Stats for Connors-Krickstein (1991 USO)

[krosero]

Connors d. Krickstein 3-6, 7-6 (10-8 ), 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), fourth round

It lasted 4 hours 41 minutes.

Connors was 39 that day – and only ten months younger than Rosewall had been at the 1974 U.S. Open.

Krickstein was 24.

Krickstein was not the youngest player that Connors faced at this U.S. Open. Krickstein was a year younger than both Paul Haarhuis and Patrick McEnroe, but he was 3 years older than Jim Courier. The Courier-Connors semifinal, with a disparity of 17 years 11 months, was like the 17 years and 10 months separating Connors and Rosewall.

Krickstein had beaten Agassi in straights in the first round here.


The following are my own stats unless otherwise noted.

Connors hit 70 winners apart from service: 15 FH, 10 BH, 21 FHV, 12 BHV, 12 overheads.

Krickstein hit 27 winners apart from service: 12 FH, 14 BH, and 1 overhead.

We've done a few matches in which Connors had more winners from volleys/overheads than from ground strokes, but never by such a large margin, nearly 2 to 1.

He had close to 1 volley/overhead winner per game.

Meanwhile, Krickstein hit just 1 winner in the air, a smash in the fifth set.

Connors had just two service return winners, one from each side, both off Krickstein’s second serve. If he didn’t have more it was largely because Krickstein did not serve-and-volley. And Connors had few passes: just 3 backhands.

Krickstein likewise had no return winners, though he did have 16 passes (including 1 lob from each wing): 11 BH’s and 5 FH’s.

Connors' winners by set: 11, 22, 5, 10, 22
Krickstein's winners by set: 1, 9, 4, 4, 9

The second and fifth sets both went to tiebreaks, and they both had 22 winners by Connors and 9 by Krickstein.

All 4 of the winners that Krickstein hit in the third set were baseline-to-baseline forehand winners that Connors chose not to run after. Connors gave that set up to conserve his energy for the fourth.

The Kansas City Star had Connors at 106 unforced errors for the match, and Krickstein at 44. Per CBS, after 24 games Connors had made 55 unforced errors, Krickstein 24.


Connors served 9 aces, Krickstein 7.

CBS had the same counts as mine, except that the announcers were silent about Connors' last ace.

The ATP site puts each man at 8 aces. There were no cases of near-aces that might have prompted judgment calls or caused confusion, so it just looks like a mistake by the ATP.

Whatever the case, I can't recall a match we've done in which Connors had so many aces.

Connors served 7 double-faults (the same as CBS's running count), and Krickstein 2. The ATP site has the same numbers.

Connors got a return error from Krickstein 18 times -- of which I counted 4 as service winners.

Krickstein got a return error from Connors 36 times -- of which I counted none as service winners.

So Krickstein got twice the number of return winners that Connors did -- partly because he served more points than Connors did (203 vs. 171, per the ATP). But his first serve was also better than Jimmy's, and he was hitting it more aggressively, with a lower first-serve percentage (per the ATP).


Some ATP stats:

Connors served at 66%, making 113 of 171 first serves.
Krickstein served at 57%, making 116 of 203 first serves.

Connors won 75 of 113 points on first serve (or 66%), and 30 of 58 on second serve (or 51%).

Krickstein won 76 of 116 points on first serve (or 65%), and 51 of 87 on second serve (or 58%).

Krickstein was broken less frequently: 5 times compared to 7 for Connors. He won 27 games to Connors' 24.

And Krickstein won more points overall: 193 to 181, a considerable margin.

Connors won 5 of 24 break points, Krickstein 7 of 16: meaning that Krickstein saved 19 breakers, compared to 9 saved by Connors.

That is probably the reason that Krickstein had to serve more points than Connors: he extended his service games by saving so many break points.


SERVICE WINNERS

CBS looks like it's tracking service winners and adding them to its total winner counts.

At 5-3 in the first set, CBS had Krickstein at 4 winners. By my count he had hit only an ace and a backhand pass.

At 2-all in the fourth set, CBS had Connors at 50 winners, Krickstein at 24. I have Connors at 41 winners and 6 aces, for 47 winners overall -- falling short of the network's count by three. I had given him 2 service winners up to that point. Similarly, I had Krickstein at 16 winners and 6 aces, or 22 total, falling short of the CBS count by two (I had given him no service winners up to then).

The Kansas City Star had Connors at 86 winners for the match, and Krickstein at 38. By my count Connors had only 79 clean winners/aces, Krickstein 34. So it looks like Connors was credited with 7 service winners, and Krickstein with 4.

This method is not exact, of course. My count of the clean winners/aces may not be exactly the same as the available counts. I wouldn't be surprised, in a match of this length, if there's a discrepancy due to errors. So this method of deducing how many service winners are in the official stats should be taken as approximate.

My own count of the service winners was low: 4 for Connors and none for Krickstein.


