Match Stats/Report - Agassi vs Medvedev, French Open final, 1999

[Waspsting]

Andre Agassi beat Andrei Medvedev 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the French Open final, 1999 on clay

With the win, Agassi - who was playing in his first Slam final in four years - completed his career Grand Slam, the first player to do so across three surfaces. He went on to play the finals of the next 3 Slams (winning 2) and finish the year ranked #1 for the only time in his career

(Note: I'm missing one point on Medvedev's serve, won by Medvedev)

Agassi won 145 points, Medvedev 152

Serve Stats
Agassi....
- 1st serve percentage (86/138) 62%
- 1st serve points won (60/86) 70%
- 2nd serve points won (24/52) 46%
- Aces 2, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned serve percentage (29/138) 21%

Medvedev. ...
- 1st serve percentage (99/158) 63%
- 1st serve points won (73/99) 74%
- 2nd serve points won (24/59) 41%
- Aces 25, Service Winners 4
- Double Faults 8
- Unreturned serve percentage (54/158) 34%


Serve Pattern
Agassi served...
- to FH 38%
- to BH 60%
- to Body 2%

Medvedev served...
- to FH 41%
- to BH 59%
- to Body 1%


Return Stats
Agassi made...
- 97 (48 FH, 49 BH), including 3 runaround FHs and 2 return-approaches
- 4 Winners (3 FH, 1 BH)
- 25 Errors, comprising...
- 12 Unforced (9 FH, 3 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 13 Forced (4 FH, 9 BH)
- Return Rate (97/150) 65%

Medvedev made...
- 103 (31 FH, 72 BH)
- 6 Winners (2 FH, 4 BH)
- 26 Errors, comprising...
- 16 Unforced (13 FH, 3 BH)
- 10 Forced (6 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (103/132) 78%


Break Points
Agassi 4/13 (8 games)
Medvedev 5/12 (9 games)


Winners (including returns)
Agassi 40 (16 FH, 13 BH, 4 FHV, 4 BHV, 3 OH)
Medvedev 32 (17 FH, 12 BH, 2 FHV, 1 OH)

- of Agassi's FHs, 4 were cc, 3 were inside-out, 1 was inside-in

- 3 were returns - 1 dtl, 1 taken extremely early and 1 that dribbled over on a net chord. He also had 1 return on the BH, a dtl

- 4 running down drop shot winners (3 FH, 1 BH)

- 2 passing shots, both BHs (1 cc, 1 dtl). The cc ended a particularly exciting point and was played 1-handed at a very sharp angle

- 8 other BH dtl and 1 BH cc

- the 4 FHVs were all putaways. 2 were to high balls, one of which could reasonably be called an OH

- the BHVs were more difficult shots. 2 of these were drop volleys (one of which was particularly sharp of angle). 1 was an excellent cc into the open court

- for Medvedev, 3 FHs were dtl, 5 were cc (including his sole pass), 1 was inside-out and 2 were drop shots. He either stepped in or struck the ball around the service line for a number of these

- 6 return winners (2 FH, 4 BH). The pick of these was a BH inside-out. 1 BH dribbled over from a net chord

- on the BH, he had 2 cc and 5 dtl

- 2 put away groundstrokes were struck at net - 1 FH, 1 BH

- 1 FHV struck the net chord


Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Agassi 57
- 39 Unforced (20 FH, 15 BH, 3 BHV, 1 OH)
- 18 Forced (9 FH, 6 BH, 3 BHV)

(Note: 1 BHV forced error was struck from near the baseline and was an attempted pass. It was not a net point)

Medvedev 70
- 42 Unforced (24 FH, 16 BH, 2 FHV)
- 28 Forced (9 FH, 17 BH, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV)

(Note: All half volleys refer to such shots played at net. Groundstroke half volleys have been included within the broader category of groundstrokes)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
Agassi was 21/29 (72%) at net, with no S/V

He was 2/2 on return approaches

He was forced back from net once and ended up losing the point

Medvedev was 9/16 (56%) at net, with no S/V

He was forced back from net once and ended up losing the point

 

[DBH]

In addition to being the first man to win the career Grand Slam across three surfaces, Agassi is only only man to have completed the (singles) career Grand Slam upon winning his fourth overall major title.

However, two women have completed the (singles) career Grand Slam upon winning their fourth overall major title. Can anyone name them without looking it up?

 

[Waspsting]

Match Report
One look at the scoreline is enough to let you know that this was a strange match.

It was extremely windy early on. Just how windy? One Agassi ball toss was blown half way to the service line. In this part of the match (first 2 sets), there were a few key factors

- Medvedev's huge serve, which earned him many cheap points. He didn't lose a 1st serve point til early in the third set - 24 straight points

- Medvedev's solidity off the ground coupled with a willingness to step in and let loose with point ending force when appropriate. This dynamic held for his returns too

- Agassi's horrendous display off the ground. He sprayed unforced error after unforced error for the first two sets (including back to back double faults to yield a break), especially the first

For a player of Agassi's experience, the wind alone can't explain fully his early showing. Medvedev according to the commentators, was particularly good in the wind in general and had 3 titles in Hamburg, where apparently it's usually like this - and it showed

You wouldn't know it was windy to watch him play... he played a regulation high quality clay game, with a big, fat serve thrown in

A different Agassi emerged to start Set 3. He cut back on the errors, shaded the still consistent Medvedev from the baseline and was the more directive/aggressive in these exchanges

I think the wind largely died down by this point. Both men being bald makes it harder to tell but both players looked to be their hitting groundstrokes with more confidence. This was easy to spot in Agassi since he'd been so poor earlier but it was evident in Medvedev too (making allowance for his now facing stronger resistance)

Agassi followed up a pair of love holds (his few holds had all been uphill affairs to that point) to break for the first time to the crowds delight, but Medvedev broke back immediately to love

The key turning point was the American attacking the net. He hit a few good volleys when coming in off the short ball (without looking like he was looking for chances to come in) and then actually took to seeking out approaches on big points. Down break point at 4-4 he came in. Then with Medvedev serving to extend the set, he broke to love, return-approaching twice

In the fourth set, Medvedev went on an error prone run by being over-aggressive but I thought the attempt was a good choice

Agassi had been the baseline boss in the third set and Medvedev, who seemed to have played within himself when dominating the first two sets, looked to raise his level to again take the drivers seat

It didn't work. Agassi broke early, held serve easily and every Medvedev serve game became a tussle. The American had break points on all his return games in the set, which lasted 12, 12 and 20 points respectively.

So it came down to the fifth set, with the momentum firmly with the American.

It turned out to be a baseline slugfest, more aggressive than the norm on clay. Agassi again directed - he generally hit from the baseline while Medvedev was a foot or 2 behind

Agassi struck 7 of his 13 BH winners in this set, 6 of them down the line and was clearly the better player

He secured the break mid-way through the set and kept the pressure on to the end

It was the 6th time Medvedev had lost to the eventual champion at this event. Coming into the event, he had been ranked 100 with a win/loss record of 6-7 for the year (1-3 on clay) and at his closest, was a point away from serving for a straight sets crushing

Agassi however, was the better player in the match overall, sentimentality of his achievement aside

 

[Megafanoftennis100]

Agassi is so lucky that Nadal and Sinner were born much later than him. Otherwise, he would have won ZERO RG titles.

 

[Galvermegs]

Agassi is so lucky that Nadal and Sinner were born much later than him. Otherwise, he would have won ZERO RG titles.

Nadal is the clay goat. Sinner is the italian goat.