This Date in French Open History: May 27

Every morning of the French Open, we'll take a look back at a memorable match that occurred on that calendar day at Roland Garros.

May 27, 1992: Michael Stich d. Jimmy Connors, 7-5, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-2 

The first round proved to be an entertaining farewell for the eternally feisty Connors, who pushed reigning Wimbledon champion Stich to five sets before bowing in the final French Open match of his career.

This marked the third meeting of the ’92 season between the 39-year-old American and 23-year-old German. Connors survived 25 aces to surprise Stich in Memphis, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-5, before Stich scored a 6-4, 6-3 win in Indian Wells.

In his 13th French Open appearance, Connors pulled out all the stops, winning a tiebreaker to take a two-sets-to-one lead and exhorting the Parisian crowd to make more noise. But running out of gas in an eventual three hour, 52 minute loss, he also took an injury time-out to rest both aching body and lungs, and waved his hands toward the heavens, as if encouraging the dark clouds overhead to erupt in a tempest for a rain delay.

Roland Garros was the only major title to elude Connors (in 1974 he won three of the four Grand Slam titles, but was unfairly denied entry into the French Open because he signed a contract to play World TeamTennis) though he did reach the semifinals four times. Playing some serve-and-volley on the red clay, Stich advanced to the French Open final four years later, falling to Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 7-6, 7-5, 7-6.