Match Stats/Report - Agassi vs Rafter, Wimbledon semi-final, 1999

[Waspsting]

Andre Agassi beat Pat Rafter 7-5, 7-6(5), 6-3 in the Wimbledon semi-final, 1999 on grass

Agassi would go onto lose the final to Pete Sampras. The two would meet at the same stage the next two years, with Rafter winning both times. Agassi had recently won the French Open to complete a Career Grand Slam

Agassi won 113 points, Rafter 92

Rafter serve-volleyed off almost all his serve points

Serve Stats
Agassi...
- 1st serve percentage (54/89) 61%
- 1st serve points won (46/54) 85%
- 2nd serve points won (23/35) 66%
- Aces 9 (1 second serve - not clean and bad bounce related, 1 other not clean), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (26/89) 29%

Rafter...
- 1st serve percentage (78/116) 67%
- 1st serve points won (48/78) 62%
- 2nd serve points won (24/38) 63%
- Aces 9 (1 second serve, likely bad bounce related), Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (45/116) 39%

Serve Patterns
Agassi served...
- to FH 40%
- to BH 57%
- to Body 3%

Rafter served...
- to FH 43%
- to BH 47%
- to Body 10%

Return Stats
Agassi made...
- 69 (35 FH, 34 BH), including 3 runaround FHs
- 6 Winners (1 FH, 5 BH)
- 34 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 33 Forced (15 FH, 18 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- Return Rate (69/114) 61%

Rafter made...
- 60 (26 FH, 34 BH), including 3 runaround FHs & 10 return-approaches
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 16 Errors, comprising...
- 6 Unforced (5 FH, 1 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 3 return-approach attempts
- 10 Forced (6 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (60/86) 70%

Break Points
Agassi 3/12 (6 games)
Rafter 0/2 (1 game)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Agassi 37 (13 FH, 16 BH, 1 FHV, 3 BHV, 3 OH, 1 BHOH)
Rafter 26 (2 FH, 2 BH, 10 FHV, 6 BHV, 6 OH)

Agassi had 20 passes - 6 returns (1 FH, 5 BH) & 14 regular (3 FH, 10 BH, 1 BHV)
- FH return - 1 inside-out
- BH returns - 2 cc, 1 dtl and 2 inside-in
- regular FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl and 1 lob
- regular BHs - 1 cc, 5 dtl, 1 inside-out, 1 inside-out/dtl, 1 lob and 1 running-down-drop-shot cc (not at net)
- the BHV was not a net shot

- regular (non-pass) FHs - 2 cc, 1 dtl at net and 5 inside-out (1 possibly not clean)
- regular BH - 1 dtl

- 2 from serve-volley points (1 OH, 1 FH at net), both first 'volleys'

- 1 other OH was on the bounce from the baseline

Rafter had 18 from serve-volley points
- 13 first volleys (6 FHV, 5 BHV, 2 OH)
- 4 second volley (3 FHV, 1 OH)
- 1 third volley (1 OH)

- 1 from a return-approach point, an OH

- FHs - 2 cc (1 return, 1 pass)
- BHs - 1 dtl pass and 1 inside-out/dtl

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Agassi 18
- 4 Unforced (3 FH, 1 BH)
- 14 Forced (8 FH, 5 BH, 1 FH1/2V)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 42.5

Rafter 48
- 24 Unforced (4 FH, 6 BH, 2 FHV, 10 BHV, 2 OH)
- 24 Forced (5 FH, 7 BH, 4 FHV, 5 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 2 BHOH)... with 1 FH at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index

(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
Agassi was...
- 19/24 (79%) at net, including...
- 4/5 (80%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
---
- 1/2 forced back

Rafter was...
- 65/112 (58%) at net, including...
- 58/98 (59%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 37/65 (57%) off 1st serve and..
- 21/33 (64%) off 2nd serve
---
- 3/10 (30%) return-approaching

Match Report
Impressive demonstration of hitting and physical superiority from Agassi over an out-gunned Rafter who can’t keep up with the pace

Hard, clean hitting is defining characteristic of the match, and its all coming from one side. Agassi hammers returns from on or inside the baseline against the serve-volleying Rafter. And Agassi hammers groundstrokes from the back on his own service games. By the decider, he’s even hammering big serves down (by his standard)

