Roland Garros 1989 Graf-Seles Echange

[championxeneixe]

Monica is the BEST EVER.

[Hoffenheim08]

@championxeneixe

With just 9 slams, no Wimbledons, the worst loss ever for a #1 player in a slam final (26 16 in Wimbledon 92), at least 5 losses in every full season?

No, I don't think so.

[championxeneixe]

@Hoffenheim08 Ok...Gunter Parche is the best ever...

[Hoffenheim08]

@championxeneixe

Amazing how Seles and her rabid fans continue to milk this minor stabbing incident even after almost 20 years.

How many books has Seles written about it up to now?

[GaiaIsOurMother]

If Selles didn't get stabbed, Graff would have desapeared from N°1 place for ever.

I did prefer Graff but she had that same Fed/Nad complex.

Selles was far better weight/power ratio.

we will never know what should happened. that s it!

[GaiaIsOurMother]

Selles was best ever. If only a knife...

[monica012077]

This was amazing point with Monics being only 15, Steffi must have been worried at her aggressive play thinking how'd she improve since it was 89 and Seles was so young

[MsJoe29]

monica was great at 15 but she was improving her serve & fitness & also confidence at the net- latter part of 92 & early 93 is evidence of that- she never reached her peak so we will never know how good she might have been

[Hoffenheim08]

@MsJoe29

The stats show that Seles had a 92.1 winning percentage from May 1992 until April 1993.

But of 93.8 percent from May 1991 until April 1992.

From 93.8 % to 92.1 % - where exactly is the "improvement"?

I mean in real life, not in your Selesian dreams?

[monica012077]

@Hoffenheim08 Once again it's you obsessing over win percentages, are you a mathematician. Seles was winning the majority of the GS, improving her serve, and even honing her mental toughness. Her net game and confidence to go forward to hit traditional volleys wad improving. Stop hating on Monica. She was at a time where she was breaking away from the pack, and then she was stopped.

[Hoffenheim08]

@monica012077

Seles was so "tough mentally" that a minor stab wound derailed her for more than 2 years ...

[monica012077]

@Hoffenheim08 She was tough mentally, but being attacked as a teenage girl by a crazed Graf fan, a much bigger person with a knife and having it be in your back while your guard is down during a tennis match takes a lot to get over. I dont understand why as a german Graf fan your not able to see this. Are people around you getting knifed and stabbed regularly? And Steffi was so weak mentally that in 94 while Monica was away she only one one GS that year, and she didn't have any competition

[monica012077]

@Hoffenheim08 besides Mary and Mary's tough but she's no Monica.

[jordanaus75]

Graf was the better athelete but Seles was the better ball striker - purely phenomenal (before the technology that allowed todays players to hit so hard). Kind of evened them out. But if I had to bet on either if they were both playing their best in their heyday then I would put my money on Seles.

[sjalcapricorn]

The best rally I've seen in my life

[superbobo2009]

Graf the best always the best tennis player

[McClernand2]

@dfreund1981

well said, dfreund !

[Flipboy5]

Graf's slice was actually a weapon in that point

[lookscudkill]

These two had a great rivalry and it happened to have not only two great players, but two really great people and characters. Two complete representatives and role models for tennis and sport. The two of them are also in the exclusive list (A level) of the best ever female tennis players - Graf, Navratilova, Evert, Court, Seles, King, Wills Moody, Connolly.

[McClernand2]

Couldn't Seles play without grunting ?...

Was not grunting an ailment impossible to overcome, for her ?

[monica012077]

@McClernand2 No she couldn't play without grunting, she had done it since she was a little girl and it's the key to her impeccable timing. If your really focused on your own game you don't have time to notice what others are doing, besides many players grunted back then and now

[lexomil1414]

the year we discovered really Monica Seles, she enthousiasmed all the public by her extraordinary game, her reverse with two hands, and her screams which were bothering but became a part of her personality (now most of the player scream but nobody finds it so annoying...why?) thanks for this great match against Steffi the Queen!

[grafgoat]

If you try to argue Navratilova or Evert better than Graf both of them had 18 slams, that might have been more convincing.

