Mixing Clay And Grass, Courier's Campaign | Thebigtip

Not too long ago, winning the French Open and Wimbledon double was one of the hardest tasks in tennis (in one year or in a career). However, in recent years, success at both Grand Slams has become much more common, even to the point where fans expect most of the same players to be top contenders at both events. This article looks at the increasing number of players who have success at both tournaments in the same year. It then flashes back to 1993 and examines Jim Courier's effort in the finals of Roland Garros and Wimbledon that year. 

The following table displays the number of players who made it to the latter stages of both the French Open and Wimbledon each year since 1990. For example, the '1' in the 1990 quarter-finals cell means only one player, Goran Ivanisevic, made it to at least the quarter-finals of both events. Ivanisevic made the quarter-finals of Roland Garros and the semi-finals of Wimbledon that year.

A big cause of the higher numbers lower down in the table is due to just two players: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.  In the past six season either or both these players have made the final of both events. This only occurred twice between 1990 and 2005; Jim Courier in 1993 and Andre Agassi in 1999. Agassi also holds the distinction of making quarter-finals at both events a decade apart: in 1991 and 2001 (also 1992, 1995 and 1999). 

It is interesting to see that in 1991, five players made the quarter-finals at both Majors. These five were the quality quintet of Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Michael Stich, Andre Agassi and Boris Becker. Five players making the quarter-finals of both tournaments didn't happen again until 2010. Between 1997 and 2003 only three different player (Agassi, Federer and Kuerten) made the quarter-finals of both events. Compare that to now and you'll find that six different players have achieved that feat in the last two years (Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Murray, Berdych and Soderling).

The decrease (from the early '90s) and then increase again (from the mid '00s) in this statistic can be explained by two things. In the mid 90s, more clay court specialists emerged making it increasingly difficult for fast court specialists to make runs at Roland Garros. Then, early this century, the grass at Wimbledon began to be changed in a way that was favourable to clay courters, decreasing the difference between the two surfaces.

Jim Courier achieved the amazing feat of reaching the French Open and Wimbledon finals in 1993: a time of polar difference between the surfaces at the events and considerable depth of both clay and grass court specialists. After winning titles in Paris in 1991. and 1992, Courier was favourite to win 3rd consecutive Coupe des Mousquetaires, against 22-year-old Barcelona native Sergi Bruguera, who played his first Major final (it was 6th for Jim, with 4-1 score).  

Until that match, Courier beat Bruguera in all four matches they played without losing a set (including three times on clay) but this time was to be different.  The Spaniard reached the final in a great run, with just one set lost to Sampras and with famous triple bagel over Thierry Champion (5th in the Open era at Majors and 3rd in Paris). He also lost his serve just 5 times in 6 matches.

That gave him advantage on very hot day and in very long match (1 minutes short of 4 hours mark). Courier was in front 1-0 and 2-1 set leads but the Spaniard kept coming back, even in the 5th set when he was 2-0 down, only to win 18 from next 22 points.  At the end Courier made 67 unforced errors and gave Sergi 26 break points. Bruguera only converted five but two of them were in the fifth set.

Bruguera needed every bit of the energy he spared, for he would require treatment for exhaustion and dehydration in the training room after the championship match. This was first Major for Spain after almost 20 years (Orantes won 1975 US Open over Jimmy Connors). Courier showed great respect for the rival and came and lifted Sergi to his feet after the match, even after missing out on being the second player after great Borg with three consecutive French Open crowns.