Rafter hangs in best as he can, but is badly outmatched. He volleys beautifully of look, but not particularly well and he’s handily overpowered from the baseline

Agassi wins 55.1% of the points while serving 43.4% of them
Agassi has break points in 6 games, Rafter 1
Agassi’s average service game lasts 5.2 points, Rafter 6.9

Who the better player is is crystal clear, but on grass in particular, just hanging in 90% of the time can lead to a win, with a bit of luck or ‘clutch’ or ‘choking’ in the remaining 10%

Rafter has 2 set points in first set (in a return game - the only ones he has all match). And he’s 30-30 returning in the second set, 2 points away from taking it. 3 points go the other way, and he’s up 2 sets to love rather than down

Agassi’s Serve Game
Thorough domination on serve by Agassi

61% first serves in (good), 85% first serves won (excellent), 66% seconds one (excellent)

His 2nd second serve figure is better than Rafter’s first - which is a deceptive statement in that Rafter actually does better of 2nd serve points than firsts - but he does better than Rafter does of either serve too

Just the 1 game where he faces break points, but it’s a crucial one with the points in question being set points too. Saves them both commandingly

By his standard, powerful serving by Agassi. Serves an ace/service winner 19% of the time of first serves, which is better than Rafter’s 14%. He ups the ante of the serving as match goes on and he’s leading more. Hardest serving is in 3rd set

Healthy unreturned rate of 29%. There’s the good serving, and also Rafter’s aggressive return errors

Good move though from Pat to have a go returning aggressively. Playing from the baseline is a hopeless business from him. From start, Pat’s looking to chip-charge second serves. 3 errors trying for 10 success’ is good outcome, but there’s not much he can do about Agassi’s power passing. Wins just 3/10 return-approach points

Agassi only serve-volleys 5 times, so most action starts with a baseline rally. He’s in full on, power hitting mode. Beat down strong shots off both wings. Moves Pat about some too. Goes for his kill shots, both off the third ball set up by serve or after bossing Pat about some

This is intense baseline play. A category or 2 up from what he was doing in his winning run in ‘92, which looks like patient, out-last opponent stuff compared to this brutality

And with this kind of dominance from the back, Agassi can come to net whenever he wants

In baseline rallies -
- Winners - Agassi 8, Rafter 1
- UEs - Agassi 4, Rafter 10

… with Agassi also forcing plenty of errors, Rafter virtually none. Utilizing large advantage from the back, Agassi is very successful coming forward to, winning 15/19 such points. Rafter’s 4/4 - just 2 of them in return games. He’s in no position to come in

Rafter slices BH most of the time. Doesn’t give up the errors quickly or easily, but seems inevitable that they will. BH has grounstroke match high 6 UEs. Agassi’s BH has 1

Gist - complete command by Agassi - pretty big serving, thunderous passing when his serve is chip-charged, overpoweringly strong in baseline rallies while remaining iron consistent

 

[Waspsting]

Rafter’s Serve Game
Pat serve-volleys just shy of always. He stays back of 3 first serves (wins 1) and 2 seconds (wins both). Everything else is serve-volleying

Good serving from him. But better returning from Agassi, who takes first returns from on the baseline or slightly inside and second returns a bit further up than that. And hammers everything he can reach. Minimal backswing, but very powerful shots - just like his groundies

Naturally, good lot of missing involved and Rafter has healthy 39% unreturneds. Whatever comes back though, comes back hard

Even the standard easy height volley above net is powerful enough to make the volley not easy to control. Or they would be for a lesser volleyer. Rafter doesn’t have much trouble controlling them, but does miss a good number. On the volley, Pat has -

- winners - 22
- UEs - 14
- FEs - 19

That’s a lot of UEs, with BHV making 10 of them (for just 6 winners). He looks typically graceful of form in his volleying, but the results aren’t good here

The very high FEs (and Agassi’s 19 passing winners) is all about Agassi’s passing, which are a beefed up extension of his groundies. Top stuff from Agassi - not much to be done against it

The ‘shoelace’ volleys Rafter gets aren’t just at shoelace height, but wide too. And very powerfully struck. Almost impossible volleys to make

When return comes back, Rafter wins just 38% of points (including double faults)

