Edberg is my favourite ever player. A player that oozed grace, flair, skill and guile. A wonderful player and a thorough gentleman. His rivalry with Becker is one of my fondest sporting memories. Legends.
Edberg is a legend. Impeccable grace and manners to go with his classy play, I love the way he neutralised Becker's power in the first two sets and gave him junk to work with. A wonderful ambassador for tennis
@@HILAL19564 he has been the only one my fav ever since 1987. even today, his quality of honest and composer of respect to others is not replaceable to my mind
Beyond the great champions in history that those two men were, we have to remember how their behavior and attitude were nothing else but perfect ! Respect, politeness, the essence of tennis !
These were my favorite times looking back on tennis... don't get me wrong I love the big 3 now and the pace of the game, but man I miss the serve and volley game. Was always my favorite style of tennis.
Same here. The game, in many ways, has regressed because of the advances in technology that make rackets so powerful that the same intensity of aggression can now be achieved completely from the baseline.
i can't say it produced the best tennis though, they was case for slowing the surface down by the end of the 1990's..but the contrasting styles it knocked up like agassi vs rafter was amazing..
I loved Stefan Edberg: serve&volley sublime, class, elegance and show in its pure state, beyond aesthetic beauty that doesn't hurt. Ever my favorite players.
@Siddharth Venkatesh - So true! Two of the greatest grass court players of all time. Edberg was my favorite of all time. Notice too how back then the Championships were played on pure grass, none of this watered down grass they have today, which sadly slows the courts down dramatically. I mean come on it’s grass, it’s supposed to play fast, the ball is supposed to stay low, and skip off the grass quickly. This was a classic match for the ages. And yes thanks AELTC.
@@missourimanful yep. While Borg McEnroe and Federer Nadal/Novak may be considered the greatest matches, this one is the greatest serve and volley match ever
@@missourimanful yeah, it's pretty sad. The slowed down grass is also why I take issue with people calling Federer the best grass-court player of all time; as great as he still is, that title goes more to the likes of Becker, Edberg, Sampras (I'd say something about Laver but I don't think I've watched enough footage of him) etc., despite the number of Wimby trophies Fed has.
Not sure about "greatest serve and volley match". Personally, I don't even think it's the best these two played at Wimbledon. Their 88 and 89 finals were more interesting, and somehow much more energetic! This match always struck me as very lethargic from both men. Maybe because Becker took sleeping pills beforehand, I don't know.
Love that Pro Staff 85 in Edberg's hands. Greatest racquet of all time - what Sampras played with his entire career and what Federer started his career with :)
Let's not forget Mary Pierce won the Australian Open with a Pro Staff 85 in 1995 and played with the Pro Staff right up to 1999, I think she switched to Yonex in 2000 when she won the French Open.
Never forget my headteacher giving an assembly the next morning. He said something that I've never forgotten but so important about respect for your opponents. Watch Boris walk over to Edberg and embrace him in defeat. He hugs his biggest rival despite losing such a close match. Now watch Argentina's response to Germany's win in the World Cup FInal later that day. Disgraceful and Maradona was and will always be my favourite footballer.
What a joy to watch this. The commentators not feeling the need to yammer on incessantly like some do today. Edberg was always a favourite of mine. I frequently tried in vain to imitate his masterful serve and volley game.
It is so sad to see how tennis evolved from this classic style of serve and volley game TOWARDS the contemporary standard baseline slug fest. Nowadays, the game revolves so much around a weaponized topspin forehand hit with such ferocity. While I welcome these new innovations, I sorely miss the beauty of an all-around game exemplified by Edberg, Becker and Sampras. They were truly exceptional athletes in their time. So far, the last and most recent ATP athlete who employed this classical style was the phenomenal Briton, Tim Henman, who crashed into the scene like a ghost from the past. These old Wimbledon matches are like an omnibus of classic literature... they are immortal. They incorporate a blend of power and elegance with such technical superiority... a tall order for any player in an era of really hefty rackets with smaller sweet spots. It was almost like magic!
Patrick Rafter the big Aussie brought joy to many fans around this world. And I am somewhat annoyed when the returners stand about 50 feet away from the baseline. I agree it isn't illegal but it looks silly. But then again I do not really enjoying watch players who simply win tennis matches by strong serves. I like brain and skills.