[grafgoat]

I don

[lionheart007]

ach come on people, this match was 4 years before the stabbing. Can't the debate at least be contained to relevant videos?

[amb817]

Wow great point!!Seles looks so young here,what is she like 15 and she's playing a high ranked player who just so happens to be Graf.Seles looks so calm lol

[J99ETC]

Seles and Graf my 2 favorite women tennis players all time....Graf with her wicked speed and agility...Seles with her bazooka-like groundies...incredible stuff when they got together...exactly guys stop with the what ifs....it's a shame but Graf was incredible too...Monica is actually the most popular female tennis player as voted by fans at ESPN....Graf a distant second (for living women players)...

[Sharapova2009]

pretty good :))

[adsie79]

Oh dear you people need to get a life. Wondering what could have been. They were both great players! You can't start predicting what might have been.

[sebbyknight]

Good point. I love both Graf and Seles. The only person that was happy with this episode was the german bald idiot with a knife. By bickering it continues his legacy. Aka get a life and zip it.

[Guillermin85]

Graf's forehand, footwork and intelligence admit no comparision

[acadavos]

Graf & Seles versus Younger Powers

Graf-Davenport 9-6 ; Seles-Davenport 3-10

Graf-Hingis 7-2 ; Seles-Hingis 5-15

Graf-Venus 3-2 ; Seles-Venus 1-9

Graf-Serena 1-1 ; Seles-Serena 1-4

Which of two dealt better with younger talents?

Who had probablity of winning more Slams in period 2000-05?

[SlowerCPU]

good point.

all of those people above you mentioned were playing Graf's game so to speak, not seles'

[jayfey77]

those are wins over seles after the stabbingf when seles wasnt the same player so you cant go by that.

[JasminesSpot]

hey sorry to put my self into this but didn't steffi retire in 1999? venus who is my favourite player wasnt at her peak then was she?monica lost to venus at her peak alot that's why i think their head to head is high in favour of steffi against venus than it is for movica against her

[theblackash]

those stats should of looked a whole lot different if it wasnt for the stabbing monica would of got a lot of victores over them in the years that she was off,

[monica012077]

@acadavos All of the younger talents were coming into their prime when Seles was in her last years on tour. Not to mention those where tumultous years for her. Graf sort of saved her energy by playing part time tennis, and showing up to some of the tournaments and GS, hiding and protecting her game. What's really important is that when Monica was a younger talent Steffi barely at first could handle her then eventually not. Graf just can't handle incessant pounding to her backhand side

[74thecoach]

Che scambio fantastico, grande Steffy e grande Monica.

[jayfey77]

even at age 15 and hardly played on the tour in 89 she already was showing she was capable of beating graf the writing was on the wall,only an idiot like hoffenheim makes excuses that graf had a scandel going on in her life that caused her to lose to seles but in 89 this was before the scandal he speaks of and seles showed in 89 she was going to beat graf very soon scandal or no scandal

[vontrapped]

Actually, Graf had a cold in the latter part of that tournament, (as evidenced by her constant use of tissues in this terrific match and the equally fantastic final aginast Sanches). 3 weeks later at wimbeldon, Graf beat Seles 60 61. However, the next year, Seles had matured and was showing what a great player she was. They were both terrific players, and all their matches were compulisive viewing, the immovable force verses the irresistable object. I miss them both

[Ineddiblehulk]

Me too. As an enormous Graf fan, I miss all the great matches they should have played between '93 and '97. It was going to be a Evert/ Navratalova and Federer/ Nadal rivalry. Such a rare opportunity to have two of the best ever matching up against eachother. Such a great loss.

[Hoffenheim08]

Of course Seles would have beaten Graf now and then even without the blackmail scandal. But you don't want to suggest with a straight face that Seles would have won all her slams without Graf slumping in 1990-92, do you?

[jayfey77]

seles would have won every grand slam from 93 on till maybe 97 without losing any grand slam final if she hadnt been stabbed thats why she beat graf decisively in the 93 ao final and out aced her 8-1.

