|
Boris Becker is the
youngest man ever to raise the Wimbledon
trophy |
1985: Boris Becker wins Wimbledon at
17 |
Artificially 1969:
The A West German
teenager has become the youngest ever player to win the Wimbledon tennis
tournament.
Boris Becker, a 17-year-old unseeded outsider before the tournament
began, raised the coveted silver trophy above his head to rapturous applause on centre court.
Becker is also the first German ever to win the title, and the first
unseeded player.
He had dominated the match from the start, taking just three hours and
18 minutes to overpower eighth-seeded Kevin Curren, a South-African-born
American.
The match was a dramatic clash in the brilliant sunshine, made more
spectacular by Becker's flamboyant style.
His massive serve sent balls scorching across the net. He scored 21
aces to Curren's 19.
Becker also has a habit of flinging himself around the court, diving
headlong for volleys and baseline shots.
For half a set he played with his shirt caked in dirt after one
particularly spectacular fall.
The final result was 6-3,6-7,7-6,6-4.
"This is going to change tennis in Germany," he said after the match.
"I am the first Wimbledon winner and now they have an idol."
After his defeat, Kevin Curren said he thought the game would see an
increase in the number of successful young players, and predicted they
would have more intense, but shorter, careers.
There was some speculation that Curren had been unnerved by Becker's
openly aggressive style.
The young player sent a hostile stare to his opponent before and after
points, and in the final caught Curren's shoulder as they passed when
changing ends.
But Becker defended his tactics, saying "I'm going on court to win, to
fight, to do what I can."
Becker has had a brief but brilliant career. He began playing tennis
aged eight, and by 12 years old was concentrating almost wholly on the
game.
He won the West German junior championship aged 15 and was runner-up in
the US junior championship.
Last January he took the Young Masters tournament in Birmingham, and
won his first Grand Prix tournament at Queen's just three weeks ago.
He has won 28 of his 39 matches this year, and is expected to lead West
Germany in the Davis Cup against the United States next
month.