NET STATS

Per the Times, Connors won 88 of 137 approaches (64%), and Krickstein 10 of 20. Yet in another article, the Times reports that Connors came to net 107 times more than Krickstein, which would put him only at 127 approaches. I'd go with the first article, which actually reports the total number of approaches by Connors. And 127 approaches, if Connors won 88 of them, would give him a winning percentage of 69%, somewhat harder to believe than the 64% rate in the former numbers.

With 7 games remaining, CBS had Connors winning 61 of only 94 approaches (65%), Krickstein 9 of 18.

[krosero]

Per the NY Times:

The Jimmy Connors Show scores well. His match with Krickstein posted a 7.7 overnight rating for CBS in 25 major markets measured by A. C. Nielsen, powering CBS to a 6.9 rating for Monday’s telecast, up 22 percent over 1990.

When adjusted to include the rest of the nation, the ratings will probably end up in the low 6’s, still extremely high for a fourth-round match. In fact, it compares favorably with the 6.4 national rating posted in last year’s Open semifinals between John McEnroe and Pete Sampras, which got an initial 8.4 overnight rating.

The highest-rated Open match in the last few years was the 8.1 posted in the 1988 final between Ivan Lendl and Mats Wilander, which got a preliminary 9.4 overnight rating.

[Moose Malloy]

The Kansas City Star had Connors at 86 winners for the match, and Krickstein at 38. By my count Connors had only 79 clean winners/aces, Krickstein 34. So it looks like Connors was credited with 7 service winners, and Krickstein with 4.

This method is not exact, of course. My count of the clean winners/aces may not be exactly the same as the available counts.

Using your count of service winners, you were pretty close to 86 winners(your total is 83)

Amazing numbers for Connors, he had a lot of winners in some of the others matches we did as well.

The highest-rated Open match in the last few years was the 8.1 posted in the 1988 final between Ivan Lendl and Mats Wilander, which got a preliminary 9.4 overnight rating.

Good to know, these numbers are higher than Sampras got for most of his major finals I think (except when he played Agassi)

Do you know what the ratings were for the '89 final?

[krosero]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Good to know, these numbers are higher than Sampras got for most of his major finals I think (except when he played Agassi)

Do you know what the ratings were for the '89 final?

Haven't got any ratings on that final, I did a quick search and it doesn't seem to be in the Times archive.

[krosero]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Using your count of service winners, you were pretty close to 86 winners(your total is 83)

Amazing numbers for Connors, he had a lot of winners in some of the others matches we did as well.

I'm interested in what might be the record for winners in a single match.

Kohlschreiber had 104 against Roddick, and offhand I can't think of anything higher. It's difficult to judge without knowing the service winners. I've just watched the match, and it doesn't look like he was credited with many: none in the fourth set and just 2 in the fifth. If that pattern holds, he'd have a total figure somewhere in the 90s, of clean aces/winners.

My ESPN copy is missing a lot of footage from the first three sets, though, about the equivalent of 9 games. Do you know if the Eurosport coverage was better?

[Moose Malloy]

My ESPN copy is missing a lot of footage from the first three sets, though, about the equivalent of 9 games. Do you know if the Eurosport coverage was better?

9 games? I saw the ESPN broadcast in January, I thought they showed it in its entirety. Though I remember they missed a lot of the 1st points when coming back from commercial.

I'm interested in what might be the record for winners in a single match.

Kohlschreiber had 104 against Roddick, and offhand I can't think of anything higher.

Guga had 103 vs Mirnyi at the '01 USO. I only have the 5th set of that match.

I wonder what the winner totals were on '03 Wimbledon Philippoussis-Agassi or '97 Wimbledon Ivanisevic-Norman. Both Goran & Philippoussis had 40+ aces & they were long 5 setters, so 100+ winners is possible.

Also Krajicek had 49 aces vs Kafelnikov in a 5 setter at the '99 USO, I wonder what his winner total was.

[krosero]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

9 games? I saw the ESPN broadcast in January, I thought they showed it in its entirety. Though I remember they missed a lot of the 1st points when coming back from commercial.

On my copy 5 games are skipped over entirely by ESPN, and 22 other points are missing from various other places -- which comes out to about 4 games, going by the average number of points per game for the match (5.88 ).

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Guga had 103 vs Mirnyi at the '01 USO. I only have the 5th set of that match.

I wonder what the winner totals were on '03 Wimbledon Philippoussis-Agassi or '97 Wimbledon Ivanisevic-Norman. Both Goran & Philippoussis had 40+ aces & they were long 5 setters, so 100+ winners is possible.

Also Krajicek had 49 aces vs Kafelnikov in a 5 setter at the '99 USO, I wonder what his winner total was.

I think that a lot of marathons before the tiebreak, could have been candidates -- like McEnroe's Davis Cup meetings with Wilander and Becker.

I wonder if Laver made it over 100 winners in that AO semi against Roche. You have him at 33 winners and 5 aces (a rate actually lower than his other full-match rates for that period), and two-thirds of the match is missing. That's a pace for 99 winners, plus 15 aces, before service winners are even counted.