[Hoffenheim08]

Hmm, Seles never was able to beat Graf on grass or on fast HC (as at USO). How then would she have managed to win Wimbledon and USO 1993-96??

[jayfey77]

because navratilova and martinez were in the 94 wimb final both players seles would have beaten easily even on grass thats why only a retard like u would think she wouldnt have won it that year over either of those 2 players,and seles played the 90 wimb better than graf sinze she played zina tougher than graf did and had a match point and only lost due to a bad line call.

[Hoffenheim08]

What makes you think Seles would have beaten Martinez on grass? Maybe Seles would have crashed out to McNeil or Novotna before the finals?

[jayfey77]

the fact that navratilova and martinez both got to the finals proves that seles would have won wimb that year since neither player was capable of beating seles in a grand slam event,that is ur proof.

[Hoffenheim08]

Martinez was a better grass-court player than Seles.

[jayfey77]

martinez wasnt a better player than seles on any surface.

[davidmarc09]

@jayfey77 so ture

[juju1305]

hahahaha. you're so funny

[Hoffenheim08]

I don't think you watch a lot of tennis.

You are a fan girl who only watches her own fave.

[juju1305]

Wrong ang wrong.

I not only watch a lot but also play a lot of tennis.

I am a 30 year old man.

But hey, so much about your own capacity of judgement.

[Hoffenheim08]

Sorry, I assumed "juju" was a girl's name.

But as you are so young you most probably never saw Graf at her peak in 1988/89. And I don't think you watched Graf, Seles, Navratilova live on court as I did. Which explains a lot.

[juju1305]

juju can be both female and male.

I did not see her live, but I watched a lot of tv even as a kid, and i still perfectly recall (and rewatched since) her 6-0 6-0 victory against zvereva at the French.

But thanks for calling 30 young :) you can be nice after all... ;)

[monica012077]

@Hoffenheim08 I don't think she would win the big W but come on, 1993 Seles was unstoppable, she had just beat Graf in the AO final on a hardcourt, pretty fast i thought. Don't think it was the court speed that hurt Graf at that time. It was her lack of mental toughness under the conditions, her inability to create winners on the BH side, and having it as a notable weakness over her sledgehammer FH, and her serve wasn't so good, no real aces or free pts as Seles could at the time.

[Hoffenheim08]

@monica012077

AO's ReboundAce was Seles's best surface and Steffi's worst.

And please, don't be silly. Graf had a far better serve than Seles ever had.

[monica012077]

@Hoffenheim08 Also Seles was hyper consistent while hitting the ball harder off both sides with sharp angles to boot.

[monica012077]

@Hoffenheim08 Seles would have won all her slams regardless of Graf because she didn't have the game to stop Monica at the Slams unless it was W. Monica wasn't going to be stopped. Plain and simple Hoff, and you know it.

[Hoffenheim08]

@monica012077

Graf had the game to beat Seles on every surface - grass, HC, clay and carpet. And she proved it.

Seles beat Graf only on clay and on slow HC.

[sdn14]

They're awesome players

[JordanjamesX]

Seles was better then Graf BEFORE the stabbing. After the stabbing Seles just wasn't the same. The intensity was gone she gained weight she just wasn't the same.

[McClernand2]

@JordanjamesX

Seles wasn't better than Steffi, even by the majors !

Seles won the 90 FO only because Steffi was totally overwhelmed by the first scandal around her father then.

Seles won the 93 AO mostly because an unbelievable bad call that broke Steffi's winning pace.

And Seles won the 92 FO mostly thanks to fortune (10/8 in the 3rd set).

On the other hand, Steffi totally routed Seles by the 92 Wimbledin final (6/1 6/2 after just one hour of effective game).

[StevieNicksfann]

@McClernand2 if you are going to explain away losses by speculation then you should apply the faulty logic equally. Steffi only routed Seles in the '92 Wimbledon final because Seles was thrown by not grunting. To say someone is better has many definitions. One of them being results. But the other is in ability. If you combine the 2, Seles winning 7 of the 8 slams she entered in her peak is far more impressive and would be just as impressive if it was Graf winning those. But she wasn't.

