Former The Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff writer Todd Holcomb says these are five of the biggest surprises in Wimbledon history.
1. 1975: Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe was 31 and considered past his prime. Jimmy Connors, the defending champion, was 22 and thought to be unbeatable. But the veteran Ashe changed the pace on Connors, slicing, chipping, dinking and dominating the No. 1 player in the world. Ashe’s 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 victory made him the first black men’s champion in tournament history.
2. 1985: Boris Becker
Tennis had a new star when an unseeded 17-year-old German, Boris Becker, became the youngest men’s champion ever. Becker packed a booming serve and won over fans with his headlong drives into the grass for volleys. It was a surprising fortnight overall as another upstart, veteran Kevin Curren, stunned Stefan Edberg, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. In the final, Becker struck 21 aces and won 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
2. 1992: Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi turned pro at 16 and was No. 3 in the world in two years. But he didn’t break through to win a major until age 22 at Wimbledon. It was ironic because Agassi had skipped Wimbledon for four years, never comfortable with its colorless traditions. Agassi proved a baseliner could win on grass as he defeated former Wimbledon champions Boris Becker and John McEnroe on the way to the final, where he ousted Goran Ivanisevic in five sets.
4. 1994: Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf had won five of the past six Wimbledon titles, but she was beaten in the first round, ousted by American Lori McNeil. It was the first time that the defending women’s champion had lost so early since 1886. The title ultimately went to Conchita Martinez, a Spaniard with looping topspins that bedeviled 37-year-old Martina Navratilova in the final. It was Martinez’s only major championship.
5. 2004: Maria Sharapova
Serena Williams was the two-time defending women’s champion, having defeated her sister, Venus, in the previous two finals. Her road appeared golden when Venus was stunned in the second round by Karolina Sprem. But another shocker came in the finals, when 17-year-old Maria Sharapova, little known at the time and seeded 13th, beat Serena 6-1, 6-4. Sharapova now has won all four major titles, but she hasn’t beaten Serena Williams since.
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