This weekend, France and Belgium will meet each other in the hunt for the “ugliest salad bowl in the world”. For more than 100 years, the best tennis nation in the world has been sought every year. Many epic battles were fought, sensational winners born, favourites overthrown. SPOX looks back on the top 5 games in Davis Cup history.
Boris Becker – John McEnroe 4:6,15:13,8:10,6:2,6:2
Location: Hartford, USA
Lap: Relegation to remain in the World Group in 1987
It’s the year 1987, the DTB team meets the Americans in the Davis Cup. This is not about the tennis crown, however, but about bare survival. In the relegation games, both nations want to avoid relegation from the world group.
Especially for this encounter, the USA reactivate John McEnroe. The old master shall put the young German in his place. The 24th. July 1987 at 4.38 pm local time the spectacle begins. McEnroe wins the first set with ease.
The first movement should be only the overture for the following madness. The intensity increases noticeably at the beginning of the second round. Both know that the sentence can be decisive. Accordingly, the fight will be fought with all available means.
The “Battle of Hartford” begins, McEnroe plays his legendary mind games. Big Mac rages in rage, argues with the referee, rages over the net. Hoping Becker will jump in for it.
But Becker’s answer is not to McEnroe’s taste. The German continues to play without excitement. Instead of playing his typical net game, Becker acts from the baseline and involves his opponent in long rallies.
Both play tennis from the other star. If one of them plays an incredible ball, the other one drops. Becker strikes at 8:7 to win the set. McEnroe counters and breaks him. Momentum sways back and forth. At 11:10, the American has five set points. Becker trumps up and fends off the impending set loss.
It’s the moment when Becker reaches into the psycho gimmickry. McEnroe is serving at 13:13. But what he sees on the other side irritates the Bad Boy. Becker starts to run back and forth before the serve, taking his opponent out of rhythm.
With success. McEnroe makes a double error, Becker grabs the break. Old man’s furious. Snorting, he waives the break and walks directly to the other side to sit cross-legged. But the Leimener stays cool and gets the most legendary set in tennis history.
But the madness continues. Also in the third set the opponents don’t give each other anything and hit the yellow ball around their ears. Time and again McEnroe freaks out. He insults Niki Pilic, captain of the DTB-team, while changing sides with the words “Shut up, Niki!
In addition, the referee often gets to hear McEnroe’s obligatory “You can not be serious”. But McEnroe pushes himself with it. The third set goes to him with 10:8, played meanwhile are over five hours.
The American’s wear and tear of power becomes visible. The German seems fitter, now dictates the action of the game. McEnroe continues to scold God and the world instead. The native New Yorker comments and doubts every brief decision. At some point, Becker only brings a tired “What’s going on?” over his lips.
The momentum turns completely in favor of the German. He snatches the fourth set 6:2. In the final round, Big Mac tries to hold against it again. But his opponent wins five games in a row. After 6:21 hours the German ends the “Battle of Hartford”with a volley into the semi-field at 23.17 hrs.
Page 1: The Battle of Hartford
Page 2: Winter fairy tale of Gothenburg
Page 3: Carpet brings the turnaround
Page 4: Hero of pain
Page 5: Drama of Matchballs
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