Steffi Graf, Jana Novotna and the royal tears in Wimbledon

tennisnet. com looks back on the memorable Wimbledon final of the ladies in 1993.

By Christian Albrecht Barschel

Wimbledon is the dream of most tennis players. You can’t be considered a big player unless you win in Wimbledon,”Mats Wilander once said. The Swede lacks the title in Wimbledon in his Grand Slam collection, as does Ivan Lendl, who tried 14 times in vain to triumph on the sacred lawn. Jana Novotna’s dream was always to win Wimbledon. This dream was to come true in 1993, when Novotna met Steffi Graf in the final and already had a hand on the winning bowl. tennisnet. com looks back on this memorable finale in Wimbledon, which ended with royal tears.

On the 3rd. July 1993 Steffi Graf and Jana Novotna met in wonderful summer weather to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Wimbledon Champion. Ladies’ final at the All England Club on Church Road in southwestern London. Graf, then number one in the world at that time, four-time Wimbledon winner and double defending champion was expected in the final. And that’s how it happened. The 24-year-old Graf entered her sixth Wimbledon final without losing a set. A bit surprising, on the other hand, was the entry into the final of the World Rankings Ninth Novotna, who liked to play on grass, but had never made it past the quarter-finals in Wimbledon before. The 24-year-old Czech player scored in the semi-final when she beat nine times Wimbledon winner Martina Navratilova 6:4,6:4.

However, a Wimbledon final was not new for Novotna. In the past few years, the Czech had already gained a lot of experience in Wimbledon. In the doubles, she had won four finals twice and once in the mixed. So now her first single final was on the holy lawn. Novotna entered the match with Graf as a clear outsider. The direct comparison showed with 16:3 a clear language in favour of the Germans, who Novotna had already defeated in 1987 and 1990 twice in Wimbledon clearly in two sentences. The signs could hardly have been worse for the Czech woman.

However, Novotna got a lightning start in the final. She broke Graf in the first game of the match and extended her lead to 2-0 after defending a break-ball. Graf needed some time to find his way into the final. After Novotna missed a break point for 3:0 and several balls for 3:1, the German had reached the final thanks to the Czech help. The German equalled to 2:2 and set the pace. At 3:2 Graf missed two break points. An intensive game developed. At 3:3, the clock already showed 36 minutes of playing time. Graf finally managed to break 5:3. Everything seemed to take his usual course in a match between Count and Novotna.

But in her service game for the set win, the German lost a bit of concentration and was somewhat unhappy about a few decisions of the referees and line judges. Novotna broke 5:5, and it went into the tiebreak a little later. Novotna made a double error in the tiebreak at 1:1 to the first minibreak, which she was able to equalize immediately. The Czech player took a 5:3 lead after some remarkable exchanges. At 6:5 Novotna had a set ball, which Graf fought off with an ace. After a service winner and a backhand pass shot, the first set finally went to the Germans. The first set lasted 1:08 hours, which is a half an eternity for the fast game on the lawn.

Everything seemed to take the usual course in favor of the favourite. But also in the second set Novotna got a perfect start like in the first set. She broke Graf for a 2-0 lead. But this time the Czech’s break gave her much more security. With her offensive tennis, she could hardly develop the playful abilities of Graf. After the first serve Novotna almost always played Serve-and-Volley and was very successful. Graf became more and more insecure and missed a lot of light balls with her strong forehand. Novotna took a 5-0 lead and even had two set points to a 6-0 win – a bagel against the world’s number one. The set finally went to the Czech Republic 6:1.1:33 hours were played at that time.

Novotna maintained her level from the second set and repeatedly embarrassed Graf. The German could hold her first service game with some effort. But with a score of 1:1 in the third set Novotna placed two praises on the line and took Graf’s service game off. The Czech player played as one piece, attacked at every opportunity and could hardly be overcome on the net. Consequently, she managed a second break to 4:1, also because the Germans hit a double error in the breakball. At the latest here most spectators probably rubbed their eyes in astonishment. Graf, the double defending champion and four-time winner in Wimbledon, was on the verge of defeat in the final. Novotna played a game ball for a 5:1 lead.

