Steffi Graf v Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario Full Match | Australian Open 1994 Final 

It's the footwork that was so good which enabled her to set up all those big shots. Sanchez was a smart player but her forehand was so mediocre.

It's the footwork that was so good which enabled her to set up all those big shots. Sanchez was a smart player but her forehand was so mediocre.

...one of the best - most consistent single handed back hand EVER . She could redirect it nicely - just so damn consistent with it - not even the best double handed opponents could break it down

you mean zero damage?

@@jm7804 guess you haven't seen many of her matches, maybe you're too young

Great comment! Thanks for the timestaps. It's easy to see why Federer looked up to her so much.

@@pipikatchusbaby Do you have any sources of RF speaking on Steffi? I know I've seen/heard some before myself - and it's certainly believable given the broad similarities in their games - but can't find any at the moment.

Amazing FH, athleticism & more importantly grace by Steffi which are rare in today's women tennis.

@@thb1091 unfortunately I do not. Come to think of it, I only read about it on forums. Sorry! (and sorry for the delayed response)

@@thb1091 “Watched her for hours, mesmerizing forehand, footwork and attitude. What a champ!“ (Roger Federer on Steffi Graf, Twitter, April 16th, 2020)

I have no doubt that Steffi in the form she had in winter 1994 would have beaten Seles easily (not with60 62, though!)

I think one of the reasons Steffi was so popular was that you were always guaranteed something worth watching. When she played well, you saw some amazing tennis. When she didn't play at her very best, you tended to see a really dramatic match. John McEnroe once said that he couldn't think of another player who'd been in so many classic matches.

@@th8257Try to make a list of the 20 greatest slam finals of the open era. Steffi would be in the majority of them.

@@carrerau7138 Very true, but, as a Graf fan, she'd have more losses on that list than I would want.

@@jeremyredding2251 I think only her FO 92 final loss against Seles would qualify. But then the wins in Wimbledon 88, 91, 93 and 95, at the USO in 88, 95 and the FO in 87, 96, 99. Oops - only ten…. Then I have indeed to add her dramatic 89 FO final loss to Sanchez. Especially Steffi at the FO was almost always drama, drama, drama! I‘m looking forward to her presenting the trophy to the women’s champion there this year!!

@@carrerau7138 Maybe...I don't know that the 88 and 93 Wimbledon finals would necessarily qualify. They weren't terribly close. Neither was the 88 Us Open final. In fact, the 94 final that she (regrettably) lost to ASV was more dramatic (although certainly not as historic). The French ones were by far the most dramatic and I'd agree that those 5 (3 wins and 2 losses) would all be in there.

She would have been the favorite in 1995 and 1996. Two missed Grand Slams!

Her body was perfect! The end.

Perfect body for a woman.

Ah no have to disagree ..Graf played well in the 93 final and yeah this was another great performance but Seles would have graf running side to side and Graf would not be getting this floaters that Sanchez offered up way too often

@@bryguy0111 Haha Graf could run for days... it was Monica who couldn't do side to side

1992 for sure. 1993 would be closer, but would still favor Graf in this form. Her form in 94 was miles better than 93, for instance she lost 9 games to Sanchez and only 2 here.

@@bryguy01111993 saw Steffi beat Sanchez 75 64 in the AO semis and losing to Navratilova in the Tokyo semis one week later with 64 36 36. 1994 saw Steffi beat Sanchez 60 62 in the AO final and Navratilova in the Tokyo final one week later with 62 64. In the 1993 AO final Steffi lost to Seles with 64 36 26. It is no rocket science to conclude what Steffi in January/February 1994 form would have done with Seles. 64 63 or so.

24:01 No, you're wrong. THIS is the best view!

1988/89 Steffi was even better. But 1995/96 is still at least on par with 1983/84 Navratilova.

Yes Graf always improving her game. One of the most dedicated athletes to ever play the sport. You never saw her out of shape or out of breath.

@@curiositychase she missed a lot due to injuries though. From 1994 on, she didn’t have a single season that she played fully and she had to undergo multiple surgeries.

Petra Kvitova suffered a far more career-threatening injury that required multiple surgeries and intense rehab for recovery...and she returned just fine without anyone making excuses. Seles was burned out and decided to take a lengthy break after a very minor injury, didn't work on her game, fell terribly out of shape....and the career that resulted speaks for itself.

@@broncoguy4862 victim blaming. You’re an asshole.

@@jujumusique1305Steffi denigrating. You are an azzhole.

Her name is Sanchez, Vicario is her mother's name which she added to her name honoring her mom.

You should seek medical help for your obsession. You’re literally celebrating that someone who was attacked by a lunatic with a knife couldn’t compete and run the risk of losing a match. You’re mentally ill.

@@jujumusique1305 Nonsense, Seles could have played at the AO 94. She decided not to play. Wise decision!

Only Navratilova beat Steffi more often in slams than Sanchez.

@@carrerau7138 actually I didn't think Sanchez beat Graf more than once in any slam match ????

I loved the silence.

An average player doesn't beat Steffi 8 times. And that several times on clay AND on fast hard courts" Can't remember anyone but Evert doing this (and that was against baby Steffi in 1985). Ah, yes - and Chucky Hingis!

The official h2h balance is 28 to 6! Im sorry. You need to check again. More than dominat i guess 🤷

That's not true. The official balance is 28 wins to 6 losses. No 8 wins against Steffi. Im so sorry 😕 And I guess, more than clearly.

@@Elfenspiegel It is 28-8. Sanchez beat Steffi twice at the FO (89 & 91), at the USO (92 & 94) and in Hamburg (93 & 94). Plus wins in Key Biscayne (93) Montreal (94). At your service....

@@Elfenspiegel FO 89, FO 91, USO 92, Key Biscayne 93, Hamburg 93, Hamburg 94, Montreal 94, USO 94. Last time I checked that was 8.

ASV was spraying a ton of errors. Graf playing very solid but far from the best matches they’ve played against each other

@@jujumusique1305Steffi herself called this one of her best matches ever. But maybe she was lying…

According to this website both players made 8 unforced errors with their backhands. That is not very much even though only 94 points were played in this short match.

Isn't here...

...she would have got demolished. Steffi was on a roll in winter 1994, far better than winter 1993.

​@@carrerau7138That's correct and has been discussed by many tennis fans. By 93, some even say by early-92, the women's tour especially the top 20 women had already adapted or found out about Monica's game - her strengths, weaknesses but also her game style and court patterns, while also improving themselves. It's a normal process top players and champions face, which is why the truly greatest ever (besides win-loss records, style and technique) are the ones like GRAF/Navratilova/Evert who are able to hold off the rest of the tour and a few generations of players even if the tour has already adapted to their games. Going back to the original topic, Monica had something that wasn't going to turn out well for her career, and that was her lack of fitness and doing anything outside of the court, basically. Even without the sickening stabbing incident, this factor would probably have begun to see Monica have more losses - still in the top 5 for sure - but no longer No. 1 and not winning grand slams as she did in 91-92. The former coach/tennis guru Bolittieri, who was on Monica's team, once stated it himself criticizing Monica in the early 90s, that she doesn't do anything outside of the court, and doesn't have any interest in fitness activities to help her tennis.

Oh cmon shut up

Like in 1993? 🤔

Her best year was 1992 with 5 losses. Doesn't even rank in the top ten yearly finishes. She wasn't invincible.

Right, cause Graf beat her a lot at the Australian open right? ^^

@@jujumusique1305 You going to address the point made or just go off into left field?