Stefan Edberg beat Boris Becker 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-1 in the final of the Masters (Year End Championship) 1989 on indoor carpet at Madison Square Garden, New York
It was Edberg's only Year Final title, while Becker was the defending champion and had won both Wimbledon, US Open and been the key figure in West Germany's Davis Cup triumph that year. Becker had handily won the pairs round robin match earlier in the tournament
Both players serve-volleyed on virtually all their first serves (Edberg all but 1, Becker all but 3), and Edberg did so on the majority of his second serves as well
Edberg won 122 points, Becker 117
Serve Stats
Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (75/118) 64%
- 1st serve points won (48/75) 64%
- 2nd serve points won (25/43) 58%
- Aces 3, Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (35/118) 30%
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (59/121) 49%
- 1st serve points won (45/59) 76%
- 2nd serve points won (27/62) 44%
- Aces 12, Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (33/121) 27%
Serve Pattern
Edberg served...
- to FH 35%
- to BH 50%
- to Body 14%
Becker served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 69%
- to Body 2%
Return Stats
Edberg made...
- 82 (26 FH, 56 BH), including 2 runaround FHs and 2 chip-charges
- 3 Winners (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 18 Errors, comprising...
- 6 Unforced (2 FH, 4 BH)
- 12 Forced ( 5 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (82/115) 71%
Becker made...
- 78 (28 FH, 50 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 6 Winner (2 FH, 4 BH)
- 30 Errors, all forced (14 FH, 16 BH), including 1 runaround FH with Edberg serve-volleying on all the points
- Return Rate (78/113) 69%
Break Points
Edberg 7/13 (8 games)
Becker 3/4 (4 games)
Winners (including returns)
Edberg 38 (5 FH, 8 BH, 6 FHV, 9 BHV, 10 OH)
Becker 29 (10 FH, 9 BH, 4 FHV, 4 BHV, 2 OH)
For Edberg, 14/15 volleys and 8/10 overheads were from serve-volley points - 9 first volleys (4 FHV, 4 BHV, 1 OH), 12 second volleys (2 FHV, 4 BHV, 6 OH) and 1 third volley (1 OH). A second volley FHV was his only drop volley
- 1 OH was played with both players at net
- 9 passes (4 FH, 5 BH). Of the FHs, 2 were returns, 1 i-o and one at net chasing down a drop volley. Of the BHs, 2 were cc, 1 lob, 1 return i-o played from far behind the baseline and 1 played with both players at net
- non-pass groundstrokes 4 (1 FH, 3 BH). The FH was cc, 2 BHs dtl and 1 i-o
Becker had 6 volley winners of s/v points - 5 second volleys (3 FHV, 2 BHV) and 1 third FHV. He also had a third ball FH at net
- 1 BHV was a diving drop volley
- 16 passes (8 FH, 8 BH). The FHs include 2 returns, both cc. The BHs include 4 returns - 2 inside-in, 1 dtl and 1 inadvertent lob
- non-Return passes are fairly even distributed between cc and dtl. 1 lob, a little under-chip BH
Errors(excluding returns and serve)
Edberg 50
- 13 Unforced (1 FH, 3 BH, 3 FHV, 6 BHV)
- 37 Forced (10 FH, 10 BH, 6 FHV, 2 FH1/2V, 7 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 OH)
Becker 43
- 14 Unforced (14 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV)
- 29 Forced (7 FH, 13 BH, 3 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV, 3 BH1/2V, 1 OH)
(Note: All half volleys refer to such shots played at net. Groundstroke half volleys have been included within the broader category of groundstrokes)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Edberg was 72/116 (62%) at net, including 61/98 (62%) serve-volleying - 42/69 (61%) off first serves, 19/29 (66%) off second - and 1/2 chip-charge returning
He was 1/2 when forced back from net
Becker was 40/62 (65%), including 32/49 (65%) serve-volleying - 29/41 (70%) off first serves, 3/8 (38%) off second
He was 1/2 when forced back from net
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Match Report
A strange match that began the way it did not continue. Becker is the much better player in the first set, as Edberg struggles to get the return in, while the German has no such trouble. Both are prone to UEs in the baseline exchanges that take place on Becker's 2nd serve points. Becker frequently tries to lob Edberg, and forces the Swede to make several awkward overheads
The ending of the second set is glorious stuff. Becker serves to take it to a tiebreaker but finds himself in quite a bit of trouble. Serve-volleying of a second serve, he's passed by a splend BH inside-out return from way behind the baseline. A couple of points later, a diving FHV isn't good enough to keep Edberg from making the pass at net and bring up set point. This is saved by a diving BHV winner. Finally, Becker seals the game with a FH cc pass on a rare 1st serve point he stayed back on
The tiebreaker is strange. Edberg basically does a Becker. All 7 of his service points are 1 shot deals - 2 aces, 2 doubles, a service winner and 2 Forced return errors. He seals the set with a brutal step in FH return winner.
