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22 February 1999 Steffi Graf vs Anna Kournikova

Page history last edited by Archer844 13 years, 7 months ago

 

 

Posted by Simguy on Monday 22-Feb-99 22;47:28

Before: Hingis may be the total package as far as fighting tennis players goes these days, but to be the woman, you’ve got to beat the woman, and the lineal champ is still Graf. Back from a disappointing year plagued by injuries, Graf steps in dogged by questions. Kournikova expected to break Graf down with movement, and pundits predicting a decision for the younger, fresher blonde. Graf in weight in looks ripped in comparison to smooth Russian, but doubters still outweigh believers.

Graf wears black track shorts that resemble beach vollyeball wear and white jog bra--Kournikova in teal addidas terrycloth trunks and white jog bra.

R1: Disastrous opening for Graf as she comes out expecting Anna the boxer, gets Anna the slugger. Kournikova comes over the top with a a tennis serve right hand and has Graf hurt from the opening seconds. Defensive wizard Steffi is too stunned to show her wares and seems helpless as Anna steps in, bludgeoning her with long armed uppercuts and slashing hooks. Steffi grimly trying to keep her feet, staggers this way and that as Kournikova welts her, but the veteran finally falls to her haunches. Steffi beats the count, and Anna rewards her with lanky body punches, smacking Graf back to the ropes with underhanded lefts and rights. The third minute is brutal display from the tireless youngster. Pounding away on Graf’s jaw with looping rights, Anna rips a tight left hook repeatedly to the jaw of Steffi, popping the mouth guard free and busting Graf up badly. Graf survives the round and Anna smiles cockily as she returns to her corner. 10-7 round doer Anna as Steffi suddenly looks old.

R2: Anna starts with that flicking jab, but Graf smartly closes and bangs at the youngster’s ribs from close range. 2 and 3 punch combinations from Steffi, then she clinches until separated. It’s slogging, slow stuff, and frustrating for Anna, who only wants to load up and finish things.  Graf steals a round--nobody hurt.

R3: Graf stops Anna in her tracks, ducking low and pounding a hard right hand off the blonde’s sternum, Anna hurt, falls into the trap of trading inside with Graf. Steffi still a master at snapping off combinations and shifting to angles--she’s teaching Anna a lesson as she steals another round.

R4: Graf openly confident, her own footwork surprisingly good despite the knee and ankle problems, and she steps nimbly to the side of Anna to hit her with clean left hooks. Kournikova comes back midway through, crashing her own long left hook hard to the jaw, and once again lifts Steffi’s foot off the canvas, Graf better at defense this time, bobs and makes Anna miss until she can recover. Steffi finishes up the round strong, flashing her combinations and clinching to the bell.

R5: Steffi has eaten up Anna’s lead, and badly discouraged the youngster throught the course of this fight. Graf now turns puncher, leading with rights to Anna’s mouth, and Kournikova awkwardly backpedals to the ropes, Steffi one of the great finishers in women’s boxing, begins to rip Anna with her slashing combinations, hurting Kournikova to the ribs and head. Almost a minute of sustained punishment, and Kournikova leaning back, taking hard shots over and over to her head, leads to the stoppage. The ref steps in as Anna doesn’t punch back, and Steffi Graf takes a huge, come from behind TKO.

After: Kournikova predictably argues the call, whining and protesting for almost 20 minutes in the ring as Graf coolly exits, Anna shows her age with the display, bringing boos and jeers from the crowd. Controversial stoppage perhaps, but Anna on the verge of serious harm--she lives to fight another day.

Reposted by Archer 2/22/99

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