Becker and Stich to renew rivalry

Former Wimbledon champions Boris Becker and Michael Stich are expected to renew their fierce on-court rivalry in London for the first time i...

Former Wimbledon champions Boris Becker and Michael Stich are expected to renew their fierce on-court rivalry in London for the first time in nine years when the duo take part in December’s Honda Challenge.

Stich, who will be making his Royal Albert Hall debut in the seniors event, could face Becker for the first time in Britain since he lost out in a five-set thriller to the six-times Grand Slam winner in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 1993.

The two Germans also clashed in the 1991 Wimbledon final when 33-year-old Stich handed Becker, 34, one of the most demoralising defeats of his career.

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The eight-man field at the event features two groups of four players battling it out in a round-robin format before the top two from each section advance into the semi-finals.

Stich’s entry into the tournament comes shortly after he attempted to lure Becker out of retirement from the top-class game for Germany’s Davis Cup playoff tie against Venezuela last weekend.

Stich’s efforts backfired, however, and he was forced to resign as Davis Cup captain after Germany’s top players Tommy Hass and Rainer Schuettler opposed the move.

Three-times Wimbledon winner Becker and Stich had a difficult relationship at the height of their careers. Stich, cool and calm, never managed to attrack the same popularity among German fans as the more flamboyant Becker.