Becker gains a break to start the 3rd but after Edberg breaks back, the match is one sided. Becker looks curiously uninspired.
For one thing, his first serve disappears. From after the first game of the 3rd set to the end of the match, his 1st serve percentage stands at 15/46 @ 33%, s/v's once off a second serve (loses the point) and wins just 10/31 of his 2nd serve points
Game 4, 4th set is particularly bad as Becker double faults 3 times and makes an awful FH error on break point in a 12 point game
There's plenty of baseline exchanges in this part of the match, with Becker usually missing his first serve and staying back on his second, and neither player appears to seem to have a pointed plan to take the net in these. In other words, they play normal, baseline tennis.
Becker is below on these. He's less aggressive as usual but does make the type of errors he's prone to anyway. Edberg uses his BH to open up the court.... creating sharp angles with it as well as attacking down the line when appropriate. On the FH, he's extremely secure, with high net coverage (just the 1 UE!), but not penetrating.
(One hears a lot about Edberg's "FH weakness". It looks to me as if it's a "weakness" as far as it not being dangerous goes. Since so many FHs are dangerous, point ending shots (like Becker's), I can see why he might have gained this reputation. But in the matches of his I've watched recently, its a dependable shot... it seems to have earned its reputation in the same way some people's BHs get a rep for being weak i.e. "not lethal" = weakness)
A key factor in the baseline exchanges is the relative speed of the players. Edberg is fleet of foot, Becker is if not slow, certainly not fast. Becker does force many errors from Edberg from the baseline so Edberg's miserly 4 groundstroke UEs might be a misinterpreted without this context
Edberg seems to have planned out serving close to Becker's body for the match. In addition to all the body serves, he not only rarely serves close to the lines but also rarely in Becker's hitting zone. In other words, the plan seems to be to cramp Becker with and not allow him to free his arms - even when the serves aren't body serves.
A note on Edberg's volleying. Its very good and he makes several difficult volleys. Still, I've marked him with 9 UEs on the volley, which looks on the high side for someone volleying well. I don't think many of these were easy volleys per se, but highly makeable ones. He's also very good on the smash in this match and most if not all of the ones he hits winners off are not put-aways
All in all, despite Edberg's classy showing, my feeling is Becker played badly more so than Edberg played well... and I do get the sense that if Becker plays well, he would beat Edberg most of the time due to the large difference in how well each can return the others serve
It was Edberg's only Year Final title, while Becker was the defending champion and had won both Wimbledon, US Open and been the key figure in West Germany's Davis Cup triumph that year. Becker had handily won the pairs round robin match earlier in the tournament
Both players serve-volleyed on virtually all their first serves (Edberg all but 1, Becker all but 3), and Edberg did so on the majority of his second serves as well
Edberg won 122 points, Becker 117
Serve Stats
Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (75/118) 64%
- 1st serve points won (48/75) 64%
- 2nd serve points won (25/43) 58%
- Aces 3, Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (35/118) 30%
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (59/121) 49%
- 1st serve points won (45/59) 76%
- 2nd serve points won (27/62) 44%
- Aces 12, Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (33/121) 27%
Serve Pattern
Edberg served...
- to FH 35%
- to BH 50%
- to Body 14%
Becker served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 69%
- to Body 2%
Return Stats
Edberg made...
- 82 (26 FH, 56 BH), including 2 runaround FHs and 2 chip-charges
- 3 Winners (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 18 Errors, comprising...
- 6 Unforced (2 FH, 4 BH)
- 12 Forced ( 5 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (82/115) 71%
Becker made...
