Match Stats/Report - Agassi vs Lendl, Canadian Open final, 1992

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Andre Agassi beat Ivan Lendl 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the Canadian Open final, 1992 on hard court in Toronto

Agassi had recently won his first Slam at Wimbledon, while this was the first year since 1980 Lendl had not reached a Slam final. It was Agassi's first win over Lendl in 5 meetings

Agassi won 96 points, Lendl 75


Serve Stats
Agassi...
- 1st serve percentage (55/91) 60%
- 1st serve points won (38/55) 69%
- 2nd serve points won (19/36) 53%
- Aces 9 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (26/91) 29%

Lendl...
- 1st serve percentage (35/80) 44%
- 1st serve points won (24/35) 69%
- 2nd serve points won (17/45) 38%
- Aces 9 (1 second serve), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (21/80) 26%


Serve Patterns
Agassi served...
- to FH 33%
- to BH 64%
- to Body 3%

Lendl served....
- to FH 37%
- to BH 63%

Return Stats
Agassi made...
- 55 (28 FH, 27 BH), including 9 runaround FHs
- 2 Winners (2 BH)
- 11 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (1 FH, 4 BH), including 1 runaround FH attempt
- 6 Forced (2 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (55/76) 72%

Lendl made...
- 63 (14 FH, 48 BH, 1 unknown), including 1 runaround FH
- 3 Winners (3 FH)
- 17 Errors, comprising...
- 7 Unforced (4 FH, 3 BH), including 1 runaround FH attempt
- 9 Forced (4 FH, 5 BH)
- 1 Unknown first serve return
- Return Rate (63/89) 71%

Break Points
Agassi 5/7 (7 games)
Lendl 2/13 (6 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Agassi 24 (8 FH, 7 BH, 4 FHV, 4 BHV, 1 OH)
Lendl 18 (12 FH, 6 BH)

Agassi's FHs - 2 cc (1 pass), 1 inside-out, 3 inside-in and 1 running-down-drop-shot at net
- BHs - 2 cc, 3 dtl (1 pass, 2 returns), 1 inside-out and 1 longline
- 6 first 'volleys' from serve volley points (3 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 FH at net)

Lendl's FHs - 4 cc (1 return), 2 dtl returns, 1 inside-out, 1 inside-out/dtl, 3 inside-in and 1 longline
- BHs - 1 cc pass, 5 dtl (3 passes)

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Agassi 34
- 24 Unforced (5 FH, 14 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV)
- 10 Forced (6 FH, 3 BH, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.3

Lendl 42
- 26 Unforced (12 FH, 14 BH)
- 16 Forced (4 FH, 11 BH, 1 FHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 44.6

(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
Agassi was...
- 24/34 (71%) at net, including...
- 10/11 (91%) serve-volleying, all first serves

Lendl was...
- 2/7 (29%) at net

Match Report
In interesting match on a slow hard court, with Agassi's surprising net rushing being the spanner in the works of an otherwise, who-blinks-first clay court style match

To start with, Lendl looks overweight and is sporting a bit of a belly. Even late in his career, wouldn't have expected the thorough professional to look visibly unfit

In the first set, neither player can get much advantage with the serve. Agassi's just isn't strong enough and Lendl makes just 10/28 first serves. From there, they settle into patient BH-BH rallies. And Agassi occasionally manufactures an approach.

Not much in it between the two. Points end when 1 or the other yields an error. Agassi takes Lendl to deuce on a couple of games. But Agassi isn't particularly successful at net (5/8 for the set) and in the games that he's broken, Lendl hits some fine counter shots - a BH dtl pass and FH dtl return winner in the first game, a couple of good returns (1 a winner, 1 forcing an error) in the second - which coupled with Agassi's errors, gives Lendl 2 breaks and the set

BH-BH would continue to be the staple in the second, but for Agassi's more successful net rushing. This time, he wins 9/12 points up front. And Lendl's returning falls off as he misses a few second serves and highly makeable first serve returns

3rd set is tough as bagels go. Agassi survives a 22 point game where he has to save 5 break points (which he does mostly via serve-volleying). And wraps up with 4 successive aces.... not what you'd expect from him

Playing Dynamics & Stats
- the BH-BH dynamics. It seems to be Agassi who initiates these plays but Lendl is happy to go along with it. Most BH cc's are routine.... Agassi mixes up the loopiness of his shots (including the rare near-moonball), Lendl mostly slices. Agassi is able to create sharper angles at times too

Both players switch it up to hitting FH inside-outs at times to the others BH... but play remains based on that crosscourt diagonal

Either the points end with unforced errors after reasonably long exchanges, or one player goes for FH inside-in or BH dtl winner (or makes an error trying). Note the relatively high number winners from the difficult and rarely played FH inside-in (3 from each player).

