The Stich Saga - After my Father's death in 1992 I was going through some tough times and ended tumbling down the ATP rankings but a boost of motivation and a change of style of play allowed me to regain a taste for competition at the end of 1993 while Wimbledon champion Michael Stich was winning the Masters against Pete Sampras and finished the year number #2 in the world. At the beginning of January 1994 I started the year at the tournament of Doha (Qatar), and found myself in the second round against Michael Stich (# 2 ATP) seeded n2. I played an exceptional match of very high quality tennis and without doubt the best match of my tennis career on fast courts and won a very close match in 3 sets thanks to my tenacity and my new tennis. A month later at the beginning of February, in Marseille on the “Canebiere” and on the land of legends Zidane, Fernandel, and Cantona, here we go playing Stich again with Michael winning this time 6/7 7/6 6/3 another very close match. As they say in France “Never 2 without 3”, Michael and I meet again a week after the Marseille tournament in the fashion capital of the world Milan, Italy. Now it's my turn to win another close match against him in 3 sets 5/7 6/4 6/4 and now I found myself in the semi-final of this prestigious tournament against the one and only Boom Boom Becker. For the record, the day before my quarter-final against Stich that I won again in 3 sets 6/2 /6/7 6/3, Boris Becker's manager at that time whispered in my ear, “Ronald, please win against Stich, I'll give you a bonus,”. I honestly thought the guy was joking and I didn't take it up because his attitude made no sense and even bordering being inappropriate plus the fact that I had nothing to do at the fact that Stich and Becker could not stand each other. I lost the 1/2 final against Becker who ended up winning the tournament to the joy of Becker's manager because his tennis star did not play against Stich as he wanted. However Becker’s manager was very nervous as in the 1st set in the tie break on set point in my favor the referee overrides my lob that lands on the line even after the linesman calls it good. But I didn't lose everything that day, because it was during this match against Becker that I met and caught the eye of my wife Tonya.