[McClernand2]

@StevieNicksfann

But Seles didn't complete the Grand Slam before the stabbing.

And for one good reason : Steffi crushed her by the Wimbledon final.

[McClernand2]

@StevieNicksfann

Steffi never complained about Seles gruntings, unlike Navratilova and Tauziat.

Still, most of Seles fans admire Navratilova, while they loathe Steffi in the most stupid and unfair way.

[StevieNicksfann]

@McClernand2

It isn't about whether Steffi complained or not, the fact is Seles' was concentrating on not grunting and this is what threw her off. It's true it was ultimately Seles' choice to not grunt but most agree she would have won Wimbledon had she been able to focus on her tennis. Seles' fans may admire Navratilova but she didn't win slams in absence of Seles. Graf did. But I would never say they loathe her. It's just silly to blindly dismiss Seles' ability during that period.

[trent8002003]

@McClernand2 Not officially on a court, no she didn't. BUT, she did THREATEN to complain agst Monica on the EVE of their Wimbledon 92 final. When answering a reporter who asked her whether she'd follow Martina and Nathalie in making complaints on courts, Steffi said and I quote " I don't know but Monica was pretty loud at Roland Garros". That was at a time when the whole tennis circle was all over Monica about the grunting. Low handed? To throw Monica off? Deliberate or coincidence? You tell me.

[McClernand2]

@trent8002003

The fact is she DID NOT complain, no matter what she told the journalists.

And it is also a fact Seles was just EXASPERATING with her grunts. All the more as she deliberately exagerated them, even when she didn't hit the ball that hard, in order to mislead her opponents about the actual power of her shots.

Steffi hit the ball even harder with her forehand. Yet, she didn't grunt every time she hit the ball : she did respect her own opponents !

[trent8002003]

@McClernand2 What she told journalist exactly was what mattered cos she achieved the EFFECT of a complaint without actually having to complain on court. Clever. Martina and Nathalie were the dumb ones. They were seen as villains. Steffi, on the other hand, is still fooling naive tennis followers even as we speak. Oh, not you. Not you........... As for Monica's grunts, come on, I don't see anyone complaining agst Connors, Mcenroe, Agassie. Monica's sin is not grunting but her total dominance!

[McClernand2]

@trent8002003

and Connors, McEnroe and Agassi weren't total dominant, at their time ?

On the other hand, Seles was NEVER totally dominant, cuz Steffi beat her most of the time, when she was number one, and not only at Wimbledon : she beat her too on hard courts (at San Antonio, in 1991) and on clay (at Hamburg, also in 1991).

Therefore, stop this parano game.

[Hoffenheim08]

@trent8002003

I almost never head Seles grunt.

She was a screamer. Big difference. She tried to cheat and got away with that way too long.

[artisking1]

@Hoffenheim08

BOOOHOOOHOOO!...stop Whining Sissy....it's totally unmanly .......sorry, I forgot. You watch Women's Ice skating and you have an alias named "GrafGirl"...

what would you know about being a man.......

[Oanatinus]

@Hoffenheim08 There's definitely a difference between a grunter and a screamer. However, Seles actually does have a genuine grunt. Sharapova on the other hand, is a screamer. As are Victoria Azarenka and Michelle Larcher De-Brito. To some extent, even the Williams sisters.

[Hoffenheim08]

@Oanatinus

Let's say Seles was half grunter, half screamer?

Sharapova, Azarenka and this Portugese kid are pure screamers, that's right.

[McClernand2]

@trent8002003

and what do you think Steffi should have answered to the reporter ? that Monica wasn't noisy at all ?

it would have sounded a bit ironical, no ?

[trent8002003]

@McClernand2 Wow, your partiality is so thick over your eyes that you're blind as a bat. The reporter DID NOT ask Steffi whether Monica was loud at French Open. The reporter asked her would she complain at Wimbledon. She BROUGHT UP French Open herself. Translation, Steffi wanted to complain and put pressure on her deadly rival but she also wanted to come across as the *nice* person, so she exerted pressure slyly without appearing to be doing so. Get it now? Good.

