Match Stats/Report - Alcaraz vs Ruud, Miami final, 2022

[Waspsting]

Carlos Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4 in the Miami final, 2022 on hard court

It was both players first Masters final, and they would meet again at the US Open final later in the year, with Alcaraz again winning. Alcaraz was 18 years old and became the youngest winner in tournament history, surpassing 19 year old Novak Djokovic from 2007

Alcaraz won 76 points, Ruud 65

Serve Stats
Alcaraz...
- 1st serve percentage (48/68) 71%
- 1st serve points won (36/48) 75%
- 2nd serve points won (9/20) 45%
- Aces 6
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (23/68) 34%

Ruud...
- 1st serve percentage (43/73) 59%
- 1st serve points won (26/43) 60%
- 2nd serve points won (16/30) 53%
- Aces 5 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (20/73) 27%

Serve Pattern
Alcaraz served...
- to FH 27%
- to BH 71%
- to Body 2%

Ruud served...
- to FH 46%
- to BH 53%
- to Body 1%

Return Stats
Alcaraz made...
- 50 (22 FH, 28 BH), including 1 return-approach
- 2 Winners (1 FH, 1 BH)
- 15 Errors, comprising...
- 8 Unforced (5 FH, 3 BH)
- 7 Forced (3 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (50/70) 71%

Ruud made...
- 43 (13 FH, 30 BH), 4 runaround FHs & 1 return-approach
- 1 Winner (1 FH), a runaround FH
- 17 Errors, comprising...
- 8 Unforced (6 FH, 2 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 9 Forced (1 FH, 8 BH)
- Return Rate (43/66) 65%

Break Points
Alcaraz 4/9 (5 games)
Ruud 2/8 (3 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Alcaraz 21 (9 FH, 3 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV, 4 OH)
Ruud 14 (8 FH, 2 BH, 2 BHV, 2 OH)

Alcaraz' FHs - 4 cc (1 pass that Ruud left), 1 dtl/inside-out pass, 1 inside-in return, 1 longline, 1 drop shot, 1 lob
- BHs - 2 dtl (1 return), 1 drop shot

- 4 from serve-volley points - 3 first volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH) & 1 second volley (1 OH)

- 1 other FHV was a swinging inside-in shot

Ruud's FHs - 1 cc pass at net, 1 inside-out, 3 inside-in (1 runaround return), 1 longline, 1 longline/inside-out, 1 drop shot
- BHs - 1 cc at net, 1 running-down-drop-shot drop shot at net

Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Alcaraz 29
- 17 Unforced (10 FH, 5 BH, 2 BHV)
- 12 Forced (4 FH, 8 BH)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 49.4

Ruud 29
- 17 Unforced (13 FH, 4 BH)
- 12 Forced (3 FH, 4 BH, 3 BHV, 1 OH)... with 1 BH at net
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.8

(Note 1: all half-volleys refer to such shots played at net. Half -volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke counts)

(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
Alcaraz was...
- 20/27 (74%) at with, including...
- 10/10 (100%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
---
- 1/1 return-approaching
- 1/3 (33%) forced back

Ruud was...
- 14/22 (64%) at with, including...
- 1/2 serve-volleying, both 1st serves
---
- 1/1 return-approaching

Match Report
Ruud’s inability to handle Alcaraz’ high kicked serves is biggest difference between the two players in a match where both players play well. Court is slow

Errors are dead even in all ways, both players with 29 errors (17 UEs, 12 FEs)
Alcs leads freebies 34% to 27%
Alcs leads winners 21 to 14

Lead in volleying winners is 5 and serve-volleying, he’s 10/10, virtually all behind the kicked serves. More or less, how effective his kick serves out wide to BH proves is all that seperates the two players. He’s also the more aggressive player, which augments perception of how much he has better of things

High 71% first serves in for Alcs (Ruud has good 59%). Function of the luxury of being able to do normal first-serve damage with high-percentage kick serves. Ruud varies his position about - sometimes taking it from well-back, less often taking them from normal position, but struggles to put ball in play, much less with any authority

