The Final Top Ten

1992 French Open Final

Monica Seles def. Steffi Graf

6-2,3-6,10-8

The Yugoslav player with her incredibly firm and consistent game at one side and the fierce German Graf with her huge forehands and defensive sliced backhand on the other. They had met seven times before and Graf led five to two.

In the beginning of the first set, Monica came out firing .She won 12 of the first 14 points of the match which put her in a comfortable 3-0 lead. Steffi then responded with a good service game of her own diminishing the gap to 2 games. The next game was won by the server, Monica Seles. Seles had then established a 4-1-lead.

In the 6th game of the match Monica Seles went through Graf's serve for the second time. At 5-1 she had the opportunity
to close out the first set, but Graf brought in a great effort to fight back to 5-2. Seles worked herself to setpoint with a backhand winner. She then took the first set on Graf's serve 6-2 after just 26 minutes of play.

It's easy to say that Graf had hit too many unforced errors in the first set. Statistically seen Graf had made 22 errors; 9
came of Monica's racket.

The second set was another story. Monica opened the set with a superb service game.Games went with serve untill the fifth game, where Steffi cut down on her errors and attacked the weak Seles serve and when Monica hit a double fault on deuce,Steffi had a break. But Monica fought back immediately and put down a great effort to hit 2 clean winners. Graf made 2 mistakes and had to give away her lead. The German didn't want to give up as she won the often pivotal seventh game of the second set, breaking Seles' serve once again. And pivotal it turned out to be. Although Monica did have three opportunities to make the rebreak in the next game, she couldn't convert and saw Graf build up a 5-3 second set lead.

Steffi's confidence grew and Monica seemed to be broken as she was broken again.Suddenly the match was tied at 1 set all.

The first two games in the third set went on serve and in the third Monica converted one of 4 break opportunities she got.
She held her serve in the next game bringing the score to 3-1.

Neither player was able to break for the next four games, as Seles build up a 5-3 lead without losing a point.

Then in the next game she got not one, or two, or three, but four matchpoints. Each time Steffi proved to be too good. Shejust kept on fighting for every inch and decreased the gap for the third time in a row to 1 game.

Still, Seles was a break ahead and in the tenth game she had the chance to serve out the match. But, Steffi was not about to give up. Graf was on top of
her game and showed the heart of a true champion to level the match once again. It was five-all.

Steffi then held her serve in the following game to go up 6-5.Monica regained her composure to level the set at 6-6.Steffi took the next game to put all the pressure back on Seles.More errors from Steffi handed the 14th game to Monica , seven-all. Game 15 was marked by more errors from the German. Seles went up a break again and she got a second chance to serve out the match. It wasn't to be. Steffi raised her game again and came up with some great tennis to clinch game number 16. She was controlling the pace of the match.

Steffi didn't serve well in the next game.Monica capitallized and then got a third chance to serve out the match. Up 4O-15 and having two matchpoints, Monica saw Steffi wipe away the first matchpoint with a forehand winner. But matchpoint number six turned out to be the decisive one when Steffi netted a forehand. The match over: 6-2 3-6 1O-8. Monica relieved to have won and Steffi very disappointed to have lost.

When Graf had to address the French public, they just started yelling Steffi's name and clapping their hands in
admiration and compasion, as if a French player had just won their favourite Grand Slam.

Steffi said:
"Well, I wanne congratulate Monica, I think er ... I think it was a great final and she really deserved to win.
But there is one thing I want to say. I played a lot of tournaments, I played in a lot of places, but I have never had a crowd like this; never ever before.

Graf lifted her right arm to thank the public and the crowd went wild again.