Intersting fact: this is the only French Open final of the 90’s that didn’t feature at least one of Steffi Graf, Monica Seles or Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. And indeed the only one none of them won. That shows how dominant the three of them were at the French Open throughout the entire decade.
In fact it was the only French open final from 1987 to 1999 that didn’t have one of those three champions in it. And in 7 of those 13 years the final was contested by two of those three!
congrats to Iva Majoli on a GS win, both players played well and hit some nice winners, lots of good quality rallies, nobody is screaming from top of their lungs, really nice ladies match worthy of a GS final
Amazing level from Iva during that final. She was the fresher of the two despite the fact she had to play 4 consecutive 3 setters to reach the final... Impressive. Majoli played the QF the two previous years in 1995 and 1996 and a last time in 1998. The French open was definitely her best Grand slam. At the time she was expected to have a strong result in a grand slam, it came in 1997.
Yes, Iva Majoli did a fantastic job. Not only was she well-prepared for this match, but her game just had all the answers against Hingis' game. It was simply her day, and she provided the tennis world and fans brilliant tennis and a great memory.
Iva stopping Hingis’ 4slam wins in 1 yr!.. Iva was always a fave of mine, along with Pierce when they were on no one would beat them.... such a shame Seles couldn’t take Hingis out in the semi, would loved to have seen them both in the final......glad Iva got at least one slam
Oh Hingis!! But the quality here was amazing from both. Terrible preparation from Hingis and all Hingis fans know she should avoid horses but she loves them! 37 match streak snapped!
I agree completely. This was actually a very high quality match for the most part. I think at the time people were so shocked that Majoli had won that they forgot about the actual tennis.
Majoli really signalled the advent of players who would start to trouble and then defeat Hingis. despite Martina’s great anticipation and early positioning, she can still be beaten with strong, deep groundstrokes and tenacious running.
A very good comment. Martina Hingis also had what is natural in tennis and any sport - when someone is new, whether a prodigy or an average one their game is not so known and the field have not adapted to it yet. 96 and 97 was an example. Hingis was new. Her game was also different from what was going on in the tour. You're correct that it was this match and tournament where it signalled Hingis' game was starting to be found out and adapted to, and Iva Majoli did that. Also, by later 97 Hingis started having tougher matches and more losses. By 98, her game was completely known and familiar, and many of the other ladies knew what to do.
@@alexsdb9712 the Graf match in the 1999 French open final completely broke Hingis… i think she did not win anymore Grand Slam after the Aussie Open 1999 that year….
@@liisawinklergirl No, Hingis never won a grand slam afterwards. The RG 99 final hurt her mentally, but it was also the normal cycle that every top player goes through: the rest of the players caught up and simply adapted to her style and game.
@@alexsdb9712 she is still an amazing doubles player at any age and her comeback for a short time was worth it for some doubles success. The AO final in 2002 was very bad luck but capriati was pretty good in epic clashes
Majoli a parfaitement joué cette finale, je l'ai vue en direct à la télé en 1997. Je dois avouer que j'étais surpris par sa victoire car Hingis était la favorite et elle n'a pas perdu un match en 1997 avant cette défaite.
How am I just now finding out that Hingis made it to the FO final this year lol. Wow Majoli really moved Hingis from side to side and took control of every opportunity. I also loved the warm embrace at the end with them both smiling and hugging each other. We need more of that in today's game
She moved Hingis because the Swiss was out of gas after a marathon match with Seles in the semifinal but mostly because Hingis fell from horse just one month before this tournament and she came here without any preparation. She hasn't lost a single match in the season coming into this one. Still she made to the final by her pure quality. Shame she didn't had the stamina to win this one but she was just 16 back then. Definitely it wasn't her destiny to win this trophy there is no other explanation :-(
@@thomasbild451 it cost her a grand slam....she won the other 3 majors that year. She was 65-2 by the end of the US Open. She went 25-4 the rest of the year, for a total of 90-6.
Yes. Her form and desire dropped a bit after the US Open which is understandable so she lost couple of matches (Lepizig vs Coetzer, Zurich vs Raymond and Chase Championship vs Pierce) but all of that in three sets... She even lost in a exibition tournament in Frankfurt i think after the Chase vs Huber in 5 sets! I had that match on tape and lost it somewhere :-(
Wasn’t Hingis on some ridiculous winning streak like 37-0 at age 16 coming into this final? That stat along with being no.1 at age 16 is outrageously good and something that will never be seen ever again. Junior GOAT for sure.
She became number one with only one Slam whole Graf was holding four and the Wta finals, add to that that she never had to beat Graf of Slams to get to number one, unlike Monica. She was lucky
@@paskferr so many of the number ones have had an element of luck in when they first got to number 1. Martina Hingis very lucky in 1997 to have Graf absent. But Steffi herself had some luck when she got to number 1 in 1987. Martina Navratilova was very burnt out and having a real dip in form from 1987 and for most of steffi's grand slam wins in that era, she didn't have to face Navratilova because she'd lost early on or wasn't playing. Monica Seles also had some luck in becoming number one. As with the Graf / Navratilova situation, Steffi too had a lot of problems in the early 90s, struggling with her confidence, family problems and a level of burn out. As with Steffi and Navratilova before her, Monica didn't have to beat Steffi for most of her grand slams because Steffi was losing early to other players.
