Duel Match Stats/Reports - Sampras vs Edberg, Year End Championship round robins, 1993 & 1994

[Waspsting]

Pete Sampras beat Stefan Edberg 6-3, 7-6(3) in the Year End Championship round robin, 1993 on indoor carpet in Frankfurt, Germany

Sampras would go onto lose in the final to Michael Stich. He would top the group with a 3-0 record. Edberg would be eliminated, finishing third in the group with a 1-2 (beat Sergi Bruguera, loss to Goran Ivanisevic)

Sampras won 75 points, Edberg 67

Sampras serve-volleyed off all first serves and about a third off second serves, Edberg off all serves

(Note: I’ve made confident guesses/deductions regarding serve type for a small number of points)

Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (45/74) 61%
- 1st serve points won (35/45) 78%
- 2nd serve points won (16/29) 55%
- Aces 9, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (26/74) 35%

Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (41/68) 60%
- 1st serve points won (29/41) 71%
- 2nd serve points won (15/27) 56%
- Aces 5 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (23/68) 34%

Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 49%
- to BH 44%
- to Body 7%

Edberg served...
- to FH 52%
- to BH 33%
- to Body 16%

Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 41 (22 FH, 19 BH)
- 7 Winners (3 FH, 4 BH)
- 18 Errors, all forced...
- 18 Forced (8 FH, 10 BH)
- Return Rate (41/64) 64%

Edberg made...
- 44 (21 FH, 23 BH), including 10 return-approaches
- 5 Winners (3 FH, 2 BH)
- 16 Errors, comprising...
- 4 Unforced (3 FH, 1 BH)
- 12 Forced (6 FH, 6 BH)
- Return Rate (44/70) 63%

Break Points
Sampras 2/8 (3 games)
Edberg 1/5 (3 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 23 (4 FH, 9 BH, 3 FHV, 5 BHV, 2 OH)
Edberg 23 (3 FH, 4 BH, 4 FHV, 7 BHV, 4 OH, 1 BHOH)

Sampras had 9 from serve-volley points -
- 5 first 'volleys' (3 FHV, 1 OH, 1 BH at net)... the BH at net was also a pass
- 4 second volleys (4 BHV)

- 12 passes - 7 returns (3 FH, 4 BH) & 5 regular (1 FH, 4 BH)
- FH returns -1 cc, 1 cc/lob (a mishit that Edberg probably left), 1 dtl
- BH returns - 2 cc, 2 inside-in
- regular FH - 1 inside-in
- regular BHs - 3 cc, 1 dtl

Edberg had 14 from serve-volley points -
- 7 first volleys (3 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 6 second volleys (1 BHV, 4 OH, 1 BHOH)
- 1 fourth volley (1 BHV)

- 2 from return-approach points (1 FHV, 1 BHV), both net-to-net shots

- 6 passes - 4 returns (2 FH, 2 BH) & 2 regular (2 BH)
- FH returns - 2 dtl
- BH returns - 1 cc (that Sampras left), 1 inside-in
- regular BHs - 2 dtl

- non-pass FH return - 1 cc

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 17
- 6 Unforced (2 FH, 1 BH, 1 FHV, 2 BHV)
- 11 Forced (5 FH, 3 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net & the BH1/2V was possibly a BHV
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.3

Edberg 22
- 6 Unforced (2 BH, 3 FHV, 1 BHV)... with 1 BH at net-to-net
- 16 Forced (3 FH, 7 BH, 3 FHV, 3 BHV)... with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net & 1 BH at net pass attempt
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 60

(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 are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
Sampras was...
- 35/51 (69%) at net, including...
- 32/44 (73%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 25/35 (71%) off 1st serve and...
- 7/9 (78%) off 2nd serve
---
- 0/1 forced back

Edberg was...
- 44/71 (62%) at net, including...
- 39/59 (66%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 25/37 (68%) off 1st serve and...
- 14/22 (64%) off 2nd serve
---
- 4/10 (40%) return-approaching

