Match Stats/Report - Agassi vs Rostagno, Wimbledon third round, 1992

[Waspsting]

Andre Agassi beat Derrick Rostagno 6-3, 7-6(5), 7-5 in the Wimbledon third round, 1992 on grass

Agassi would go onto win the event for the only time, beating Goran Ivanisevic in the final. It would be his maiden Slam title. Rostagno had his best showing at the event the previous year in reaching the fourth round, beating Pete Sampras among others along the way

Agassi won 111 points, Rostagno 99

Rostagno serve-volleyed off all serves, with the exception of 1 second serve

Serve Stats
Agassi...
- 1st serve percentage (69/107) 64%
- 1st serve points won (51/69) 74%
- 2nd serve points won (24/38) 63%
- Aces 6
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (38/107) 36%

Rostagno...
- 1st serve percentage (66/103) 64%
- 1st serve points won (48/66) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (19/37) 51%
- Aces 12 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (41/103) 40%

Serve Patterns
Agassi served...
- to FH 33%
- to BH 67%

Rostagno served...
- to FH 35%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 7%

Return Stats
Agassi made...
- 57 (20 FH, 37 BH)
- 7 Winners (3 FH, 4 BH)
- 29 Errors, all forced...
- 29 Forced (7 FH, 22 BH)
- Return Rate (57/98) 58%

Rostagno made...
- 67 (19 FH, 48 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 7 return-approaches
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 32 Errors, comprising...
- 26 Unforced (14 FH, 12 BH)
- 6 Forced (2 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (67/105) 64%

Break Points
Agassi 3/6 (4 games)
Rostagno 1/4 (4 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Agassi 23 (8 FH, 11 BH, 1 FHV, 3 BHV)
Rostagno 28 (2 FH, 3 BH, 14 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 6 BHV, 2 OH)

Agassi had 16 passes - 7 returns (3 FH, 4 BH) & 9 regular (2 FH, 7 BH)
- FH returns - 2 cc, 1 inside-out
- BH returns - 3 cc, 1 dtl
- regular FHs - 1 dtl, 1 lob
- regular BHs - 2 cc, 2 dlt, 2 lobs, 1 running-down-drop-shot dtl at net

- regular (non-pass) FHs - 2 inside-out, 1 inside-in at net

- 2 from serve-volley points (1 FHV, 1 BHV), both first volleys

Rostagno had 20 from serve-volley points -
- 11 first 'volleys' (6 FHV, 3 BHV, 2 BH at net)
- 8 second 'volleys' (4 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 2 BHV, 1 OH)... the OH was on the bounce from the baseline, a forced back point
- 1 third volley (1 OH)... that can reasonably be called a FHV

- 3 from return-approach points (2 FHV, 1 BHV)

- FHs - 1 cc return, 1 inside-out
- BH - 1 dtl

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Agassi 28
- 14 Unforced (4 FH, 9 BH, 1 BHV)
- 14 Forced (7 FH, 7 BH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.4

Rostagno 45
- 22 Unforced (5 FH, 12 BH, 2 FHV, 3 BHV)
- 23 Forced (5 FH, 4 BH, 8 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV, 4 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 45.9

(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...
- 15/18 (83%) at net, including...
- 5/6 (83%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves

Rostagno was...
- 64/99 (65%) at net, including...
- 55/85 (65%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 37/55 (67%) off 1st serve and...
- 18/30 (60%) off 2nd serve
---
- 5/7 (71%) return-approaching
- 2/2 forced back/retreated

Match Report
Rostagno’s awful returning is standout feature and gives Agassi room to err and breathing room. Still, match isn’t one sided; Rostagno also volleys beautifully, while Agassi has his moments blasting returns and passes

Rostagno serve-volleys all but always (stays back on one point, in which he takes net early in rally). Agassi plays from baseline

Break points - Agassi 3/6 (4 games), Rost 1/4 (4 games)
Along with Agassi winning 4 more points than he serves, Rost 4 less
Its not one sided, though it sometimes seems more than it is, largely due to Rost’s returning woes

Unreturned serves - Agassi 36%, Ros 40%
Rost’s 40% isn’t unusual, given full serve-volleying and includes throwaway return games filled with freebies. Its very far from break proof because of the hammer & tongs, pounded returning Agassi dishes out, with promise that at any given moment, more might follow (whether he’s missing a lot of returns or not, at any given moment)

