European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 6, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Michael Stich. Tops Champ in four sets germans sweep semis by Rob Gloster Wimbledon England a Boris Becker never lost his serve As he Defeated David Wheaton 6-4, 7-6 7-47-5 in the Wimbledon semifinals Friday and set up an All German final against Michael a Stich. A Quot earlier Stich had taken advantage of lapses by top seed Stefan Edberg in a Trio of tie Breakers to win their semifinal 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6. Becker will be seeking his fourth Wimbledon title. Stich has won Only one tournament but never a grand slam event. In beating Wheaton Becker avoided the Fate of Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi who were upset by the unseeded american. Becker seeded second saved All 10 break Points he faced by coming up with big serves whenever he was in trouble. Wheaton Only lost his serve twice in the match. The Becker Stich Battle will be the first All German menus final at Wimbledon and the first menus final Between compatriots since John Mcenroe Defeated Jimmy Connors in an All american clash in 1984. Stich hitting his first serve at an average Speed of 110 Mph dethroned a defending Champion a the same thing happened in women a play a and prevented Edberg from reaching his fourth straight Wimbledon final. A i played a few bad shots at important times. That was the whole Story of the match a Edberg said. A i had a few chances but i blew them. I gave it away i Stich 22, who used his 6-foot-4 Frame and Long reach to repeatedly win Points at the net won the second set when Edberg double faulted twice in a 7-5 tiebreaker.1 Edberg who had lost Only eight Points Overall in his 11 service games entering that tie breaker hit the second of those double faults at least 10 feet out Edberg made an even More glaring error in the third set tie breaker which also ended 7-5, when he whiffed on an easy shot while facing set Point. Standing at the net Edberg appeared to misjudge the Ball and barely touched it As it floated past. A obviously i did no to watch the Ball its just As simple As that a Edberg said. Stich got a big break in the final tiebreaker which he won 7-2, on a shot that struck the net and bounced Over Edberg a Racket. He closed out the match with a pair of booming service winners. A i stayed really Tough for the whole match a said Stich a member of the German team that faces the United states in a Davis cup semifinal contest in Kansas City in late september. Edberg did not lose his serve in the match but he seemed to Sag after losing the stars and stripes july 6,1991 b Page 28 the second set. His passing shots lacked sting after that Point. A i had the feeling he got a bit tired. He did no to serve that hard anymore a Stich said. A the was for sure a bit frustrated. He had a couple of break Points and missed a couple of easy sixth seeded Stich who lost in the semifinals of the French open last month never got higher than the third round at Wimbledon. He got to the third round last year. Stich had advanced to the semifinals with a 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 Victory Over fourth seed Jim courier Edberg had scored a 63, 6-2, 7-5 Victory thursday Over Thierry s Graf is. Sabatini in showdown London up a despite the rain that blighted the first week of the $6.5 million Wimbledon championships the Tournai car is Back on schedule and should end this weekend As pm rained. But in some ways the women a singles final Between top seed and two time Champion Steffi Graf of Germany and her doubles partner and no. 2 seed Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina is Long overdue. Quot the two women have been possible finalists against each other Here since the Wimbledon on an the Wimbledon women a final will be shown on an television at 3 . Get saturday followed by the menus final at the same time on sunday. Mid-1980s. But while Graf has won the Wimbledon title in 1988 and 1989 and was runner up in 1987, saturdays match will he sabatinis first final. Sabatini lost in the semifinals of 1986 and 1990, but now has the Chance to become the first argentinian Ever to win a singles final at Wimbledon and the first South american since Maria Bueno of Brazil became women a Champion in 1964. Graf 22, and Sabatini 21, have