In 1986, Becker won Wimbledon for the second year in a row, this time with a much more dominant performance. He followed up on this by bettering his fourth round result at the 1985 U.S. Open, this time making the semifinal and losing a close five setter to Mečíř. Then, after a loss in Hamburg, Becker reeled off 19 straight wins, taking the titles in Sydney, Tokyo, and Paris before making the Masters final and losing to Lendl. By the end of the year, he was firmly ensconced as the second best player in the world.
Early 1987 featured Becker's first title at Indian Wells, followed soon thereafter by a win in Milan. At the French Open, Becker reached the semifinals for the first time before turning to grass and winning Queen's Club. After that, there was the shock loss at Wimbledon to Doohan in the second round. On the one hand, you could say that this match showed that Becker was already starting to enter a semi-slump. On the other hand, you could say this was simply a fluke.
In any event, after Wimbledon, West Germany and Becker played a Davis Cup tie against the United States in Hartford, Connecticut. On the first day, Becker beat McEnroe in maybe the greatest Davis Cup match in history, 4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2. The match lasted six hours and twenty-one minutes. Two days later, with the tie in the balance, Becker had to play Mayotte in the decisive rubber. Becker started off well enough, winning the first two sets, 6-2, 6-3. But, in the third set, the crowd and McEnroe (who tossed a ball at Becker) got to the German, helping Mayotte fight back to win the next two sets, 7-5, 6-4. In the final set, both players seemed visibly tired (Mayotte himself has played a five setter a couple days ago). But Becker dug deeper, taking the tie a the final set, triumphantly throwing his racquet into the stands and striking an elderly woman.
The question I ask is what toll this took on Boris. After the Davis Cup tie in 1987, he:
Even after this, 1988 was just an okay year for Becker until he hit another gear to win the Masters, setting up his two Major year in 1989.
So my question is whether you think that 1987 Davis Cup tie had lingering effects for a year or more for Becker. I can't even imagine playing six hours and twenty-one minutes and then having to come back two days later and play an emotionally and physically draining five setter, especially in Davis Cup, which Boris took so seriously. Was Becker going to play poorly for the rest of the year regardless, or did those two matches take too much out of him, lowering his level for the rest of the year and maybe even into 1988?
Early 1987 featured Becker's first title at Indian Wells, followed soon thereafter by a win in Milan. At the French Open, Becker reached the semifinals for the first time before turning to grass and winning Queen's Club. After that, there was the shock loss at Wimbledon to Doohan in the second round. On the one hand, you could say that this match showed that Becker was already starting to enter a semi-slump. On the other hand, you could say this was simply a fluke.
In any event, after Wimbledon, West Germany and Becker played a Davis Cup tie against the United States in Hartford, Connecticut. On the first day, Becker beat McEnroe in maybe the greatest Davis Cup match in history, 4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2. The match lasted six hours and twenty-one minutes. Two days later, with the tie in the balance, Becker had to play Mayotte in the decisive rubber. Becker started off well enough, winning the first two sets, 6-2, 6-3. But, in the third set, the crowd and McEnroe (who tossed a ball at Becker) got to the German, helping Mayotte fight back to win the next two sets, 7-5, 6-4. In the final set, both players seemed visibly tired (Mayotte himself has played a five setter a couple days ago). But Becker dug deeper, taking the tie a the final set, triumphantly throwing his racquet into the stands and striking an elderly woman.
The question I ask is what toll this took on Boris. After the Davis Cup tie in 1987, he:
-lost to Gilbert in D.C., with a bagel in the third set;
-got smoked by Edberg back-to-back in Canada in Cincinnati;
-blew a two set lead to Gilbert at the U.S. Open;
-lost to Cash in Sydney;
-retired down 3-0 in the third set to "Boba" Živojinović in Tokyo;
-failed to make the Masters SF after again losing to Gilbert (the only year he didn't make the SF other than 1991, when he still went 2-1 in the RR stage).
Even after this, 1988 was just an okay year for Becker until he hit another gear to win the Masters, setting up his two Major year in 1989.
So my question is whether you think that 1987 Davis Cup tie had lingering effects for a year or more for Becker. I can't even imagine playing six hours and twenty-one minutes and then having to come back two days later and play an emotionally and physically draining five setter, especially in Davis Cup, which Boris took so seriously. Was Becker going to play poorly for the rest of the year regardless, or did those two matches take too much out of him, lowering his level for the rest of the year and maybe even into 1988?
