet was 34 minutes; however, just 32 minutes of that was spent on the court, as a rain break split the match into two periods of play, of nine and 23 minutes. Next up were the grass courts of Wimbledon, where Graf was never in any danger until the final, when she came up against six-time defending champion Navratilova, unbeaten since 1981. This was not a first-round sacrifice, an opponent drawn at random. [45] In Berlin, she extended her unbeaten streak to 66 matches (second in WTA history to Navratilova's 74) before losing the final to Monica Seles, 46, 36. No. Once again, she reached the final without conceding a single set. . A bout of rubella forced Graf to miss the first major event of 1992, the Australian Open. In February 2000, Graf played against Kimiko Date at Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Tokyo, winning in three sets. [146], In December 1999, Graf was named the greatest female tennis player of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by the Associated Press. Talk Tennis Guru. [154] Her unprecedented Golden Slam saw her receive the 1988 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. [105] It was the first time in 14 years Graf had played Navratilova. Graf's Grand Slam tournament winning streak ended at the French Open, where 17-year-old Spaniard Arantxa Snchez Vicario beat Graf in three sets. [82] Upon her return Graf defeated world No. Finally Graf was given a match but prevailed 6-3, 7-6 where she would meet a surprise opponent in the final. She retired from tennis in 1999. [98][99] It was Graf and Snchez Vicario's first head-to-head meeting since 1996. In 1988, Graf became the third women's star to win the Golden Slam. [144], In 1991, the Steffi Graf Youth Tennis Center in Leipzig was dedicated to her. Stefanie Graf was awarded with the Golden Sports Pyramid, the highest distinction of the German Sports Fund in Herzogenaurach by the Adidas chairman Herbert Hainer on 24 June 2008. At age 13 she became the second youngest player ever to earn an international ranking. [85][86] She was ranked No. [131][132] In 2015, she was appointed as the brand ambassador of Kerala tourism, for promoting Ayurveda in North America and Europe. I don't care who believes Court and Serena are greater than her because I don't subscribe to highest slam count is the be-all and end-all in GOAT. [37] He went on to add, "I saw what Steffi did to Sabatini at the Australian Open this year, and that was it. The match was notable for its dramatic ending. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:01. Seles won the match on her fifth match point; Graf came within two points of winning the match a few games earlier. Associations of International Sport Federations, Organising Committees for the Olympic Games. The weeks following Wimbledon [in 1999] weren't easy for me. She would either destroy opponents, clinically and . Venus Williams. All Rights Reserved. She returned to win a small tournament at Mahwah just before the US Open where, in one of the most anticipated matches of the year, she encountered Navratilova in a semifinal. Her toughest battle came against rising star Martina Hingis in the semifinal, with Hingis unable to convert on five set points. In the middle of the second set, Graf suffered back spasms while reaching for a ball in the ad court. Graf then won her next three tournaments at Amelia Island, Charleston, and Berlin, culminating in a 62, 63 defeat of Navratilova in the final of the latter. She struggled at the German Open in Berlin where she lost a 60 set to the unheralded Sabine Hack before defeating Mary Joe Fernndez and Sabatini in three-set matches to claim her seventh title there in eight years. [127], Graf has signed many endorsement deals throughout the years including a ten-year endorsement deal with car manufacturer Opel in 1985,[128] and Rexona from 1994 to 1998. She then successfully defended her title at the US Open, defeating Monica Seles in the final. 1 Novak Djokovic could do the same if he wins gold, as could Roger Federer if he is involved in the Games. The match was poised for a final set to decide the . Graf said after the final that it would be her last French Open, fueling speculation about her retirement.[84]. She was absolutely right the term Golden Slam was born at that exact moment. Since Graf skipped the Italian Open, she did not take part in the vote. Venus Williams won her first Games titles 19 years ago, and she hasnt finished yet! [153] She was elected as the German Sportsperson of the Year in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1999. This is a list of the main career statistics of professional tennis player Steffi Graf. Graf lost twice to Sabatini during the spring, once on hardcourts in Boca Raton, Florida, and once on clay at Amelia Island, Florida. Graf's technique on the forehand was unique and instantly recognizable: generating considerable racquet head speed with her swing, she reached the point of contact late and typically out of the air. Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis played out a thrilling final at the 1999 French Open, with the former winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. In her semifinal match at the US Open, Graf defeated Sabatini 36, 64, 62. Meanwhile, her naturally aggressive style of play, effective backhand slice and speed around the court made her even more dominant on fast surfaces such as hard courts, grass and carpet. Her 63, 60 defeat of Gabriela Sabatini in a semifinal was described by veteran observer Ted Tinling as "probably the best tennis I've seen". Steffi Graf went on to win Wimbledon in 1996, beating Arantxa . This narrow focus meant that Graf, already shy and retiring by nature,[24] made few friends on the tour in her early years, but it led to a steady improvement in her play. Nominated and voted the title Mother of the nation in her country, Germany, 2010. LEAVE A . Chosen by World Economic Forum As Young Global Leader for 2008, Godmother of the Navigator of The Seas (Royal Caribbean Cruiselines), 2002. Answer (1 of 4): It isn't hard to replicate Steffi Graf's forehand, it's just not optimal. Then on 11 September in New York, Graf became the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year since Australias Margaret Smith-Court in 1970. Along with Boris Becker, Graf was considered instrumental in popularizing tennis in Germany, where it remains one of the foremost national sports.[18][19][20]. The American then took her opponent to a tie-break in the second set, eventually going down 7-3. She was successful, however, in the mixed doubles match. She has a brother named Michael. Retiring from the sport in 1999, Graf's career remains one of the most looked upon in tennis history. The experience of 88 in Seoul probably stands out, just coming from the US Open where I won the Grand Slam. Graf defeated Mary Joe Fernndez in the final of the Australian Open, which was her eighth Grand Slam singles title in the last nine she contested. [134] During her career, Graf divided her time between her hometown of Brhl; Boca Raton, Florida; and New York City where she owned a penthouse in the former Police Headquarters Building in SoHo. American star Chris Evert, meanwhile, failed to take a set off Graf in three matches. [156], Graf was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004 and the German Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.[157][158]. For the German painter, see. Serena Williams, who will face Kerber in the final, beat Steffi Graf for the title at Indian Wells, Calif., in 1999. Highly emotional and sensitive, with a temperament more suited to a poet than to a professional athlete, Steffi had a poignant sadness about . She won no titles during the next three years, but her ranking climbed steadily to world No. That doesn't mean it will happen. Graf had a bone splinter in her right foot during this tournament (and for the next few months), finally resulting in surgery on 4 October.[53]. She was in hard-court action in the capital of the Republic of Korea on 20 September and breezed through the rounds conceding just one set, against the Soviet Unions Larissa Savchenko in the quarter-final before coming up against Sabatini once again in the gold-medal match on 1 October 1988. Graf again lost to Monica Seles in the final of the French Open 67, 46. She also won her fifth and final WTA Tour Championships title with a five set win over Martina Hingis, with Hingis cramping up in the fifth set. Both dominated opponents with power and movement. Graf became the first player in the open era to defeat the first, second, and third ranked players in the same Grand Slam tournament by beating second-ranked Davenport in the quarterfinals and third-ranked Seles in the semifinals. At the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Graf lost to Jennifer Capriati in the final and claimed the silver medal. [122] Graf's racquets were strung at 29 kilograms (64 pounds), significantly above the 50-60 pound range recommended by Wilson. Martina Navratilova included Graf at the top of her list of the greatest players ever. Pause, rewind, play: Steffi Graf - only player to win all four Majors and the Olympic gold in a year. In the 1980s and '90s Graf was ranked the top woman player by the Women's Tennis Association . Graf began 1993 with four losses in her first six tournaments of the year: two to Snchez Vicario and one each to Seles and the 36-year-old Martina Navratilova. From 1991 until the end of her career, Graf would only play doubles sporadically, forming short-term partnerships with a variety of players, including Lori McNeil, Anke Huber and her best friends on the tour, Rennae Stubbs, Patricia Tarabini and Ines Gorrochategui. First professional tournament: 1982 Porsche Grand Prix at Filderstadt, Germany Plays: right handed, one handed backhand Raquet: Dunlop / Wilson Former Clubs: HTC Heidelberg, LTTC Rot-Weiss Berlin, BASF Ludwigshafen Favorite Tournament: Wimbledon Favorite Surface: Grass court Former Coaches: Pavel Slozil (1986-1991), Heinz Guenthardt . Unbeatable. She won there, comfortably beating Helena Sukov in the final after needing three sets to eliminate Gabriela Sabatini and Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. [34] She then won tournaments in Hamburg and Mahwah (where she lost only eight games all tournament). He claimed that he committed the attack to help Graf reclaim the world No. Most sliced shots float these days; Graf's seemed to reach her opponent's side in a straight line, skimming low over the net. United States . [10] Graf's athletic ability and aggressive game played from the baseline have been credited with developing the modern style of play that has come to dominate today's game. Her 0.977 winning percentage is the second-highest in the open era behind Navratilova.