Lars Burgsmüller remembers telling himself he could beat Rafael Nadal on the red clay at the French Open.
And why not?
Burgsmüller, after all, was a well-regarded 29-year-old veteran on the pro tennis tour . Nadal, only 18, was little known outside the game and was just beginning to write a remarkable story of Grand Slam brilliance.
“I thought if I play my game, maybe I have a chance,” Burgsmüller said, recalling that windswept afternoon in late May 2005. “Maybe I can pull off the win.”
As you probably guessed, no such luck.
Instead, Burgsmüller became the answer to a trivia question.