Match Report
Sampras is at his best (with possible exception of tactically) and Edberg’s at his most audacious (particularly with return-approaching to confront the serve-volleying Sampras nose-to-nose) in a sparkling contest. Sampras has better serve, is a bit more stable of game and wins. Court is fast

What is Sampras at his best? And what’s wrong with him tactically?
He serve-volleys off all first serves. Off second serves, he serve-volleys just 36% of time, winning 78%. Stays back bulk 64%, he wins 56% of time and wins
Would probably do better to second serve-volley more. In ‘93, this frequency of second serve-volleying would be Pete’s norm

But he’s on top of both the volley and pass (including return)
Generally, Pete likes to steer/guide first volley to open court. Opponent can reach the ball fairly comfortably on the run. Here, he’s hard punching volleys into corners, and Edberg at full run is left with very improbable passing chance. Misses very little being so aggressive with the volley

Returns cleanly and efficiently. Short, compact swing and played as ball warrants. At times, no more than a push-block, at others a decent, but still compact swing. Times the ball beautifully and even the push-blocks fly back, with good lot of return-winners and tough first volleys for the 100% serve-volleying Edberg to deal with. It needs a good return to draw a not-strong volley because Edberg’s even more bloodthirsty on the volley than Pete, but excellently timed, banging follow-up passes when there’s a chance for them too

And what is Edberg at his most audacious? Aggressive volleying is his norm, but he’s a bit beyond that. He’s hard punching even low-ish volleys into corners and anything to be dispatched is dispatched as decisively as can be

Moves beautifully to make tough returns to wide serves. He’s got good lot of return winners too, though his tend to be stretched out pokes rather than neat swings (function of how good Pete’s serve is, nothing for Edberg to do about that). Way Pete volleys, not too many chances on pass after that

Well as he plays, Edberg’s still trails because Pete’s first serve is that much more damaging. Great job to to return so many tough serves, but rest is out of his hands. Something more is needed. Edberg takes to return-approaching. Hit and run stuff, not chip-charge

Against first serves and seconds. Mostly when Pete’s serve-volleying (first or second serve). If he sees he’s got a return wide or/and low, he comes in behind it. Its low percentage stuff, but alternative is having Pete routine volley his way to holds. Pulls off some stunning plays so doing and it has the potential to disrupt opponent beyond just points won and lost. Pete calmly continues his own game to his credit

And match is close. Closer than scoreline might suggest
Pete wins 1 more point than he serves, Edberg 1 less
Break points - Pete 2/8, Edberg 1/5, with both having them in 3 games

In first set, Pete grabs 1/2 break points (both in same game), Edberg is 0/1 as Pete serves out, missing a couple of not-easy finishing shots that he’d beautifully set up with bold return-approaches
Double fault and easy FHV UE cost Edberg the second set tiebreak, with Pete being the one to have harder time holding in the immediate lead up, including holding a late game from 0-40 down

Not much in it, but Pete’s bigger serve swing prospects his way. His getting winning, let alone testing returns off not infrequently, while when Edberg is able to, it stands out as rare. Pete would need to mess up on the volley (or bomb staying back on second serves) to make up for that and he does neither. In fact, its Edberg’s errors at net that swing both sets

First serve in (Pete 61%, Edberg 60% and second serve won (Pete 55%, Edberg 56%) being virtually equal leaves things to be played out on first serve points
First serve points won - Pete 78%, Edberg 71%

Looking at it from a different perspective
- unreturneds and double faults virtually equal (unreturends Pete 35%, Edberg 34% and both with 4 double faults, with Edberg serving 2 more second serves)
- winners and UEs are equal (both with 23 winners, 6 UEs), leaving just FEs to look at

- FEs - Pete 11, Edberg 16
… with Pete having fewer both off the ground (8-10) and on the ‘volley’ (3-6). Those FEs flowing out his bigger first serve, which results in him getting strong returns off more often