High rising stuff from Alcs, climbing to Ruud’s shoulder when he’s well back and around the chest on its way up when he’s in normal position. Only way Ruud can make the returns is by quasi-lobbing the shot - and he can’t make all of those even. When he can, they land without force and Alcs is apt to always be moving forward and hammering his groundies where Ruud isn’t, often taking net behind such shots too

He's not good on the routine FH return either, with 6/8 UEs being FHs. In all, not good returning from Ruud - technically short against the high stuff, and a bit loose on the routine stuff

And the 10/10 serve-volleying - about a quarter of all first serves. Exclusively in ad court, so about half the time on that side

First serve points won - Alcs 75%, Ruud 60%

Damage done by Alcs’ serve, as indicated by large 34% unreturneds on a slow court, with high in count = a good time for him on his first serve points. But he’s also done well to snatch 40% first return points

Ruud has a normal serve, which on such a slow court, isn’t likely to be too effective. If anything, 27% freebies seems high. His showing looks like a 20% one, with Alcs not having any technical weaknesses to this or that type of serve. He does serve some very good seconds. Has 1 ace, and his seconds are mildly damaging and at least, not easy to attack

Alcs attacks a few anyway. Got a couple of return winners and otherwise biffs returns hard. When he steps up to take return early, Ruud throws in more powerful second serves. To some success, as the relatively high freebies indicate

But Alcs’ returns - adventurous in taking it early, looking for big power and choice wide ones - regularly give him good starting point for rally. 40% first return points won, especially since he’s dominant on his own first serve, is great for him

Second serve points won - Alcs 45%, Ruud 53%

The indicator that Ruud plays well too

 

[Waspsting]

Play - Baseline & Net
Winners - Alcs 21, Ruud 14
Errors Forced - both 12
UEs - both 17

More winners than UEs for Alcs, and Ruud not too far behind

Action is baseline oriented, with considerable net play (2 combine for 49 approaches in 141 points). Despite FH heavy yields (there are 23 FH UEs to 9 BHs), its not a particularly FH centered match

Alc is dictates play, and hits to Ruud’s BH to open up the the other side. Alcs’ hammers FHs, BHs’ aren’t gentle either. Ruud’s BH is normal of force, usually on reactive if not defensive side. Off the FH, he can match Alcs’ power when he wants to, but is picky about it

Gist - Alcs harder hitter, and usually looking to move up the court inside baseline. With UEs equal (Alcs actually has 1 fewer neutral UE, 7-8), that sounds like good starting point for a thrashing. There’s no thrashing to be seen though. Ruud plays solidly and well, against a secure, more powerful opponent

Both players have phases of floundering with aggressive FHs. Alcs’ is right at the start where he goes down 0-3. Ruud’s is start of second set when he goes down 0-3

Difference being Alcs more or less carries on in same vein, toning down goin for the winner ,shaving the errors but still pushing Ruud to reactive role.And scoring with some blistering winners. Ruud by contrast categorically ups his aggressive FH shot choices, having been pushed around a bit, and isn’t able to execute. It’s a strategically good move (alternative is to get pushed around and hope Alcs misses), and he’s demonstrated that he’s capable of damaging power with the FH, but just doesn’t pay off

Alcs for once floundering with the drop shots and credit to Ruud for both his quickness and having being on look out for the play. According to commentary, Alcs had won something like 51/59 drop shot plays through the tournament (presumably, this excludes missing the drop shot altogether), an astonishing hit rate

He’s less than 50% in this match. Ruud, while reactive, never allows himself to be pushed fully back and is onto the dropper quickly. Couple drop shot winners from Alcs, Ruud’s got same number of winners running them down and wins other net points when he comes into meet the ball. In fact, its Ruud who scores with drop shots - he’s got 2 winners too, forces an error and tends to win net-to-net points coming out of his drop shot plays. Alcs by contrast, doesn’t approach behind his droppers - for him, drop shot is a winner attempt