- 78 (28 FH, 50 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 6 Winner (2 FH, 4 BH)
- 30 Errors, all forced (14 FH, 16 BH), including 1 runaround FH with Edberg serve-volleying on all the points
- Return Rate (78/113) 69%
Break Points
Edberg 7/13 (8 games)
Becker 3/4 (4 games)
Winners (including returns)
Edberg 38 (5 FH, 8 BH, 6 FHV, 9 BHV, 10 OH)
Becker 29 (10 FH, 9 BH, 4 FHV, 4 BHV, 2 OH)
For Edberg, 14/15 volleys and 8/10 overheads were from serve-volley points - 9 first volleys (4 FHV, 4 BHV, 1 OH), 12 second volleys (2 FHV, 4 BHV, 6 OH) and 1 third volley (1 OH). A second volley FHV was his only drop volley
- 1 OH was played with both players at net
- 9 passes (4 FH, 5 BH). Of the FHs, 2 were returns, 1 i-o and one at net chasing down a drop volley. Of the BHs, 2 were cc, 1 lob, 1 return i-o played from far behind the baseline and 1 played with both players at net
- non-pass groundstrokes 4 (1 FH, 3 BH). The FH was cc, 2 BHs dtl and 1 i-o
Becker had 6 volley winners of s/v points - 5 second volleys (3 FHV, 2 BHV) and 1 third FHV. He also had a third ball FH at net
- 1 BHV was a diving drop volley
- 16 passes (8 FH, 8 BH). The FHs include 2 returns, both cc. The BHs include 4 returns - 2 inside-in, 1 dtl and 1 inadvertent lob
- non-Return passes are fairly even distributed between cc and dtl. 1 lob, a little under-chip BH
Errors(excluding returns and serve)
Edberg 50
- 13 Unforced (1 FH, 3 BH, 3 FHV, 6 BHV)
- 37 Forced (10 FH, 10 BH, 6 FHV, 2 FH1/2V, 7 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 OH)
Becker 43
- 14 Unforced (14 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV)
- 29 Forced (7 FH, 13 BH, 3 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV, 3 BH1/2V, 1 OH)
(Note: All half volleys refer to such shots played at net. Groundstroke half volleys have been included within the broader category of groundstrokes)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Edberg was 72/116 (62%) at net, including 61/98 (62%) serve-volleying - 42/69 (61%) off first serves, 19/29 (66%) off second - and 1/2 chip-charge returning
He was 1/2 when forced back from net
Becker was 40/62 (65%), including 32/49 (65%) serve-volleying - 29/41 (70%) off first serves, 3/8 (38%) off second
He was 1/2 when forced back from net
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Match Report
A strange match that began the way it did not continue. Becker is the much better player in the first set, as Edberg struggles to get the return in, while the German has no such trouble. Both are prone to UEs in the baseline exchanges that take place on Becker's 2nd serve points. Becker frequently tries to lob Edberg, and forces the Swede to make several awkward overheads
The ending of the second set is glorious stuff. Becker serves to take it to a tiebreaker but finds himself in quite a bit of trouble. Serve-volleying of a second serve, he's passed by a splend BH inside-out return from way behind the baseline. A couple of points later, a diving FHV isn't good enough to keep Edberg from making the pass at net and bring up set point. This is saved by a diving BHV winner. Finally, Becker seals the game with a FH cc pass on a rare 1st serve point he stayed back on
The tiebreaker is strange. Edberg basically does a Becker. All 7 of his service points are 1 shot deals - 2 aces, 2 doubles, a service winner and 2 Forced return errors. He seals the set with a brutal step in FH return winner.
Becker gains a break to start the 3rd but after Edberg breaks back, the match is one sided. Becker looks curiously uninspired.
For one thing, his first serve disappears. From after the first game of the 3rd set to the end of the match, his 1st serve percentage stands at 15/46 @ 33%, s/v's once off a second serve (loses the point) and wins just 10/31 of his 2nd serve points
Game 4, 4th set is particularly bad as Becker double faults 3 times and makes an awful FH error on break point in a 12 point game
There's plenty of baseline exchanges in this part of the match, with Becker usually missing his first serve and staying back on his second, and neither player appears to seem to have a pointed plan to take the net in these. In other words, they play normal, baseline tennis.
Becker is below on these. He's less aggressive as usual but does make the type of errors he's prone to anyway. Edberg uses his BH to open up the court.... creating sharp angles with it as well as attacking down the line when appropriate. On the FH, he's extremely secure, with high net coverage (just the 1 UE!), but not penetrating.
(One hears a lot about Edberg's "FH weakness". It looks to me as if it's a "weakness" as far as it not being dangerous goes. Since so many FHs are dangerous, point ending shots (like Becker's), I can see why he might have gained this reputation. But in the matches of his I've watched recently, its a dependable shot... it seems to have earned its reputation in the same way some people's BHs get a rep for being weak i.e. "not lethal" = weakness)
A key factor in the baseline exchanges is the relative speed of the players. Edberg is fleet of foot, Becker is if not slow, certainly not fast. Becker does force many errors from Edberg from the baseline so Edberg's miserly 4 groundstroke UEs might be a misinterpreted without this context
Edberg seems to have planned out serving close to Becker's body for the match. In addition to all the body serves, he not only rarely serves close to the lines but also rarely in Becker's hitting zone. In other words, the plan seems to be to cramp Becker with and not allow him to free his arms - even when the serves aren't body serves.
A note on Edberg's volleying. Its very good and he makes several difficult volleys. Still, I've marked him with 9 UEs on the volley, which looks on the high side for someone volleying well. I don't think many of these were easy volleys per se, but highly makeable ones. He's also very good on the smash in this match and most if not all of the ones he hits winners off are not put-aways
All in all, despite Edberg's classy showing, my feeling is Becker played badly more so than Edberg played well... and I do get the sense that if Becker plays well, he would beat Edberg most of the time due to the large difference in how well each can return the others serve
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