Pete Sampras beat Andre Agassi 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in the Year End Championship (now known as the World Tour Finals) final, 1999 on carpet in Hanover, Germany
This was Sampras' 5th and last Year End title, while Agassi had ended his run off 6 successive years finishing year end number one
Sampras won 98 points, Agassi 78
Sampras serve-volleyed on all his first serves and the majority of the seconds
Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (52/85) 61%
- 1st serve points won (45/52) 87%
- 2nd serve points won (14/33) 42%
- Aces 14 including 2 off second serves, Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 10
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (29/85) 34%
Agassi....
- 1st serve percentage (43/91) 47%
- 1st serve points won (28/43) 65%
- 2nd serve points won (24/48) 50%
- Aces 4, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (33/91) 36%
Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 40%
- to BH 57%
- to Body 3%
Agassi served....
- to FH 24%
- to BH 73%
- to Body 4%
Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 51 (10 FH, 41 BH), including 1 runaround FH and 8 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 28 Errors, comprising...
- 12 Unforced (1 FH, 11 BH), including 1 return-approach attempt
- 16 Forced (8 FH, 8 BH)
- Return Rate (51/84) 61%
Agassi made...
- 46 (20 FH, 26 BH)
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 11 Errors, all forced...
- 11 Forced (3 FH, 8 BH)
- Return Rate (46/75) 61%
Break Points
Sampras 5/9 (6 games)
Agassi 1/4 (3 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 28 (5 FH, 5 BH, 4 FHV, 6 BHV, 8 OH)
Agassi 10 (1 FH, 7 BH, 2 BHV)
Sampras had 18 from serve volley points
- 11 first 'volleys' (1 FH at net, 2 FHV, 4 BHV, 4 OH)
- 7 second volleys (1 FHV, 2 BHV, 4 OH), one of the BHV being a drop
- FHs - (3 cc, 1 longline). 1 cc and the longline were both returns
- regular BHs - 2 dtl (1 return) and 1 dtl/inside-out
- 2 passes, both cc
Agassi's FH was dtl
- BHs were all passes - 2 cc, 3 dtl (including a one handed return), 1 longline and 1 inside-out
- 1 BHV was played rapid fire with both players at the net
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 25
- 13 Unforced (7 BH, 5 FHV, 1 BHV)
- 12 Forced (5 FH, 1 BH, 1 FHV, 4 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.5
Agassi 34
- 17 Unforced (8 FH, 8 BH, 1 BHV)
- 17 Forced (7 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.1
(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
Sampras was 44/66 (67%) at net, including 39/54 (72%) serve-volleying - off first serves 30/37 (81%), off second serves 9/17 (53%) - and 4/8 (50%) return-approaching
He was 1/3 when forced back or retreated from net
Agassi was 4/8 (50%) at net, including 0/1 serve-volleying - a first serve point
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Match Report
This carpet is on the slow side but you wouldn't know that watching the recently dethroned number 1 Sampras. He's in full scale kill mode and basically steamrolls Agassi.
Sampras serve-volleys off all his first serves and most of the seconds. The first serve alone is powerful enough to win him free points and the second isn't far behind. I'd estimate on average his second serve is bigger than Agassi's first delivery. Securing the early break to go up 2-0 immediately, Sampras takes his return game to levels of aggression on par with his service efforts.
On the serve itself, he doesn't hold back on the second serve and just keeps going for big ones. Hence the 10 double faults and 2 aces. Not once does he look bothered or worried about missing the second serve - even though the only time he's in trouble in the match is when he's down a break (due to back to back double faults) for most of the second set. And he pulls the equivalent on return. With Agassi directing 74% of his serves to Sampras' BH, Pete chip-charges, takes the return very early, stands inside the court to return, steps in still further to take huge cuts with the BH and so on
Like with his serve, its high risk, high reward on the return. Agassi actually leads the unreturned serve percentage! - that's because Sampras is returning with abandon and committing may UEs with it (11 to 0 for Agassi - it would be difficult to get a UE against Sampras' delivery). Agassi's serve is very much returnable, Sampras' doesn't seem to be
Having been swept aside in the first set, Agassi gets a look in in the second when he breaks, courtesy of 2 double faults and an easy volleying miss. Sampras' volleying isn't particularly impressive in this match as a whole. Most of the ones he makes are easy - set up by powerful serves - and he nets some downright simple ones (4 UEs, most of them clear cut ones). Agassi has 2 break points to go up 4-0 - this time, earned through his own fine play. The first is on his own racquet but he misses a makeable BH dtl which he had to run to as Sampras hit a mediocore volley and ran back to try to cover the upcoming shot - the rest of the game is Sampras banging down unreturnable serves (including a second serve ace)
Agassi's relatively slow movement is a problem. The missed break point is one example - many players could have reached that ball and play it more comfortably than he did. Another example is when Sampras strikes a return of serve FH winner near enough down the middle of the court a foot or two away from Agassi. The ball is hit hard but so close to Andre that his inability to get a racquet on it at all is telling.
