Roger Federer beat Andy Roddick 6-3, 7-5 in the Cincinnati final, 2005 on hard court
It was Federer's first title at the event and he would go onto win the US Open shortly after
Federer won 61 points, Roddick 48
Serve Stats
Federer...
- 1st serve percentage (32/50) 64%
- 1st serve points won (28/32) 88%
- 2nd serve points won (10/18) 56%
- Aces 6, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (21/50) 42%
Roddick...
- 1st serve percentage (33/59) 56%
- 1st serve points won (24/33) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (12/26) 46%
- Aces 11, Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (21/59) 36%
Serve Patterns
Federer served...
- to FH 41%
- to BH 51%
- to Body 8%
Roddick served...
- to FH 29%
- to BH 62%
- to Body 9%
Return Stats
Federer made...
- 37 (10 FH, 27 BH)
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 8 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 7 Forced (3 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (37/58) 64%
Roddick made...
- 28 (13 FH, 15 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 14 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (2 FH, 3 BH)
- 9 Forced (2 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (28/49) 57%
Break Points
Federer 4/6 (4 games)
Roddick 1/2 (2 games)
Winners (excluding serves, including returns)
Federer 13 (7 FH, 3 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)
Roddick 7 (3 FH, 1 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
Federer's FHs - 3 cc (1 pass), 3 dtl (1 return) and 1 inside-out
- BHs - 1 cc pass, 1 dtl and 1 drop shot (likely accidental)
- 2 from serve-volley points - 1 first volley FHV and 1 second volley BHV (a stop)
Roddick's FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl and 1 inside-out
- BH - 1 dtl pass
- the FHV was a first volley of a serve-volley point, the BHV was played net-to-net and the BH1/2V was a stop
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Federer 19
- 11 Unforced (5 FH, 5 BH, 1 BHV)
- 8 Forced (4 FH, 4 BH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 39.1
Roddick 25
- 13 Unforced (6 FH, 4 BH, 1 FHV, 2 BHV)
- 12 Forced (2 FH, 4 BH, 1 FH1/2V, 2 BHV, 3 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.9
(Note 1: all half-volleys refer to such shots played at net. Half -volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke counts)
(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Federer was...
- 9/12 (75%) at net, including...
- 5/6 (83%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 5/5 off first serve and...
- 0/1 off second serve
Roddick was...
- 12/23 (52%) at net, including...
- 6/13 serve-volleying, comprising...
- 4/7 (57%) off first serve and...
- 2/6 (33%) off second serve
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Match Report
A silky exhibition of superiority from Roger Federer that leaves Andy Roddick looking helpless
After opening with a love hold, Roddick has a break point on his first return game, thanks to 3 consecutive errors from Federer. Roddick misses a makeable first serve return on it - and lets out a cry of anguish. Understandable as he barely gets a sniff against the serve afterwards and one senses, he knew that would be the case
Federer's 'plan' is straightforward; play normally. Roddick's big serve weapon - according to commentators, his average first serve speed for the tournament was 130 mph - doesn't bother him unduly. While huge, the serve usually isn't licking lines. I imagine against virtually anybody else, it wouldn't have to to win points.... but Federer is a different kettle of fish. Anything that isn't unreturnable, comes back
Roddick's attack is based on taking the net and serve-volleying. And its hard to imagine a more clueless demonstration of this style of play. He serves so hard that even blocked returns (Federer mostly blocks back returns) reach him while he's out of position. And he's out of position both because he's slow to move forward and because he doesn't seem to know what he's trying to do
Roddick looks like he's hoping the return doesn't come back and if it does, he can hit a groundstroke at net. In other words, he's not committed to actually volleying. He makes rarely seen types of errors - misses slow, loopy floaters that are dipping a bit, misses half-volleys when he could have stepped back and hit a groundstroke, misses half volleys he could have come forward to more and volleyed. The volleys he does make aren't particularly well placed and he doesn't look likely to make difficult volleys. He doesn't have to because Federer wisely doesn't go for too much on passes.... he can see what he's doing is enough for Roddick's limited net skills
