NEW YORK -- 'Welcome back,' Steffi Graf told Monica Seles after they produced a magnificent, emotional final Saturday at the U.S. Open. She meant, of course, welcome back to the game Seles left behind for more than two years. She might as well have said welcome back to earth after two weeks without a challenge. Graf rebounded from her worst set in more than two years to claim her third straight major title with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-0, 6-3 triumph over Seles in the runner-up's first Grand Slam event since the 1993 Australian Open. 'This tournament was the hardest of all my tournaments that I've won,' said Graf of her 18th Grand Slam and 93rd career title. 'This year has been like a dream.' Graf refused to let Seles cap her tennis comeback with the crown in her first Grand Slam since being stabbed in April, 1993, and Graf also refused to let a U.S. Open final she had dictated from the start slip through her grasp for the second straight year. Against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the 1994 final, Graf was in full command when her chronically injured back flared up and cost her a fourth U.S. championship. It was her back that kept her out of the 1995 Australian Open and now in retrospect, probably prevented her second Grand Slam sweep. In 1988, Graf achieved a Golden Grand Slam by capturing all four majors and the Olympic gold medal. Betrayed by her body again -- this time it appeared her foot would be her undoing -- and at times her backhand, Graf regained the momentum at the start of the third set.
Suffering from what she would only call a 'small bone irritation' prior to the match, she removed the tape from her left foot and put on an additional sock during the first changeover of the final set. (more)
(x x x final set.) She got the crucial break in the fourth game of the third set and faced only one break point from Seles, which the German saved. In the ninth game, Seles did save one match point as one of her renowned blistering groundstrokes rocketed into the corner. Graf, though, on the next point came up with one of her meal-ticket forehands that Seles could only hit into the net. In addition to suffering physical problems throughout her career, Graf has endured high drama off the court, making her steely focus and resiliency all the more remarkable. In the latest untimely episode in her personal life, her father Peter was recently jailed in Germany on tax evasion charges related to his handling of Steffi's income. Consequentially, Graf said prior to the final that this already had become her most memorable achievement. Although she was the top seed, Graf admitted throughout the tournament that she was internally wracked with doubts about her chances due to her physical and emotional state. However, when asked if Seles's return added to her lack of confidence, she seemed amused by the suggestion. Seles was seeded second, although she was given a co-No. 1 spot in the rankings upon her return to the Tour. Graf has now established herself as the clear-cut top-ranked player. Despite needing to go to a tie-breaker, Graf dictated from the outset, delivering six of her seven aces and seven of her nine trademark forehand winners in the first set. In the tie-breaker, Seles fought back from down 4-3 to lead 6-5 serving for the set. She unloaded a serve that was not immediately called wide and assuming she got the ace, headed for the chair when the line call came. Graf then hit a cross-court forehand winner to reach 6- 6, and induced Seles to hit a backhand long to set up her own set point, on which Seles boomed a forehand long. 'If the ball is wide, I know it,' Seles said of the disputed serve. 'But this one to me was just so in. It was like clearly in, and I thought that I won the set pretty much. Then I guess she had a late call or whatever. 'I think Steffi played great. She was running balls down that very few people even go for. I thought her serve was going very well today. I had a very hard time returning, especially in the first set and then again in the third set. 'Not playing Steffi for such a long time, it is hard to remember what was going on then, but we always played close matches and she played better on the key points today.' That set lasted 48 minutes -- surpassing their usual matches against other opponents. Graf then lost a 6-0 set for the first time since Aug. 22, 1993 in the 1993 Canadian Open final against Jennifer Capriati. Graf that time also came back to win the third set 6-3 for a 6-1, 0-6, 6-3 decision. The last time Graf lost a set 6-0 in a Grand Slam was in the 1992 French Open semifinal against Sanchez Vicario, won by Graf 0-6, 6-2, 6-2. This marked the first time in the history of the U.S. Nationals that a woman has recovered from losing a set at love in the final to win the match. Only one man has accomplished this feat -- Richard N. Williams, who in 1916 defeated Bill Johnston 4-6, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2, 6-4. Graf had dropped her first set of the tournament in a tie-breaker against Amanda Coetzer, then swept Rita Grande, Nathalie Tauziat, Chanda Rubin and Gabriela Sabatini. The semifinal against No. 9 Sabatini was Graf's only match against a seeded player prior to the final. Seles swept Ruxandra Dragomir, Erika deLone, Yone Kamio, No. 11 Anke Huber, No. 5 Jana Novotna and No. 4 Conchita Martinez. Graf earned $575,000 for the victory and Seles $287,750. (end)