Also on club-level tennis I see tennis instructors teaching people this new age baseline tennis. So I joined a session because they were one man short. First I got comments about my forehand; old fashioned bla bla bla. So I started tennis in 1982 when I was 7 years old and I swing my forehand still the same as I have been taught in my childhood. Second the tennis instructor said something silly about my racquets. So I still play Wilson Pro staff 85 & 90, Volkl C10, Prince Graphite Original MS and OS version..... etc etc. Tennis today is completely screwed! Period😠😠
@@dnch Many people complained during this era about how serve and volley tennis was boring to watch. I remember people talking about points almost never lasting more than two or three shots, and saying the game needed to be changed. I dont mind someone feeling that way, but I think that tennis has become a little boring because everybody stays back now, and theres no variety of play. I just wish that the equipment used and the court surfaces would allow both baseliners and serve and volleyers to exist, but im not so sure that can happen anymore.
The Edberg-Becker-Edberg-...... - pattern was broken in 1991 by Michael Stich's 4:6 7:6 7:6 7:6 win in the semi. Edberg was shocked (losing that match without losing any serving game). But Becker also was shocked, because he mentally had been focusing and anticipating for the fourth clash with Edberg in the final 1991. "Where is Stefan?" Becker permanently was thinking during the 1991 final while he could not find a way to adapt to Stich's gameplay that day. Becker overall played seven Wimbledon finals, but only won three of them. In 1995 he was defeated by Pete Sampras in the final. Becker's importance for Wimbledon is much bigger than the number of his titles. The same is true for Jimmy Connors that has won only two Wimbledon titles, but constantly popped up in the semi-finals. Connors had two major problems at Wimbledon: Björn Borg and John McEnroe. Becker had two other major problems: Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras.
@@jeffreybeshears8211 I could never wrap my head around their h2h, 25-10 for Becker. However, until 1990 their h2h was much more in balance: after 1992, when Edberg started fading away, it's when Becker built the big gap in between them. Also Becker had a resurgence around 1995-1996, whereas Edberg pretty much disappeared after winning US Open 1992. Go figure why.
Stefan Edberg was and always will be my favourite player! His style, class and elegance are unmatched! And what a modest, humble and kind man he is! The greatest serve-and volley player who's ever graced the game! Love him forever!!❤❤❤
@@ZAOUWVNadal and Djokovic is average player.Don't count numbers and if they played 80s or 90s then they never won grand slams but Federer is truly one of the the greatest of all time,he is one of the three greatest player of all time.
Stefan's volleys were sick, just SICK. Impeccable technique, impeccable anticipation, good reflexes, all time great coverage of the net. Stefan was to the net what Fed is to the baseline, but unlike Fed, he has no weakness. Can't decide between him or McEnroe for the greatest volleyer of the Open Era
Both magnificent volleyers. McEnroe was a genius and Edberg was elegance personified. I loved Edberg but Mac probably shades him in the volleying stakes.
Interesting question, Edberg had to deal with more pace coming at him than did McEnroe, but it is just hard to shake the notion that McEnroe's hands were the most gifted in history when it came to volleying. I don't know the answer, comparing between eras is perhaps an insoluble inquiry.
OH long time ago but wonderful match sat and watched it with my father 1990 and it was lovely to see this match again and Stefan Edberg what Volley he had.
Roger always said his childhood growing idols is Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker so this match will always be the best match of all time because it inspire roger play tennis, roger said love the game because two inspire him to play tennis
Fabulous match. Go to the 15:16 mark of the match. Look at Edberg’s serve. The classic American twist serve or the kick serve. Look at the tremendous bounce on the grass, and bouncing the opposite way a tennis ball usually bounces on a serve. Watch how Edberg arches his back on his serve and has the perfect serving motion to accomplish this shot. It’s a tough serve to do. I never could do it. But done properly by Edberg and others it is an extremely effective serve. Just a beautiful serve.
His serve was excellent, but it had its problem : foot faults. Sometimes it was called, but often line judges let it slide, because they werent 100% sure and he was Edberg after all ...
