Sukova at Stich sa Tennis HOF

NEWPORT, R.I.(AP) — Noong kabataan, namili si Michael Stich sa dalawang sports na lalaruan -- soccer o tennis.

Sa pagusad ng panahon, tila hindi nagkamali sa kanyang pinili si Stich. Kabilang ang kanyang pangalan na nakaukit sa International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Iniluklok ang 49-anyos na German star at si Helena Sukova sa ITHF nitong Sabado (Linggo sa Manila) bilang miyembro ng Class 2018.

“I played till I was 18,” pahayag ni Stich sa media conference. “There was a little bit of a decision between soccer and tennis, but I preferred tennis because I didn’t have to deal with 10 other guys messing up on the pitch. It was only up to me to mess up.”

Nakamit ni Stich ang tanging Grand Slam singles title noong 1991 nang gapiin ang kababayang si Boris Becker, isa ring Hall of Famer, sa Wimbledon. Isa siyang U.S. Open finalist noong 1994 at runner-up sa 1996 French Open.

Napagwagihan nila ni Becker ang gintong medalya sa men’s doubles sa 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

“It was always said that we didn’t get along,” sambit ni Stich.

“Obviously, as we were rivals, we could get along. I think we benefited a lot from each other because we always wanted to be better than the other player. We proved it to ourselves and to everyone else that it was possible to follow our goal.”

Nakamit naman ni Sukova ang 14 Slam doubles titles — siyam sa women’s at lima sa mixed. Naging runner- up siya sa singles sa apat na four majors — dalawang ulit sa Australian at U.S. opens.