The persistent pressure Sampras puts Agassi's serve under leads to a rattled Andre serving doubles at crucial moments. There's one as Sampras breaks back and another when Sampras breaks again to take the lead. Agassi also starts missing his more aggressive baseline attempts at winners to give Pete more of a chance
As Sampras serves for the set and goes up 40-0, Agassi seems resigned. He very casually eases a second-serve over for a winner with a 1 handed BH and there is weariness written all over the shot.
A still rattled Agassi is broken at once at the start off the third, through his own errors from the baseline and a half-hearted attempt at serve-volleying. Awhile later, with Sampras tight in at net and Agassi having time to line up the pass, Andre smacks a wild FH that Sampras has to jerk his head out of the way off. The ball lands comfortably out... I don't know what the intent of the shot was, but it looks very much like Agassi wanted to hit Sampras and couldn't care less about making the pass.
Agassi manages to gain one further break point (again, largely due to back to back double faults), only for his fire breathing important to reel off 3 successive winners in the forecourt. The break point itself is erased with a third ball OH and the last point is Sampras' sole touch volley winner. No more chances for Agassi after that. He looks listless and resigned. Sampras by contrast has looked raring to go from ball one - even when he's down a break or double faulting or making errors of ordinary second serves
Other ways the match could have played out?
The match was on Sampras' racquet - no question about that. If he serves big, he'll win points and if his aggressive returns land in, he'll win frequently. Still, credit to him for backing up the aggressive returning with accurate baseline play. No FH unforced errors from Pete.... a rare occurence
The key for Agassi I think would have been to remain committed to playing his own game. Instead, he gets frazzled and starts making errors of the ground - mostly attacking shots. Agassi has 16 groundstroke errors o Sampras' 7 and despite Sampras having 3 extra volleying errors (invariably attacking shots or winner attempts), the players UEFI are about the same (Sampras 47.3, Agassi 47.1). You can see this in Agassi dishing out a low first serve percentage (48% to Pete's 61%) and large number of double faults (6 to Sampras' 10). Given how much bigger Pete was serving - as stated earlier, his second serve is bigger than Andre's first - this is an indication Agassi played poorly
Or to be more specific, the intense pressure Sampras' vicious attack put on him got to him and resulted in his playing relatively poorly.
Nothing to do if Sampras brings his 'A' game. Agassi doesn't have the firepower to respond in kind. But he can hold his own ship steady amidst the storm, rather than crack. A hint of a mental kink in Andre then
Summing up, despite Agassi dropping his level of play, primarily the credit goes to Sampras playing an uber aggressive brand of tennis - huge serves, blasting smashes, early and big cut returns and reasonably safe attacking groundstrokes. A handful to deal with, even on a less than fast court. Their round robin match earlier in the tournament was a different story.... (to be continued...)
This was Sampras' 5th and last Year End title, while Agassi had ended his run off 6 successive years finishing year end number one
Sampras won 98 points, Agassi 78
Sampras serve-volleyed on all his first serves and the majority of the seconds
Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (52/85) 61%
- 1st serve points won (45/52) 87%
- 2nd serve points won (14/33) 42%
- Aces 14 including 2 off second serves, Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 10
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (29/85) 34%
Agassi....
- 1st serve percentage (43/91) 47%
- 1st serve points won (28/43) 65%
- 2nd serve points won (24/48) 50%
- Aces 4, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (33/91) 36%
Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 40%
- to BH 57%
- to Body 3%
Agassi served....
- to FH 24%
- to BH 73%
- to Body 4%
Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 51 (10 FH, 41 BH), including 1 runaround FH and 8 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 28 Errors, comprising...
- 12 Unforced (1 FH, 11 BH), including 1 return-approach attempt
- 16 Forced (8 FH, 8 BH)
- Return Rate (51/84) 61%
Agassi made...
- 46 (20 FH, 26 BH)
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 11 Errors, all forced...
- 11 Forced (3 FH, 8 BH)
- Return Rate (46/75) 61%
Break Points
Sampras 5/9 (6 games)
Agassi 1/4 (3 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 28 (5 FH, 5 BH, 4 FHV, 6 BHV, 8 OH)
Agassi 10 (1 FH, 7 BH, 2 BHV)
Sampras had 18 from serve volley points
- 11 first 'volleys' (1 FH at net, 2 FHV, 4 BHV, 4 OH)
- 7 second volleys (1 FHV, 2 BHV, 4 OH), one of the BHV being a drop
- FHs - (3 cc, 1 longline). 1 cc and the longline were both returns
- regular BHs - 2 dtl (1 return) and 1 dtl/inside-out
- 2 passes, both cc
Agassi's FH was dtl
- BHs were all passes - 2 cc, 3 dtl (including a one handed return), 1 longline and 1 inside-out
- 1 BHV was played rapid fire with both players at the net
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 25
- 13 Unforced (7 BH, 5 FHV, 1 BHV)
- 12 Forced (5 FH, 1 BH, 1 FHV, 4 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.5
Agassi 34
- 17 Unforced (8 FH, 8 BH, 1 BHV)
- 17 Forced (7 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.1
(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
Sampras was 44/66 (67%) at net, including 39/54 (72%) serve-volleying - off first serves 30/37 (81%), off second serves 9/17 (53%) - and 4/8 (50%) return-approaching
He was 1/3 when forced back or retreated from net
Agassi was 4/8 (50%) at net, including 0/1 serve-volleying - a first serve point
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Match Report
This carpet is on the slow side but you wouldn't know that watching the recently dethroned number 1 Sampras. He's in full scale kill mode and basically steamrolls Agassi.