Pete’s serve game
Impressive 9 aces, 1 service winner or an unreturnable 22% off first serves (Edberg has 10% - which is high for him) to get things started

Rest of first serves, he serve-volleys. As mentioned earlier, particularly damaging volleying from Pete. Volley is putaway or hard punched to corners leaving very unlikely passing chances

‘Volley’ Winners - 11
‘Volley’ errors - 3 UEs, 3 FEs

From Edberg’s side -
Passing winners - 8 (counting 2 net-to-net volleys from return-approaches)
Ground FEs (virtually all passes) - 10 (not counting net-to-net volley FEs return-approaching)
and 1 at net passing UE (which he does remarkably well to create chance at from a return-approach

Only 2 ground-to-net passing winners, with rest being returns. Against 10 ground FEs, not good - but with the hopeless kind of chances they are, normal. Pete’s volleying too good to allow better
Off his 4 return-pass winners, 1 Pete misjudges and leaves and 2 are basically poked dtl at full stretch. Leaving just 1 clean struck winner (which strangely happens to be first point of the match)

Edberg’s done well to return at 63% against what he’s faced with. That figure could easily be done around 50%. Like Pete, times returns well. About as well as he can hope for. It looks more like honed technique than any deliberate intent that sees him get reasonable number of returns low-ish and flat and nothing to do about Pete swiping volleys away to end points

The very daring hit-&-run return-approaches sees Edberg win 4/10 points. Relative success and at ordinary times, and especially so given what crazy, low percentage shots they are

 

[Waspsting]

If Edberg’s off at all, its in missing 4 second returns with Pete staying back. He can’t be sure if Pete’s coming in or not and smacks second returns constantly. Sans those 4 misses, Pete’s non serve-volley second points stand at 5/12 (also excluding double faults). Fair, even yield, though he wins most crucial point in serving out the first set, with Edberg missing a return-approaching volley as he’s caught in 2 minds to play or leave the ball

Gist - not much chance for Edberg, against excellent serving at good in count and very decisive volleying. Getting returns in play and hoping for the best after that (and double faults) would ordinarily be the way things play out

Edberg makes something more of it by return-approaching to take on Pete net-to-net. Gets a little something out of it - and every little bit potentially counts big in altering result. Pete very poised against it though

Edberg’s serve game
100% serve-volleying from Edberg. He serves bigger than his norm. 4 first serve aces is on high side for him (he also has a second)

Serve pattern is a little strange (52% to FH, 33% to BH, 16% to body). Pete times BH returns particularly well and the body serves are quick enough that it’d be difficult for Pete to move aside and play FHs to them

Pete with 8 FH return errors to 10 BHs, but he has 1 extra BH return winner. Most days, would be a bad serving pattern, but Pete’s BH returning is particularly well timed with FH more apt to mis-hit

Volley Winners - 14 (excluding 2 from return-approaches, which are passes)
‘Volley’ errors - 3 UEs, 3 FEs (excluding return-approach points)

Pete with 12 passing winners (excluding 1 against a return-approach) and just 8 ground FEs
Sans returns, Pete with 5 passing winners

5 passing winners for 8 ground FEs is excellent. He needs a powerful return to draw a volley that leaves him not-hopeless passing chance. And whenever he can, he seems to deliver the winning pass (good lot of the FEs would be hopeless chances)

Excellent hit-rate on the follow-up pass when its possible (which isn’t often - and even to make it possible needs first step of a very good return), and excellent, clinically powerful returning, with timing standing out

And Edberg swishing volleys are a cut above even Pete’s vigorous ones. Including against low-ish stuff. He’s not taking any prisoners out there

6/6 Edberg’s UEs are winner attempts, including a BH dtl from the baseline. Never seen that before

Gist - Fierce volleying from Edberg, but Pete making enough good returns and passing very surely off both wings against what little isn’t impossible to gain some counter-play. His prospects for breaking look better than Edberg’s do
Staying back off a few second serves is a luxury Edberg probably couldn’t afford (though its not smart) and no need to do crazy things like return-approach against a very fluent serve-volleyer

