Followers of Stefan Edberg were enthralled by his grace, elegance and artistry when he was at the height of his powers. This taciturn Swede was ceaselessly committed to coming forward and applying pressure, to imposing himself persistently as he set up shop at the net, to making certain that he played tennis matches on his own terms. No one was going to make Edberg alter his game; he was a confirmed serve-and-volleyer who obstinately took advantage of his strengths.
Edberg was so sound on the volley that he placed a premium on getting as close as possible to the net to punch his volleys into open spaces with calm authority and impeccable execution. He was a joy to watch as he kept moving in for the kill, doing so with purpose and polish. Edberg won six singles majors in his outstanding career, triumphing twice at every major except Roland Garros. On the clay, he came close in 1989 but was beaten in the end in five sets at the French Open by an unbending Michael Chang.
At the US Open, Edberg suffered through many agonizing appearances. In his first three Opens, he did not make it past the fourth round. Then he advanced to the semifinals in both 1986 and 1987 as he came to terms with the conditions and the atmospherics in New York. But in those two semifinals, he was outclassed by Ivan Lendl and Mats Wilander, respectively. The next year, Edberg was thoroughly outplayed by 37-year-old Jimmy Connors in the fourth round, winning only six games in a dismal performance.
A year later, Edberg was the top seed at the Open, but was beaten in the first round by Alexander Volvo when many believed he could win the tournament. He had played eight U.S. Opens and did not have much to show for it. Edberg and New York was not a marriage made in heaven, for many reasons. Or so it seemed.
The Swede came back to New York in 1991 in a different frame of mind. Now he was seeded second. Boris Becker was the top seed, and was bearing the burden of wearing the favorite’s robe. Pete Sampras was the defending champion. Andre Agassi was a strong candidate to take the title. But Edberg moved through the draw without that much attention, tending to his knitting, staying beneath the radar, honing his skills as best he could over the fortnight.
He dropped a couple of sets in the first three rounds, but then handled Chang in straight sets. He took his quarterfinal in straight sets and then masterfully dealt with Lendl, eliminating the three-time champion, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Now Edberg had arrived in his first final at Flushing Meadows, and his opponent was a young American who was not afraid of him or fearful of his game. Jim Courier, the No. 4 seed, had won his first major earlier in the year at Roland Garros. This big hitter possessed one of the most potent forehands in the sport; meanwhile, his returns and passing shots were first rate. He knew how to beat Edberg, while simultaneously realizing he could just as easily lose to the Swede if his execution was not excellent.
But this final-round duel turned into an extraordinary demonstration of Edberg’s greatness. Poor Courier never had much of a chance. The Swede put on a magical performance; virtually everything he touched turned to gold. He sprang forward swiftly behind his serve, volleyed with panache, found impeccable timing off the ground, and dispatched Courier to the tune of 6-2, 6-4, 6-0. It was a day when the practitioner of the attacking game was in full command of his powers, while the powerful counter-attacker was largely kept out of the conversation. Edberg would say it was the best tennis he had ever played. In 11 service games, Edberg won 46 of 58 points, facing only three break points across the encounter. At 5-4 in the second set, Edberg missed six of eight first serves, but held on from break point down with a pair of winning overheads and an ace. Thereafter, he moved inexorably to victory.
Recently, Courier was asked how it felt to be on the receiving end of such a sublime performance from the Swede. He replied, “Stefan played as well against me that day as anyone I ever faced at any time. There was a creeping feeling of helplessness as I watched shots that worked en route to the final get swatted away for winners in the final. Oddly, I never did lose to Stefan again, beating him the last four times we played by being more aggressive on my return to counteract his high kicking serve.”