36% for Agassi is criminal from Ros’ point of view. Gentle, 2 second serve showing from Agassi. Wouldn’t come as surprise to see him with 10% freebies and would expect no more than 20-25% tops, given below average power and placement. He gets 36% because Rost is just that bad returning

26/32 of Rost’s return errors have been marked UEs. He does try to be aggressive with it somewhat. Takes them early - he’s on or just behind baseline in meeting first serves, on or just inside court for seconds. Occasionally looks for dtl winner. Doesn’t hit too hard. And does push back BH returns too, so its not all aggression

For starters, that he’s rarely rushed despite early position is one indicator of low force of Agassi’s serve. He’s not good enough to strike cleanly from that position, most aggressive returns end up being errors, but he’s inconsistent even in basic, push neutral returning too

FHs particularly bad. He’s got 16 errors (14 UEs, just 2 FEs), while only making 19 FH returns (1 of them a runaround). Small mercy for him that Agassi’s seemingly oblivious to how bad the FH return is and serves there just 33% of them time, which is often enough that element of surprise doesn’t have hand in causing the errors. He’s slow to move for slightly wide serves too

The best of Rost’s returning is return-approaches. He’s 5/7 on the play. Not chip-charges and not hard struck hit-&-runs either. Rost takes net after guiding return a little wide, not gently, but not powerfully either. Does it less and less as match goes on, having started looking for it regularly. Since it’s the only thing he does well on the return and since even Agassi’s first serve is not strong enough to be susceptible to the play, it’s a very bad move by Rost not to persist in looking for return-approaches more often. What does he have to lose, given he’s missing boatloads of returns anyway, doing all kinds of things (pushing, blocking, aiming dtl, or just plain ol’ normal stuff)?

Agassi’s serve games
36% unreturned rate gives Agassi luxury to falter in his baseline game and still hold confidently

He’s rarely at net, unlike previous two rounds. 12 approaches from rallies, 6 serve-volleys - wins 83% of all of those. Drawing at least not-strong returns and with his abilities, quite capable of taking net early more often he so desired. No need to with 36% freebies

Ground UEs - Agassi 13, Rost 17, broken down as -
- FHs - Agassi 4, Rost 5
- BHs - Agassi 9, Rost 12

Agassi leading play, and doing so with BH. Another sign of being very comfortable. Agassi’s shots are well hit, Rost’s are not, especially the 2-handed BH. Lot of un-clean shots from Rost. Its not bad idea for him to occasionally take on shot-making winners, but he misses most of those too

Ground-to-ground winners
- Agassi 2 FH, Rost 3 (2 FH, 1 BH), including a FH return

Sole return winner for Ros, of about 6-7 he tries for it on. Gets 2-3 other potentially point ending returns off, deep or wide. Point of the winner counts being that Agassi isn’t particularly aggressive

Most of Agassi’s 14 FEs are passes, but Rost’s wide shots do force 1 or 2 in baseline rallies. Rost has 9 FEs, with 6/15 Agassi net points won accounted for by winners (4 volleys and 2 groundshots at net), so he doesn’t force errors in baseline rallies either. He does dictate with better hitting, only occasionally upped to attacking play, but UEs are center of baseline action

Rost is 4/7 rallying to net. This would be the potentially danger area for Agassi. If he doesn’t attack himself, he does stay on top of rallies strongly enough to keep Rost away from net, so job well done and balance of aggression well hit. No fault in Rost’s net thirst. He’s not particularly on look out to take net, does not take on desperate/suicidal approaches and Agassi keeps his chances for doing so down

When slightly rushed, Rost push-slices BHs, but doesn’t have conventional slice. No signs of chip-charging in rallies. From his point of view, there isn’t overt need for it, as he’s not so thoroughly outplayed in baseline rallies; wait for a game where Agassi misses a few groundies might do to get him a break

Would work a lot better if he weren’t handing 36% freebies over on a platter - about 20% too many or warranted by strength of Agassi’s serve

Gist, Agassi calmly getting enough better of baseline rallies to keep holding. Nothing too fancy or aggressive from him, just hitting cleaner and a little steadier off the ground. Rost’s groundgame isn’t impressive of power or consistency, but he hangs in to win his share of points. Agassi hitting hard enough to keep Rost away from net is important. Wouldn’t be difficult for Agassi to come in more himself, but not necessary and he doesn’t look to much