If Ruud is quick, Alcs is electric. Ruud coming in early while serving provides Alcs’ biggest defensive testes. He’s onto ball in a flash and hits some top notch, firm, low passes on the full run to draw weak volley that he can dispatch from mid-court next up

Not being pointedly aggressive from back, success at net is important for Ruud in particular, and its Alcs great passing that keeps success rate down

Rallying to net -
- Alcs 9/16, Ruud 12/19

Net UEs - Alcs 2, Ruud 0
Net FEs - Alcs 0, Ruud 5

Alcs’ success is curbed by losing points to Ruud’s drop shots and being forced back to baseline. He’s otherwise good and secure on the volley and not challenged much on the pass. Ruud is challenged - all credit to Alcs for great passing

Match Progression
Both players hammering FHs, with Ruud keeping it in check and Alcs being a little overambitious right at the start, Alcs coming to lead baseline action by drawing not strong shots from Ruud’s BH and Ruud struggling to return Alcs’ kick serves mark the first set

Alcs misses a bunch of FHs to get broken for 0-2. He does land a bullet of a FH cc winner from reactive postion in the next game, as well as a winning, power BH cc, but Ruud holds with a strong FH cc of his own, having earlier run down a drop shot to hit eventually hit an OH winner

From 0-3 down, its Alcs’ set as he regularly gets into return games

Ruud saves a break point in holding 10 point game for 4-1 filled with aggressive plays. With Alcs taking 3 successive points with Ruud at net, Ruud shows he can hit a FH or 2 himself, finishing with consecutive third ball winners (longline/inside-out and inside-out)

Its outlasting Ruud that gets Alcs his break back in error run game, where Ruud makes just 1/6 first serves. 4-4

Plenty of fine tennis along same lines for rest of set. Alcs gains decisive break in a FH centered game - his scoring with a couple of cc shots (1 winner, 1 forcing a running error), Ruud floundering with a couple of aggressive UEs (1 helped by Alcs defending stoutly, the other an ambitious shot)

Alcs has to save break point on the serve-out. He serve-volleys 4 times and is at net 7 in the 10 point game

Flying start to the second set for Alcs as he breaks twice for 3-0 lead. First break comes largely due to some great passes from Alcs and a first class, running FH cc winner seals the second
Ruud pulls a break back in a great game of exciting rallies. He needs 6 break points to finish the 12 point game

Ruud takes a medical time out to have his hip treated at 2-3 change-over. There’s nothing noticably off about his movement but he does return even less convincingly afterwards and rest of match is routine holds for both players, with freebies making up large lot of points

2 points stand out though, and they’re both won by Ruud. In game 8, he draws the rabbit fast Alcs to net with a drop shot, lob-volleys his rejoinder from near service line to send him back to baseline and putsaway the lob retrieval after that with a smash

Game after, lovely, running third ball FH drop shot winner against a strong, wide return

Bright moments, unimportant in getting the break back. Alcs eventually serves out to love, finishing with a first volley BHV winner serve-volleying

Summing up, good match from both players, with Alcaraz that much better at most things. Most of all, how effective his kick serves. Ruud falls back, Ruud stands his ground but whatever he does, he struggles to return the ball at all and when he can, does so almost moon ball-ishly weakly. Alcaraz isn’t slow to serve-volley to make most of it either. Ruu'd's returning overall and against everything is not good

From baseline, Alcaraz regularly hard-hitting off both sides, with his FH overpowering at times. Ruud stead off the BH and capable of matching his opponent off the FH in force, but usually content to play reactively. He doesn’t allow himself to get pushed too far back though, and is onto drop shots in a flash, while scoring with the same shot himself

Given most things favouring Alcaraz - serve-return complex, hitting strength, passing, movement - very good job by Ruud to keep things competitive (an assessment that pre-supposes Alcaraz considerably better player, as he his)