19
How Michael Joyce Defeated ATP No. 2 Stich in Miami
5 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Scoop
1996 Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne. I was playing Michael Stich at the time he was ranked number 2 ATP. I hadn’t beaten a top 10 player at that point. I remember clearly my dad calling me from LA before the match and telling me he was up all night watching countless matches of Stich on video. It was well known that Stich had a huge serve and was very good around the net. I think he won Wimbledon the year or two before. He told me first time he comes to net hit the ball as hard as you possibly can right at him, I think his exact words were “try and put a hole right through his chest.” That will back him up a few feet and create lots of angles to pass him later on. Also first break point that I get in ad court he will serve 140 up the tee. Told me to sit on it and he won’t know what hit him.
As it turned out at two-all first set I had my first break point. He hit a serve up the tee exactly like my dad said and I hit a return past him so hard he never made it to the service line. I looked at the radar gun and the serve was 139. My dad was a mile per hour off, haha. I won that match 6-2 6-2 and had my first top 10 win. I managed to reach the quarterfinals before losing to Agassi. I have countless stories similar to these that my dad helped me reach many of my goals and also helped me tremendously in my coaching career.
"Put a hole through his chest"
Scoop Malinowski · May 19, 2013 at 8:53 am
Don’t know about you but I love hearing details like this about ATP matches and how they were won. You never stop learning in this game. Gameplans and tactics are so important, if you have the right one. Wonder what Fed’s gameplan is for today )
Thomas Tung · May 19, 2013 at 1:50 pm
Thanks for the Stich match “behind-the-scenes” look — I always admired Stich’s seemingly effortless game, lots of easy power in it, along with plenty of touch. A well-executed strategy can frustrate even the best players 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · May 19, 2013 at 2:12 pm
Thanks Thomas. I think it’s an interesting subject to tackle. There are so few of these matches where a lower ranked player topples a top star of the sport, especially today, and especially by a blowout score. I’ll try to get more of this information from players who have upset a top player. Another one I know of his Hugo Armando who once beat Kafelnikov like 61 61 in Austria on clay. He said it was not a tank by Kafel, he just played phenomenal tennis. I’ll try to get more details.
Doogie · May 19, 2013 at 2:44 pm
You dont need to ask Hugo because this year I was at Kitzbuhel and as every day (!!) always Kaf hanged in the Casino until they closed their doors at 6 o`clock in the morning.
Due to the Casino the Russian loved to play in Kitzbuhel but he never was really successful.
Scoop Malinowski · May 19, 2013 at 3:27 pm
Look at this, we’re getting exclusive scoops from Austria via Doogie ) Thanks for the inside info! I hope Kafelinkov does as well in poker as he did on the tennis court. And I hope your poker playing skills are not subpar either Doogie.