In all, Pete with little better prospects of breaking

Match Progression
High in count of 64% along with hot and heavy serving from Pete in first set. Edberg does well to guide so many returns back, occasionally getting it a little wide or/low. Edberg with lower 61% in count, serving more powerfully than his norm, but Pete times returns beautifully

First point of match is Edberg dismissing a BH inside-in return pass winner; the cleanest, conventional return he makes all match

Pete grabs the early break for 3-1. Double fault and 2 return-pass winners (1 mishit, which Edberg probably leaves) get him to 15-40 and Edberg misses an easy line BHV after acing away first break point

Some nice points and shots for rest of set, but no break points until Pete steps up to serve for set

Proves to be a very tight game, with Pete making just 3/8 first serves. Very first point is 1 of them and a stretched out Edberg pushes the return dtl for a passing winner. He return-approaches next point and Pete unleashes a powerful, but comfy height pass. Edberg’s in 2 minds to play the ball or let it go and comes down late, making a complete mess of the volley. Pace of the shot makes it not a given, but its not overly rushing and height is perfect for a putaway

Edberg goes on to reach break point, where there’s nothing he can do against 2 corner volleys but give up error. Point after is another return-approach - this time with Pete second serve-volleying - with the return low and a little wide. Pete does well to make the volley at all, but a very quick Edberg has BH dtl at net open for winner, with ball low enough to make clearing the net tricky. He misses - not too easy a shot, but a UE
Edberg misses a routine second return to close out the set

Pete starts set 2 with 3 straight passing winners (FH dtl return, BH dtl and BH inside-in return) to reach 0-40. Edberg gets to deuce - the first break point he saves is a spectacular point where Pete’s dragged to net and then forced back before Edberg eventually hits a high, fourth volley BHV winner
Another passing winner (BH cc) raises another break point later in the game, and this time, Edberg double faults

He breaks right back. BH dtl pass winner and an amazing, low BHV net-to-net winner return-approaching get Edberg to 15-30 before Pete double faults twice in a row

He saves 2 break points to consolidate in a game with a a bit of everything - couple of return winners (BH inside-in and FH cc) from Pete, couple of OH winners from Edberg (1 BHOH), an easy volley volley miss, a double, missed returns against good serves and not such a good one

Edberg has better ot things from there, with Pete holding 8 and 12 point games in leveling for 3-3 and then 4-4

He’s down 0-40 the second time. Rare sight of Pete not putting away an OH leads to him missing an easy BHV and he leaves the next return that lands in for winner, before missing a routine FHV. Powerful serves get him out trouble, and not even 2 daring return-approaches from Edberg (wins 1 point, just misses with BH at net on the other) can get Edberg over the line

Another amazing return-approach vs serve-volley play by Edberg in game 10, where he again comes away with a FHV winner after making shoelace volley under Pete’s nose

Things move onto to tiebreak. Pete’s served 41 points, Edberg 40 in reaching it

Pete’s in bad position against low ball on the baseline with Edberg return-approaching on point 3, but manages to power a winning pass. He's been hitting powerful shots from unlikley positions like this often enough that it doesn't look a fluke, and it takes him to 2-1
Double fault and regulation FHV miss later, Pete’s up 4-1. His remaining 3 serves don’t come back - 2 of them second serves he stays back on

Summing up, fun and bright little match with Sampras’ big first serve giving him edge. Edberg does very well to return as many serves as he does - what with them being powerful and wide - and is technique is such that he even gets fair few low-ish and wide. Sampras though is very good on the volley. Vigour of his punching balls on the full is exceptional for him and leaves Edberg little chance on the pass

Edberg livens things up still more by hit-&-run return-approaching to confront Sampras at net. Sampras holds his nerve to deal effectively, with Edberg pulling of a couple of breathtaking winning plays too

