Pete Sampras beat Stefan Edberg 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Indian Wells semi-final, 1995 on hard court
Sampras would go onto defend his title by beating Andre Agassi in the final. Edberg was ranked 16 at the time
Sampras won 91 points, Edberg 88
Sampras serve-volleyed off all first serves and very rarely off seconds. Edberg serve-volleyed off all but 1 first serve and most of the time off seconds
(Note: I'm missing serve direction for 1 Sampras serve, an ace)
Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (53/90) 59%
- 1st serve points won (43/53) 81%
- 2nd serve points won (15/37) 41%
- Aces 13, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (34/90) 37%
Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (62/89) 70%
- 1st serve points won (44/62) 71%
- 2nd serve points won (12/27) 44%
- Aces 6 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (30/89) 34%
Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 34%
- to BH 56%
- to Body 9%
Edberg served...
- to FH 21%
- to BH 53%
- to Body 26%
Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 55 (14 FH, 41 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 1 return-approach
- 7 Winners (2 FH, 5 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 24 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 FH)
- 23 Forced (5 FH, 18 BH)
- Return Rate (55/85) 65%
Edberg made...
- 52 (15 FH, 37 BH), including 6 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (1 FH, 2 BH)
- 20 Errors, comprising...
- 2 Unforced (2 FH)
- 18 Forced (7 FH, 11 BH)
- Return Rate (52/86) 60%
Break Points
Sampras 4/8 (5 games)
Edberg 3/8 (5 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 27 (9 FH, 13 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV)
Edberg 23 (4 FH, 9 BH, 3 FHV, 6 BHV, 1 OH)
Sampras had 7 returns (2 FH, 5 BH), all passes
- FHs - 1 cc and 1 runaround dtl
- BHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 2 inside-out and 1 inside-in
- FH passes - 2 cc, 2 dtl and 1 inside-out
- BH passes - 1 cc, 5 dtl (1 at net) and 1 longline
- regular FH - 1 inside-out
-7 from serve-volley points -
- 3 first 'volleys' (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BH at net)
- 4 second 'volleys' (2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 FH at net)
Edberg had 8 from serve-volley points
- 7 first volleys (2 FHV, 5 BHV)
- 1 second volley (1 FHV)
- FH passes - 1 cc and 1 dtl return
- BH passes - 4 cc (1 net chord flicker), 1 dtl return, 1 inside-out return and 1 longline
- regular FHs - 2 inside-in
- regular BHs - 2 dtl
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 31
- 11 Unforced (4 FH, 4 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)... with 1 BH at net
- 20 Forced (4 FH, 13 BH, 1 BHV, 2 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.6
Edberg 26
- 12 Unforced (2 FH, 2 BH, 4 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 14 Forced (6 FH, 4 BH, 3 BHV, 1 Behind-Back Volley)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50
(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...
- 34/51 (67%) at net, including...
- 30/43 (70%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 29/39 (74%) off 1st serve and...
- 1/4 (25%) off 2nd serve
---
- 0/1 return-approaching
Edberg was...
- 51/82 (62%) at net, including...
- 46/70 (66%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 38/56 (68%) off 1st serve and...
- 8/14 (57%) off 2nd serve
---
- 2/6 (33%) return-approaching
Match Report
Good tight match of fluctuating form. Sampras' hand of card does seem the more likely to come out on top on a slow-ish hard court
Break points - Sampras 4/8, Edberg 3/8 with both players having them in 5 games. Sampras serves 1 more game, 1 more point and wins 3 more points. Looks as close as you can get
In numbers, Sampras' big serve advantage doesn't seem much of major difference either - he's only +3% up on unreturned serve. By eye though, its a huge difference - more Edberg's below average serve setting him back then Sampras' big one giving him a big advantage
Serve & Return
Edberg's serve is ordinary. And he directs it very predictably to close to Sampras with 53% to the BH and 26% to body. In other words, where Sampras can reach the ball without trouble. Lots of kick serves but they don't get up too high - typically, lower ribs level. Sans serve-volleying (Edberg serve volleys almost 100% of the time for 2 sets), I'd estimate Sampras could comfortably return 80% of it
With all the serve-volleying, Sampras returns 65%. But, he's got a good shot on every return. Wouldn't be at all surprising if he hit any number of the balls he misses for winners or hit them with error-forcing authority
By contrast, Sampras serves bombs - that Edberg does well to get racquet on
The two miss similar number of returns - Sampras 24, Edberg 20 (discounting aces) - the kind Sampras misses are also the ones he whacks for winners, while the kind Edberg misses are near unreturnable
With a starting dynamic like that, I'd expect Sampras to string a few returns together sooner or later to break. Edberg by contrast, would probably need Sampras to miss first serves or miss some easy volleys to have chances on return... the prospects are loaded against Edberg here
Sampras would go onto defend his title by beating Andre Agassi in the final. Edberg was ranked 16 at the time
Sampras won 91 points, Edberg 88
Sampras serve-volleyed off all first serves and very rarely off seconds. Edberg serve-volleyed off all but 1 first serve and most of the time off seconds
(Note: I'm missing serve direction for 1 Sampras serve, an ace)
Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (53/90) 59%
- 1st serve points won (43/53) 81%
- 2nd serve points won (15/37) 41%
- Aces 13, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (34/90) 37%
Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (62/89) 70%
- 1st serve points won (44/62) 71%
- 2nd serve points won (12/27) 44%
- Aces 6 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (30/89) 34%
Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 34%
- to BH 56%
- to Body 9%
Edberg served...