And here was the turning point in this match. A point that gave Graf back hope and robbed Novotna of her concentration. The Czech player made a double error in the match ball. Ironically, the English commentator said after the beautifully played out point to the 40:30 that Novotna had often “choketed” and got the nerve flutter at moments like these in the past, but this time it didn’t look like it. Novotna, as if she had the voice of the commentator in her head, got the heavy arm. At the match ball, she served her second serve at full risk to the end of the match, knocked out a volley at the next point and then kicked a smash into the net. Graf had thus caught up with a break.

Novotna played a 40:15 lead in the next service game of Graf and thus two break points for the 5:2. Graf refused both breakballs, also because Novotna could not carry a volley over the net. Graf shortened to 3:4. The commentator explained during the side change that the next game would tell a lot about tennis player Novotna. At 30:15, the Czech player was again not too far away from her fifth game win in the third set. But the nerves did not play along with Novotna anymore. At the next four points she made three double mistakes, so that she gave Graf the break to 4:4. The German accepted the presents gladly and brought her following service game to zero for a 5:4 lead. Novotna, who had looked like the winner a few minutes before, was now under pressure herself and could not stand up to it. Graf turned her first match point into a smash-ball and won for the third time in a row and for the fifth time in Wimbledon.

At the award ceremony Novotna could no longer hold back her disappointment about the lost victory. The Duchess of Kent comforted Novotna at the award ceremony.”Don’t worry, Jana. I know you can do it,”said the Duchess to the loser, who then burst into tears and – contrary to the etiquette in Wimbledon – dropped into the duchess’s arms “I have won two double and mixed titles here. That’s why I know the Duchess. When she came to me and said,’ Jana, don’t worry, I think you’ll make it. I know you’ll win Wimbledon,’ I couldn’t hold back my emotions and let go of them,”Novotna explained.

Of course Graf was happy about the title, but he also showed compassion for the loser,”I thought I was defeated. She was ahead with two breaks and played wonderfully while I was not playing too well. I thought I’d lose it. Then she gave me a few points. I was very happy about the victory in the first few seconds. Then I saw her. I was there, too. All the players have been there, I sympathized with her. If you are ahead in this way, with 4:1 and serve, you are in position and must win,”said Graf.

Most of the experts said that Graf did not win the final, but Novotna had lost the final because she frivolously surrendered the victory, allowing Graf to return. Novotna didn’t want to confirm that and defended herself:”I don’t think I gave Steffi this match. I just didn’t make a few strokes. I think I’m leaving with a better feeling about my playing style. Everybody says that I have no nerves to play against the top players, that I have lost a few close matches. But I proved I can do it here in Wimbledon. It’s just that things didn’t turn out well today.”

I don’t think anyone will give you the match, because you have to play to the end. You have to play every point. She gave me a few points and missed a few simple forehands, but I still had to keep the ball in the game, and that’s what I did,” Novotna explained that her style of play was totally offensive,”I decided from the beginning that I had to go to every point because I made it to the final with this style of play. I knew I couldn’t win if I played defensively. But with these balls, I totally got killed. I was thinking aces on the second serve. It didn’t work out, and then Steffi raised her game and won it herself.”

For Novotna, the 1993 Wimbledon tournament was even worse. She also lost the double final in three sets. In the next few years, the Czech player was given the stamp of a “choker”, a player who failed in the decisive situations because of her nerves. And Novotna also did everything to do justice to this designation. Legendary was her defeat in the third round of the 1995 French Open, when she led 5-0 and 40-0 against Chanda Rubin in the third set, with a total of nine match points – and actually lost. Novotna was considered the “eternal runner-up” and the best player who could never win a Grand Slam tournament.

The Czech player had her third chance to win a Grand Slam tournament again in Wimbledon. In the final in 1997 she was defeated by 16-year-old Martina Hingis after winning the first set and leading her break in the third set. A year later the great hour of Novotna finally struck. On her way to her third Wimbledon final, she defeated world number one Hingis in the semi-finals and played Nathalie Tauziat in the final. However, Novotna could not do it without trembling. When she served for the match, she gave up her service game. But in the end Novotna was allowed to play at her 13th birthday. Participation in Wimbledon are pleased about their first and only Grand Slam title.

“Winning Wimbledon means everything to me. That’s what I’ve worked so many years for. A dream has come true for me,”Novotna beamed after the victory and received the congratulations and the winner’s trophy from the Duchess of Kent,”She was delighted that I won this title. She was so sure and said,’ I told you last year that if you make it to the final a third time, all good things will be three. Novotna had made peace with the Wimbledon finals and as an additional highlight also won the doubles’ competition.