On flip side, above norm strong serving from Edberg, and its still far short of Sampras’ delivery. Good enough to have Sampras in trouble, though he also smacks and times returns with power too. Edberg’s even more ferocious on the volley than Sampras is, bordering on rashly so

Not much in result. Couple of crucial misses by Edberg as Sampras serves out first set and a 2 point stumble in second set tiebreak settle matters in the more contained Sampras’ favour

Stats for the final between Sampras and Michael Stich - Match Stats/Report - Stich vs Sampras, Year End Championship final, 1993 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)

 

[BorgTheGOAT]

Pete Sampras beat Stefan Edberg 6-3, 7-6(3) in the Year End Championship round robin, 1994 on indoor carpet in Frankfurt, Germany

Guess this means 1993?

 

[Waspsting]

Sampras beat Edberg 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) in the Year End Championship round robin, 1994 on indoor carpet in Frankfurt, Germany

Sampras would go onto win the title, beating Boris Becker in the final. He would finish second in the group with a 2-1 record, ahead of Edberg with 1-2 who would be eliminated. Becker would top the group with a 3-0 record

Sampras won 100 points, Edberg 91

Both players serve-volleyed off all first serves. Off second serves, Sampras negligible, Edberg little over half the time

Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (53/97) 55%
- 1st serve points won (44/53) 83%
- 2nd serve points won (26/44) 59%
- Aces 10 (1 possibly not clean), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (35/97) 36%

Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (56/94) 60%
- 1st serve points won (45/56) 80%
- 2nd serve points won (19/38) 50%
- Aces 10
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (40/94) 43%

Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 47%
- to BH 48%
- to Body 5%

Edberg served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 53%
- to Body 17%

Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 49 (19 FH, 30 BH), including 5 runaround return & 2 return-approaches
- 4 Winners (2 FH, 2 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 30 Errors, comprising...
- 2 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH)
- 28 Forced (12 FH, 16 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- Return Rate (49/89) 55%

Edberg made...
- 59 (25 FH, 34 BH), including 14 return-approaches
- 2 Winners (2 FH)
- 24 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (1 FH, 4 BH), including 2 return-approach attempts
- 19 Forced (12 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (59/94) 63%

Break Points
Sampras 2/8 (4 games)
Edberg 2/3 (2 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 25 (8 FH, 8 BH, 5 FHV, 4 BHV)
Edberg 24 (6 FH, 9 BH, 6 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH)

Sampras had 7 from serve-volley points -
- 4 first 'volleys' (2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 FH at net)
- 3 second volleys (1 FHV, 2 BHV)

- 1 other FHV was a non-net shot

- 14 passes - 4 returns (2 FH, 2 BH) & 10 regular (4 FH, 6 BH)
- FH returns - 1 runaround dtl, 1 inside-in
- BH returns - 2 inside-in (1 left by Edberg)
- regular FHs - 1 dtl, 1 dtl/inside-out, 1 inside-in (not clean), 1 lob
- regular BHs - 4 cc, 1 dtl, 1 inside-out/dtl

- regular (non-pass) FH - 1 dtl

Edberg had 8 from serve-volley points -
- 5 first 'volleys' (3 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BH at net)
- 3 second volleys (1 FHV, 2 OH)... the FHV was a net chord dribbler with Sampras at net

- 1 from a return-approach point, a FHV

- 1 other FHV was a non-net shot

- 12 passes - 2 returns (2 FH) & 10 regular (4 FH, 6 BH)
- FH returns - 1 dtl, 1 inside-out
- regular FHs - 2 cc, 1 dtl, 1 inside-out
- regular BHs - 4 cc, 1 inside-out/dtl, 1 lob

- regular (non-pass) BHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 24
- 5 Unforced (2 FH, 2 BH, 1 FHV)... with 1 BH at net
- 19 Forced (4 FH, 11 BH, 1 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV, 1 Back-to-Net)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 52

