Pat Rafter beat Andre Agassi 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in Wimbledon semi-final, 2000 on grass
Rafter would go onto lose the final to Pete Sampras. The players had met at the same stage the previous year (Agassi win) and would do so again the following year (Rafter win)
Rafter won 162 points, Agassi 157
Rafter serve-volleyed off all but 3 first serves and all but 5 seconds
Serve Stats
Rafter...
- 1st serve percentage (100/167) 60%
- 1st serve points won (69/100) 69%
- 2nd serve points won (40/67) 60%
- Aces 18 (2 second serves & 1 not clean), Service Winners 5 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (54/167) 32%
Agassi...
- 1st serve percentage (91/152) 60%
- 1st serve points won (63/91) 69%
- 2nd serve points won (36/61) 59%
- Aces 7 (1 second serve), Service Winners 4 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 8
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (39/152) 26%
Serve Patterns
Rafter served...
- to FH 39%
- to BH 55%
- to Body 6%
Agassi served...
- to FH 35%
- to BH 63%
- to Body 2%
Return Stats
Rafter made...
- 105 (38 FH, 67 BH), including 1 runaround FH, 15 return-approaches & 2 drop shots
- 3 Winners (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 28 Errors, comprising...
- 9 Unforced (2 FH, 7 BH), including 1 return-approach attempt
- 19 Forced (8 FH, 11 BH)
- Return Rate (105/144) 73%
Agassi made...
- 106 (40 FH, 66 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 11 Winners (8 FH, 3 BH)
- 31 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 30 Forced (12 FH, 18 BH)
- Return Rate (106/160) 66%
Break Points
Rafter 5/12 (7 games)
Agassi 4/9 (7 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Rafter 56 (9 FH, 5 BH, 20 FHV, 11 BHV, 2 BH1/2V, 8 OH, 1 BHOH)
Agassi 52 (24 FH, 21 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV, 4 OH)
Rafter had 41 from serve-volley points -
- 25 first 'volleys' (12 FHV, 7 BHV, 2 BH1/2V, 3 FH at net, 1 BH at net)... the BH at net being a drop shot
- 15 second volleys (6 FHV, 2 BHV, 6 OH, 1 BHOH)… 1 BHV was a diving volley
- 1 third volley (1 OH)
- 1 other FHV was a lob
- FHs - 2 cc, 1 dtl, 2 inside-in returns and 1 running-down-drop-shot drop shot at net
- BHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl (1 return) and 1 drop shot
Agassi had 11 returns (8 FH, 3 BH), all passes -
- FHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl, 2 inside-out and 3 inside-in
- BHs - 2 dtl and 1 inside-in
- 23 regular passes (7 FH, 15 BH, 1 BHV)
- FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 2 inside-out and 3 lobs
- BHs - 3 cc, 6 dtl, 2 inside-out, 1 longline/inside-out, 1 cc running-down-drop-shot at net and 2 lobs
- BHV - was driven just like a groundstroke from just inside the baseline and not a net point
- 1 FHV was a swinging shot from behind the service line and has not been counted a net point
- OHs - 1 first volley of a serve-volley point, 1 from the baseline, 1 on the bounce and 1 net-to-net which struck Rafter
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Rafter 59
- 28 Unforced (8 FH, 9 BH, 5 FHV, 6 BHV)
- 31 Forced (14 FH, 4 BH, 4 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 5 BHV, 2 BH1/2V, 1 BHOH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.6
Agassi 44
- 22 Unforced (10 FH, 10 BH, 2 FHV)
- 22 Forced (10 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 Tweener)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.8
(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)
(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
Rafter was...
- 97/157 (62%) at net, including...
- 83/129 (64%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 49/77 (64%) off 1st serve and..
- 32/52 (65%) off 2nd serve
--
- 6/15 (40%) return-approaching
Agassi was...
- 17/26 (65%) at net, including...