met 29 times since 1985 with Graf holding a 20-9 Lead. But although Graf dominated their Early meetings winning their first 11 matches recent history favors Sabatini. She has won the last five meetings and six of the last eight since beating Graf in the final of last years . Open her Only grand slam Victory to Date. If their career records Are Analysed saturdays final promises to be another memorable match. Sixteen of their 29 encounters have gone to three sets and 26 of their 29 matches have either been a semifinal or final. This will be their third grand slam final following the . Opens of 1988 and last year. Graf won that first . Open final in three sets Sabatini won last years 6-2,7-6 7-4. Neither woman has lost a set on the Way to this final but Graf has had the easier route. She warmed up with a 6-2, 6-2 win Over 1 a Steffi Graf 1 Amy Frazier 14 s. Graf 1 6-2, 6-1 Anke Huber 13 s. Graf 1 6-1, 6-3 Zina Garrison 7 Arantha Sanchez Vicario 41_ z. Garrison 7 4-6. 6-3, 6-0 j. Capriati 9 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 Brenda Schultz women j. Capriati 9 6-4, 7-5 r Jennifer Capriati 9 Catarina Lindqvist s. Graf 1 6-2, 6-4 a. Sanchez vicar id 4g. Sabatini 2 6-4, 6-4 Judith Wiesner 16 . Fernandez 5 6-2, 7-5 / r i i Ai g. Sabatini 2 i 6-2,6-1 i Nathalie Tauz iat Mary Joe Fernandez 5 m. J Fernandez 5 i g. Sabatini 2 Gabriela Sabatini 2 m. Navratilova 3 6-1, 6-3 Martina Navratilova 3 a Quot l Gildemeister Katerina male Eva 8 player seeding in parentheses Sabine appelmans of Belgium in the opening round and then disposed of american Peanut Louie Harper 6-0, 61sayuk Basuki of Indonesia 6-2, 6-3 and 14th-seeded american Amy Frazier 6-2, 6-1. In the quarterfinals she beat seventh seed Zina Garrison of the United states 6-1, 6-3 and then knocked out fifth seeded american Mary Joe Fernandez 6-2,6-4 in thursdays semifinal. Sabatini ousted Monique Javer of Britain in the opening round 6-4, 6-0then beat Karine que Trec of France 6-4, 62andrea str Nadova of Czechoslovakia 6-1, 6-3and Lith seed Nathalie Tau i at of France 6-1, 6-1, before beating unseeded Laura Gildemeister of Peru 6-2, 6-1 in the quarters. On thursday she needed four match Points before finally seeing off american teen Ager Jennifer Capriati the no. 9 seed 6-4, 6-4 in the semis. Graf has battled Back from an unhappy Start to the year to reach her fourth Wimbledon final. The private life of her father Peter who admitted having an affair with a German Model was said to be the cause of her decline in form during 1990 and the beginning of 1991. A a in March after a record run of 186 weeks she was displaced As world no. 1 by Monica Seles. She Only lost five matches in the whole of 1990, but already this year she has been beaten six times and even if she wins the title saturday she will remain As world ranked no. 2. Whatever happens in the final Sabatini will stay As world no. 3. Although those statistics Tell one Story the player seen at Wimbledon during the past two weeks has proved there is no Way she is on the Way Down. Graf has looked Back to her Best form and said thursday a i always have the desire to win but this time i want the title very badly indeed. I am very confident i done to know if it is the most relaxed i have been but i am definitely enjoying she proved against an athletic and plucky Fernandez thursday that she still has the desire and will to win varying the Pace and direction of her shots and scampering across the Back court to Chase Down balls with All the enthusiasm she showed before her form started to wobble last year. Grass last grand slam Victory was the australian open in january 1990, but she has already won three tournaments this year a the . Hard courts beating Seles m the final the citizen cup where she a beat Seles again and the Lufthansa cup in which she beat Arantha Sanchez Vicario. But she has also been beaten in two other finals a both times by Sabatini. The argentinian beat her in the final of the Virginia slims of Florida and the Bausch and lomb tournament at Amelia Island Florida in March. Sabatini has also won the italian open this year As Well As the pan Pacific in Tokyo and the family Circle Magazine cup in South Carolina in april. Inside sports who Are the real All stars a Page 22 american league july 3-4 a Page 25 National league july 3-4 a Page 26 Floyd in tie for Lead a Page 27
