Michael Stich

Michael Stich , born the October 18th 1968, is a German player of Tennis which knew its hour of glory in 1991 by gaining the tournament of Wimbledon.

It also gained the double Sirs at the sides of Boris Becker with the Olympic Games of 1992 and was also finalist with Roland Garros in 1996 and with the US Open in 1994.

Career

The professional path of Stich starts in 1988 and it gains its first title on circuit ATP with Memphis in 1990. One year later it arrives in semi-final at Roland Garros where it loses against Jim Courier then in Wimbledon, it gains the title. It beats on this occasion the two best players of the world on grass at the time whom had found the three previous years finally tournament, Swedish Stefan Edberg in semi-final (4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6) and his compatriot Boris Becker finally (6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-4). The following year, it fails in quarterfinal Wimbledon into simple but gains the tournament of double with John McEnroe. Shortly after in spite of its difficult relation with Becker, it gains with him the gold medal with the tournament of double of the Olympic Games of 1992. In 1993, he is the leader of the German selection of Coupe Davis which beats Australia finally, he acts of the third title for Germany in this test. Little before this final, it had been essential on the Masters (ATP Tour World Championship) in 1993 by beating Pete Sampras finally. It reaches the final of the US Open in 1994 where it loses against Andre Agassi. Shortly after he knows some wounds which make it move back with world classification but he makes a success of a return to the foreground in 1996, by reaching the final of Roland Garros where he is beaten by Ievgueni Kafelnikov in three sets.

The worst memory of the career of Stich will remain certainly the semi-final of Coupe Davis into 1995 vis-a-vis in Russia in Moscow. This year Becker and Stich had decided to play the test together (contrary to 1993) to bring back the trophy to Germany. At the time of the last match which was decisive, vis-a-vis Chesnokov, Stich 12-14 with the fifth set lost after having been useful for the match and having obtained nine match points.

Stich put an end to its career in 1997 in Wimbledon. It reaches this year the semi-finals there where it was inclined vis-a-vis Cédric Pioline in five sets, missing by little a final vis-a-vis Pete Sampras for these good-byes.

The talent of Stich and its capacity to be exploited all surfaces enabled him to belong to the rare players to have gained tournaments on all surfaces (what it did in more over only one year). It is also one of the five players of its generation to have a postif assessment in its faces with Pete Sampras (others being Sergi Bruguera, Leander Paes, Paul Haarhuis and Richard Krajicek).

During its career, Stich gained 18 titles into simple and 10 in doubles and its best classification with the ATP was 2nd in 1993.

Relation with Boris Becker

During its career, the two players were always opposed, Stich being regarded as the number two because it obtained its titles after Bang-Bang. With almost each interview, a question about the personal relation with Boris Becker was put. This " after Becker" be explained partly by an error of the referee of the finale of Wimbledon in 1991 when this one proclaims distinctly Boris Becker victorious whereas Michael Stich has just gained the match. Stich achieved things that Becker forever successful to make: to gain several tournaments over beaten ground, to gain tournaments disputed on four different surfaces during the same year (1991) or to have gained all the tournaments which were organized in Germany of the time of its career.

Prize list

Results in Large Slam (simple)

Titles into simple (18)

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