Edberg 35
- 13 Unforced (4 FH, 6 BH, 1 FHV, 2 BHV)... with 1 FH pass attempt at net
- 22 Forced (2 FH, 9 BH, 4 FHV, 7 BHV)
- 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 are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
Sampras was...
- 41/62 (66%) at net, including...
- 38/51 (75%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 33/42 (79%) off 1st serve and...
- 5/9 (56%) off 2nd serve
---
- 0/2 return-approaching
- 1/2 forced back/retreated

Edberg was...
- 53/84 (63%) at net, including...
- 44/65 (68%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 35/46 (76%) off 1st serve and...
- 9/19 (47%) off 2nd serve
---
- 6/14 (43%) return-approaching

Match Report
Another high end match, more in line with the two players’ norm volleying, Sampras’ showing even cleaner and Edberg maxed out in his serving compared to the ‘93 match. And the same tight result falling the way of slightly better player. Court is about same the same as previous year

Break points points - Pete 2/8 (4 games), Edberg 2/3 (2 games)
Sampras wins 3 more points then he serves, Edberg 3 fewer

Winners - Pete 25, Edberg 24
Errors Forced - Pete 22, Edberg 19
UEs - Pete 5, Edberg 13

Aggressive stuff virtually equal, Pete squeaky clean in action giving him a little advantage. Given his presumed advantage on the serve shot, would think that would put him over with relative comfort. Only…

Unreturned serves - Pete 36%, Edberg 43%

That’s not due to extra serve-volleying from Edberg either. He is serve-volleying more (58% off second serves, to Pete’s 22%, with both players at 100% off first serves), but he’s also surprisingly matched Pete in aces and ace rates

- Aces/Service Winners - Pete 11, Edberg 10
- first serve unreturnable rate - Pete 21%, Edberg 18%

(its unimportant and an exercise in bending meaning of stats to point out that Edberg actually leads pure, unquestionably clean first serve ace rate 17.9% to 17.0%, with Sampras’ yield including a service winner and a possibly non-clean ace, but it is a surprise and thus worth noting)

To be clear, Edberg does not serve as well (power and placement of serves) as Sampras does, but he is maxed out on his own limits on the first shot, thus above his norm and gap between the respective strength of the two players’ serves is smaller than what would be expected

Reasons for the unreturned and ace rates being what they are include Pete letting the odd ace through with no effort (1 in particular almost kisses his racquet as it passes by, with Pete not having moved at all) and Edberg’s superiority in moving for returns (even when Pete is trying)

Pete returning particularly hotly (decreasing return rate to increase quality of returns, a’le Andre Agassi) is not a factor behind it (that scenario being a typical one in cases where a smaller server has bigger unreturned rate. Pete sometimes trails Agassi in their matches for this reason)

Gist of serve-return matters -
- Pete serving and returning at his norm (including rare tanking of returns)
- Edberg maxing out his serve strength and returning at his excellent norm

A big win for Edberg, as numbers suggest. What’s more, he’s maintained a very good 60% first serves in serving so powerfully, 5% higher than Pete. Pete’s bigger serves leaves him less work to do on the volley, but that would almost be a given. Edberg leading freebies would not

As for quality of returns, Pete’s is similar to previous year. He’s rushed and jammed often because the serves are better, but times his BH returns beautifully - swinging when he can, blocking firmly when he can’t and the ball flying off his racquet whichever it is. Edberg returning however he can, as tends to be against Pete on a court like this. Moving beautifully to reach and put back in play the wide stuff. Doesn’t get as many low as previous year

Particularly good second serving from Pete. A challenge to face even sans serve-volleying, with a few first serve calibre ones thrown in. Still low double faults at 7% of second serves (Edberg has potentially problematic 13%)

Edberg still return-approaching. Not as dashing as previous year and more suicidal. Wins 6/14 so doing. Pete’s less vigorous volleying makes it not as necessary (previous year, Edberg would have had no chance making the pass from the baseline), but its not a bad move. Potentially gives Pete something more to think about and always a chance of a panicky error or mess up. Pete, like last time, all business as usual in response. Still not, necessary either

