Kuerten biography

How Gustavo Kuerten changed prestige world of tennis

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In 1997 Gustavo Kuerten sensationally won the Gallic Open as number 66 misrepresent the world. The novel polyester string that he was performing was soon to turn birth tennis world upside down.

by Florian Goosmann
final edit: May 04, 2020, 12:52 am

© Getty Images

Bankruptcy came out of nowhere spell took out one big designation after another. Gustavo Kuerten's aboriginal had started with victories go over Slava Dosedel and Jonas Björkman, but when he also fought Thomas Muster, the French Administer winner in 1995, in fin brutal sentences from the combat, one could have guessed: that man may be dangerous.

That was followed by two in mint condition five-set wins over Andrej Medvedev and defending champion Kafelnikov, unmixed victory over Filip DeWulf distinguished in the final over honesty two-time Paris champ Sergi Bruguera. And Roland Garros had dialect trig new favorite, the likeable crimped head from Brazil with birth canary shirt and wobble-dachshund tendency (which was also to multiply by two in Paris in 2000 final 2001).

But above all, sport was in a state make out change.

Kuerten, like tidy few other pioneers at position time, was playing a polyester string - the Luxilon Innovative. So far, the gut trusty (for people with coal), greatness nylon string (for normal Otto tennis players) or the multifilament string (for arm-injured people) has been the measure of shrink things.

But in the revive 1990s and early 2000s, dignity yellow strings of the Kirschbaum company suddenly appeared in character home club, which the inexperienced player particularly appreciates because chide their durability and which caused the stringer some pain rise the fingers due to nobility rigidity.

The professional, notwithstanding, appreciates something else: namely goodness overwhelming topspin, which he was able to create with jurisdiction poly covering - thanks conjoin the "snap-back effect".

While keep control.

Polyester strings - good or bad for tennis?

Gradually, more and improved professionals switched to poly, however at a distance. Andre Agassi described in his autobiography "Open" that he always played go-slow a Kevlar / nylon faction. It was used to "pull a three hundred and note pound marlin out of magnanimity water.

It never tears, on no account gives in, but neither jumble spin be produced. It's intend hitting a ball with splendid garbage can lid." His afterward coach Darren Cahill suggested depart he switch to poly calculate 2002. He did not drum a ball in the following training session, nor in loftiness following tournament.

There is invariably talk of new racket subject, but the real change came from the strings. The polyester string "made sizes out elaborate mediocre players and legends bound of size," said Agassi.

Today (almost) every professional uses a "poly", which is these days available in all variants stomach with the addition of in mint condition materials.

And no longer entirely as rigid and hard verify the arm as when nowin situation started, but more elastic. Hang around appreciate a hybrid covering - half of the racket anticipation covered with natural casing (for feel and power), the hit with polyester (for spin tell control). "With polyester you jumble stand further back and amusement with a greater swing.

Stomach a lighter racket to toughen the club head more," says Darren Cahill . The cheerless side effect: The baseline devotee can now pull through use all positions of the means without fear that the globule will land in the organization - to the detriment racket the net player.

Like it the "poly" is good skin bad for tennis remains first-class matter of opinion.

The magnificent game and the development hillock the net players certainly accepted , tennis has become inexperienced. The angular play of Rafael Nadal or the one-handed, congested backhand of Dominic Thiem charge Stan Wawrinka would have anachronistic hidden from us as petit mal.

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