- 4/5 (80%) serve-volleying, all first serves
--
- 2/4 (50%) forced back/retreated
Match Report
If there has been a better tennis match, I haven't seen it. High quality from both players from start to finish and as even matched as possible. Just look at the most basic stats -
First serves in - Rafter 59.9%, Agassi 59.9%.
First serve points won - Rafter 69%, Agassi 69.2%
Second serve points won - Rafter 59.7%, Agassi 59.0%
And to finish to wrap it all up, a complete contrast of playing styles. Rafter is the classic serve-volleyer with a good but not overwhelming serve and exquisite volleying and Agassi is the powerful baseliner with devastating returns and passing shots.
Rafter deserves the win because he's virtually impregnable on serve (loses 3 points in 5 games - including the last 11, which includes both games after going up a break) in the final set. Agassi mind you loses just 2 points in the 3 service games he holds but a couple of errors - a double fault and an ill executed charge to the net - coupled with good play from Rafter leads to the decisive break
Given the two players being absolutely equal on the whole, I suppose Rafter being better in the decider is another way of saying Agassi edges the rest of the match. Probably fair to say, seeing Rafter served 167 points to Agassi's 152, despite the mammoth game of the match (a 20 pointer) being on Agassi's serve. As far as getting breaks go though, they're still dead even
In one sentence, Rafter's service games are all about Rafter volley vs Agassi pass and Agassi's service games are baseline battles. Rafter does not unduly try to find the net in the latter
In the first set, Rafter oddly stays back on 3 first serves near the start of the match, but always comes in behind second. I would take that as a sign of lack of confidence, but he soon gets over it. Rafter exquisitely BH drop shot returns an Agassi second serve, Agassi gets to the ball even as Rafter takes the net. Agassi has to hit up to get the ball over, but Rafter is there to lob FHV a winner... hard to say whether Rafter's first shot or last was the more beautiful shot. Another shot worth mentioning is a Rafter first volley, BH1/2V winner off a thundering Agassi FH dtl return. Plays it as easily as medium height volley
Its Rafter who's had the harder time holding serve and saved the sole break point, but he breaks to take the set 1 game short of tiebreak. A beautiful BH drop shot wins him a point and he follows up with knifing BH inside-out chip-charge return to the corner that forces a passing winner. Down 15-30, Agassi double faults and makes a hash of BH dtl winner attempt from mid court, hitting it long to give up the set.
Second set starts with a bang. Forced to net, Agassi wins a net-to-net battle as he smacks an OH that hits Rafter on the backside in the first game. In the second game, Rafter breaks sensational. He creeps into net.. moving a step or two forward with each groundstroke til he's at net where he stop BHVs a winner. He adds 3 more after a couple of points - all of them special in their own way. First is a chip-charge return point, the return being strong enough that Agassi has to defensively lob and Rafter smashes that. Next is a BH dtl winner with power, which stands out given Rafter was almost exclusively slicing BHs crosscourt. Finally, a FH inside-in return gives him the break. He seems in charge
Only Agassi breaks back even more sensationally. Strong return elicits weak volley, which Agassi smacks away from the middle of the court. Next returns are even stronger - they go for winners. Rafter does get a good volley in the point after, but Agassi, running and stretching, still manages to lob to for a winner
Many other fine points in the set. Rafter lob volleying Agassi, cozing up the net and volleying away Agassi's retrieval. Agassi somehow managing to make a passing shot off an ankle high ball, and dipping it to force a volleying error from a completely in control Rafter. There's an extended BH-BH rally, Agassi driving, Rafter slicing. There had been 1 earlier which had gone on for about 15 shots that ended with a Rafter error... this one ends more colourfully. Agassi changes to a one handed BH longline slice that stays lower than any of Rafter's had, enough to force a FH error
Rafter gains a couple of break points on the back of 3 Agassi UEs, but they're erased by net play. Good move from Agassi coming in under pressure. And next game, the American breaks with 3 passing winners - the last a return that he has to stretch to barely reach, but he's able to guide it dtl for the winner
Rafter would go onto lose the final to Pete Sampras. The players had met at the same stage the previous year (Agassi win) and would do so again the following year (Rafter win)
Rafter won 162 points, Agassi 157
Rafter serve-volleyed off all but 3 first serves and all but 5 seconds
Serve Stats
Rafter...
