Michael Stich, taking a dazzling leap from the shadow of his compatriot, defeated Boris Becker in straight sets Sunday in the first all-German final at the Wimbledon Championships.
Stich won 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, outplaying the world's No. 1 player in every department. Becker, a three-time champion, had come to own Centre Court at Wimbledon, but this sun-splashed day at the All England Club belonged to his junior Davis Cup partner."I think I just played great tennis and stayed cool," Stich said. "It looked like Boris was nervous. He never found his rhythm to serve. . . . He just got frustrated."
Stich, 22, came to Wimbledon only a year younger than Becker but a world away in experience, and a 33-1 longshot to win the title. Yet he prevailed by beating three reigning Grand Slam champions: Jim Courier (French Open) in the quarterfinals, Stefan Edberg (Wimbledon) in the semifinals and Becker (Australian Open). All of which vaulted Stich's world ranking from No. 7 to No. 4.
"He had not very much to lose," Becker said. "He's already accomplished more than he believed before he started this tournament. So it was much easier to play for him than for me."
Sunday's match, regardless of the outcome, assured a German sweep of Wimbledon, with Steffi Graf having captured the women's final the previous day against Gabriela Sabatini.
Stich won the $384,000 prize in 2 hours, 31 minutes, capturing the match on a forehand service return. He tossed his racket skyward and dropped to his knees. Becker embraced him at the net, then Stich approached the umpire's chair with his hand over his mouth, as if in disbelief at the moment.
Becker, making his fourth consecutive appearance in the Wimbledon finals and sixth in seven years, entered the match having seized the No. 1 ranking from Edberg. But Becker had neither the stamina nor the answer for Stich's wicked serve and backhand.
"I didn't have enough legs today," said Becker, weary from backlog of matches caused by rain. "The week took its toll. It was one match too many. On the other hand, he didn't show any nerves. He deserved to win."
Clearly, this was an unsettling day for Becker, whose serve lacked its usual zip. It is one thing to lose to Edberg, his longtime Wimbledon adversary, but quite another to lose to his unheralded countryman.
"I will need a few weeks until I am back to normal mentally," Becker said.
Still, Becker insisted he did not overlook his opponent.
"He beat Stefan in the semis so I knew he had ability," he said.
Stich, the No. 6 seed, showed uncanny composure in his first Grand Slam final, a performance worthy of Becker.
"It wasn't me out there," said Becker, the No. 2 seed. "My mind was really tired and wasn't up to my normal standards. I knew during the match that if he's not going to make big mistakes I'm not going to win it today because I didn't have the energy."
Statistics told part of the story. Becker faced 16 break points and saved 12. Stich offered his opponent only three break opportunities, of which Becker sealed two.
Stich took control from the outset, breaking Becker in the first game.
"It was very important that I broke him right away in the first game," Stich said. "From that point on, I served really well and I was returning a lot of his first serves when he got them in. I got the feeling that I could touch every ball I wanted to that was going into the court."
Said Becker: "I knew from then on it was not going to be an easy match."
Becker staved off a break point in the fifth set, then summoned his game, breaking at love to tie it 3-3. But he quickly faltered, serving two double-faults in losing the next game.
In the second set, Becker yelled at himself in an effort to find that extra something. And, indeed, it looked promising when he broke to go up 3-1. However, Stich broke back and confounded Beckerwith backhand passes.
Becker, by now, could do nothing to stem the tide of winners. Stich made a rare backhand volley error to trail 15-30 in the seventh game, but served his way out of trouble. Becker saved a break point in the eighth and then found himself serving to save the match two games later after Stich held to love with his 15th ace.
However, this time the task proved beyond Becker. He lost the first point when Stich punched a volley. Becker then overhit a forehand volley with Stich face down on the grass to trail 0-30.
Becker drew even but was unable to control Stich's fierce backhand. That gave Stich two match points, and he needed but one of them, a blistering forehand service return, ending this most unlikely championship.