Stats for 1991 USO Final (Edberg-Courier)

[Moose Malloy]

Edberg d Courier 62,64,60

My stats:

Edberg had 31 non service winners: 4 fh, 2 bh, 11 fhv, 7 bhv, 7 ov
Courier had 15: 9 fh, 5 bh, 1 bhv

Edberg had 16 unreturned serves, 1 of which I judged a service winner.
Courier had 8 unreturned serves, none of which I judged a service winner.

I counted 3 aces, 1 double for Edberg, but the atp site has him at 2 aces.
But my numbers for Courier are the same as theirs (3 aces, 4 doubles)

ATP site has Edberg as 60% 1st serves for the match, which surprised me, I recall CBS flashing a graphic early in the 2nd that had Edberg at only 39%(I didn't do serve %'s for this match)

Edberg had 2 passing shot winners, Courier had 7.

Edberg was 6 of 14 on break points, Courier 0 for 3.

[krosero]

The Associated Press:

On his 94 ventures to the net, Edberg was successful 68 times, compared with 12 of 22 for Courier. Edberg won an amazingly high 84 percent of the time when he got his first serve in, and didn't seem bothered by several foot faults.

St. Petersburg Times:

Edberg beat Courier on an overwhelming 84 percent of his first-serve points, allowing just 15 points in his 12 service games. At the net, Edberg won 72 percent of those points.

A boxscore printed in USA Today:



The ATP has some different numbers:

2 aces for Edberg
First-serve %: Edberg 60 and Courier 65
% won on first serve: Edberg 82 and Courier 55
Points won by Courier: 59
Time of match: 2:04

[Lendl and Federer Fan]

I remember at his peak, Edberg used to own Sampras, Courier and Chang. I don't think Sampras has a winning record against Edberg. A very knowledgeable tennis fan of mine has great respect for Edberg's personality and his game.

[andreh]

Originally Posted by Lendl and Federer Fan

I remember at his peak, Edberg used to own Sampras, Courier and Chang. I don't think Sampras has a winning record against Edberg. A very knowledgeable tennis fan of mine has great respect for Edberg's personality and his game.

Actually, Edberg - Sampras 6-8

But Edberg has 2-0 in GS play.

[daddy]

I already stated I enjoyed Edbergs style of play and maneers. True gentleman and champion.

[Lendl and Federer Fan]

Originally Posted by daddy

I already stated I enjoyed Edbergs style of play and maneers. True gentleman and champion.

Exactly! Novak has a lot to learn from Edberg, doesn't he?

[Lendl and Federer Fan]

Originally Posted by andreh

Actually, Edberg - Sampras 6-8

But Edberg has 2-0 in GS play.

Lucky for Pete Sampras that he didn't have to face players like Edberg and Becker that much in GS, otherwise he would have far less than 14 GS titles.

[Lendl and Federer Fan]

After Edberg, how was Pete Sampras' GS record against other player like Patrick Rafter who won 93 and 94 (or other 2 straight years?) USO (Edberg did it in 91 &92)?

[Moose Malloy]

here's an article I came across:

Stefan Edberg wiped his face with a towel and threw it over his head into the stands. Then he threw another towel. Then he peeled off his shirt and threw that in the stands, followed by another towel.

Hey, maybe Edberg is actually an extrovert after all. First he throws the kitchen sink at Jim Courier in the U.S. Open final, then he throws his laundry in the stands.

For someone who is supposed to own a personality as monotonous as a dial tone, Edberg took a giant step in the other direction Sunday.

It was like leapfrogging over a fjord for the 25-year-old Swede, who came up with the match of his life, swinging, volleying, dazzling and daring, to win his first U.S. Open title in disarming fashion.

Edberg dispatched Courier, 6-2, 6-4, 6-0, in 2 hours 2 minutes, accepted a check for $400,000 and then made this announcement:

"It was the best match I ever played."

Courier could not argue with such an assessment: "I've been pummeled before, but. . . . "

Fill in the blanks yourself. This kind of pummeling needs few words. The day after knocking off Jimmy Connors, presumably sending him back to the old folks' home, Courier could not deliver.

How good was Edberg?

He won 51 of 66 points on his serve.

He never lost his own serve.

He broke Courier's serve six times.

He won 68 points in 94 approaches to the net.

He had twice as many winners (36) as unforced errors (1.

He was unconscious.

"It was like a dream out there," he said. "I feel like I could do almost anything. It's fantastic you can actually play such a good match in a Grand Slam final without losing your concentration once."