@@zeddeka Monica beat Steffi in three Grand Slam finals, Hingis beat Pierce Novotna and a newcomer Venus Williams and then Martinez and a newcomer Mauresmo. Not exactly the same 🤣
Iva could have won a couple more French Opens if she'd put her mind to it. Her game lent so well to clay. She had vicious groundstrokes especially when she had time to set up. She could also hit loopier shots to get some height on the ball. Sadly Iva's problem was she just struggled to stay motivated. She'd have bursts of great results and then very quickly afterwards her form would tank. She was quite honest about her struggle to maintain focus. Her 12 months after Wimbledon 97, when she also played pretty well, was atrocious and despite a very brief mini revival when she won Tier 1 Charleston in 2002, that turned out to be pretty much it from her. So basically after she won that French Open, playing the match of her life in that final, she was mostly done as a top 20 player.
I think winning a couple more French Opens would be difficult in the era of Graf, Sanchez Vicario, and Seles who were all superior clay courters to her. Remember every French Open in the 90s besides Majoli's one, was won by one of those.
@@rolandgreen7484 I think you can say that looking at results, but Majoli really was very good and capable of playing at the highest level. Graf was nearly done, and Seles and ASV were both beatable if someone played the sort of tennis Majoli played in that final. It was really just her lack of focus. She came back to RG in 1998 looking like she was squeezed into her dress and frankly did very well to reach the QF having had some horrible results in late 1997 and 1998. It's all ifs - if I had wheels I'd be a bike. I guess my point is she had the pedigree to do more of the same.
Majoli was very prepared for this final, but she became more focused with each match. It all lined up for her, but she still had to earn it. As for Hingis, if she won Roland Garros, it's not a guarantee she would have won all four grand slams that year. She could have won Roland Garros, but then falter at Wimbledon 97 or even lose early at the US Open. Nothing in sport is a given, especially a sport such as tennis - and if done naturally and cleanly.
They said so at the time but I wasn't that surprised. Iva was known as someone who was young, had slam winning potential but was waiting to break through, and could play when she wanted to. She was also an established top 10 player who'd been number 4 only the year before aged 18.
And Majoli had beaten Hingis before. They were 2-2 H2H after this match, and Iva had some very nice results in 97. She was easily on of the five best players on tour going into this final.
This is the type of beat down hingis got by seles the year after and by pierce in 2000, just relentless side to side destruction, then add in a few angles to finish the job .
When Majoli had time to set up her groundstokes, as she did on clay, her ground strokes were just vicious and especially her forehand. There was no more dangerous a player when she was in that mood. She also seemed to have good results on indoor courts which is curious as they were much faster, whereas on hard courts she seemed to have less stellar results. I think a lot of the problem with Iva was she was just streaky and struggled to maintain her interest and motivation for very long. By the time it got to the US hard court season she was usually more interested in her summer holidays and partying. Hingis started this match quite well. You see in those early stages the match was quite even, and though Hingis improved as an athlete in years to come, she did not hit with the same sort of freedom you see in these highlights ever again, which is sad. After a few games, though, Majoli started to dictate more and more points, and Hingis became too error prone and defensive, possibly with a little fatigue. I think had Iva not been playing as well as she was, Hingis might have found a way in those days, as she'd not lost a match all year by that point. But if (big if) Iva was focused, she was quite the relentless grinder and Hingis didn't have the energy to keep chasing those belligerent forehands.
Not surprise that Iva had excellent results on fast carpet despite the fact that she usually used more time to set up for groundstrokes. I think it was more her preference than necessity to take more time to prepare for shots..she could take ball early as well..indoors there were no problems as unexpected ball bounce or difficult weather conditions which affected her serve and fitness and is also partly a reason for her poor results in Australia and USA..also, as she, in general, was not very consistent and was prone to sequence of unforced errors, on carpet points were quicker so she would set herself up for winner or forced error before comitting a mistake. Her angles were also highly effective indoors and one more thing too-she was one of the best in her time in hitting passing shots and lobs which she used against net players very well..
@@dinomijatovic3921 I know what you mean but generally in those days hard courts were faster and lower bouncing. Some were also wooden. Sadly they stopped playing on carpet or wood some years ago now, but it was different from indoor hard courts which is all we see now. Grass court players tended to like indoor courts - Novotna, Graf, Navratilova, Novotna, etc. Players like Martinez or ASV struggled more on that surface in general. Iva seemed to like higher bouncing surfaces so that's all I meant.
If I remember correctly, Hingis had a horse riding accident that kept her off of the circuit for a while. She entered Roland Garros not being match tough.
This result seemed so surprising at the time but it was just a snapshot of would increasingly happen to Martina in the years to follow. Iva was so talented, such a shame that this result was such an anomaly in her career. I barely recall a result of hers between this and several years later in Hilton Head when I *think* she won the title in perhaps 2002.
At 99 she was injured and dropped rankings dramatically and her motivation too..she managed to get some good results finally in 2001 and 2002, but it was not the same, especially as her serve became a big weakness
I first knew about Hingis from this final. When she lost, it became a headline on the first page of Indonesian newspaper. I knew it's an upset, but I wondered why they made it such a big deal. I thought Graf was still bossing around and who on earth was Hingis. I was surprised to learn that she was only 4 years older than me and already No. 1 in the world! Indeed, the newspaper is probably right to make it such a big deal in terms of prophecy... as this is the only major Hingis never won.
Graf was injured and out for a lot of 97. Hingis had a small window of opportunity to make a career and she made the most of it. Only one season for the WTA greats to slowly figure out her game.