[44]. Is it possible to have any other year Steffi Graf: yep, it would be like Monica's or Serena's type of dominance. . [89][114], Graf also had a powerful backhand drive but over the course of her career tended to use it less frequently, opting more often for an effective backhand slice. Steffi Graf is seen as one of tennis' best ever players, winning 22 Grand Slams but 1988 was the year that will never be beaten. [145], In 2001, Graf indicated that she preferred to be called Stefanie instead of Steffi. In total, she won 22 Grand Slam titles: the Australian Open four times, Roland Garros six times, Wimbledon seven times and the US Open five times. (W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (WL) winloss record. Having also won bronze in the womens doubles with Claudia Kohde-Kilsch in Seoul, her Olympic record stands at four podium finishes, including two titles counting the one she won in Los Angeles aged 14 when tennis was a demonstration sport! [123] In 2006, she signed an endorsement deal with Head. Graf played a singles exhibition match against Kim Clijsters and a mixed doubles exhibition alongside husband Andre Agassi against Tim Henman and Clijsters as part of a test event and celebration for the newly installed roof over Wimbledon's Centre Court in 2009. Navratilova, therefore, . The shock was who she did it against. 1 men's tennis player Andre Agassi in October 2001. She had an Adidas sneakers line known as the St. Graf Pro line. Seles and Graf met in the final, with Graf winning in three sets, saving a set point in the first set. Monica Seles was an opponent in six major finals and the duo spilt at 3-3. . Voted The best female role model in sports in a survey by Barclays, sponsors of the Premier League, 2010. As true as that forehand was, the mask was no less a lie. Her overall record in 56 Grand Slam events was 27832 (90 percent) (8410 at the French Open, 747 at Wimbledon, 739 at the US Open, and 476 at the Australian Open). 1 ranking while she was sidelined. [90][91] She played her last Grand Slam doubles tournament at the 1999 Australian Open with Gorrochategui, losing in the second round. The match was played over two days with Navratilova finally winning after saving three match points 61, 67, 76. [62] Although Graf ended the year ranked No. Began playing Tennis: 1973 Turned Professional: 18.10.1982. Defending champion Steffi Graf was seeded first again at the French Open and swiftly went about beating her opponents, dropping only 11 games until the semi-finals.. Up against fourth-seeded Argentine Gabriela Sabatini in the last four, Steffi Graf faced her first real test, but overcame it with ease, winning 6-3, 7-6 to go through to the final. Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:01, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steffi_Graf_career_statistics&oldid=1142150918, Virginia Slims Championships, New York City, WTA Tour Championships, New York, United States. Her glittering career saw her occupy the world no.1 spot for a total of 377 weeks (a record), including a run of 186 consecutive weeks between August 1987 and March 1991. She always said: I never look back, I look forward, but she also said: You can't measure success if you have never failed. In 1987, Grafs career truly took off: she won her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, beating world no. 1 ranking. [66] In August Monica Seles made her much anticipated return to tennis at the Canadian Open. [70][71] He was eventually released after serving 25 months. (W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (WL) winloss record. Some noted observers, such as Margaret Court, suggested that Graf could achieve the feat a couple more times. Shortly after the stabbing, during a players meeting at the Italian Open in Rome, 17 of the world's top 25 WTA members voted against preserving Seles' world No. But Vicario took the first set and Graf took the second. [74] Graf had led 41 in the second set tiebreak, only to lose six points in a row and force a decider. Online", "GOAT Vote: Steffi or Serena? Although she now lives in Las Vegas, Stefanie Maria Graf was born in Mannheim, West Germany on June 14, 1969. At the year-ending Virginia Slims Championships, Graf was upset by Pam Shriver, only her third loss of the year. Stefanie Graf was born on 14 June 1969, in Mannheim, Baden-Wrttemberg, West Germany, to Heidi Schalk and car-and-insurance salesman Peter Graf (18 June 1938 30 November 2013). Graf served for the match at 53 in the third set but lost the game and won only three more points in the match.

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