1999 FO Article "Strange Mixture"
Amy Cottrell
Steffi Graf wins, sits there, is at a loss, and yet goes satisfied
into the final of the French Open against Martina Hingis
Der Tagesspiegel
5 June 1999
By Jörg Allmeroth
PARIS. Mother Heidi Graf was surprised "that I'm still here in Paris."
Manager Hans Engert wanted "to be at the office in Mannheim again a
long time ago." Coach Heinz Günthardt was astonished once again about
the "impossible that is accomplished with regularity." In fact, Steffi
Graf has the art of surprising her dear fellow men and herself with
her results, of pushing toward the top in her ripe professional age.
First, the huge, sentimental comeback tour in the fall of 1998 with
tournament wins in Leipzig and Philadelphia and the radiant Tour
Championships appearance, and now this: A spectacular semifinal win at
the French Open against Monica Seles, her ninth participation in a
final at Stade Roland Garros since her first coup in 1987 (6-4, 4-6,
8-6) against Martina Navratilova; and the chance today for her 22nd
Grand Slam title in sixteen years as a professional against the Swiss
world ranked number one Martina Hingis.
"I sit here and am at a loss," confessed Steffi Graf when her tenth
win in fifteen duels with Monica Seles was secured. "I can't exactly
explain this performance, either." The amazement about the will of
assertion of this unique athlete, who didn't allow herself to be
disturbed by ever-new injury problems and an increasingly balky and
broken-down body, couldn't be greater. She is celebrated in today's
headlines as a "Tennis Titan" ("Washington Post"), "the Grand Old Lady
of Tennis" ("New York Times"), or in bold print in the French sports
gazette "L'Equipe" as the "Heroine of the Court Central."
Steffi Graf is always strongest in these late years of her tennis
engagements when no one counts on her - not even she herself.
Actually, the Brühl resident, who will celebrate her 30th birthday in
a week and a half, traveled to Paris only "in order to get a few
matches as preparation for Wimbledon." The long-standing number one of
the business hadn't expected much at the strength-sapping tournament
for good reason: Since her painful exit two years ago, since the agony
of the necessary, complicated knee operation and the months-long
rehabilitation, as well as the first difficult attempts at a comeback,
Steffi Graf hadn't ever again had the confidence in herself for the
clay court challenge until the German Open three weeks ago. And even
at Berlin, at a rather ordinary scene, she complained about the back
pain "which always arises in matches on clay."
No wonder that Steffi Graf set out for Paris with a "strange mixture
of indifference and defiance": "My expectations were close to zero,
and despite that I hoped that I would succeed in doing something
special." Certainly, her mood after the small injury setback in Berlin
was not at such a low point as it was twelve months ago when Steffi
Graf had "really placed my tennis wholly in question." At the time,
she says, "I wasn't myself at all anymore. I was full of only negative
thoughts." Yet, only from the experience of having overcome such
phases in the past, did Steffi Graf regain that relaxation and joy and
cheerful end-of-time feeling shortly before passing the
thirty-year-old mark. "I know how difficult it was to get to this
point," said the Paris finalist, "That's why I enjoy these moments
with great intensity." She goes relaxed into the final and hopes for a
great duel. Steffi Graf probably gets this relaxed attitude from a new
match toughness and power of concentration, which recalls the great
past of the most successful tennis player of modern times. "At the
moment I have no fear of going for my shots in crucial moments," said
the German, who, in recent months, had frequently gotten "heavy hands"
(Coach Günthardt) when in precarious situations. The 29-year-old
herself doesn't know how this new ease arose.
In any case, Steffi Graf is "ready at the right moment." Ready for the
showdown with the nominally best tennis player in the world, with
Martina Hingis. It is a final of special note, since the cheeky Swiss
teenager rarely summoned up customary respect for Steffi Graf's
lifetime of achievements in tennis. Last year, the 18-year-old had
even prophesied "that Steffi won't return to the top again." The rival
interpreted Graf's wins at that time as chance: "Steffi only won
because we all were so tired." The guest of honor, who sat hidden on
Thursday in the players box in the second seat of row 11, suspected
his daughter's unambiguous answer: "Steffi will win, quite
definitely," said Peter Graf, attending a tournament again for the
first time since Wimbledon 1995.