@Alex Prince She was one slam winner during this match, not yet a WTA great. I was talking about Davenport, William's sister's, Monica Seles, Mary Pierce.
Of course nobody will believe me, but l had been watching Majoli that entire fortnight, and l predicted that she would win this final over Hingis - she looked THAT good. Of course, none of the so-called "experts" did, least of all Chris Evert, who never goes out on a limb.
Absolutely correct about Evert's commentating. Although I loved her as a player, Evert is not a great tennis commentator these days, as she never says anything surprising and just seems to say what we are all thinking.
It is interesting at least to me how at Roland Garros in particular there is a player almost each year whose pattern of game is a signature of an eventual champion, I had that feeling for Wawrinka for example in 20
I think Hingis also played well in this match. It is just that Majoli played a higher level. It must have something to do with taking your chance when you have the opportunity. Also, Majoli has already reached quite a few French Open quarterfinals before this match so she knew very well that she has a good chance against Hingis.
6minutes49seconds: that baseline rally demonstrates how well Iva Majoli created and executed points splendidly!!! Having watched Martina Hingis play live in Filderstadt/Germany: intelligent, talented and versatile player [ using swing and very good/clean technique to play tennis, not power]. Not easy to beat that kind of player...
As memory serves, Hingis was very tired from her semi final against Seles. She wasn't in top shape following the accident when she fell off her horse. Majoli player the match of her life and outlined the way to beat Hingis that other players would use over the years - hit hard and keep Hingis moving. The way to beat her was to overpower her and exhaust her.
Majoli at her best. The match technically ended her career. The mist significant difference was that she could not maintain her food work which made it easier for opponents to outplay her and increased the amount of errors, when she was dictating herself. I guess after that big success she was not 100 % committed to the sport anymore. Lack of motivation to give everything on and off the court. She won one more title after her GS victory. Which was pretty random as she could avoid the toughest opponents in the draw.
And I am still happy she didn't win the Grand Slam. Her inflated ego and arrogance would have brought the apocalypse on mankind. Iva Majoli, saviour of humainity...
Pierce-Davenport-Capriati-Majoli-Huber-Schett, they are very good friends and were close on tour. It was that age generation (they were born in the same period) that had close groups such as this one. Capriati was a bridesmaid at Majoli's wedding and they visit each other now and then, especially Capriati going to holiday in Croatia and see Majoli there.
@@alexsdb9712 Mary was also a bridesmaid at Iva's wedding. Lindsay was friendly, but I dont think she was super close to the other players you mentioned. Mary, Iva, Jen, Anke and Babra seem to be pretty close.
@@bilraz Pierce and Davenport were the closest with each other from that group. But overall, these players were actually a group of friends, the closest anyone say at that time.
Majoli had won six tournaments against the likes of Novotna or Sánchez and had been ranked inside the top-10 for a while when she won this one. It was an upset, yes, but not an out-of-nowhere victory like the one by Ostapenko twenty years later.
Hingis and Halep remind me a little bit of each other although Halep was successful at a much later age. They are both small and have those adorably goofy smiles. Different styles of play though and Simona handles herself so well in terms of being gracious win or lose.
Pasquale Ferraro not sure. It’s history. Hingis would have had so much pressure for the us open that it’s impossible to be sure that she could have won the 4 GS this year.
Der Hinko...No she didn't deserve to win the FO. She was a spoiled little twit. Majoli and Graf put her in her place. After Graf beat her in "99" for the title, she was never the same in singles.
@@MrDonanthony Bruh, that call in the 99 final was obviously wrong. Hingis' mistake was getting tied up in it when she was so obviously in control of the match... I wouldn't so much say it was Graf who put Hingis in her place... it was the French Open crowd. When Michael Chang tricked Lendl with underarm serve in the 89 men's final, Paris cheered. When Hingis did it, they jeered. They pick their favourites and are utterly ruthless. I'm also on Karolina Pliskova's side for bashing that umpire's chair. Such egregious blunders are commonplace on clay.
@@alvinousdrink1273 Brah...You obviously didn't see the second set of that match. The French crowd was on Graf's side after Hingis acted like a fool. But Graf fought and took that second set. To think otherwise is just plain stupid. Graf was hitting her forehand corner to corner and it just wore Hingis down. Graf's slice back hand was even giving Hingis fits. You might be a Graf hater. That would explain your revisionist history.
@@MrDonanthony Yeah, and before Hingis acted like a fool she was winning. Given that Graf is arguably the women's GOAT, it's redundant to mention that her excellent play also impacted the result, so I didn't bother. But to imply that the crowd played no part is ridiculous. Hingis was clearly flustered and it showed. Graf hater? That's rich coming from someone who is obviously a Hingis hater. I don't recall saying anything derogatory about Graf. My ire was directed at the chair umpires and the way we officiate claycourt tennis. If anyone has shown obvious bias, it's you.
Iva Majoli, an everage player, played the match of her life. Hingis could not keep up the pace. Very clever played bij Iva. If Hingis played tennis it always looked like she was gving a tennis lesson to her oppenent. It was going that easy for her. Iva played awesome in that final. I watched that final live and I was thrilled that Iva won.
She was a top 4 player. That's hardly average. She couldn't win more titles because in those days few women could. Between Seles, Graf and Hingis there was nothing left to win.
Monica Matos I was comparing the technique of the 2. But you're crazy, Kiki generates more Rpms on the forehand than just about anyone. She doesn't play up to the baseline like Iva so her shots don't penetrate as quickly but she possesses plenty of power
@@seanjenkins331 Bertens is just too loose, Majoli generates more spin. Also you're comparing Bertens power in 2018 to Iva's in 1997. Iva Majoli would be more powerful if she played now. All with a dainty frame I might add. .
