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
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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