- to FH 21%
- to BH 53%
- to Body 26%
Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 55 (14 FH, 41 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 1 return-approach
- 7 Winners (2 FH, 5 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 24 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 FH)
- 23 Forced (5 FH, 18 BH)
- Return Rate (55/85) 65%
Edberg made...
- 52 (15 FH, 37 BH), including 6 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (1 FH, 2 BH)
- 20 Errors, comprising...
- 2 Unforced (2 FH)
- 18 Forced (7 FH, 11 BH)
- Return Rate (52/86) 60%
Break Points
Sampras 4/8 (5 games)
Edberg 3/8 (5 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 27 (9 FH, 13 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV)
Edberg 23 (4 FH, 9 BH, 3 FHV, 6 BHV, 1 OH)
Sampras had 7 returns (2 FH, 5 BH), all passes
- FHs - 1 cc and 1 runaround dtl
- BHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 2 inside-out and 1 inside-in
- FH passes - 2 cc, 2 dtl and 1 inside-out
- BH passes - 1 cc, 5 dtl (1 at net) and 1 longline
- regular FH - 1 inside-out
-7 from serve-volley points -
- 3 first 'volleys' (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BH at net)
- 4 second 'volleys' (2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 FH at net)
Edberg had 8 from serve-volley points
- 7 first volleys (2 FHV, 5 BHV)
- 1 second volley (1 FHV)
- FH passes - 1 cc and 1 dtl return
- BH passes - 4 cc (1 net chord flicker), 1 dtl return, 1 inside-out return and 1 longline
- regular FHs - 2 inside-in
- regular BHs - 2 dtl
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 31
- 11 Unforced (4 FH, 4 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)... with 1 BH at net
- 20 Forced (4 FH, 13 BH, 1 BHV, 2 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.6
Edberg 26
- 12 Unforced (2 FH, 2 BH, 4 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 14 Forced (6 FH, 4 BH, 3 BHV, 1 Behind-Back Volley)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50
(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...
- 34/51 (67%) at net, including...
- 30/43 (70%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 29/39 (74%) off 1st serve and...
- 1/4 (25%) off 2nd serve
---
- 0/1 return-approaching
Edberg was...
- 51/82 (62%) at net, including...
- 46/70 (66%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 38/56 (68%) off 1st serve and...
- 8/14 (57%) off 2nd serve
---
- 2/6 (33%) return-approaching
Match Report
Good tight match of fluctuating form. Sampras' hand of card does seem the more likely to come out on top on a slow-ish hard court
Break points - Sampras 4/8, Edberg 3/8 with both players having them in 5 games. Sampras serves 1 more game, 1 more point and wins 3 more points. Looks as close as you can get
In numbers, Sampras' big serve advantage doesn't seem much of major difference either - he's only +3% up on unreturned serve. By eye though, its a huge difference - more Edberg's below average serve setting him back then Sampras' big one giving him a big advantage
Serve & Return
Edberg's serve is ordinary. And he directs it very predictably to close to Sampras with 53% to the BH and 26% to body. In other words, where Sampras can reach the ball without trouble. Lots of kick serves but they don't get up too high - typically, lower ribs level. Sans serve-volleying (Edberg serve volleys almost 100% of the time for 2 sets), I'd estimate Sampras could comfortably return 80% of it
With all the serve-volleying, Sampras returns 65%. But, he's got a good shot on every return. Wouldn't be at all surprising if he hit any number of the balls he misses for winners or hit them with error-forcing authority
By contrast, Sampras serves bombs - that Edberg does well to get racquet on
The two miss similar number of returns - Sampras 24, Edberg 20 (discounting aces) - the kind Sampras misses are also the ones he whacks for winners, while the kind Edberg misses are near unreturnable
With a starting dynamic like that, I'd expect Sampras to string a few returns together sooner or later to break. Edberg by contrast, would probably need Sampras to miss first serves or miss some easy volleys to have chances on return... the prospects are loaded against Edberg here