I see no similarity to Kiki Bertens, not even a trace, Iva is more talented, interesting, has better technique with more spin, has more patience and tactical approach. The only similarity might be relatively poor movement at full stretch in defensive play
She lost to Graf in 93 and 96. Ines Gorrechategui in 94 and Kimiko Date in 95. She was always a good clay court player but was just under the radar. Seles, Graf, and Sanchez-Vicario always got all the spotlight
Why? It's real tennis with true tactic and skill involved. Today's women's tennis is the one heading amateur-like due to all the errors, lack of tactic/chess, lack of shot selection repertoire, and people who can't hold serve.
@@alexsdb9712 it’s merely my personal opinion. I am not comparing their game to the current players on the WTA tour because I do agree with you that today’s women’s tennis is 2-dimensional. However, I am comparing them to those who were around before these two, as well as those who came right after. Hingis an Majoli lacked the athleticism of Goolagong, Navratilova, Mandlikova, Grafi and Sabatini. Evert ran circles around these two when it comes to tactics and chess-playing. Then you look at the top players that followed these just a couple of years later - Henin, Clijsters, Mauresmo, Pierce. They all combined athleticism, tactics, and most of all, flair! This is what I mean by these two seemed to be playing in the junior final - fairly straightforward base-line game, lack of variety, and ineffective serves.
@@eyen30 This statement is very confusing..why would you compare these two to Goolagong and when you mention Pierce..she was pro before Martina and Iva and guess what she lost some matches to these two at the end of 90s..and also some of us prefer and appreciate their style to Mauresmo or Clijsters..yes Iva and Martina were not highly athletic figures but some people enjoy watching their elegance, technique, court sensing and creation of angles..when you criticize their serve remember Sabatini's one..and in the end none player is perfect one but we choose to like some more to others..
Iva and Goran..great ambassadors of Croatian tennis and sport!
Majoli simply did everything better than Hingis in this match. WELL DONE! :)
Yes, Majoli was totally on. But it's just that she had all the answers and prepared for this very well. She is the 97 Roland Garros champion!
Great sportsmanship and respect for each other at the end :)
Intersting fact: this is the only French Open final of the 90’s that didn’t feature at least one of Steffi Graf, Monica Seles or Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. And indeed the only one none of them won. That shows how dominant the three of them were at the French Open throughout the entire decade.
And Martina Hingis, from what I have seen, was not even strong on clay.
In fact it was the only French open final from 1987 to 1999 that didn’t have one of those three champions in it. And in 7 of those 13 years the final was contested by two of those three!
This one and the 99 final are two that Martina would love to play again.
congrats to Iva Majoli on a GS win, both players played well and hit some nice winners, lots of good quality rallies, nobody is screaming from top of their lungs, really nice ladies match worthy of a GS final
Amazing level from Iva during that final. She was the fresher of the two despite the fact she had to play 4 consecutive 3 setters to reach the final... Impressive. Majoli played the QF the two previous years in 1995 and 1996 and a last time in 1998. The French open was definitely her best Grand slam. At the time she was expected to have a strong result in a grand slam, it came in 1997.
Yes, Iva Majoli did a fantastic job. Not only was she well-prepared for this match, but her game just had all the answers against Hingis' game. It was simply her day, and she provided the tennis world and fans brilliant tennis and a great memory.
Lovely ending.iva such a classy player
Iva stopping Hingis’ 4slam wins in 1 yr!.. Iva was always a fave of mine, along with Pierce when they were on no one would beat them.... such a shame Seles couldn’t take Hingis out in the semi, would loved to have seen them both in the final......glad Iva got at least one slam
Oh Hingis!! But the quality here was amazing from both. Terrible preparation from Hingis and all Hingis fans know she should avoid horses but she loves them! 37 match streak snapped!
I agree completely. This was actually a very high quality match for the most part. I think at the time people were so shocked that Majoli had won that they forgot about the actual tennis.
Majoli really signalled the advent of players who would start to trouble and then defeat Hingis. despite Martina’s great anticipation and early positioning, she can still be beaten with strong, deep groundstrokes and tenacious running.
A very good comment. Martina Hingis also had what is natural in tennis and any sport - when someone is new, whether a prodigy or an average one their game is not so known and the field have not adapted to it yet. 96 and 97 was an example. Hingis was new. Her game was also different from what was going on in the tour. You're correct that it was this match and tournament where it signalled Hingis' game was starting to be found out and adapted to, and Iva Majoli did that. Also, by later 97 Hingis started having tougher matches and more losses. By 98, her game was completely known and familiar, and many of the other ladies knew what to do.
@@alexsdb9712 the Graf match in the 1999 French open final completely broke Hingis… i think she did not win anymore Grand Slam after the Aussie Open 1999 that year….
@@liisawinklergirl No, Hingis never won a grand slam afterwards. The RG 99 final hurt her mentally, but it was also the normal cycle that every top player goes through: the rest of the players caught up and simply adapted to her style and game.
@@alexsdb9712 she is still an amazing doubles player at any age and her comeback for a short time was worth it for some doubles success. The AO final in 2002 was very bad luck but capriati was pretty good in epic clashes
Seles was next a year later. Then the rest of the big babe players were like if Monica can beat her we can too! 😅
So good!!
