When Greatness Called

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by Pete Bodo

We've talked about the points race and the year-end no. 1 ranking quite a bit this week, and today I'd like to focus on an incredible achievement relevant to both discussions - and one which has largely been overshadowed by that historic Pete Sampras vs. Marcelo Rios race for no.1 in 1998. That was Gustavo Kuerten's effort at the end of the year in 2000, when, for the only time in the history of the Open era, the no. 1 ranking for the year was decided by the very last match of the year, in Lisbon, Portugal (btw, where is Miguel "Mikey" Seabra when we need him?).

Much earlier that year, Kuerten ("Guga" to his legion of fans) won his second Roland Garros title, to shed the "One Slam Wonder" label applied to him by some commentators. I was never part of that chorus, partly because I felt it was wrong to judge someone so sweepingly so early in his career (Kuerten was just 20 when he won his first French Open, and while he experienced a sophomore slump at the majors in 1998, he made the quarterfinals in every major after the Australian Open in 1999).

I also felt that Kuerten had a great game that traveled well on the two main surfaces, clay and hard. During the course of one interview, Kuerten told me that the "clay" he grew up playing on in Brazil was much more like a hard court than Paris's terre battu. It's valuable to understand that, in order to make sense of what would transpire later. As for Kuerten's game, I'll let Pete Sampras analyze it:

"Kuerten was a great athlete with a pretty big serve and a great forehand. But he had two big disadvantages on fast surfaces - his long backswing and how far back he liked to play. I always had good luck with guys who stayed well back of the baseline, even great shotmakers and counter-punchers like Kuerten. I had plenty of time to play my shots, and I could attack at leisure. I always felt I could attack and pressure Guga, especially on the backhand side, hence my positive head-to-head (2-1)."

Those predispositions help explain why Kuerten never matched that '98 quarterfinal performance at Wimbledon, and skipped the event altogether every year but one starting in 2001. Like the rest of the planet, Sampras also liked Kuerten: "He had a great attitude. He was easygoing and always seemed to be in a good mood, with a big smile on his face."

In fact, Kuerten was so easygoing that what he accomplished in 2000 was, even for Kuerten KADs, improbable. This was, after all, the year when Marat Safin emerged as a force in the men's game. At the US Open, at age 20, he bombarded Sampras in the final, burying him in an avalanche of aces. (Pause for a moment of silence, please, and then let's all go to Marat's place and drink vodka and party with his delicious bevy of Muscovite beauties and his cool hip-hugger jean wearing buddies - to hail with what might have been!). Sampras said of Safin's performance: "He reminded me of me when I was 19 and won here for the first time. He passed and returned my serve as well as anyone I've seen."

And Safin's statement at the US Open was no isolated incident. Let's remember that Safin won seven tournaments that year, nearly half of his entire career output (thus far). The last of those seven events was an epic, 7-6 in the fifth (and 10-8 in the fifth-set tiebreaker!) victory over Mark Philippoussis in the Paris Indoors (Pause for a moment of silence, please, and then let's all go to Marks's place and drink vodka and party with his delicious bevy of South Beach beauties and his cool ski-cap wearing buddies - to hail with what might have been!). The win in Paris seemed to lock up the year-end no. 1 for Safin.

Safin was the master of his own destiny at the Tennis Master's Cup, and on track to meet Kuerten in the final. Each man lost a match in the round robin portion: Safin was blown out by Sampras, 3-and-2, while Guga lost a tough three-setter to Andre Agassi. The way the semifinals worked out, Safin was matched with Agassi, while Kuerten got Sampras. It was, ultimately, Safin who blinked: he won just three game against Agassi, and relinquished control of his own destiny. in the semis, while Guga lost the first-set tiebreaker, but then roared back to beat Sampras 6-4 in the third.

Now, all Safin could do was hope that Agassi would beat Kuerten for the second time in a few days in order to earn the year-end no. 1 ranking.  But when greatness called, Kuerten answered. He played a superb match to throttle Agassi,  6-4,6-4,6-4. He thereby secured the year-end ranking via the last official match of the tennis year.

That effort, to my mind, represents one of the most courageous and bold performances of the Open era. Just look at the quality of the competition: Magnus Norman was the only player Kuerten had to play in Lisbon who had not won at least one major. And beating Sampras and Agassi in back to back matches, for the no. 1 ranking? Can you say, "pressure?" As it turned out a player who was often accused of being too blithe and easygoing - too "laid back" - emerged the hero. Ironically, it may have been Kuerten's relaxed temperament and attitude that enabled him to write his name in the history books. Cue that famous Alanis Morrisette pop song.

As Sampras would tell me, years later: "Guga had to beat me in that event, and then take down Andre Agassi in the final in order to clinch the Number One position. It was spelled out in black-and-white. He did it, and it's one of the all-time great efforts, in a situation that couldn’t have contained more pressure. And he did it on a pretty fast indoor court, where he had only mediocre results for most of his career. Hats off to him. It was unforgettable."