 

[Waspsting]

Both players volley in their typical styles, unlike the extra vigour of ‘93. Pete guiding volleys to open court where they can reached on the run without being hopeless passing chances at least and Edberg swishing volleys away leaving little chance on the pass

With 43% freebies, not as much volleying to do for Edberg, and with Pete timing his BH returns so well, forced to hit tough volleys that leave Pete good look at pass. As with the return, Pete’s BH passing is excellent - clean, crisp hits. Edberg’s no slouch on the pass either, especially in finding the wide angle on the cc to get the ball by the eagle sharp Pete

On the ‘volley’ -
Winners - both 10
UEs - Pete 2, Edberg 3
FEs - Pete 3, Edberg 11

Pete hitting enough good returns to draw enough not-strong volleys and good enough on the follow-up pass to force errors. He’s got significant 6% lead serve-volleying

Conversely, on the pass -
Winners - Pete 14 (6 returns), Edberg 12 (2 returns - both FHs)
Ground FEs - Pete 15, Edberg 11 (not all passes, but good indicator for it)

All in line with nature of action. Quality of serves being what they are, Pete able to get a few return winners off, Edberg not. An area Edberg would look to do better is off the BH return, where he’s made 34 returns but not a hit a winner. Nothing easy to make, but just on percentages, might expect to make a couple

And quality of volleying being what they are, Edberg able to make the non-return passing winner at very good rate, about twice as well as Pete. But that’s cancelled out by the difference in volley FEs in the other direction

Both players covering net well. Credit to the passer for volley FEs, both players are good at covering the difficult volley

Putting it all together, Pete edging things
- net points - Pete 66%, Edberg 63%
- serve-volleying - Pete 75%, Edberg 68%
- first serve-volleying - Pete 79%, Edberg 76%
- second serve-volleying - Pete 56%, Edberg 47%
- double faults - Pete 3 or 7% of second serves, Edberg 5 or 13%
- baseline UEs - Pete 3, Edberg 9

While second serve staying back (sans double faults) - Pete 21/32 or 66%, Edberg 10/14 or 71% favours Edberg

More of a bummer for Edberg. 3/4 breaks in the match take place in first set, which Edberg wins. The sole break of the second which gives set to Pete is marked by Edberg continuously and unsuccessfully second serve-volleying

Numbers are clearly suggesting he’d have done better to second serve-volley less. The very high 71% staying back - higher than even his first serve-volleying - is unlikely to have remained so high had he continued doing so and is largely due to small sample size. Pete returns second serves well enough and is otherwise, ready for anything afterwards, which means ready to claim his half of 50% prospects points. As solidly as Pete returns, worth considering not second serve-volleying so much - in order to protect against powerful return-passes more than particularly fancying taking Pete in baseline rallies

Pete’s large lot of second serve stay back points is bolstered by particularly good serve, actually probably is good to serve-volley behind, but he’s won more staying back too

Match Progression
Fast start from Pete as he opens up 2-0 lead, winning 12 of the first 13 points. Sandwiched between easy love holds, he breaks to 15, forcing 2 identical wide, low BHV errors and the BHV UE Edberg’s been marked with is a touch wide and travelling, so tricky too

Edberg wins next 5 games. Pete serve-volleys off second serves in getting broken the first time. Misses a BH at net once and is outdone by a return-approaching Edberg, who comes away with a FHV net-to-net winner on the exchange later. Strong return draws a weak volley that Edberg dispatches FH cc for the winner to seal the break at 30

Next break takes 10 points. Couple of chip-charges wins points (with Pete staying back. And when Pete second serve-volleys, he’s passes by FH returns (dtl and inside-out). And he double faults. Lovely game from Edberg

Edberg’s consolidation to love is a beauty of a half-tank from Pete. He’s normal in going down 30-0, but the ace Edberg serves after that almost brushes Pete’s racquet, which he’s moved just as much as he has his body, feet and appendix for the occasion. Does the exact same statue thing next return too (the serves aren’t so fast as to leave him no time to move, he just decides not to) but the serve is out

Edberg with consecutive aces to serve out next time around.