Majoli a parfaitement joué cette finale, je l'ai vue en direct à la télé en 1997. Je dois avouer que j'étais surpris par sa victoire car Hingis était la favorite et elle n'a pas perdu un match en 1997 avant cette défaite.
Oui ensuite contre graf en 1999. Pas de chance pour Hingis
How am I just now finding out that Hingis made it to the FO final this year lol. Wow Majoli really moved Hingis from side to side and took control of every opportunity. I also loved the warm embrace at the end with them both smiling and hugging each other. We need more of that in today's game
She moved Hingis because the Swiss was out of gas after a marathon match with Seles in the semifinal but mostly because Hingis fell from horse just one month before this tournament and she came here without any preparation. She hasn't lost a single match in the season coming into this one. Still she made to the final by her pure quality. Shame she didn't had the stamina to win this one but she was just 16 back then. Definitely it wasn't her destiny to win this trophy there is no other explanation :-(
Wonderful exchange at the net, I agree
@@thomasbild451 it cost her a grand slam....she won the other 3 majors that year. She was 65-2 by the end of the US Open. She went 25-4 the rest of the year, for a total of 90-6.
Yes. Her form and desire dropped a bit after the US Open which is understandable so she lost couple of matches (Lepizig vs Coetzer, Zurich vs Raymond and Chase Championship vs Pierce) but all of that in three sets... She even lost in a exibition tournament in Frankfurt i think after the Chase vs Huber in 5 sets! I had that match on tape and lost it somewhere :-(
That was a final vs Huber spectacular match 7-5 in the fifth set.
Wasn’t Hingis on some ridiculous winning streak like 37-0 at age 16 coming into this final? That stat along with being no.1 at age 16 is outrageously good and something that will never be seen ever again. Junior GOAT for sure.
And all this , in the most competitive female era EVER.
She became number one with only one Slam whole Graf was holding four and the Wta finals, add to that that she never had to beat Graf of Slams to get to number one, unlike Monica. She was lucky
She reined at the lowest pit of the WTA, terrible boring time.
@@paskferr so many of the number ones have had an element of luck in when they first got to number 1. Martina Hingis very lucky in 1997 to have Graf absent. But Steffi herself had some luck when she got to number 1 in 1987. Martina Navratilova was very burnt out and having a real dip in form from 1987 and for most of steffi's grand slam wins in that era, she didn't have to face Navratilova because she'd lost early on or wasn't playing. Monica Seles also had some luck in becoming number one. As with the Graf / Navratilova situation, Steffi too had a lot of problems in the early 90s, struggling with her confidence, family problems and a level of burn out. As with Steffi and Navratilova before her, Monica didn't have to beat Steffi for most of her grand slams because Steffi was losing early to other players.
@@zeddeka Monica beat Steffi in three Grand Slam finals, Hingis beat Pierce Novotna and a newcomer Venus Williams and then Martinez and a newcomer Mauresmo. Not exactly the same 🤣
Iva could have won a couple more French Opens if she'd put her mind to it. Her game lent so well to clay. She had vicious groundstrokes especially when she had time to set up. She could also hit loopier shots to get some height on the ball.
Sadly Iva's problem was she just struggled to stay motivated. She'd have bursts of great results and then very quickly afterwards her form would tank. She was quite honest about her struggle to maintain focus. Her 12 months after Wimbledon 97, when she also played pretty well, was atrocious and despite a very brief mini revival when she won Tier 1 Charleston in 2002, that turned out to be pretty much it from her. So basically after she won that French Open, playing the match of her life in that final, she was mostly done as a top 20 player.
Yes..sadly as she was a real talent..still interesting..it was also partially due to lack of proper fitness level as well i guess..
She had a lot of good results throughout her teen years. 97 was her peak.
I think winning a couple more French Opens would be difficult in the era of Graf, Sanchez Vicario, and Seles who were all superior clay courters to her. Remember every French Open in the 90s besides Majoli's one, was won by one of those.
@@rolandgreen7484 I think you can say that looking at results, but Majoli really was very good and capable of playing at the highest level. Graf was nearly done, and Seles and ASV were both beatable if someone played the sort of tennis Majoli played in that final. It was really just her lack of focus. She came back to RG in 1998 looking like she was squeezed into her dress and frankly did very well to reach the QF having had some horrible results in late 1997 and 1998. It's all ifs - if I had wheels I'd be a bike. I guess my point is she had the pedigree to do more of the same.
Majoli was very prepared for this final, but she became more focused with each match. It all lined up for her, but she still had to earn it. As for Hingis, if she won Roland Garros, it's not a guarantee she would have won all four grand slams that year. She could have won Roland Garros, but then falter at Wimbledon 97 or even lose early at the US Open. Nothing in sport is a given, especially a sport such as tennis - and if done naturally and cleanly.
This is what I imagine a Hingis vs pre-stabbing Seles match would be like (but with grunting and better angles).
Seles did a much better job than Majoli a year later in the semi's. She was fit, moving well and laying into the ball.
Has to be considered one of the greatest upsets in the Open Era! Bad luck for Hingis; super poise and determination by Majoli!
LOSING IN THE OPENING ROUND IN WIMBLEDON 1999 IT WAS ALSO A BIG ONE
@@oselestrella9799 on paper but not really since she wasn't emotionally over French
They said so at the time but I wasn't that surprised. Iva was known as someone who was young, had slam winning potential but was waiting to break through, and could play when she wanted to. She was also an established top 10 player who'd been number 4 only the year before aged 18.
