Great sporting rivalries always lightens up the sport and brings out the best in every champion. Whenever rivals face each other, the game is brought up to a higher level. In men's professional tennis in the U.S., the rivalry between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi that began in 1994 has been the coolest to watch since the days of Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Bjorg. In Europe, it a rivalry between the two tigers of the game -- Russian No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov and British No. 1 Tim Henman.
While the American rivalry of Sampras and Agassi focuses more on their contrasting styles of play-- Sampras, the serve and volleyer and, Agassi, the returner and baseliner-- the
Kafelnikov - Henman rivalry is turned out to be a matter of personal pride, if not
national pride.
They first played against each other at carpet of Rotterdam in February 1996. The first set was decided only after a tie-break, a preview of how tight it's gonna be between them. Kafelnikov emerged victorious and went on to win the match.
But the real rivalry would begin later at Wimbledon when Kafelnikov, fresh from his astounding victory
at the French Open, drew Henman, who was only a wild card entry then, as his
first round opponent in Wimbledon. The expected lopsided match turned out to be
the most exciting match of the entire tournament. Henman extended Kafelnikov to
five sets, fought off two Kafelnikov match points and then scored a huge upset win
over the French Open Champion.
Henman marched onwards into the quarterfinals of Wimbledon before bowing to
eventual champion Richard Krajicek of the Netherlands.
Nevertheless, Henmania was born.
Kafelnikov would get his revenge in their next meetings, punishing Henman in the hard court surfaces of the US and Europe. In 1997, both players played for the World Championship in Hannover. Henman though, just played the spoiler's role, substituting for Agassi who claimed that he was ill before his match against Kafelnikov. It was the Briton's first World Championship match but his only match in the event. So far, Kafelnikov had been invincible in the tournament. Henman didn't let the opportunity to shine pass. Again, he became the thorn that pierced Kafelnikov. Worse he, beat the Russian in straight sets just when it mattered most.
Kafelnikov still went on as top seed in the crossover semifinals but with a demolished ego, he would lose to Boris Becker. Becker would win his last World Championship against Michael Chang who had outsted World No. 1 Pete Sampras in the other crossover semi-final.
A year later, they would meet again in London's Guardian Direct Cup,
only this time, Henman was the hotter player on
tour who had also extracted his revenge on Krajicek in the quarterfinal. Henman
won the opening sets and was up a break in the third when all of a sudden, like a
bolt of lightning, Kafelnikov turned things around and finished off a come from
behind victory before a stunned crowd. The score had been settled on British soil.
From then on it was war. Their next encounter would take place in a former Soviet soil. It was for the championship of the 1997 President's Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Although Yevgeny's from Sochi in Russia, there's no question whom the Uzbek's would cheer for. There however, Henman would let Kafelnikov
taste the agony of losing in front of a home crowd. Sweet revenge for Henman.
Their 8th meeting takes place at the multi million dollar indoor event in Paris. Kafelnikov takes the first set but the next two sets would be extremely tight. The British won the second set via tie-break to level the match. The match would be decided in yet, another tie-break and this time the Russian came through.
Rotterdam 1999 turned out to be both exciting and historical as well. Henman took out Australian Open Champion Petr Korda while in the quarterfinals, Kafelnikov destroyed the future no. 1 player Roger Federer. The semifinals showcased, Russia's top two players, Kafelnikov and Marat Safin against the Bristish top two of Henman ad Greg Rusedsky. It was the no. 1 player of one country vs the no. 2 of the other.
In what was expected to be a tough encounter turned out to be a rout as Rusedsky, although seeded fifth, was clearly not in the same class as Kafelnikov. Meanwhile the unseeded Safin gave Henman an unexpected work-out. Henman barely survived the first set after taking the tie-break 9-7. Safin took him to another tie-break in the second set but this time the British no.1 swept him 7-0. So in the finals, it was Kafelnikov vs Henman again. The fresher Kafelnikov emerges victorious but he needed to ellude Henman again with another tie-break win.
Kafelnikov would make it three in row over Henman with another straight sets victory in Ohio. In both sets, the Russian was able to break Henman just when the British was about to take the set into a tie-break. Enough was enough for Tim, and in their next encounter in Rotterdam in 2000, he would rally from a set down to dethrone Kafelnikov.
Henman stepped on the gas again at Indianapolis beating the Kafelnikov in a first set tie-break then finished off the exasperated Russian. Their next meeting and last so far, would take place two years later at the World Team Championship. It was Russia versus the United Kingdom.
For the first time, Yevgeny and Tim played each other on clay. Henman surprisingly, disposed of the former French Open Champion in straight sets, thus, likewise making it three in a row over Kafelnikov. Thier final set ended just like how it di when they first met -- in a tie-break -- but this time, the Briton came out on top.
That has been the tale so far, between the two tigers of tennis. Their rivalry is only up to the extent of when they play against each other. One time they even teamed up as a doubles team, reaching the finals at once in their first tournament together. They too were both coached by Larry Stefansky. Yevgeny Kafelnikov, as expected of someone who is admittedly aloof and secretive to the media and his fellow players, has a very small circle mostly composed of family and a few friends. But among these chosen friends is none other than Tim Henman himself.
YEVGENY
KAFELNIKOV CHAMBER
TIM
HENMAN CHAMBER
The
Realm of The Citadel : SPORTS FEATURES
THE
REALM OF THE CITADEL : MAIN HALL