WIMBLEDON, July 5: A day after it was bye-bye Boris at Wimbledon, it was bye-bye Michael. Michael Stich, the 1991 Wimbledon champion who rivalled Boris Becker for the German tennis soul - but never quite matched him announced that yesterday's semifinal loss to Cedric Pioline on centre court at Wimbledon was his last match.``That's it,'' said Stich, who fell in a three-hour, 6-7 (7-2), 6-2, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 marathon. It was the best tennis of a dreary, rain-delayed fortnight at the All England Club.Becker - with few hints - sprang a bigger surprise 24 hours earlier, saying this Wimbledon was his last. The 29-year-old Becker now will play only smaller events.Stich, 28, won't play anything.Earlier he said he planned to retire after this September's Davis Cup match with Mexico. But he said he changed his mind as he walked to the net, embraced Pioline, and then stood several moments talking with him.``Basically, I made up my mind after the match right away that this was going to be my last match and I just said, `Thanks for making it so exciting'.''``I would like to play Davis Cup but I don't think I have the will to stay fit for two more months,'' he added.Stich, who surprised Becker in three sets to win at Wimbledon six years ago, never won over the fans the way Stefan Edberg or Becker did. He was never as demonstrative, never as talkative with reporters.Stich always considered himself more than just a tennis player and often seemed aloof to his rivals. In assessing Pete Sampras' career, Stich revealed much about himself.``He only thinks about tennis and nothing else,'' Stich said. ``That's the person he is, and that's great for him. I could have never done it. I never did it. I cared about a lot of other things in life. He is a person who just focuses on tennis, day and night, and I think that's part of his success.''Stich, who reached his highest ATP ranking at No 2 in November 1993, is leaving because of an chronic ankle injury, a nagging shoulder problem, and tennis burnout.