And Majoli had beaten Hingis before. They were 2-2 H2H after this match, and Iva had some very nice results in 97. She was easily on of the five best players on tour going into this final.
This is the type of beat down hingis got by seles the year after and by pierce in 2000, just relentless side to side destruction, then add in a few angles to finish the job .
.. & by Capriaty in RG SF 2001 was the same!
those losses weren’t beat downs at all. the pierce one especially.
@@anthonyryanmauro Iva's and Monica's were tough
Also, Iva was among first to spot and attack Martina's forehand
Dino Mijatovic they beat her comfortably but hardly a beat down. even in the capriati match she had a million leads.
iva "angels"...SICK! she outplay hingis!
what-i-liked-the-most-as-that-Hingis waited-for Majoli andhugged hercongratulatinggiva
iva-majoli-right-place-right-time
When Majoli had time to set up her groundstokes, as she did on clay, her ground strokes were just vicious and especially her forehand. There was no more dangerous a player when she was in that mood. She also seemed to have good results on indoor courts which is curious as they were much faster, whereas on hard courts she seemed to have less stellar results. I think a lot of the problem with Iva was she was just streaky and struggled to maintain her interest and motivation for very long. By the time it got to the US hard court season she was usually more interested in her summer holidays and partying.
Hingis started this match quite well. You see in those early stages the match was quite even, and though Hingis improved as an athlete in years to come, she did not hit with the same sort of freedom you see in these highlights ever again, which is sad. After a few games, though, Majoli started to dictate more and more points, and Hingis became too error prone and defensive, possibly with a little fatigue. I think had Iva not been playing as well as she was, Hingis might have found a way in those days, as she'd not lost a match all year by that point. But if (big if) Iva was focused, she was quite the relentless grinder and Hingis didn't have the energy to keep chasing those belligerent forehands.
Not surprise that Iva had excellent results on fast carpet despite the fact that she usually used more time to set up for groundstrokes. I think it was more her preference than necessity to take more time to prepare for shots..she could take ball early as well..indoors there were no problems as unexpected ball bounce or difficult weather conditions which affected her serve and fitness and is also partly a reason for her poor results in Australia and USA..also, as she, in general, was not very consistent and was prone to sequence of unforced errors, on carpet points were quicker so she would set herself up for winner or forced error before comitting a mistake. Her angles were also highly effective indoors and one more thing too-she was one of the best in her time in hitting passing shots and lobs which she used against net players very well..
@@dinomijatovic3921 I know what you mean but generally in those days hard courts were faster and lower bouncing. Some were also wooden. Sadly they stopped playing on carpet or wood some years ago now, but it was different from indoor hard courts which is all we see now. Grass court players tended to like indoor courts - Novotna, Graf, Navratilova, Novotna, etc. Players like Martinez or ASV struggled more on that surface in general. Iva seemed to like higher bouncing surfaces so that's all I meant.
@@tomgraham3206 True!
Majoli played the match of her life 🥳
If I remember correctly, Hingis had a horse riding accident that kept her off of the circuit for a while. She entered Roland Garros not being match tough.
Both players used platform stance serve back. years later Hingis changed to pinpoint one.
Can u upload full match please. . Thank u
This result seemed so surprising at the time but it was just a snapshot of would increasingly happen to Martina in the years to follow. Iva was so talented, such a shame that this result was such an anomaly in her career. I barely recall a result of hers between this and several years later in Hilton Head when I *think* she won the title in perhaps 2002.
She lost to Kournikova in the QF of wimbledon that year. In 1998 she lost to Lindsay Davenport in the QF of the French open in 3 sets.
At 99 she was injured and dropped rankings dramatically and her motivation too..she managed to get some good results finally in 2001 and 2002, but it was not the same, especially as her serve became a big weakness
Has Hingis won this ,4 grandslams in a year at 16 would have been something to beat.
The point at 6:46 is amazing! Well done Iva Majoli 👏🏽
I have watched that point for 1000 times I think!!
I love you martina hingis 💚
0:20 back when female players would actually hit overheads.
I first knew about Hingis from this final. When she lost, it became a headline on the first page of Indonesian newspaper. I knew it's an upset, but I wondered why they made it such a big deal. I thought Graf was still bossing around and who on earth was Hingis. I was surprised to learn that she was only 4 years older than me and already No. 1 in the world!
Indeed, the newspaper is probably right to make it such a big deal in terms of prophecy... as this is the only major Hingis never won.
Graf was injured and out for a lot of 97. Hingis had a small window of opportunity to make a career and she made the most of it. Only one season for the WTA greats to slowly figure out her game.
@@monica012077 Please...she's a WTA great herself.
@Alex Prince She was one slam winner during this match, not yet a WTA great. I was talking about Davenport, William's sister's, Monica Seles, Mary Pierce.
Of course nobody will believe me, but l had been watching Majoli that entire fortnight, and l predicted that she would win this final over Hingis - she looked THAT good. Of course, none of the so-called "experts" did, least of all Chris Evert, who never goes out on a limb.
Absolutely correct about Evert's commentating. Although I loved her as a player, Evert is not a great tennis commentator these days, as she never says anything surprising and just seems to say what we are all thinking.
It is interesting at least to me how at Roland Garros in particular there is a player almost each year whose pattern of game is a signature of an eventual champion, I had that feeling for Wawrinka for example in 20
when hingis retired at the wta year end tournament both majoli and pierce were there ... close friends.