The court opens up when a BH dtl is chased down by a running FH.... and Lendl looks more dangerous here. His FH cc from this position tends to give him control of points (or end them)… more so than Agassi

Not sure what to make of Lendl's strategy, and its something I've noted in his matches from his heyday 80s as well. He had the best FH in the world but was happy to play these patient BH rallies (in his prime, he possibly had the most consistent BH too... and against opponents with fragile BHs but dangerous FHs, BH-BH would be a good strategy)…. I think it speaks to his basic, patient and percentage minded game

But here, he obviously doesn't have an edge on the BH, in fact, I'd say he's trailing on it. Agassi's is more powerful, can create better angles when called on and probably a touch more secure too.... why accept BH-BH instead of looking to keep more things on his still dangerous FH wing? That would be my take... the stats aren't conclusive

BH UEs are equal at 14, but on the FH, Lendl has 12, Agassi 5. Still, Lendl leads baseline-to-baseline FH winners 9-5 and probably errors forced (total groundstroke errors forced are Agassi 15, Lendl 9, but the bulk of Agassi's would be Lendl's attempted passes).

Roughly equal off both sides, Lendl probably chooses to err on the side of security (the BH). But he proves highly passive on that too.... almost always slicing. Particularly when the ball gets up high (and Agassi's loopier BHs rise near head high), Lendl can pack little punch the shot. Agassi has no such difficulties and even hits a BH winner from head high

Agassi's net play
The frequency of Agassi's net visits have varied over his career. From memory, by '92 he had settled as an out and out baseliner. Not in this match

I doubt he premediated the attack. And he wasn't being beaten down from the baseline either. Initially in the first set, he just comes in off short balls (which inevitably crop up from long baseline rallies). In the second, he's manufacturing approaches and serve-volleys 3 times too. In the decider, he's coming in a lot and serve-volleying a lot, including when down break point

And he pulls it off. Usually, he looks 'uncomfortable' at net (even when successful). Here, he looks normal (if not like a fish in water). You can see his confidence growing.... the more he wins up front, the more proactively he creates approaches

On one point, he comes in off a normal ball, which he hits straight down the middle to approach.... and misses an attempted McEnroe-ish stop volley. By McEnroe-ish, I mean a carbon copy of McEnroe of style.... the slightly bent at the hips and rising from there as he makes the shot with the racquet head withdrawing to take pace of the ball.... if the figure of the player was shadowed out (and made left handed), you would think it was McEnroe. I found the overconfidence of it amusing (he nets the volley)... and wonder if he was trying to impersonate Mac on the shot, so alike of style was it

He volleys well - into the open court or well away from Lendl (almost always to the BH side) and wisely comes in off strong approaches (including serves), but does make 5 UEs too. 10/11 serve-volleying... a fine number

The pick of the volleys is a low BHV he scoops out for a winner. The shot of the match is a full running BH dtl passing winner from Lendl (haven't seen anyone hit passes on the run as well as him). The point of the match is a drop shot based one, where Agassi excellent drop shot is barely reached by a fully charging Lendl, who angles it finely as possibly for another drop shot, which a fully charging Agassi barely reaches and lifts over the high part of the net for a winner

Summing up, a fun match to watch. The BH exchanges have subtlety and are about even. Agassi turning to net play to put himself over comes as a surprise and is a treat to watch
 
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travlerajm

Talk Tennis Guru
Match Report
In interesting match on a slow hard court, with Agassi's surprising net rushing being the spanner in the works of an otherwise, who-blinks-first clay court style match

To start with, Lendl looks overweight and is sporting a bit of a belly. Even late in his career, wouldn't have expected the thorough professional to look visibly unfit

In the first set, neither player can get much advantage with the serve. Agassi's just isn't strong enough and Lendl makes just 10/28 first serves. From there, they settle into patient BH-BH rallies. And Agassi occasionally manufactures an approach.

Not much in it between the two. Points end when 1 or the other yields an error. Agassi takes Lendl to deuce on a couple of games. But Agassi isn't particularly successful at net (5/8 for the set) and in the games that he's broken, Lendl hits some fine counter shots - a BH dtl pass and FH dtl return winner in the first game, a couple of good returns (1 a winner, 1 forcing an error) in the second - which coupled with Agassi's errors, gives Lendl 2 breaks and the set

BH-BH would continue to be the staple in the second, but for Agassi's more successful net rushing. This time, he wins 9/12 points up front. And Lendl's returning falls off as he misses a few second serves and highly makeable first serve returns

3rd set is tough as bagels go. Agassi survives a 22 point game where he has to save 5 break points (which he does mostly via serve-volleying). And wraps up with 4 successive aces.... not what you'd expect from him

Playing Dynamics & Stats
- the BH-BH dynamics. It seems to be Agassi who initiates these plays but Lendl is happy to go along with it. Most BH cc's are routine.... Agassi mixes up the loopiness of his shots (including the rare near-moonball), Lendl mostly slices. Agassi is able to create sharper angles at times too

Both players switch it up to hitting FH inside-outs at times to the others BH... but play remains based on that crosscourt diagonal

Either the points end with unforced errors after reasonably long exchanges, or one player goes for FH inside-in or BH dtl winner (or makes an error trying). Note the relatively high number winners from the difficult and rarely played FH inside-in (3 from each player).

