Pete Sampras beat Boris Becker 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 the Wimbledon final, 1995 on grass
It was Sampras' 3rd straight title and would turn out to be the last of Becker's 7 finals at the event
Sampras won 138 points, Becker 108
Both players serve-volleyed off all serves
Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (57/106) 54%
- 1st serve points won (52/57) 91%
- 2nd serve points won (30/49) 61%
- Aces 24 (3 second serves, 1 possibly not clean), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (55/106) 52%
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (73/140) 52%
- 1st serve points won (58/73) 79%
- 2nd serve points won (26/67) 39%
- Aces 16 (2 second serves), Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 15
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (50/140) 36%
Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 33%
- to BH 61%
- to Body 6%
Becker served....
- to FH 32%
- to BH 59%
- to Body 9%
Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 75 (25 FH, 50 BH), including 1 runaround BH & 2 return-approaches
- 12 Winners (3 FH, 9 BH)
- 32 Errors, all forced...
- 32 Forced (10 FH, 22 BH)
- Return Rate (75/125) 60%
Becker made...
- 44 (11 FH, 33 BH)
- 5 Winners (2 FH, 3 BH)
- 30 Errors, all forced...
- 30 Forced (12 FH, 18 BH)
- Return Rate (44/99) 44%
Break Points
Sampras 5/16 (8 games)
Becker 0
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 35 (8 FH, 16 BH, 6 FHV, 2 BHV, 3 OH)
Becker 27 (5 FH, 5 BH, 9 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 3 BHV, 4 OH)
Sampras had 11 from serve-volley points
- 3 first volleys (3 FHV)
- 7 second volleys (2 FHV, 2 BHV, 3 OH)
- 1 third volley (1 FHV), a lob
- 1 from a return-approach point, a BH cc pass at net
- 12 return (all passes) (3 FH, 9 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl (on which Becker slipped) and 1 inside-out
- BH - 4 cc, 4 dtl and 1 inside-out
- 11 regular passes (5 FH, 6 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc at net, 2 dtl, 1 inside-out at net and 1 running-down-drop-volley cc at net
- BHs - 3 cc and 3 dtl
Becker had 18 from serve-volley points
- 13 first 'volleys' (8 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV, 2 OH, 1 FH at net)... the FH1/2V caught net chord and slowed down on way over
- 4 second volleys (1 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 OH)
- 1 third volley (1 OH)
- 4 returns passes (2 FH, 2 BH)
- FHs - 2 cc
- BHs - 2 dtl
- 1 non-pass return - a BH net chord dribbler
- 4 regular passes (2 FH, 2 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc and 1 dtl/inside-out
- BHs - 2 dtl
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 24
- 24 Forced (4 FH, 11 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 OH)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-volley at net
Becker 33
- 10 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH, 3 FHV, 5 BHV)... with 1 BH at net
- 23 Forced (8 FH, 8 BH, 2 FHV, 2 FH1/2V, 3 BHV)... with 1 FH at net (a pass attempt)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53
(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...
- 62/81 (77%) at net, including...
- 57/74 (77%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 30/35 (86%) off 1st serve and...
- 27/39 (69%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/2 return-approaching
- 1/1 retreated
Becker was...
- 67/110 (61%) at net, including...
- 66/107 (62%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 42/57 (74%) off 1st serve and...
- 24/50 (48%) off 2nd serve
---
- 0/1 forced back
Match Report
If there's been a more devastating, all round performance than Pete Sampras' here, I haven't seen it. Becker plays well... and is spifflicated for his troubles. Both players serve-volley 100% of the time
0 Unforced Errors in play from Sampras... I haven't seen or heard of such a thing. The often cited 3 UEs by John McEnroe in the '84 final is a total figure and made possible by his having had 0 double faults. Sampras has 7 but in play, not a 1 UE. Small matter of 35 winners and forcing 23 errors out of Becker to go along with it
Sampras locks down his service games tight as can be and Becker doesn't see a break point. In return games, the very strong Becker serve is dispatched to feeding Boris a diet of half-volleys and low volleys
Sampras Serve Game - Perfect?