I think Hingis also played well in this match. It is just that Majoli played a higher level. It must have something to do with taking your chance when you have the opportunity. Also, Majoli has already reached quite a few French Open quarterfinals before this match so she knew very well that she has a good chance against Hingis.
Totally forgot how good Majoli was.
I like very much how is iva she is so loving towards her oponents
6minutes49seconds: that baseline rally demonstrates how well Iva Majoli created and executed points splendidly!!!
Having watched Martina Hingis play live in Filderstadt/Germany: intelligent, talented and versatile player [ using swing and very good/clean technique to play tennis, not power]. Not easy to beat that kind of player...
As memory serves, Hingis was very tired from her semi final against Seles. She wasn't in top shape following the accident when she fell off her horse. Majoli player the match of her life and outlined the way to beat Hingis that other players would use over the years - hit hard and keep Hingis moving. The way to beat her was to overpower her and exhaust her.
Majoli's groundstrokes remind me of Karolina Sprem's!
Majoli at her best. The match technically ended her career. The mist significant difference was that she could not maintain her food work which made it easier for opponents to outplay her and increased the amount of errors, when she was dictating herself. I guess after that big success she was not 100 % committed to the sport anymore. Lack of motivation to give everything on and off the court. She won one more title after her GS victory. Which was pretty random as she could avoid the toughest opponents in the draw.
Calendar Grand Slam spoiled by Majoli 😞
THAT FOR SURE SHOWS HOW HARD IT MUST BE
It is not spoiled :) hehe
@@oselestrella9799 Serena just had Vinci and Penetta.
And I am still happy she didn't win the Grand Slam. Her inflated ego and arrogance would have brought the apocalypse on mankind. Iva Majoli, saviour of humainity...
Iva Majoli good human..
Hingis was denied to win the French Open twice, once against Majoli and the most tragic one, against Graf in 99, which Hingis must have won.
Interesting to see Mary Pierce in Iva's box :)
They are good friends.
Pierce-Davenport-Capriati-Majoli-Huber-Schett, they are very good friends and were close on tour. It was that age generation (they were born in the same period) that had close groups such as this one. Capriati was a bridesmaid at Majoli's wedding and they visit each other now and then, especially Capriati going to holiday in Croatia and see Majoli there.
@@alexsdb9712 Mary was also a bridesmaid at Iva's wedding. Lindsay was friendly, but I dont think she was super close to the other players you mentioned. Mary, Iva, Jen, Anke and Babra seem to be pretty close.
@@bilraz Pierce and Davenport were the closest with each other from that group. But overall, these players were actually a group of friends, the closest anyone say at that time.
Evonne Goolagong in attendance.
Little Iva!
…She went to her team before she went to Hingis lol. Hingis must’ve really liked her.
So what?
Nice
Que lastima que Martina haya perdido esta final y la del 99 también hubiera ganado los 4 grandes
A great Victory for Majoli when you think that Hingis won Wimbledon,Australian open and US Open that very same year.
Again 8minutes53sevonds: I've Majoli w/ super clever and well-executed point construction, top!!!
This is like when Jelena Osteponke won RG against Simona Halep .......
Majoli's performance here was much cleaner than Ostapenko's in 2017.
Similar in overall atmosphere, but Iva played much better match
Tristan Ferguson cleaner yes but less power 🙃🦾
Majoli had won six tournaments against the likes of Novotna or Sánchez and had been ranked inside the top-10 for a while when she won this one. It was an upset, yes, but not an out-of-nowhere victory like the one by Ostapenko twenty years later.
Hingis and Halep remind me a little bit of each other although Halep was successful at a much later age. They are both small and have those adorably goofy smiles. Different styles of play though and Simona handles herself so well in terms of being gracious win or lose.
Unbelievable defeat, Hingis was coming off a 37 match win streak and she would have won the Grand Slam that year, had she not fallen to Majoli
Pasquale Ferraro not sure. It’s history. Hingis would have had so much pressure for the us open that it’s impossible to be sure that she could have won the 4 GS this year.
@Ilya Kuryakin she only lost one between Wimbledon and the Open set and barely lost games at the US Open. She was gonna do it
Very gracious Hingis in defeat!
Illya Kuryakin i was gonna say lmao
Hingis supreme Beauty owner
It s the first GrandSlam after 1989 (but Arantxa confirmed) that an outsider won. Like Ostapenko
The many one slam wonder
Well in last years we are increasingly witnessing such thing
And two years later Hingis would be a blubbering mess.
Hingis perdio la final y se despidio del GS completo
Le simple féminin à Roland Garros reste le seul titre du Grand Chelem qui manque du palmarès de Hingis
So sad and tragic that Martina never won the French Open, she deserves it to win this tournament!
Der Hinko I don’t think it was sad at all. It was God’s way of keeping her humble, if that were even possible.
Der Hinko...No she didn't deserve to win the FO. She was a spoiled little twit. Majoli and Graf put her in her place. After Graf beat her in "99" for the title, she was never the same in singles.
@@MrDonanthony Bruh, that call in the 99 final was obviously wrong. Hingis' mistake was getting tied up in it when she was so obviously in control of the match... I wouldn't so much say it was Graf who put Hingis in her place... it was the French Open crowd.
When Michael Chang tricked Lendl with underarm serve in the 89 men's final, Paris cheered. When Hingis did it, they jeered. They pick their favourites and are utterly ruthless.
I'm also on Karolina Pliskova's side for bashing that umpire's chair. Such egregious blunders are commonplace on clay.
