Rochus Run Goes Popp
Rochus Run Goes Popp
Monday, June 30, 2003
There was a sunny conclusion on Wimbledon's Court 14 to Alexander Popp's
nine-month nightmare as he marched into the quarter-finals with a four-set,
two hour 22 minute 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Olivier Rochus.
The German injured his right wrist at the US Open last September and underwent
surgery a month later. He was out for seven months, during which time his
ranking, which had already slumped because he was out of action for an even
longer spell with mononucleosis, dropped close to the 200 mark.
But Popp entered Wimbledon, where he has not played since 2000, when he was a
quarter-finalist, with a protected ranking of 92 because of the wrist injury,
and he has matched his achievement of three years ago at The Championships.
The match against Rochus, one of two Belgian brothers who are among the
shortest players on the professional tour, was a contest between little and
large, since Rochus is 5ft 5in and Popp stands more than a foot taller at 6ft
7in.
Today's success is even more satisfying for Popp because he had only won three
matches in Grand Slam play since Wimbledon 2000. He was in trouble early on
against Rochus, a Junior Wimbledon doubles champion in 1998 with Roger Federer,
who broke for a 6-5 lead in the opening set and then served out the set on his
third set point in 55 minutes before rain drove the players from the court.
On their return after a break of just over one and a quarter hours, Popp was
the one clearly to have benefited from the rest. He moved smoothly into a 3-0
lead in the second set, won it 6-3 in 31 minutes and continued to dominate
the diminutive Rochus, not only physically but with the weight, power and
accuracy of his tennis.
A single break of serve, in the third game, was enough to clinch the third
set for the 26-year-old German and he continued his roll by breaking in the
opening game of the fourth set. Another break left him serving for the match
at 5-2 and Popp wrapped up a fine win with a crisp backhand volley.
Written by Ronald Atkin
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他們身高真的差很多
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/photos/imagepages
/2003-06-30/200306301056992175286.html
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