"Look at Edberg’s serve. The classic American twist serve or the kick serve" That's probably why what made him the silhouette of the Australian Open logo
My first year of college while playing on the tennis team, the entire team watched this match together at my place live on television. Wild horses or even a house fire could not have gotten us to move from watching this match.
Apparently many German players of the football national team watched this game just hours before their own finale in the Fifa World Cup 1990 in Rome! Becker once said he contemplated taking a private jet to Rome that night to watch the finale in the Stadio Olympico.
Ah,the good old days,let court judges,no visible security apes eyeballing the crowd,polite applause, a commentator with a voices as smooth as Robinsons barley water.take me back.
When Wimbledon rolled around in 1990, tennis watchers fully expected a third successive Edberg-Becker final. They were still the best grass-court players in the world, after all. Sure enough, both progressed through the draw with relative ease. Edberg played a five-setter against the gritty Israeli Amos Mansdorf, but otherwise seemed in cruise control. Becker dropped three sets to three different players, but never looked in much danger. So with minimum fanfare, they set up Edberg-Becker version 3.0-and we lovers of serve-and-volley licked our lips.
He was my favourite, the way he volleyed in this final was AMAZING, at his top, he was the best in the ATP circuit, and the most graceful ith Miroslav MECIR and Henri Leconte
It's a long way. The first step would be coaches that encourage personal style again! Not everyone is the same, and not everyone should play from the baseline, have a big serve and a semi-western forehand, and play the backhand with both hands!
fundhund62 it’s really unfortunate how the majority of pro players today are either using western and semi-western grips. Pretty much a majority of them use a two-hand backhand. I really wanted to learn one-handed backhand but my coach wouldn’t let me.
@@jinto217 That's really sad to hear! I had people try to force me to hit a semi-western (at least!) forehand, which I wouldn't do. In his awesome book "Tournament tough" Carlos Goffi wrote "it doesn't make sense to talk about correct or incorrect strokes, only effective and ineffective ones". And McEnroe followed up: "The key, at any level, is to develop your own style, built on your natural abilities and feel, which are different from everyone else's." That's what many coaches today need to learn. Again.
fundhund62 Agreed. Instead of using a semi-western grip, I’m using a full eastern grip. I love it because it gives the ball a real drive and it’s flat and low. I dislike how a majority of college players/upcoming stars are using western/semi-western grips. There’s no variety, it’s literally just a topspin battle, and rarely are there any serve and volley players.
They both were absolutely perfect in the "serve and volley". I remember this match, Becker promised quickly win and take the WC in the Rome final of Germany vs Argentina. But he lost and Germany won.
The break game edber did in the fifth set is the best backhand game ever played....he only used that shot in the 4 points of the game...a pashing return winner a lob winner an amazing slice return and a flat return to the feet. AMAZING. Best backhand game ever played just in the best moment ever. Wimbledon title afterwards.....
An absolutely incredible match which highlights a different, and in many ways better era of tennis. Not to take anything away from Federer, Nadal or Djokovic, but those who played with these rackets knows how much harder it was to get pace and precision compared to the enormous advantage the modern rackets have. Also anyone who thinks the current guys have more talent is very confused. Better conditioned? Yes,. More all around ability? Absolutely not. Case in point Michael Chang hit a 100mph serve maybe 5 times in his career, in his retirement he can serve them at 120mph with these new rackets and string technology.
There's no way Chang is hitting 120 mph serves now. I have seen him play on Courier's tour and he's not hitting serves anywhere near that. Maybe close to 110. Even Schwarzman, the best small player on tour, has trouble serving past 110.
Todays players are much better athletes. That is the way it is in all sports. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are easily the best players of all time, and it will be proven when the next generation can't come close to matching their achievements. If Fed, Nadal or Djokovic hadn't overlapped each other, any one of them might have won 30+ slams in any other era. Also the level of a top 100 player is far far superior to the level of a top 100 player in any other era. Lol at Michel Chang hitting 120mph serves. If he is hitting a 120mph serve with new rackets, does someone like Jim Courier hit 140mph serves now? Sampras 150mph? Get out with your old man nostalgia.