@@alvinousdrink1273 Brah...You obviously didn't see the second set of that match. The French crowd was on Graf's side after Hingis acted like a fool. But Graf fought and took that second set. To think otherwise is just plain stupid. Graf was hitting her forehand corner to corner and it just wore Hingis down. Graf's slice back hand was even giving Hingis fits. You might be a Graf hater. That would explain your revisionist history.
@@MrDonanthony Yeah, and before Hingis acted like a fool she was winning.
Given that Graf is arguably the women's GOAT, it's redundant to mention that her excellent play also impacted the result, so I didn't bother. But to imply that the crowd played no part is ridiculous.
Hingis was clearly flustered and it showed.
Graf hater? That's rich coming from someone who is obviously a Hingis hater. I don't recall saying anything derogatory about Graf. My ire was directed at the chair umpires and the way we officiate claycourt tennis.
If anyone has shown obvious bias, it's you.
Nadie se esperaba que fuese a ganar Majoli.
Iva Majoli, an everage player, played the match of her life. Hingis could not keep up the pace. Very clever played bij Iva. If Hingis played tennis it always looked like she was gving a tennis lesson to her oppenent. It was going that easy for her. Iva played awesome in that final. I watched that final live and I was thrilled that Iva won.
Iva was not an average player
@@dinomijatovic3921 I ment she had her own unique style but was not able to win al lot of titles.
@@jefholland999 yes her career could have been even better or longer
She was a top 4 player. That's hardly average. She couldn't win more titles because in those days few women could. Between Seles, Graf and Hingis there was nothing left to win.
Hingis no tuvo Suerte 🍀🎋🎰en París. 🎾
Crashed horrible hingis. Roland garros never liked the swiss
Grand Slam maldito para Hingis. Nadie esperaba la victoria de Majoli.
Wow such sportsmanship at the end you would never see Serena acting so friendly
You haven’t seen enough tennis to comment.
That is a big, fat lie.
@@patraydagapioso8116 That is just what I was thinking.
Get your eyes check! Serena is overly nice to her opponents. Even moreso than Venus.
@@anthonyyusef5897 She's only nice when she beats Venus. Check out her reactions after she loses to Venus. She's such a bitch!
I will never forgive Hingis for falling off a horse and losing this title…. thanks to that she didn’t complete The Grand Slam 🙄🙄🙄🙄
If Hingis had won she would have gone on to frame slam at just 16…..not to be
Men of Culture,we are here again
Majoli's game looks eerily similar to Kiki Bertens. Heavy forehand. Very stiff wrist, no break of the wrist at all
Kiki Bertens has no power.
Monica Matos I was comparing the technique of the 2. But you're crazy, Kiki generates more Rpms on the forehand than just about anyone. She doesn't play up to the baseline like Iva so her shots don't penetrate as quickly but she possesses plenty of power
@@seanjenkins331 Bertens is just too loose, Majoli generates more spin. Also you're comparing Bertens power in 2018 to Iva's in 1997. Iva Majoli would be more powerful if she played now. All with a dainty frame I might add. .
I see no similarity to Kiki Bertens, not even a trace, Iva is more talented, interesting, has better technique with more spin, has more patience and tactical approach. The only similarity might be relatively poor movement at full stretch in defensive play
Majoli se comió a Hingis 😜
Hingis was very unfit here, that's why she lost. She simply didn't have enough physical strength to keep up.
iva majoli winning the french open was as random as ostapenko won it in 2017
Seemingly so but Iva was established and respected top 10 player since 95
She lost to Graf in 93 and 96. Ines Gorrechategui in 94 and Kimiko Date in 95. She was always a good clay court player but was just under the radar. Seles, Graf, and Sanchez-Vicario always got all the spotlight
she should have gone to her opponent first. then to her family
Her opponent also made her wait for serve for title due to toilet break that lasted more than 5 minutes
Would have preferred Coetzer to have beaten Hingis over Majoli
This feels like a junior final...
Why? It's real tennis with true tactic and skill involved. Today's women's tennis is the one heading amateur-like due to all the errors, lack of tactic/chess, lack of shot selection repertoire, and people who can't hold serve.
Your comment is more of a junior one
@@alexsdb9712 it’s merely my personal opinion. I am not comparing their game to the current players on the WTA tour because I do agree with you that today’s women’s tennis is 2-dimensional. However, I am comparing them to those who were around before these two, as well as those who came right after. Hingis an Majoli lacked the athleticism of Goolagong, Navratilova, Mandlikova, Grafi and Sabatini. Evert ran circles around these two when it comes to tactics and chess-playing. Then you look at the top players that followed these just a couple of years later - Henin, Clijsters, Mauresmo, Pierce. They all combined athleticism, tactics, and most of all, flair! This is what I mean by these two seemed to be playing in the junior final - fairly straightforward base-line game, lack of variety, and ineffective serves.
@@eyen30 Thank you
@@eyen30 This statement is very confusing..why would you compare these two to Goolagong and when you mention Pierce..she was pro before Martina and Iva and guess what she lost some matches to these two at the end of 90s..and also some of us prefer and appreciate their style to Mauresmo or Clijsters..yes Iva and Martina were not highly athletic figures but some people enjoy watching their elegance, technique, court sensing and creation of angles..when you criticize their serve remember Sabatini's one..and in the end none player is perfect one but we choose to like some more to others..
I'm sure the French crowd was wondering if they knew they could play a bit of offense. The match is like watching paint dry.