Oddly, Pat’s won more second serve points than firsts. He’s got 10 aces/service winners with first serves (also 1 with a second) and 2 double faults, which you’d think would be a big enough cushion for him to have normal figures

But he wins 63% 2nd serve points, 62% firsts. Gaps even wider serve-volleying - 64% 2nds, 57% 1sts. Even the negligible non-serve-volley points favour the second serve (wins 2/2, to 1/3 off firsts)

Pace of his first serve is probably just perfect for Agassi. The harder the serve comes, the harder it goes back, but any harder, and Agassi would likely be rushed. The slower, more kicked seconds aren’t hit as hard

Whatever the matter, a really tough time volleying for Rafter against Agassi’s thunderbolt returns and passes. And he doesn’t volley well either - pretty as a picture when making the ones he does, but missing a good lot too

Match Progression
Good, competitive first set. Agassi serves 33 points, Pat 35 in it. Both players holding comfortably - Agassi by bossing Pat around from the baseline, largely on back of unreturned serves, though he volleys well too

2 tough games at the end of the set decide it. Serving at 4-5, Agassi falls to 15-40, with Pat winning a return-approach point and pulling off a very rare passing winner. Agassi saves the break/set points by overpowering Pat and coming to net to finish and goes on to hold, with Pat missing a pair of second serve returns (1 chip-charge attempt)

Agassi breaks next game with powerful returns and passes that has Rafter stay back off a first serve for the first time. Plenty of good returns and passes in the game, the pick of them being Agassi BHV’ng a pass winner from closer to the baseline than service line. A powerful, wide return forces FHV error on break point. And Agassi serves it out with a flourish, coming to net win 3 points

Tide of play turns Agassi’s way completely in second set. No breaks, but Agassi loses 4 points for 6 holds. Pat loses 20. He survives 22, 12 and 8 point games

From middle of first set to middle of second, Agassi wins 19 straight first serve points. He wins 19/20 in the second set itself

In the ‘breaker, Rafter makes 6/6 first serves (which given how things go, is ironically bad for him). BHV UE sets him behind, but he scores the mini-break back with a very rarely BH dtl pass winner. The unanswerable returns keep coming though and Agassi wraps up with a BH cc return pass winner

Pat had seemed to be tiring towards end of second set, and it shows more in the third. Agassi looks as fresh and ready as at start of match

He breaks for 2-0 - a poor game by Pat, who misses 3 easy BHVs. And he’s broken a second time to end the match - couple of terrific returns contribute and Rafter has a hand with a too cute attempt at a drop FHV that he misses. Break/match point down, he misses a backtracking OH

Summing up, high end showing of power hitting from Agassi - on the return, off the ground and on the pass in particular but he also serves meatily too. Thoroughly hammers Rafter from the baseline and gives him a torrid time at net

Rafter simply looks out matched, but his volleying is off too. Even were it on, he’d have had his hands more than full against the regular load of unplayable returns and passes that rain down on him

Stats for the final between Agassi and Pete Sampras - Match Stats/Report - Sampras vs Agassi, Wimbledon final, 1999 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)
Stats for Rafter’s fourth round match with Boris Becker - Match Stats/Report - Rafter vs Becker, Wimbledon fourth round, 1999 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)

 

[Cashman]

Nice write-up.

It should be noted that Rafter was playing this match with a torn rotator cuff, which he had been carrying since around March. It had a very noticeable impact on his serve.

He ended up eventually having the surgery after the USO (which I am still annoyed that he tried to play - it meant he missed the Davis Cup final against France at the back end of his recovery)

 

[Waspsting]

Nice write-up.

It should be noted that Rafter was playing this match with a torn rotator cuff, which he had been carrying since around March. It had a very noticeable impact on his serve.

He ended up eventually having the surgery after the USO (which I am still annoyed that he tried to play - it meant he missed the Davis Cup final against France at the back end of his recovery)

That would explain certain things. I remember he jammed his shoulder taking Sampras' serves in Cincinnati shortly after. Powerful as that serve is, its a stretch to think it could physically harm a healthy Pat Rafter

He missed most of time from then 'til next Wimbledon, and was ranked 20 something in 2000, but Wimby's special system seeded him 12. Otherwise, Sampras would have won the tournament without facing a single seed and as is, did win it without facing anyone from the top 20