This is sort of a contrast to how he felt last year when he lost in the first round of the Open. So he comes back and absolutely demolishes a very good hard-court player in the biggest wipeout in a final since Ivan Lendl gave up six games mashing Miloslav Mecir in 1986.

Courier, who did not lose a set in his six previous matches, could not win one in his last.

"Nothing you could do," Courier said.

One point typified Courier's plight. Already down a set and a break and trailing, 4-5, in the second set, Courier sensed an opening at 15-30. He rifled a service return that dipped across the net at the advancing Edberg.

But Edberg somehow picked the ball up at ankle level, angled a cross-court volley and bounced it off the line.

Stunned, Courier looked in the stands and saw a fan who hunched his shoulders. Courier sort of smiled.

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-09-...and-slam-title

[krosero]

He had twice as many winners (36) as unforced errors (18).

So this implies that the "Winners" in the USA Today boxscore do not include service while the Unforced Errors include the double-faults.

[bluetrain4]

Originally Posted by andreh

Actually, Edberg - Sampras 6-8

But Edberg has 2-0 in GS play.

I think 6-8 is a pretty good record vs. Sampras. While, their absolute primes didn't overlap, Sampras was already a Slam champion when Edberg beat him the 1992 USO final, so they were both at a very high level.

That was Edberg's highlight win over Courier. He lost two subsequent AO (1992 and 1993) finals and Wimbledon semi to Courier, all in 4 sets, and I think Courier has the 6-4 edge in the rivalry.

[kiki]

Remember vividly that match.Edberg was awesome in 1991-1992.

[mental midget]

Originally Posted by kiki

Remember vividly that match.Edberg was awesome in 1991-1992.

yeah man, definitely. he was smoothandhonorablebestclass before federer ever hit the scene.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by mental midget

yeah man, definitely. he was smoothandhonorablebestclass before federer ever hit the scene.

I´d really like to know how a swede, learning tennis during the Borg´s days, focused on S&V.Anybody knows the reason ? after all, the Nystrom,Sundstrom,Pernfors,Wilander,Gustaffson were all Borgites...

[mental midget]

Originally Posted by kiki

I´d really like to know how a swede, learning tennis during the Borg´s days, focused on S&V.Anybody knows the reason ? after all, the Nystrom,Sundstrom,Pernfors,Wilander,Gustaffson were all Borgites...

i read an interview where he said it was just how he liked to play-he was well aware it was a break from tradition, but it was how he preferred to play the game. simple as that.

[ksbh]

I was rooting for Courier to win and was pissed when Edberg beat him. But justice was served when Courier returned the favor in the next slam, beating Edberg in the final of the Australian Open 1992

[kiki]

This is quite an interesting rivalry: Edberg vs Courier.Not so flashy or noisy as the Sampras vs Agassi or Sampras vs Becker, but a great contrast of styles, and two quiet, somehow shy players with a great menthality and professionalism.S&V vs Big Groundies.They played in every GS contest, except may be the FO.I think Courier won at the AO and Wimbledon, while Edberg won at the US Open.Probably, the Wim victory was the most unexpected for Jim.

[Devilito]

Originally Posted by kiki

This is quite an interesting rivalry: Edberg vs Courier.Not so flashy or noisy as the Sampras vs Agassi or Sampras vs Becker, but a great contrast of styles, and two quiet, somehow shy players with a great menthality and professionalism.S&V vs Big Groundies.They played in every GS contest, except may be the FO.I think Courier won at the AO and Wimbledon, while Edberg won at the US Open.Probably, the Wim victory was the most unexpected for Jim.

i remember that. I think Jim got a huge amount of confidence after watching Andre win the year before and realizing it's possible to win on grass as a baseliner if you make small adjustments. Plus at the time Jim was a better player. He played great that year at Wimbledon and had a real shot against Pete.

[Moose Malloy]

I think Jim got a huge amount of confidence after watching Andre win the year before and realizing it's possible to win on grass as a baseliner if you make small adjustments.

Courier came in a lot more than Andre though, he was S&Ving on majority of 1st serves at '93 W. His returning was pretty amazing, it was like batting practice vs Edberg in the semis(a match no one picked him to win) so many return winners that day.

[Devilito]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Courier came in a lot more than Andre though, he was S&Ving on majority of 1st serves at '93 W. His returning was pretty amazing, it was like batting practice vs Edberg in the semis(a match no one picked him to win) so many return winners that day.

yeah, he had a better serve and volleys than Andre by a long shot. It definitely worked for him that year