Both players hold deuce games to move to 2-1 and on serve to start the second. Pete actually retreats from net after serve-volleying and hitting a weak volley on ont point that he goes on to lose with Edberg taking net

The sole break comes in game 6. Edberg makes just 1/10 first serves and double faults twice to fall behind 0-40. Serve-volleys behind every second serve

Not bad serve-volleys - he draws 3 return errors, but Pete also strikes 2 return-pass winners (BH inside-in and runaround FH dtl) and it takes a special, superb full running, ‘banana’ FH dtl passing winner to seal the break

Memorable set point awhile later, as Edberg manages to poke-lob a full blasted Pete smash that forces the server back to baseline. Pete throws up turnaround lob that back-pedalling Edberg can’t hit with authority. The point ends after a net chord pop up incident with Edberg on the floor having missed a difficult, wide volley. Set over, Pete races over to Edberg, who pretty clearly expects him to offer a hand up. Whether missing or ignoring the cue, Pete playfully jostles the fallen Edberg and its smiles all around

There’s a similar incident later in the match where in net-to-net situation, Edberg’s volleys dribbles over net chord for a winner as a caught off guard Pete somewhat comically falls over in trying to reach the ball. Edberg looks to give him a friendly pat on the head or shoulder as Pete rises - and its still smiles all around

No breaks in the third set. Pete’s first 2 holds take 8 point each (no break points), but holds comfortably after that. Edberg survives 10 and 8 point holds late in the set (saving 1 break in each game). Going into ‘breaker, Pete serves 36 points, Edberg 39

Edberg’s chip-charges cause Pete some trouble in those early deuce holds.
Couple of baseline errors and a double fault are behind Edberg going down break point in game 7 and good passes from Pete lead to same situation in game 11
And plenty of fine tennis from both players besides

Tiebreak. Sharp angled BH cc passing winner by Pete against a chip-charge keeps things on serve at 1-1. Rest of his 4 serves go unreturned, including a forced return error with a wide second serve he stays back on

Edberg misses a tricky BHV close to his body that’s nonetheless been marked a UE to go down 1-3. And Pete adds insurance of second mini-break with a whopping return that forces a weak-half-volley that he dispatches FH inside-in for a not-clean passing winner to go up 6-2, before wrapping up with another freebie couple points later

Summing up, another good match of fine margins and again, Sampras having a little better of things

Edberg serves beyond himself and his first serve isn’t far short of his opponents calibre, if not quite as good. Sampras misses a lot of returns, but again times his BH returns in particular beautifully to do damage not infrequently and he’s strong on the follow-up pass in those situations too. Anything short of good return is punished with typical Edberg swish volleys

On flip side, Edberg doing well to get returns back at all, against an even more powerful serve, but not able to do much with them. And Sampras on point in missing next to nothing on the volley, while steering routine ones into open side of court. Leaves better passing shots than Edberg’s volleys do, but not good ones and Edberg making a few of them

Sampras’ combination of cards - facing more but easier volleys, volleying with care, able to return with heat occasionally against a good serve and on point on follow-up pass - is indecisively better than Edberg’s, who’d need opponent to mess up with double faults and routine volley misses to make troubling headway

Indecisive, but favouring Sampras, and he wins again

Stats for the final and round robin match between Sampras and Boris Becker - Duel Match Stats/Report - Sampras vs Becker, Year End Championship finals & round robin, 1994 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)

Stats for the semi-final between Sampras and Andre Agassi - Duel Match Stats/Report - Sampras vs Agassi, Year End Championship semi-final, 1994 & round robin, 1996 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)