- 1st serve percentage (100/167) 60%
- 1st serve points won (69/100) 69%
- 2nd serve points won (40/67) 60%
- Aces 18 (2 second serves & 1 not clean), Service Winners 5 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (54/167) 32%
Agassi...
- 1st serve percentage (91/152) 60%
- 1st serve points won (63/91) 69%
- 2nd serve points won (36/61) 59%
- Aces 7 (1 second serve), Service Winners 4 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 8
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (39/152) 26%
Serve Patterns
Rafter served...
- to FH 39%
- to BH 55%
- to Body 6%
Agassi served...
- to FH 35%
- to BH 63%
- to Body 2%
Return Stats
Rafter made...
- 105 (38 FH, 67 BH), including 1 runaround FH, 15 return-approaches & 2 drop shots
- 3 Winners (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 28 Errors, comprising...
- 9 Unforced (2 FH, 7 BH), including 1 return-approach attempt
- 19 Forced (8 FH, 11 BH)
- Return Rate (105/144) 73%
Agassi made...
- 106 (40 FH, 66 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 11 Winners (8 FH, 3 BH)
- 31 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 30 Forced (12 FH, 18 BH)
- Return Rate (106/160) 66%
Break Points
Rafter 5/12 (7 games)
Agassi 4/9 (7 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Rafter 56 (9 FH, 5 BH, 20 FHV, 11 BHV, 2 BH1/2V, 8 OH, 1 BHOH)
Agassi 52 (24 FH, 21 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV, 4 OH)
Rafter had 41 from serve-volley points -
- 25 first 'volleys' (12 FHV, 7 BHV, 2 BH1/2V, 3 FH at net, 1 BH at net)... the BH at net being a drop shot
- 15 second volleys (6 FHV, 2 BHV, 6 OH, 1 BHOH)… 1 BHV was a diving volley
- 1 third volley (1 OH)
- 1 other FHV was a lob
- FHs - 2 cc, 1 dtl, 2 inside-in returns and 1 running-down-drop-shot drop shot at net
- BHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl (1 return) and 1 drop shot
Agassi had 11 returns (8 FH, 3 BH), all passes -
- FHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl, 2 inside-out and 3 inside-in
- BHs - 2 dtl and 1 inside-in
- 23 regular passes (7 FH, 15 BH, 1 BHV)
- FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 2 inside-out and 3 lobs
- BHs - 3 cc, 6 dtl, 2 inside-out, 1 longline/inside-out, 1 cc running-down-drop-shot at net and 2 lobs
- BHV - was driven just like a groundstroke from just inside the baseline and not a net point
- 1 FHV was a swinging shot from behind the service line and has not been counted a net point
- OHs - 1 first volley of a serve-volley point, 1 from the baseline, 1 on the bounce and 1 net-to-net which struck Rafter
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Rafter 59
- 28 Unforced (8 FH, 9 BH, 5 FHV, 6 BHV)
- 31 Forced (14 FH, 4 BH, 4 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 5 BHV, 2 BH1/2V, 1 BHOH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.6
Agassi 44
- 22 Unforced (10 FH, 10 BH, 2 FHV)
- 22 Forced (10 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 Tweener)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.8
(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)
(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
Rafter was...
- 97/157 (62%) at net, including...
- 83/129 (64%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 49/77 (64%) off 1st serve and..
- 32/52 (65%) off 2nd serve
--
- 6/15 (40%) return-approaching
Agassi was...
- 17/26 (65%) at net, including...