Skimming over the serve itself, its near perfect
- 54% first serves in is moderate, but his second serving would make a good delivery for a good (not 'normal') servers first serve
- Wins 91% first serve points, which essentially means that 54% in is his freebie cushion
- 24 aces, 1 service winner. Becker is also banging down big serves, serves 34 more points... and has 16 and 2 respectively
- 52% unreturned rate. the 30 return errors he forces tend to be hard forced ones and even second serves would be forceful sans serve-volleying. Becker was on receiving end of similar figure in the '91 final versus Michael Stich. There, his return was somewhat at fault. Here its all Sampras' serve
Becker returns as well as he's allowed. He has no read on the serve, can only watch aces fly by, balls not far away from him might be a better way of putting it) are heavy enough that he regularly can't get return back to net
Usually when you see unreturned rate that high, returner faltering some or going for a lot on the return are factors. Not here. Boris returns about as well as he's allowed. He tones down his customary whack-everything-can-reach with will-miss-some-but-ones-that-go-in-will-be-damaging style out of necessity. There aren't enough balls in reach for it... and good amount of his returning is get return back anyway possible and still usually can't get it in
What he does return, he tends to strongly though. Plenty of tough half-volleys and low volleys for Sampras to cope with first up. Sampras keeps making them, especially the half-volleys. Just the 1 half-volley error - he faced a good many more that he's even to place reasonably well. Just 8 forecourt FEs on service games
Not many floating returns. Balls above net and about net high tend to be at least firmly hit and often more. They're volleyed into corners. Sampras being in 2-volley mode (first volley to corner and if needed, second to finish) instead of 1-volley mode (first volley for winners) is, if one is nit-picking severely, the only thing keeping his show on serve from being less than perfect
Just 3 first volley winners. 1 is an Edberg-esque FHV to firm ball just under net... and brings home how he wasn't looking to play such shots overall. Almost always, the first volley is put in corner, leaving Becker running passes
Wise of Pete to not bother about which side he's volleying to. Hit that far away from baseliner, it doesn't matter. Note Boris with equal FH and BH FEs (i.e. passing shots). Even great volleyers sometimes err in unduly aiming for BH
Finally, Pete's excellent at covering net for second volley. Boris does well to run down and get in play as many balls as he does... and tends to hit good passes when he can make them. Not putaway second volleys for Pete at all... but he zips about to cover the pass
In nutshell, all but perfect from Sampras, leaving Becker to do what little he can. He does it well, but... Sampras remains all but perfect
It was Sampras' 3rd straight title and would turn out to be the last of Becker's 7 finals at the event
Sampras won 138 points, Becker 108
Both players serve-volleyed off all serves
Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (57/106) 54%
- 1st serve points won (52/57) 91%
- 2nd serve points won (30/49) 61%
- Aces 24 (3 second serves, 1 possibly not clean), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (55/106) 52%
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (73/140) 52%
- 1st serve points won (58/73) 79%
- 2nd serve points won (26/67) 39%
- Aces 16 (2 second serves), Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 15
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (50/140) 36%
Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 33%
- to BH 61%
- to Body 6%
Becker served....
- to FH 32%
- to BH 59%
- to Body 9%
Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 75 (25 FH, 50 BH), including 1 runaround BH & 2 return-approaches
- 12 Winners (3 FH, 9 BH)
- 32 Errors, all forced...
- 32 Forced (10 FH, 22 BH)
- Return Rate (75/125) 60%
Becker made...
- 44 (11 FH, 33 BH)
- 5 Winners (2 FH, 3 BH)
- 30 Errors, all forced...
- 30 Forced (12 FH, 18 BH)
- Return Rate (44/99) 44%
Break Points
Sampras 5/16 (8 games)
Becker 0
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 35 (8 FH, 16 BH, 6 FHV, 2 BHV, 3 OH)
Becker 27 (5 FH, 5 BH, 9 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 3 BHV, 4 OH)
Sampras had 11 from serve-volley points
- 3 first volleys (3 FHV)
- 7 second volleys (2 FHV, 2 BHV, 3 OH)
- 1 third volley (1 FHV), a lob
- 1 from a return-approach point, a BH cc pass at net
- 12 return (all passes) (3 FH, 9 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl (on which Becker slipped) and 1 inside-out
- BH - 4 cc, 4 dtl and 1 inside-out
- 11 regular passes (5 FH, 6 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc at net, 2 dtl, 1 inside-out at net and 1 running-down-drop-volley cc at net
- BHs - 3 cc and 3 dtl
Becker had 18 from serve-volley points
- 13 first 'volleys' (8 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV, 2 OH, 1 FH at net)... the FH1/2V caught net chord and slowed down on way over
- 4 second volleys (1 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 OH)
- 1 third volley (1 OH)
- 4 returns passes (2 FH, 2 BH)
- FHs - 2 cc
- BHs - 2 dtl
- 1 non-pass return - a BH net chord dribbler
- 4 regular passes (2 FH, 2 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc and 1 dtl/inside-out
- BHs - 2 dtl
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 24
- 24 Forced (4 FH, 11 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 OH)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-volley at net
Becker 33
- 10 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH, 3 FHV, 5 BHV)... with 1 BH at net
- 23 Forced (8 FH, 8 BH, 2 FHV, 2 FH1/2V, 3 BHV)... with 1 FH at net (a pass attempt)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53
(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...