But what were his alternatives? Baseline to baseline, he leans back and takes big cuts at the ball, but Federer's movement and defence can handle it facilely. On the other hand, Federer's taking-it-early style of attack - which he holds back going full throttle on - is enough to forcefully close out points
And Roddick is prone to errors and completely harmless off the BH side to boot
Federer himself comes to net a fair bit - serve-volleying 6 times. He wins a point with a beautiful pair of volleys, the killing strike being a low, 2nd volley stop BHV for the winner
Federer is even more untouchable on serve in the second set but against the run of play, Roddick conjures a break, helped by a pair of Fed groundstroke errors but also forcing a passing error and striking a BH dtl pass. He can't consolidate though as Fed breaks back with a couple of FH dtl winners (including a return, as Roddick slips after serving) and Roddick finishes the job for him by missing an easy volley. Match continues on serve til Roddick makes 3 regulation errors to give up the match
Statistical Points of Interest
- Note Federer leading the unreturned serve count 42% to 36%. Mostly a product of the Swiss' extraordinary ability to return the huge Roddick serve, which makes his own look like its in slow motion. Roddick's return isn't the best though.... he misses a number of makeable returns that were marked forced (he has 9 return FEs in all), let alone the 5 unforced ones
- Fed's UEFI of 39.1 is the lowest I've tracked and the only time I've seen that figure end under 40 (i.e. under neutral). His 11 UEs comprise 2 defensive, 6 neutral and 3 attacking shots (he doesn't miss a winner attempt). Its a sign he was playing within himself.... that's all he needed to do against an opponent who couldn't hurt him, once the serve was returned
---
Summing up, a consummate showing from Federer. His ability to return the huge Roddick serve is the key.... without that, the American doesn't seem able to hurt him and both players seem to know it. Beyond that, Fed playing within himself, doing just enough and not trying for unnecessary fireworks. Roddick making a mess of matters at net, but its unlikely he would've done much better from the baseline
It was Federer's first title at the event and he would go onto win the US Open shortly after
Federer won 61 points, Roddick 48
Serve Stats
Federer...
- 1st serve percentage (32/50) 64%
- 1st serve points won (28/32) 88%
- 2nd serve points won (10/18) 56%
- Aces 6, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (21/50) 42%
Roddick...
- 1st serve percentage (33/59) 56%
- 1st serve points won (24/33) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (12/26) 46%
- Aces 11, Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (21/59) 36%
Serve Patterns
Federer served...
- to FH 41%
- to BH 51%
- to Body 8%
Roddick served...
- to FH 29%
- to BH 62%
- to Body 9%
Return Stats
Federer made...
- 37 (10 FH, 27 BH)
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 8 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 7 Forced (3 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (37/58) 64%
Roddick made...
- 28 (13 FH, 15 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 14 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (2 FH, 3 BH)
- 9 Forced (2 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (28/49) 57%
Break Points
Federer 4/6 (4 games)
Roddick 1/2 (2 games)
Winners (excluding serves, including returns)
Federer 13 (7 FH, 3 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)
Roddick 7 (3 FH, 1 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
Federer's FHs - 3 cc (1 pass), 3 dtl (1 return) and 1 inside-out
- BHs - 1 cc pass, 1 dtl and 1 drop shot (likely accidental)
- 2 from serve-volley points - 1 first volley FHV and 1 second volley BHV (a stop)
Roddick's FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl and 1 inside-out
- BH - 1 dtl pass
- the FHV was a first volley of a serve-volley point, the BHV was played net-to-net and the BH1/2V was a stop
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Federer 19
- 11 Unforced (5 FH, 5 BH, 1 BHV)
- 8 Forced (4 FH, 4 BH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 39.1
Roddick 25
- 13 Unforced (6 FH, 4 BH, 1 FHV, 2 BHV)
- 12 Forced (2 FH, 4 BH, 1 FH1/2V, 2 BHV, 3 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.9
(Note 1: all half-volleys refer to such shots played at net. Half -volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke counts)
(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Federer was...