[Q&M son]

Thanks!!!!!

[Micce]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Also Krajicek had 49 aces vs Kafelnikov in a 5 setter at the '99 USO, I wonder what his winner total was.

I have that match and just checked the end of it...Krajicek's winner total was 82.

[krosero]

In the CBS coverage, Trabert said that 326 points had been played near the end of the long 4-2 game in the fifth. I counted 47 more points till the end, for a total of 373 points.

The ATP has 374. And there may be no discrepancy at all, depending on when Trabert got his stat in the booth and when he shared it.

So the ATP stats here, at worst, are almost in line with CBS.

The ATP has Krickstein winning 12 more points than Connors, which is realistic anyway, given that he won 27 games to Jimmy's 24.

[krosero]

Connors d. Krickstein 3-6, 7-6 (10-8 ), 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4)

Connors made 8 of 15 first serves in the tiebreaks (53.3%). By tiebreak:

3 of 9 (he won all 3)
5 of 6 (he won all 5)

Krickstein made 9 of 14 first serves in the tiebreaks (64.3%). By tiebreak:

6 of 9 (he won all 6)
3 of 5 (he won all 3)

Remarkably, neither player lost a point on first serve.

But perhaps the most critical points were with Connors down 7-8 in the second-set tiebreak, facing a two-set deficit. He had two serves coming up and missed his first serve both time; he got away with it by rushing the net on both points and putting away volleys. All in all he won 5 of 6 points on second serve in the tiebreak, and in the final tiebreak he won the only point he played on second serve.

Krickstein, on the other hand, lost 2 of 3 on second serve in the first tiebreak and lost 1 of 2 in the final tiebreak.

Connors had two unreturned serves in each tiebreak. Krickstein had two in the first tiebreak but none in the last.

[krosero]

Krickstein came into this match with a 21-5 record in five-set matches, including 8-1 at the USO (his sole loss to Cahill in '8. He had not lost a five-setter since a loss from two sets up to Woodforde at the 1989 French.

Krickstein had also won both of his fifth-set tiebreaks at the Open (vs Edberg and Annacone).

Connors came into the match with a 19-13 record in five-setters, including 4-4 at the USO.

This was the last fifth-set tiebreak of Jimmy’s career. He lost his first one, to Roger Taylor at Merion in ’72, and beat Tanner in another in the ’77 Challenge Cup. He played the remaining ones here at the USO: losing to McEnroe in ’80, beating Gomez in ’81 and Krickstein this year.

[jimbo333]

Absolutely brilliant info thanks

But what really gets me is that they never show this on TV

Obviously I'm a huge Connors fan, and I never got to see him play live on the regular tour unfortunately. However on my one occasion when I went to the US Open, it rained non-stop one day and I sat in one of the bars there when they showed the whole match on the TV screen there, the atmosphere was great, and it was still exciting when Jimmy won, superb stuff!

[Moose Malloy]

Pat Summerall, one of the commentators for this match, died today at age 82.
He called many USO matches with Tony Trabert for CBS(I believe every semi & final from '74 to '92)

[jrepac]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Pat Summerall, one of the commentators for this match, died today at age 82.
He called many USO matches with Tony Trabert for CBS(I believe every semi & final from '74 to '92)

Sad, I liked Pat Summerall a lot. Yeah, this match is timeless. I think it's less about the stats and more about the attacking strategy Jimmy used in the later stages. He played a great 4th set and in the 5th, even when his back was against the wall, he kept coming at Aaron. Krickstein was often pinned way back, in the corner of the court by a charging Connnors. Folks forget how good he was on the approach...that's why he made the volleys look so damn easy. A real thriller, even today.

[borg number one]

Great match! Thanks Krosero. Krickstein was noted as a very promising junior at a young age. He was very gracious in the interview after the match. Connors said that this was a "Connors miracle". See the video below, parts 1-9. RIP Summerall. He was one of my favorites, both with Tony Trabert and also with John Madden on football games for years. Connors and Krickstein were old friends, having practiced together and they even watched the Super Bowl together per Tony Trabert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TLnhJRt2HE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUvcMjWJnyI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRlIHFG6_kA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DTZYjx-xmQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNaxcXxMGZ0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBub2bQ6Z1M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDBuC8mY1zI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oZ4IuutpFY (hear Jimmy at the changeover before the 5th set tiebreaker. "This is what they pay for. This is what they want.")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgQ1RYoXjZ8 (post match interviews)

[jaggy]

Krickstein seems to be a good guy

[jrepac]

Originally Posted by jaggy

Krickstein seems to be a good guy

Krickstein was a decent fellow who liked and respected Jimmy. I had read that after this match, their relationship was never quite the same. Aaron was a fine player, who could score upsets now and again. He was very strong from the back court off both wings. But, he never had the versatility that Connors did, which hindered him in their matchups. If rallying was not working for Jimmy against Aaron, he could take the game to the forecourt.