@@dundalis I agree. Something else. When serve speed is measured by radar it is at the moment the ball leaves the racquet. It is done that way for the fans. By the time it reaches the receiver it has lost a minimum of 30% of its speed. So a 150 mph serve is traveling no faster than 105 mph when it gets to the receiver. Probably slower.
@@dundalis Better Athletes? How? These two, particularly Edberg, are MUCH faster getting to the net. They're using fast twitch muscles, maybe that's why they were both done by 30. The ball was lighter, quicker, the courts did not kick the ball up; they simply had no time to stand 15 feet behind the baseline, and take a full swing at the ball; even on clay.
I really think that Edberg’s groundstroke isn’t as powerful as that of his opponents. However, his calm demeanor towards pressure and accuracy brought him to the elite few of the tennis world. Much respect, Mr. Edberg!
Как же это круто!И представить тогда нельзя было,что через много много лет это смотреться будет ещё лучше чем тогда!Какой элегантный теннис был.Только Роджер такой же элегантный как Стефан,ну может ещё и круче))(
i remember watching this final, Edberg was a very good player with a great serve and volley game...... amazing how the game has changed from serve and volley to pure power baseline game..
Edberg with McEnroe was my Tennis Heroes, ever ... Stefan was THE TENNIS ... Infinite class, his volley play was the best in history of tennis ... his game at the net, his volleys, his backhand, his returns are something incredible ... in particular I've never seen such a good return ... and Becker's serve was pretty heavy!
I watched this match for the first time since I saw it live on TV in 1990. A few impressions: * It doesn't feel like this happened 30 years ago. The players were well trained, athletic and had good equipment. Watching a downhill ski race from the early 90s is a comedy today. * The match was not that well played, with at least one player struggling most of the time. Only in the latter part of the final set both players played well. * The manuscript was the same as in the semifinal in Paris in Paris in 1989. I remember I left that match after the 4th set because I was sure Becker would win. It seems Edberg went through more emotional rollercoasters during matches than most other players.
This was the last full match won by Edberg against Becker in their great rivalry. Edberg then went on to lose 10 straight matches to Becker played afterwards, when they played a full match.
Von 1988-90 gab es dreimal das Finale Becker gegen Edberg.Beide waren damals die besten Rasenspieler.Sie spielten 35 mal in ihrer Karriere gegen einander. Die beiden waren so super Tennisspieler. 👍👍👍👍👍
I wish someone could get Boris and Stefan to do the commentary on this match. Talking Thru how they were thinking everything thru. I would pay to see that.
It wasn't at this match, but Boris said Edberg wasn't tough enough mentally to hang with him. Glad to see this win and remember watching it live so many years ago.
@@hw343434 edberg 4-1 H2H in most important matches, including Nabisco Masters 1989, weeks N#1 ATP H2H 72-12 edberg, but bb won the less important matches, not too bad...
Its so awesome to see how gentlemen they are during these days. even at defeat they are so composed not like today that they almost don't want to shake hands .. what more the hand of the umpire.
1990 is often times called the year in which „Germany almost had it all“, obviously referring to the unification that year first and foremost, but also regarding the FIFA World Cup and this Wimbledon finale. Coincidentally the latter two were on the same day!
@@mp1314 Thanks. Of course I don't have anything against Germany and Germans. But this is tennis! War with balls! Sentimentality will have to wait until after the winner has been declared.
@@benparsons4979 Well I'm talking about one hander , Edberg had a picture book one , he was all a Swedish player never was . A true serve and volley one handed backhand player .
Everyone who´s ever played tennis knows how hard this kind of game is. Soft strokes, hard strokes, serve & volley. Not that hotting hard groundstrokes from the baseline is easy but this kind of game is on another level.
Sampras built his career out of serve and volley. Also, Patrick rafter and goran ivanisevic. I would say post Sampras was the end of serve and valley since the emergence of the big 3
@@oliverdiamante761 Sampras and Ivanisevic weren´t particularly good volleyers, but their serves carried them through. Rafter was an ok volleyer, but nowhere near the level of Edberg or Becker.
if either of these players (include Sampras) could show up to play at Wimbledon with the game they owned in 1990, today's baseliners would be seriously perplexed. That includes Djokovic.