- 9/12 (75%) at net, including...
- 5/6 (83%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 5/5 off first serve and...
- 0/1 off second serve
Roddick was...
- 12/23 (52%) at net, including...
- 6/13 serve-volleying, comprising...
- 4/7 (57%) off first serve and...
- 2/6 (33%) off second serve
------
Match Report
A silky exhibition of superiority from Roger Federer that leaves Andy Roddick looking helpless
After opening with a love hold, Roddick has a break point on his first return game, thanks to 3 consecutive errors from Federer. Roddick misses a makeable first serve return on it - and lets out a cry of anguish. Understandable as he barely gets a sniff against the serve afterwards and one senses, he knew that would be the case
Federer's 'plan' is straightforward; play normally. Roddick's big serve weapon - according to commentators, his average first serve speed for the tournament was 130 mph - doesn't bother him unduly. While huge, the serve usually isn't licking lines. I imagine against virtually anybody else, it wouldn't have to to win points.... but Federer is a different kettle of fish. Anything that isn't unreturnable, comes back
Roddick's attack is based on taking the net and serve-volleying. And its hard to imagine a more clueless demonstration of this style of play. He serves so hard that even blocked returns (Federer mostly blocks back returns) reach him while he's out of position. And he's out of position both because he's slow to move forward and because he doesn't seem to know what he's trying to do
Roddick looks like he's hoping the return doesn't come back and if it does, he can hit a groundstroke at net. In other words, he's not committed to actually volleying. He makes rarely seen types of errors - misses slow, loopy floaters that are dipping a bit, misses half-volleys when he could have stepped back and hit a groundstroke, misses half volleys he could have come forward to more and volleyed. The volleys he does make aren't particularly well placed and he doesn't look likely to make difficult volleys. He doesn't have to because Federer wisely doesn't go for too much on passes.... he can see what he's doing is enough for Roddick's limited net skills
But what were his alternatives? Baseline to baseline, he leans back and takes big cuts at the ball, but Federer's movement and defence can handle it facilely. On the other hand, Federer's taking-it-early style of attack - which he holds back going full throttle on - is enough to forcefully close out points
And Roddick is prone to errors and completely harmless off the BH side to boot
Federer himself comes to net a fair bit - serve-volleying 6 times. He wins a point with a beautiful pair of volleys, the killing strike being a low, 2nd volley stop BHV for the winner
Federer is even more untouchable on serve in the second set but against the run of play, Roddick conjures a break, helped by a pair of Fed groundstroke errors but also forcing a passing error and striking a BH dtl pass. He can't consolidate though as Fed breaks back with a couple of FH dtl winners (including a return, as Roddick slips after serving) and Roddick finishes the job for him by missing an easy volley. Match continues on serve til Roddick makes 3 regulation errors to give up the match
Statistical Points of Interest
- Note Federer leading the unreturned serve count 42% to 36%. Mostly a product of the Swiss' extraordinary ability to return the huge Roddick serve, which makes his own look like its in slow motion. Roddick's return isn't the best though.... he misses a number of makeable returns that were marked forced (he has 9 return FEs in all), let alone the 5 unforced ones
- Fed's UEFI of 39.1 is the lowest I've tracked and the only time I've seen that figure end under 40 (i.e. under neutral). His 11 UEs comprise 2 defensive, 6 neutral and 3 attacking shots (he doesn't miss a winner attempt). Its a sign he was playing within himself.... that's all he needed to do against an opponent who couldn't hurt him, once the serve was returned
---
Summing up, a consummate showing from Federer. His ability to return the huge Roddick serve is the key.... without that, the American doesn't seem able to hurt him and both players seem to know it. Beyond that, Fed playing within himself, doing just enough and not trying for unnecessary fireworks. Roddick making a mess of matters at net, but its unlikely he would've done much better from the baseline
