October 8, 1989: The day Jim Courier won his first title, beating Stefan Edberg in the final

On this day, October 8, 1989, future world No 1 Jim Courier claimed his maiden title in Basel, Switzerland. To achieve that feat, the American upset world No 3 Stefan Edberg in the final (7-6, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0, 7-5). It was only his second win against a top 10 player, but it was not the last: at the start of 1992, having claimed two Grand Slam titles, Courier would become world No 1. This was also the first encounter between two future rivals who would face each other in three major finals.

Born in 1970, Jim Courier was one of many players who evolved at Nick Bollettieri’s tennis academy in the…