Sampras serve-volleys off all his first serves and most of the seconds. The first serve alone is powerful enough to win him free points and the second isn't far behind. I'd estimate on average his second serve is bigger than Agassi's first delivery. Securing the early break to go up 2-0 immediately, Sampras takes his return game to levels of aggression on par with his service efforts.
On the serve itself, he doesn't hold back on the second serve and just keeps going for big ones. Hence the 10 double faults and 2 aces. Not once does he look bothered or worried about missing the second serve - even though the only time he's in trouble in the match is when he's down a break (due to back to back double faults) for most of the second set. And he pulls the equivalent on return. With Agassi directing 74% of his serves to Sampras' BH, Pete chip-charges, takes the return very early, stands inside the court to return, steps in still further to take huge cuts with the BH and so on
Like with his serve, its high risk, high reward on the return. Agassi actually leads the unreturned serve percentage! - that's because Sampras is returning with abandon and committing may UEs with it (11 to 0 for Agassi - it would be difficult to get a UE against Sampras' delivery). Agassi's serve is very much returnable, Sampras' doesn't seem to be
Having been swept aside in the first set, Agassi gets a look in in the second when he breaks, courtesy of 2 double faults and an easy volleying miss. Sampras' volleying isn't particularly impressive in this match as a whole. Most of the ones he makes are easy - set up by powerful serves - and he nets some downright simple ones (4 UEs, most of them clear cut ones). Agassi has 2 break points to go up 4-0 - this time, earned through his own fine play. The first is on his own racquet but he misses a makeable BH dtl which he had to run to as Sampras hit a mediocore volley and ran back to try to cover the upcoming shot - the rest of the game is Sampras banging down unreturnable serves (including a second serve ace)
Agassi's relatively slow movement is a problem. The missed break point is one example - many players could have reached that ball and play it more comfortably than he did. Another example is when Sampras strikes a return of serve FH winner near enough down the middle of the court a foot or two away from Agassi. The ball is hit hard but so close to Andre that his inability to get a racquet on it at all is telling.
The persistent pressure Sampras puts Agassi's serve under leads to a rattled Andre serving doubles at crucial moments. There's one as Sampras breaks back and another when Sampras breaks again to take the lead. Agassi also starts missing his more aggressive baseline attempts at winners to give Pete more of a chance
As Sampras serves for the set and goes up 40-0, Agassi seems resigned. He very casually eases a second-serve over for a winner with a 1 handed BH and there is weariness written all over the shot.
A still rattled Agassi is broken at once at the start off the third, through his own errors from the baseline and a half-hearted attempt at serve-volleying. Awhile later, with Sampras tight in at net and Agassi having time to line up the pass, Andre smacks a wild FH that Sampras has to jerk his head out of the way off. The ball lands comfortably out... I don't know what the intent of the shot was, but it looks very much like Agassi wanted to hit Sampras and couldn't care less about making the pass.
Agassi manages to gain one further break point (again, largely due to back to back double faults), only for his fire breathing important to reel off 3 successive winners in the forecourt. The break point itself is erased with a third ball OH and the last point is Sampras' sole touch volley winner. No more chances for Agassi after that. He looks listless and resigned. Sampras by contrast has looked raring to go from ball one - even when he's down a break or double faulting or making errors of ordinary second serves
Other ways the match could have played out?
The match was on Sampras' racquet - no question about that. If he serves big, he'll win points and if his aggressive returns land in, he'll win frequently. Still, credit to him for backing up the aggressive returning with accurate baseline play. No FH unforced errors from Pete.... a rare occurence
The key for Agassi I think would have been to remain committed to playing his own game. Instead, he gets frazzled and starts making errors of the ground - mostly attacking shots. Agassi has 16 groundstroke errors o Sampras' 7 and despite Sampras having 3 extra volleying errors (invariably attacking shots or winner attempts), the players UEFI are about the same (Sampras 47.3, Agassi 47.1). You can see this in Agassi dishing out a low first serve percentage (48% to Pete's 61%) and large number of double faults (6 to Sampras' 10). Given how much bigger Pete was serving - as stated earlier, his second serve is bigger than Andre's first - this is an indication Agassi played poorly
Or to be more specific, the intense pressure Sampras' vicious attack put on him got to him and resulted in his playing relatively poorly.
Nothing to do if Sampras brings his 'A' game. Agassi doesn't have the firepower to respond in kind. But he can hold his own ship steady amidst the storm, rather than crack. A hint of a mental kink in Andre then
Summing up, despite Agassi dropping his level of play, primarily the credit goes to Sampras playing an uber aggressive brand of tennis - huge serves, blasting smashes, early and big cut returns and reasonably safe attacking groundstrokes. A handful to deal with, even on a less than fast court. Their round robin match earlier in the tournament was a different story.... (to be continued...)
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