 

[Waspsting]

Rostagno’s serve games
Rost has an unusual service motion. Elbow is fully bent as he tosses ball and straightens from there as he strikes the ball and jumps. Looks awkward, the opposite of image that ‘smooth delivery’ conjures. Does that make it harder to read or easier? Agassi doesn’t to have much trouble on that front

It’s a good enough serve though and good to be serve-volleying behind, which he does all but once

1/6 first serves is an ace or 17%. He also has a second serve ace to go with. Good start. 2-3 of those 11 first serve aces are down to Agassi letting them go in light of game score

Gets about 50% of the first serves troublingly wide, the rest either coverable without trouble or not needing much movement to reach. Serve not pacey enough that getting it slightly wide is necessarily a good thing, especially with a thumper returner like Agassi

First set is a returning clinic from Agassi, who pounds returns off both serves habitually. Good, or lucky, job by Rost to only be broken once. Rest of match is normal serve-return action - lots of return errors, thumped returns when they’re made, some forced stretched poke backs that are readily dispatchable by first volley

He’s a beautiful volleyer. No one - not Edberg, not McEnroe - judges which volley to play to what return or pass better. Drops, short angle or deep - Rost’s volley choices are impeccable and execution is very good to. Drops and short angles take the eye, bu the’s not a ‘cutesy’ volleyer always looking for the touch shot, and effective in punching volleys normally too

A rule of thumb of volleying is that when net high balls are struck above average of power, for a good volleyer, its actually a good thing and makes putting volleys away easier than normal or slower ball (different story for not a good volleyer). That dynamic’s on show here; lovely dispatching of volleys by Rost, with added appeal of the natural variety mentioned earlier. Has fine judgement of middling length ball too. 2 BH at net first ‘volley’ winners and a rare second ‘volley’ FH1/2V one are made to look easy, but its minority of serve-volleyers that can choose the right shot in these kinds of situations

And Agassi, thumping returns on the up, as his way. Has to get them wide and low on top of thumping to be effective. Against lesser volleyer, net high return would likely draw not good volleys that he could have a good look pass at

Return rate of 58% is on low side. 7 return winners isn’t high either. And more net high returns than wide, low ones. First set is top class - the sort of showing on which his reputation as the very best of returners was built. Thereafter, decent

High quality contest between Rost’s volleying and Agassi’s passing
On ‘volley’, Rostagno with 25 winners (20 of them serve-volleying, 3 return-approaching, rest from rallies), 5 UEs, 14 FEs (5 of them 1/2volleys)
Agassi with 16 passing winners (7 returns, 9 regular), at 58% return rate and with about 10-12 passing FEs

UEs low for Rost speaks to soundness. Coupled with very decisive volleying, that’s excellent
Agassi forcing 14 ‘volley’ errors, along with close to 1:1 ratio of winner/errors passing in play is excellent too. Particularly given not great looks on the pass

If there’s a problem for Rost, its his serving choices. 35% to FH isn’t too high, but higher than norm, and Agassi’s FH return is more brutal than the BH (which isn’t gentle). 7/29 return errors he draws are FHs - disproportionately BH heavy, in context of serve directions. FH return more powerful, FH return more secure, Rost being good enough volleyer to not need wide open court to be effective (and his serve isn't wide enough to 'wide open' the court to begin with)... no good reason to serve that much to FH

9/14 Rost ‘volley’ FEs are on FH wing (1 FH1/2V), disproportionately drawn by FH return. He’s little better at handling the tough BHV, where 4/5 FEs are 1/2volleys, but some lot of FEs are unavoidable against what he’s up against

2/3 FH return winners and 3/4 BH ones from Agassi are cc. Another part of what makes him such a scary person to serve-volley to. Meat and potatoes returning (as far as direction goes) is good enough from him, given clean striking and early taken habit, to be winning shots

Contest isn’t as great as the numbers look. First set sees Agassi dominate, almost to target practice extent and next 2, Rost gets better of it - to overall, make up the impressive to both players final outputs. “Not as great”, but to be clear, good show from both players' ends

