Michael Stich, the 36-year-old German who won 6-7 (3), 7-6, 10-8, was fully extended on Sunday evening by Mats Wilander, who at the of age 40 years was the ”elder statesman” at the Grand Champions 2005 tournament at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
It was an absorbing encounter in which Wilander, never one to release the pressure at any stage, gave the younger German as good as he got. In the resultant tie-break to decide the winner, Stich went for broke and since fortune favours the brave, Wilander was found wanting at the end.
Wilander, the overwhelming sentimental favourite at the Cape tournament, took the first set after he emerged the victor from a tie-break, in which he seemed to grow stronger as the decider wore on. He cleverly slowed down the hectic pace of the game with a succession of backhand slice returns that Stich tried to imitate, but came a cropper.
Wilander said afterwards that his mental strength allowed him to stay focused.
”I have won more grand slams than any of them [other players in Cape Town], after all,” countered Wilander.
Stich said he is not too concerned about the result.
”I want to play good tennis so that the crowd enjoys it. Entertainment is, after all, the lifeblood of the seniors’ matches.”
After Stich secured the second set 7-6, the contest proceeded into a championship tie-breaker to decide the winner. Stich enjoyed an early break to romp ahead 3-1, but Wilander, who has really earned his keep in this tournament, kept plugging to even out at 8-8.
Stich then called on his killer instinct to close out the match.
Ivanisevic wraps it up
Meanwhile, power-hungry Goran Ivanisevic wrapped up the tournament on Sunday night with a scintillating display en route to a 4-6 6-2 10-7 victory over Pat Cash.
Ivanisevic, the 33-year-old Croatian, sportingly fulfilled his final singles obligation despite a hamstring injury, which severely limited his mobility, and he had to rely on that legendary tool — the rocket-like serve.
Cash, the 39-year-old Australian, briefly flirted with the big serve and he slammed a fair share of aces, but his biggest contribution to the entertainment was a masterful serve-and-volley game that would have done any player proud on the current international world tour.
Like most opponents in Ivanisevic’s heyday, return of serve was always a hazardous occupation and Cash had limited success despite some brave attempts, which earned him several rounds of applause.
Ivanisevic’s racquets once again could not stand the heat and for the second time in the tournament his strings gave up on him, and he had to raid Cash’s bag to continue his all-power onslaught midway through the second set.
With the big serve in tow, Ivanisevic was never in trouble in the championship tie-break, although he slowly clawed his way back from an initial 5-1 deficit to an 8-7 margin. Two service games later, Cash was history. — Sapa