Graf–Sabatini rivalry

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Graf–Sabatini rivalry
Steffi Graf
Gabriela Sabatini

The Graf–Sabatini rivalry was a tennis rivalry between Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini, who played each other on 40 occasions between 1985 and 1995. Graf was the world No. 1, while Sabatini reached a career high of No. 3. Both are Major champions, Graf winning 22 titles whilst Sabatini won her only major title at the 1990 US Open over Graf. They also teamed up in doubles to reach three French Open finals and win the 1988 Wimbledon crown.[1]

In Grand Slams, they met 12 times, three of them in finals. Graf leads 11–1. In 1988, Graf beat Sabatini in the semifinals of the French Open, the US Open final, and the Olympic final to complete the calendar-year Golden Slam.[2] Their most famous match came in the 1991 Wimbledon final. Sabatini was two points away from capturing her Wimbledon singles crown, only for Graf to fight back and take the match 8–6 in the deciding set.[1][3]

Graf and Sabatini first met in 1985 and by the end of 1987 had met a total of eleven times, Graf winning all of them. Sabatini went on to defeat Graf 11 times in the next 21 matches they played between 1988 and 1992, with the Argentine going on a five-match winning streak and Graf on a four-match winning streak. Sabatini then lost the final eight matches they played between 1992 and 1995, and for the first three of those Sabatini only won six games. According to Sabatini, they had a good relationship off the court, but were never close friends.[1]

On September 25, 2004, Graf defeated Sabatini 6-1, 7-5 in an exhibition match in Berlin, Germany. They met the following year at an exhibition match in Mannheim, Germany on October 15, 2005, where Graf again beat Sabatini in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.

Graf introduced Sabatini during the 2006 International Tennis Hall of Fame Induction on July 15, 2006.

List of all matches[]

Legend Graf Sabatini
Grand Slam 11 1
WTA Tour Championships 3 1
WTA Tour Events 13 9
Federation Cup 1 0
Olympics Games 1 0
Total 29 11

Graf–Sabatini (29–11)

No. Date Tournament Surface Round Winner Score Graf Sabatini
1. 1985 United States WTA New Jersey Hard Semifinals Graf 4–6, 6–0, 6–3 1 0
2. 1986 United States Virginia Slims Championships Carpet Round of 16 Graf 6–0, 6–7(5–7), 6–2 2 0
3. 1986 United States US Clay Court Championships Clay Final Graf 2–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–4 3 0
4. 1987 United States Charleston Open Clay Semifinals Graf 6–3, 2–6, 7–6(7–5) 4 0
5. 1987 United States Amelia Island Championships Clay Semifinals Graf 6–2, 6–2 5 0
6. 1987 Italy Italian Open Clay Final Graf 7–5, 4–6, 6–0 6 0
7. 1987 France Roland Garros Clay Semifinals Graf 6–4, 4–6, 7–5 7 0
8. 1987 United Kingdom Wimbledon Grass Quarterfinals Graf 4–6, 6–1, 6–1 8 0
9. 1987 Canada Federation Cup Hard Quarterfinals Graf 6–4, 6–4 9 0
10. 1987 United States LA Women's Tennis Championships Hard Semifinals Graf 7–5, 7–5 10 0
11. 1987 United States Virginia Slims Championships Carpet Final Graf 4–6, 6–4, 6–0, 6–4 11 0
12. 1988 United States Virginia Slims of Florida Hard Final Sabatini 2–6, 6–3, 6–1 11 1
13. 1988 United States Amelia Island Championships Clay Semifinals Sabatini 6–3, 4–6, 7–5 11 2
14. 1988 France Roland Garros Clay Semifinals Graf 6–3, 7–6(7–3) 12 2
15. 1988 United States US Open Hard Final Graf 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 13 2
16. 1988 South Korea Summer Olympics Hard Final Graf 6–3, 6–3 14 2
17. 1989 Australia Australian Open Hard Semifinals Graf 6–3, 6–0 15 2
18. 1989 United States Amelia Island Championships Clay Final Sabatini 3–6, 6–3, 7–5 15 3
19. 1989 Germany German Open Clay Final Graf 6–3, 6–1 16 3
20. 1989 United States US Open Hard Semifinals Graf 3–6, 6–4, 6–2 17 3
21. 1989 United States Virginia Slims Championships Carpet Semifinals Graf 6–3, 5–7, 6–1 18 3
22. 1990 United States US Open Hard Final Sabatini 6–2, 7–6(7–4) 18 4
23. 1990 Switzerland Zurich Open Carpet Final Graf 6–3, 6–2 19 4
24. 1990 United States Virginia Slims of New England Carpet Final Graf 7–6(7–5), 6–3 20 4
25. 1990 United States Virginia Slims Championships Carpet Semifinals Sabatini 6–4, 6–4 20 5
26. 1991 Japan Pan Pacific Open Carpet Quarterfinals Sabatini 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(8–6) 20 6
27. 1991 United States Virginia Slims of Florida Hard Final Sabatini 6–4, 7–6(8–6) 20 7
28. 1991 United States Miami Open Hard Semifinals Sabatini 0–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–1 20 8
29. 1991 United States Amelia Island Championships Clay Final Sabatini 7-5, 7-6(7–3) 20 9
30. 1991 United Kingdom Wimbledon Grass Final Graf 6–4, 3–6, 8–6 21 9
31. 1992 United States Miami Open Hard Semifinals Sabatini 3–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–1 21 10
32. 1992 United States Amelia Island Championships Clay Final Sabatini 6–2, 1–6, 6–3 21 11
33. 1992 United Kingdom Wimbledon Grass Semifinals Graf 6–3, 6–3 22 11
34. 1993 United States Miami Open Hard Semifinals Graf 6–0, 6–2 23 11
35. 1993 United States Charleston Open Clay Semifinals Graf 6–0, 7–6(7–3) 24 11
36. 1993 Germany German Open Clay Final Graf 7–6(7–3), 2–6, 6–4 25 11
37. 1993 United States US Open Hard Quarterfinals Graf 6–2, 5–7, 6–1 26 11
38. 1994 Canada Canadian Open Hard Quarterfinals Graf 7–5, 6–0 27 11
39. 1995 France Roland Garros Clay Quarterfinals Graf 6–1, 6–0 28 11
40. 1995 United States US Open Hard Semifinals Graf 6–4, 7–6(7–5) 29 11

Breakdown of the rivalry[]

  • Hard courts: Graf, 11–5
  • Clay courts: Graf, 10–4
  • Grass courts: Graf, 3–0
  • Carpet courts: Graf, 5–2
  • Grand Slam matches: Graf, 11–1
  • Grand Slam finals: Graf, 2–1
  • Year-End Championships matches: Graf, 3–1
  • Year-End Championships finals: Graf, 1–0
  • Fed Cup matches: Graf, 1–0
  • All finals: Graf, 10–6
  • All matches: Graf, 29–11

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Philip, Robert. (2003-06-16) Philip on Monday: Sabatini smiles again after tennis misery[dead link]. Telegraph. Retrieved on 2010-12-14.
  2. ^ Athlete – Steffi Graf. Olympic.org. Retrieved on 2010-12-14.
  3. ^ Finn, Robin. (1991-07-07) Tennis – Graf Reclaims Her Grit And Title – NYTimes.com. Select.nytimes.com. Retrieved on 2010-12-14.
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