- 4/5 (80%) serve-volleying, all first serves
--
- 2/4 (50%) forced back/retreated
Match Report
If there has been a better tennis match, I haven't seen it. High quality from both players from start to finish and as even matched as possible. Just look at the most basic stats -
First serves in - Rafter 59.9%, Agassi 59.9%.
First serve points won - Rafter 69%, Agassi 69.2%
Second serve points won - Rafter 59.7%, Agassi 59.0%
And to finish to wrap it all up, a complete contrast of playing styles. Rafter is the classic serve-volleyer with a good but not overwhelming serve and exquisite volleying and Agassi is the powerful baseliner with devastating returns and passing shots.
Rafter deserves the win because he's virtually impregnable on serve (loses 3 points in 5 games - including the last 11, which includes both games after going up a break) in the final set. Agassi mind you loses just 2 points in the 3 service games he holds but a couple of errors - a double fault and an ill executed charge to the net - coupled with good play from Rafter leads to the decisive break
Given the two players being absolutely equal on the whole, I suppose Rafter being better in the decider is another way of saying Agassi edges the rest of the match. Probably fair to say, seeing Rafter served 167 points to Agassi's 152, despite the mammoth game of the match (a 20 pointer) being on Agassi's serve. As far as getting breaks go though, they're still dead even
In one sentence, Rafter's service games are all about Rafter volley vs Agassi pass and Agassi's service games are baseline battles. Rafter does not unduly try to find the net in the latter
In the first set, Rafter oddly stays back on 3 first serves near the start of the match, but always comes in behind second. I would take that as a sign of lack of confidence, but he soon gets over it. Rafter exquisitely BH drop shot returns an Agassi second serve, Agassi gets to the ball even as Rafter takes the net. Agassi has to hit up to get the ball over, but Rafter is there to lob FHV a winner... hard to say whether Rafter's first shot or last was the more beautiful shot. Another shot worth mentioning is a Rafter first volley, BH1/2V winner off a thundering Agassi FH dtl return. Plays it as easily as medium height volley
Its Rafter who's had the harder time holding serve and saved the sole break point, but he breaks to take the set 1 game short of tiebreak. A beautiful BH drop shot wins him a point and he follows up with knifing BH inside-out chip-charge return to the corner that forces a passing winner. Down 15-30, Agassi double faults and makes a hash of BH dtl winner attempt from mid court, hitting it long to give up the set.
Second set starts with a bang. Forced to net, Agassi wins a net-to-net battle as he smacks an OH that hits Rafter on the backside in the first game. In the second game, Rafter breaks sensational. He creeps into net.. moving a step or two forward with each groundstroke til he's at net where he stop BHVs a winner. He adds 3 more after a couple of points - all of them special in their own way. First is a chip-charge return point, the return being strong enough that Agassi has to defensively lob and Rafter smashes that. Next is a BH dtl winner with power, which stands out given Rafter was almost exclusively slicing BHs crosscourt. Finally, a FH inside-in return gives him the break. He seems in charge
Only Agassi breaks back even more sensationally. Strong return elicits weak volley, which Agassi smacks away from the middle of the court. Next returns are even stronger - they go for winners. Rafter does get a good volley in the point after, but Agassi, running and stretching, still manages to lob to for a winner
Many other fine points in the set. Rafter lob volleying Agassi, cozing up the net and volleying away Agassi's retrieval. Agassi somehow managing to make a passing shot off an ankle high ball, and dipping it to force a volleying error from a completely in control Rafter. There's an extended BH-BH rally, Agassi driving, Rafter slicing. There had been 1 earlier which had gone on for about 15 shots that ended with a Rafter error... this one ends more colourfully. Agassi changes to a one handed BH longline slice that stays lower than any of Rafter's had, enough to force a FH error
Rafter gains a couple of break points on the back of 3 Agassi UEs, but they're erased by net play. Good move from Agassi coming in under pressure. And next game, the American breaks with 3 passing winners - the last a return that he has to stretch to barely reach, but he's able to guide it dtl for the winner