[McClernand2]

@trent8002003

quote : "Wow, your partiality is so thick over your eyes that you're blind as a bat"

answer : WOW, LISTEN TO YOURSELF !!!!

Your demonstration is quite amusing, you know, and mostly proves your determination to slur Steffi at any cost, whatever she says, whatever she doesn't say, whatever she does and whatever she doesnt do.

Why don't you assert either Steffi paid Parche to stab Monica ?

[McClernand2]

@trent8002003

Your delirious paranoia reminds me some 'apprentice Columbos', who try to demonstrate that the attacks on the WTC were devised by the Bush administration, so as to have a good alibi to invade Afghanistan and Iraq...

Amusing enough, actually...

[monica012077]

@McClernand2 ur delusional, 90 fo was won because Seles fought her way back 2 snatch a tiebreak that Graf was leading, then ran away with the match. She won 93 AO because she hit tons of winners & aces, & played some aggressive animal pts to win. She also saved many break pts with 100+ mph aces. Seles won 92 FO because she worked over Steffi tired BH side, & used her consistency & mental toughness. Steffi was forced into errors when it got close, & Seles played a fierce pt to break & serve 4 it

[grafgoat]

I don't understand why people will think Monica is better Steffi. Graf won 22 slams and Seles only won 9. To say the player who won 13 slams less is a better player has major problems in math. And of course people will say how about the stabbing etc. Trajectory is nice but unless you actually won the grand slams, it is all just speculations. People don't live in the trajectory world. People live in the real world.

[StevieNicksfann]

@grafgoat Bottom line - it is always a matter of opinion. Navratilova, Evert, Graf, Williams, Seles are among the best - and you could add King and Court to that. I would also add Austin to it but most people wouldn't since she didn't have the results that the others had due to injuries.

[stell29]

Did Steffi seriously hit a flat backhand at 0:40? That was so weird seeing her not just hit the slice backhand. She showed good form and pace on it...maybe she should have done it more

[mohawk393939]

I think had Seles not been stabbed Graf would have had to develop this shot - She was well capable of hitting it she just refused to do so. God you just don't see tennis like this anymore and because Graf and Seles were complete opposites it made for fantastic viewing as they were so closely matched

[Ineddiblehulk]

completely agree. Sels would have forced Graf to use the top spin backhand in matches. They would have pushed eachother to greater heights. And opposites? yeah, Seles took the ball on the rise like no one else, and Graf had unequalled athleticism. Miss them both.

[Hoffenheim08]

Graf was able to beat Seles decisively even withot a TS backhand. Her slice was causing Seles a lot of trouble.

[jayfey77]

yeah she showed that decisively when she lost to seles in the 93 ao final.you know nothing.

[StewNWT]

agree about that, even love Graf is my favorite player, she could have evolved and improved her backhand to Henin or Mauresmo like levels and it was mostly a liability for her instead

[Hoffenheim08]

Graf's BH was no liability.

Everybody who says that doesn't understand why and how Graf was so successful.

[jayfey77]

you have to have great timing to do it all the time thats why she didnt do it.

[celtavigo77]

Would love to see more of this match... anyone have it?!?

[fedexgreat]

Seles was clearly better than Graff.

[Hoffenheim08]

Yes, that's why she won 5 of 15 matches against "Graff", 2 of 7 when she was #1.

[reydelbaile]

Maravilloso!

[elbouiss]

1989 !! WoW !

[suzane9]

steffi graf est un monument du tennis. c est la plus grande joueuse de tennis de tous les temps avec un style particulier, inégalable. un mythe.

[Ducentije]

Yeah... Monica was just one of the greatest players from Serbia...

[cakeforlife]

Wow Steffi at her best already in so much trouble vs. 15-year-old Monica.

[Hoffenheim08]

Well, Steffi had less trouble 4 weeks later when she thrashed Seles 6-0 6-1 in Wimbledon.