- 62/81 (77%) at net, including...
- 57/74 (77%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 30/35 (86%) off 1st serve and...
- 27/39 (69%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/2 return-approaching
- 1/1 retreated
Becker was...
- 67/110 (61%) at net, including...
- 66/107 (62%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 42/57 (74%) off 1st serve and...
- 24/50 (48%) off 2nd serve
---
- 0/1 forced back
Match Report
If there's been a more devastating, all round performance than Pete Sampras' here, I haven't seen it. Becker plays well... and is spifflicated for his troubles. Both players serve-volley 100% of the time
0 Unforced Errors in play from Sampras... I haven't seen or heard of such a thing. The often cited 3 UEs by John McEnroe in the '84 final is a total figure and made possible by his having had 0 double faults. Sampras has 7 but in play, not a 1 UE. Small matter of 35 winners and forcing 23 errors out of Becker to go along with it
Sampras locks down his service games tight as can be and Becker doesn't see a break point. In return games, the very strong Becker serve is dispatched to feeding Boris a diet of half-volleys and low volleys
Sampras Serve Game - Perfect?
Skimming over the serve itself, its near perfect
- 54% first serves in is moderate, but his second serving would make a good delivery for a good (not 'normal') servers first serve
- Wins 91% first serve points, which essentially means that 54% in is his freebie cushion
- 24 aces, 1 service winner. Becker is also banging down big serves, serves 34 more points... and has 16 and 2 respectively
- 52% unreturned rate. the 30 return errors he forces tend to be hard forced ones and even second serves would be forceful sans serve-volleying. Becker was on receiving end of similar figure in the '91 final versus Michael Stich. There, his return was somewhat at fault. Here its all Sampras' serve
Becker returns as well as he's allowed. He has no read on the serve, can only watch aces fly by, balls not far away from him might be a better way of putting it) are heavy enough that he regularly can't get return back to net
Usually when you see unreturned rate that high, returner faltering some or going for a lot on the return are factors. Not here. Boris returns about as well as he's allowed. He tones down his customary whack-everything-can-reach with will-miss-some-but-ones-that-go-in-will-be-damaging style out of necessity. There aren't enough balls in reach for it... and good amount of his returning is get return back anyway possible and still usually can't get it in
What he does return, he tends to strongly though. Plenty of tough half-volleys and low volleys for Sampras to cope with first up. Sampras keeps making them, especially the half-volleys. Just the 1 half-volley error - he faced a good many more that he's even to place reasonably well. Just 8 forecourt FEs on service games
Not many floating returns. Balls above net and about net high tend to be at least firmly hit and often more. They're volleyed into corners. Sampras being in 2-volley mode (first volley to corner and if needed, second to finish) instead of 1-volley mode (first volley for winners) is, if one is nit-picking severely, the only thing keeping his show on serve from being less than perfect
Just 3 first volley winners. 1 is an Edberg-esque FHV to firm ball just under net... and brings home how he wasn't looking to play such shots overall. Almost always, the first volley is put in corner, leaving Becker running passes
Wise of Pete to not bother about which side he's volleying to. Hit that far away from baseliner, it doesn't matter. Note Boris with equal FH and BH FEs (i.e. passing shots). Even great volleyers sometimes err in unduly aiming for BH
Finally, Pete's excellent at covering net for second volley. Boris does well to run down and get in play as many balls as he does... and tends to hit good passes when he can make them. Not putaway second volleys for Pete at all... but he zips about to cover the pass
In nutshell, all but perfect from Sampras, leaving Becker to do what little he can. He does it well, but... Sampras remains all but perfect
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