Match Progression
Hammer & tongs return-passing from Agassi in first set and Rost rarely sees a routine volley, let alone an easy one. Rost does some good with his return-approaches, but misses so many easy returns that Agassi’s able to stay comfy on serve

Couple of return-approaches - the second ending with a BHV winner - gets Rost break point in opening game in which a rally develops. He takes his shot at BH dtl winner on it and misses. Agassi sends down an error forcingly wide second serve to follow up before drawing a running error to hold

Then breaks. FH inside-out return winner, wide low FHV FE and on break point, Rost misses a relatively easy FH1/2V that he had time to play (still an FE)

Rest of Rost’s service games last 10, 8 and 4 point. Some nice touch volleys from him, but his 1/2volleying isn’t the best (you know you’re in trouble when that’s a ‘flaw’). Meanwhile, he misses returns regularly. Best shot he has is at 15-30 in game after being broken. Misses 3 returns from there - 2 of them UEs

Second set starts in same vein, with Agassi breaking to open in 10 point game that he wraps up with with 3 passing winners in a row - BH cc return, a top class, running BH lob and a BH running-down-drop-volley dtl at net after drawing a tough, low first volley. And consolidates to 15 with authority - coming in early for BHV winner, his first serve-volley and his second ace

From hereon, match is even. In fact, Rost has better of the second set on whole, let alone excluding the first 2 games

Breaks back for 3-3. Nice winning FH dtl to start game, winning a net-to-net battle with a FHV winner and on break point, Agassi making a not too easy BHV UE serve-volleying (return is slightly wide and close to low-ish). Agassi’s next 2 holds last 8 points apiece and he has to save break point in the first of them (Rost misses routine first return on it)

Some gorgeous volleying from Rost in his service games

Tiebreak. Rost strikes first with a winning, wide BH cc return to go up 2-0. He’s moving forward dangerously point after, but Agassi’s able to darw BH1/2V error to resist going down 2 minis. Perfectly played OH on the bounce from baseline winner from Rost after being forced away from net after that, but Agassi wallops a FH cc return-pass winner to put thigns back on serve

1 trade mini-breaks shortly after - Rost double faults for 3-5, then levels at 5-5 with a return-approaching FHV winner
It takes a brute power pass from Agassi to end the set, ball not far from Rost but just travelling to fast to handle

Third set plays like post 1-1 second set, and the only break in it ends the match. Again, if anything Rost has better of it and serves 31 points to Agassi’s 36 in it
Break points - Agassi 1/1, Rost 0/1, with both returners reaching deuce one other time

Rost has Agassi running corner to corner down A-40 in game 3, and has finally got him out of position that putting ball in play will do to win the pint, but misses his attempt at easing FH dtl over net. He’s got break point next go around, having raised it with a nice FH dtl approach, but misses routine second routine before Agassi holds

Eventually, Agassi snags elusive break to end the match. Couple of BH1/2V errors from Rost in the game, and BHV that’s been marked UE that’s absolutely skirting line between UE and FE; These are the kinds of middling returns Agassi tends not to dish out. Rost double faults on break/match point

Summing up, decent match. Agassi with some terrific passing (including with the return) which is overwhelming for one set. Rest of the time though, Rostagno’s handles it with great skill

Rostagno’s volleys very well. His finish and most of all, his choices of what volley to play (drop, deep, angled) is flawless. He’s no slouch on the difficult volley either, but it would have to be top-drawer showing to handle as much of it as he’s faced with, which he isn’t quite upto

And Rostagno returns horribly, missing routine and easy returns against an at most, average serve to leave Agassi fairly comfortable in holding

Sort of a full circle match for Rostagno at Wimby. He never reached the quarter final, but beat Jimmy Connors (and took him to 5 sets another time), beat John McEnroe, beat Pete Sampras and doesn’t disgrace himself here against to-be champion. Not a guy a you’d want to draw in early round on grass

Stats for the final between Agassi and Goran Ivanisevic - Match Stats/Report - Agassi vs Ivanisevic, Wimbledon final, 1992 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)
Stats for Agassi’s other matches at the event -

Match Stats/Reports - Catalogue

This is a full list of all the matches I've statt-ed chronologically arranged I'll keep it updated. List will continue to grow, probably not at the same rate, and disproportionately heavily towards more recent players Slam pre-final matches are in blue Slam finals are in red Happy holidays...

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