[herewegoagain2007]

Graf passed gas on the change over and Monica was never the same after that and Graf closed out the match. What do you think? Should players be allowed to do that?

[Ineddiblehulk]

Definately. It is all down to conditioning. If you can't handle what your oponant dishes out,you know back to the training courts. Either that, or you know, cover your nose.

[FCBrugge111]

monica was much and much better than graf!!

[skaterfan1]

she was better than Graf, but maybe only better without the two muches!

[mlie2811]

could you tell me where i can buy the vcds/dvds of steffi? i'm mlie from indonesia.thx

[zim83]

I remember this match perfectly, I think Graf won 6-3 3-6 6-3 or something similar, and I was impressed by a then little-known Seles. Then Graf went on to lose the final against Arantxa Sánchez and people went crazy down here.

[eddysaur]

sweet rally. AND steffi hit a topspin backhand!

[alessandrokaka1]

best womans match ever!

[Flipboy5]

I really wish I knew about tennis when Steffi was dominating. Also, I think Monica and Steffi at their best is far greater than the Williams sisters at their best. It's too bad I'll never prove that.

[quiet1234]

no u wont since the sisters at there best were faster than graf, had backhands that matches seles and had more raw power than she did to hit off the back foot, as well as much bigger serves. Serena didnt play Monica when serena started dominating, Serena at her best was perfect, she had the intensity to match monica too.

[mohawk393939]

Graf ran the Olympic qualifying time for the 400m so no the sisters were/are not faster than her although they are magnificent athletes.

[Menexpert]

mohawk393939 is correct. Graf was also an acomplished 800m runner and her coach once said that Steffi was a much better athlete than tennis player!!! The difference with Steffi is that when the Williams girls run, you can see their effort yet when Steffi runs she always seems to have plenty of time without rushing.

[valentiandre]

Correct! :)

[Flipboy5]

@mohawk393939 I do prefer Steffi's movement, she's more light on her feet although I think the Williams sisters are more explosive off the mark, having said that, I don't think anybody is faster than Graf, maybe Jackie Joyner.....

[skaterfan1]

the williams sisters are I agree brilliant but so much less consistent than Graf, Seles, Evert or Navratilova. Serena is such a good athlete but so oten injured which is a sign of poor conditioning.

[JorgeJRO]

What a beautiful point. Wonderful. What an echange of shots. Both are great, but Steffi is not only a tennisplayer winner, she is also an athlete and had the best playing-style of her era. She is just simply THE BEST.

[dissident000]

seles is one of the greatest ever, and nobody can take that away from her.

[yohaneuano4]

The ball is slow as hell. Have they sped the courts up?

[popupman213]

no there raquets are wood so they cant swing them as hard as the carbonfibre we use now

[yohaneuano4]

thanks

[jktoooo]

sorry pupupman....steffi was using a GRAPHITE dunlop max 200g at this time....lightweight. monica i believe was using a prince graphite classic at this time. by the early to mid 80-s (mostly mid 80's) wood was pretty much gone from the game.

[axonhillock]

*****sorry for the spelling folks. just got animated and so charged up about commenting that i misspelled some words*****

[axonhillock]

Monica did not push enough. She lacked the motivation to work on her fitness. Sure her father died of cancer and that is a terrible thing to go through especially if one is as close to their father as she was. Her injury from the stabbing apperently were superficial.But then again, what do you do? Even the great players before Steffi and Monica agreed that Steffi is the better all around player, the better athlete.

[axonhillock]

She worked hard! That's what she did. She rose to the challenge and even in defeat she was gracious enough to acknowledge the better player. Monica was not all that bad after she came back. She gave Steffi a run for her money during that US OPEN. But there was still something lacking.

[juju1305]

yes, an hawk-eye system on monica's first set setpoint! :)

[axonhillock]

what happened to Monica was a terrible tragedy. But are we to just solely put the blame on the incident? On Steffi? It was not like Steffi did not have problems of her own. From her Father's tax evasion case to her numerous injuries and not to mention the rise of Martina Hingis and the Big Babes brigade. What did she do? Did she succumbed to her injuries? Did she succumbed to the criticisms of the William's sisters during Wimbledon 1998 that she is too old?

