There are times when even the best sportsmen fail not for want of talent, pride, serious application and commitment. They fail even though ability and willingness to work hard and eagerness to do well are by no means lacking. When such failure occurs, often suddenly, it is astonishing and seemingly inexplicable. We may be inclined to think it denotes some frailty of character. Not so. There is a good, scientific reason for such collapses.
At 4-1, 40-30, and serving in the deciding set in the l993 Wimbledon final Jana Novotna looked invincible against Steffi Graf. She had just hit a perfect, skimming backhand winner. The packed crowd was ecstatic, royalty looked down applauding, as Novotna prepared to serve. Then something happened. Her service swing collapsed – double fault. The next point she missed an easy high forehand volley and then lost the game with a simple overhead smash into the very bottom of the net. Graf then won the next game to love. Novotna served again and double faulted three times. Graf won another service game again to love. By now Novotna was unrecognizable, a beginner again. She lost her third service game in a row easily, once mistiming an ordinary backhand so badly that the ball sailed off her racket handle. At match point she put up an absurd looking, shallow lob and Steffi Graf put her out of her misery with an emphatic smash. At the awards ceremony immediately afterwards, in a memorable Wimbledon moment, Novotna broke down and sobbed on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent.
