Page "Steffi Graf" Paragraph 41

Seemingly free of injury for the first time in years, Graf began the year by winning the Australian Open, where she defeated Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the final with the loss of only two games.

She then won her next four tournaments easily.

In the Miami final, she lost her first set of the year — to Natasha Zvereva — after winning 54 consecutive sets.

In the Hamburg final, she lost for the first time in 1994 after 36 consecutive match victories, losing to Sánchez Vicario in three sets.

She then won her eighth German Open, but there were signs that her form was worsening as she almost lost to Julie Halard in a quarterfinal. Back-to-back losses followed ; Graf lost to Mary Pierce in a French Open semifinal, 6 – 2, 6 – 2, and followed that with a first-round straight-sets loss at Wimbledon to Lori McNeil, her first loss in a first round Grand Slam tournament in ten years.

Graf still managed to win San Diego the following month but aggravated a long-time back injury in beating Sánchez Vicario in the final.

She then began to wear a back brace and was unsure about playing the US Open but elected to play while receiving treatment and stretching for two hours before each match.

She made it to the final and took the first set there against Sánchez Vicario — Sanchez Vicario's last victory over Graf.

Her back injury, however, flared up and she lost the next two sets.

She took the following nine weeks off, returning only for the Virginia Slims Championships where she lost to Pierce in a quarterfinal.