[axonhillock]

A true champion is someone who can rise to the challenges presented to him by his sport, his competitors and his mind and body. Is someone who accepts defeat and acknowledges his opponent's triumphs. More importantly that even if he looses he knows in heart that he did all the best he could.

[olaraay]

excuse me, it was hingis that labelled graf old

[riccioforever]

I'm a Steffi Graf fan. I really regret we couldn't enjoy the great rivalry. But I also think that continuing to argue on the stabbing does not make any sense; we will never know who would have been the best if..... Probably the rivalry between them would have improved their game. Still considering the way Monica played after her coming back is useless because all of us perfectly know that it wasn't the same. Just stop wasting time arguing uselessly and enjoy what both players gave to our sport.

[juju1305]

you're right... but still its such a shame that graf's best opponent was out of the game. With no real competitor she was left to winning everything or losing to herself...

[grafgirl27]

Or losing to herself? You make it sound like every match Graf lost after the Seles stabbing she gave away. Pierce, Sanchez Vicario, and McNeil at Wimbledon legitimately outplayed Steffi to earn their wins. And honestly Graf played worse in the 90 Hamburg and 90 French Open final losses to Seles then all of those matches apart from the 94 U.S open final with Sanchez where she was badly injured.

[juju1305]

@grafgirl27 Not the one against Pierce, but the other losses... one might discuss. My point was, none of the players left in the draws had the caliber to durably challenger her domination. In 94, ASV won two slams, but you know that with Seles and Graf around (and fit), it's quite unlikely she would have won these two titles.

[grafgirl27]

You never know what might happen. Nobody expected ASV to win 2 slams that year even without Seles. Graf appeared unbeatable starting 94, and Sanchez hadnt made a slam final in 93. Many also assumed after Seles's first couple events back she would return to dominance. Instead she won only 1 slam her whole 2nd career. Many of those who act like they know what would have happened without the stabbing are probably ones who were certain she would return to winning lots of slams in late 95 also.

[McClernand2]

@grafgirl27

well said, GREAT GRAF girl !

[deusexmachina85]

mmm I love Monica's screams now no-one can do that as Monica, Sharapova screams like fuckin' whore, Dementieva's screams are also very exciting

[digitaal7]

Steffi is the best in my book and I got the chance to see her in action before her retirement.

[JorgeJRO]

Monica dominated the WTA tour in the early 90's until April 93 in QF in Hamburg where she was attacked. Although she demonstrated her domain in grand slams those years, I think Steffi is more elegant, played better, the best playing style ever. Monica is great, but Steffi the best ever.

[fordrmani]

i agree

after her return monica is not the

same player as she was

that's really pity somehow

[infallibleble]

Graf was, is and will be the best!!!

Monica sucks and screams like she was gonna die:)

[eron05]

Graf was the best until Monica mutilated her ass and grabbed the no.1 spot for 2 fucking years until that crazy ass german lunatic dethroned her so that german bitch can be no 1 again. What a cowardies!

Remember...karma..what goes around comes around.

[fordrmani]

i hate monica for her scream

graf is the best

[juancarlos772652]

Ford,

Then you must hate Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters too. They also grunt like Seles.

JC

[fordrmani]

after graf retired i don't follow tennis as much

but seles dominance 1991/93 is unforgetttable

[juancarlos772652]

Infallible, you're not infallible after all. How can you say Monica, winner of 9 slam titles, "sucks"?

[tennis8989]

Monica is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mrbadd]

This was a skinny small 15 year old Monica showing Steffi that she's arriving and preparing herself to take over the no.1 spot! The next year, she beat Steffi in the french open final and never looked back, winning 7 of the last 8 slams she entered, beating Steffi 3-1 in grandslam finals, and dominating the tour!

[HelenAddict]

Merci, c'est corrigé.

[corresebastien]

heu... c était pas durant la finale de 1992 ! cet échange concerne la demie finale de 1989 gagnée par graf 6/3 3/6 6/3 :-)