The court opens up when a BH dtl is chased down by a running FH.... and Lendl looks more dangerous here. His FH cc from this position tends to give him control of points (or end them)… more so than Agassi

Not sure what to make of Lendl's strategy, and its something I've noted in his matches from his heyday 80s as well. He had the best FH in the world but was happy to play these patient BH rallies (in his prime, he possibly had the most consistent BH too... and against opponents with fragile BHs but dangerous FHs, BH-BH would be a good strategy)…. I think it speaks to his basic, patient and percentage minded game

But here, he obviously doesn't have an edge on the BH, in fact, I'd say he's trailing on it. Agassi's is more powerful, can create better angles when called on and probably a touch more secure too.... why accept BH-BH instead of looking to keep more things on his still dangerous FH wing? That would be my take... the stats aren't conclusive

BH UEs are equal at 14, but on the FH, Lendl has 12, Agassi 5. Still, Lendl leads baseline-to-baseline FH winners 9-5 and probably errors forced (total groundstroke errors forced are Agassi 15, Lendl 9, but the bulk of Agassi's would be Lendl's attempted passes).

Roughly equal off both sides, Lendl probably chooses to err on the side of security (the BH). But he proves highly passive on that too.... almost always slicing. Particularly when the ball gets up high (and Agassi's loopier BHs rise near head high), Lendl can pack little punch the shot. Agassi has no such difficulties and even hits a BH winner from head high
Maybe Lendl didn’t change his rally strategy because it had always worked in previous meetings against Agassi?
 

WCT

Professional
Two things stood out for me. Agassi had a higher unreturned serve % and the net points for him. I was thinking that it might have been a result of Segura coaching him. Looked it up and that wasn't until the summer of 93. Way higher % than their 88 and 89 US Open matches.

You've done stats for matches where he hardly came in at all. 2000 Australian final? IIRC, 4 or 5 times in 4 sets. And not against a player, like Edberg, who was coming in a ton either.
 

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Maybe Lendl didn’t change his rally strategy because it had always worked in previous meetings against Agassi?

What particularly struck me as odd about Lendl's strategy was the amount of slicing

I've seen him go in for BH-BH rallies with all and sundry, including Wilander whose BH is just as steady as Ivan's and one would think making it more of FH game would suit Lendl more. So the BH-BH thing normal enough. and he slices a fair bit in general too

But here I'd estimate he's slicing/slice driving 60-70% of the time

Why? Balls not keeping low and even if it did, it wouldn't bother Agassi

Maybe round about this period, he was just slicing a lot more?

It was Agassi who initiated the BH-BH stuff (which was normal for him) and Lendl accepted it


Two things stood out for me. Agassi had a higher unreturned serve %

unreturned serve %age largely explainable by serve percentage. Lendl with a lowly 44% to Agassi's 61

And the 2 final games of the sets Agassi wins.

2nd set, Agassi has 3/4 unreturned serves.... all 3 unreturned being second serves to the BH. Nothing special about the serve, nothing overly aggrieve about Lendl's return attempts. Odd, possibly deliberate from Lendl

3rd set, down 0-30, Agassi knocks down 4 aces in a row. Not a guy you'd expect to do that, especially on a slow court. Good serves the lot, but possibly some 'match-is-done-who-cares' stuff from Lendl, who doesn't move for the returns

... the net points for Agassi (stood out for me)

Very odd

Got the feeling it was done on the fly. They'd traded groundstrokes for 2 games, most ending with errors and neither having an obvious advantage

Then Agassi comes in a couple times. And basically doesn't stop. Pretty soon, he's serve-volleying and trying to hit stop volley winners

I suspect it was done on the fly... just wasn't in the mood for long who-blinks-first rallies, though he could hold his own in them. Doubt he was coming in all that much in general around about the time

You've done stats for matches where (Agassi) hardly came in at all(?)

More often than not. And when he does, its because almost anyone would in the situation.... that's the general picture of Agassi

2 exceptions - 1990 YEC final vs Edberg he comes in a lot (including serve-volley) and does it very well (he had as many volley winners as Edberg, coming in about a third as much https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...-championship-finals-round-robin-1990.646450/

1999 French final vs Medvedev.... net play, including return-approaches is what turned the match - which was going disastrously - for him https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...si-vs-medvedev-french-open-final-1999.611261/
 
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WCT

Professional
1999 French, he may have turned it around with net play, but he still was only at the net 29 times in over 300 points. The Edberg one is wow, though. Far, far less net approaches with basically the same net winners. Never would think that would happen.
 

jrepac

Hall of Fame
wasn't Lendl coming off an injury layoff around this time? He was having recurring problems with his back?
 
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