Match Stats/Report - Becker vs McEnroe, Stratton Mountain semi-final, 1986

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Boris Becker beat John McEnroe 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(8) in the Stratton Mountain semi-final, 1986 on hard court

Becker had recently won his second Wimbledon title and would go onto lose the final to Ivan Lendl. McEnroe, the defending champion, was playing his first tournament of the season after a self-imposed break from the tour

Becker won 102 points, McEnroe 104

McEnroe serve-volleyed off all first serves and all but 6 second serves

Serve Stats
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (54/106) 51%
- 1st serve points won (48/54) 89%
- 2nd serve points won (27/52) 52%
- Aces 8, Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (40/106) 38%

McEnroe...
- 1st serve percentage (58/100) 58%
- 1st serve points won (44/58) 76%
- 2nd serve points won (29/42) 69%
- Aces 12 (2 second serves) - 1 not clean
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (48/100) 48%

Serve Patterns
Becker served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 69%
- to Body 1%

McEnroe served...
- to FH 34%
- to BH 57%
- to Body 8%

Return Stats
Becker made...
- 47 (18 FH, 29 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 2 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (3 BH)
- 36 Errors, comprising...
- 3 Unforced (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 33 Forced (7 FH, 26 BH)
- Return Rate (47/96) 49%

McEnroe made...
- 60 (16 FH, 44 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 10 return-approaches
- 2 Winners (2 FH)
- 29 Errors, comprising...
- 2 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH)
- 27 Forced (9 FH, 18 BH), including 1 return-approach attempt
- Return Rate (60/100) 60%

Break Points
Becker 1/2 (2 games)
McEnroe 1/4 (3 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Becker 26 (8 FH, 7 BH, 5 FHV, 5 BHV, 1 OH)
McEnroe 15 (5 FH, 1 BH, 7 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)

Becker's FHs - 3 cc (2 passes), 2 dtl (1 pass) and 2 inside-out
- BHs (all passes) - 1 cc return, 4 dtl and 2 inside-in returns

- 3 first 'volleys' from serve-volley points (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 FH at net)

McEnroe had 10 from serve-volley points
- 6 first 'volleys' (4 FHV, 2 FH at net), 1 of the FH at nets was played net-to-net and a pass, with Becker return-approaching on the same point
- 4 second volleys (2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH), 1 of the FHVs was a net chord dribbler

- FHs - 1 turnaround cc pass after having been forced back from net and 2 dtl returns
- BHs - 1 cc

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Becker 35
- 10 Unforced (5 FH, 4 BH, 1 OH)
- 25 Forced (5 FH, 18 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53

McEnroe 32
- 16 Unforced (4 FH, 6 BH, 2 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 OH)
- 16 Forced (5 FH, 3 BH, 2 FHV, 5 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 56.3

(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
Becker was...
- 22/28 (79%) at net, including...
- 10/12 (83%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 10/11 (91%) off 1st serve and..
- 0/1 off 2nd serve
--
- 1/2 return-approaching

McEnroe was...
- 66/92 (72%) at net, including...
- 57/78 (73%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 34/48 (71%) off 1st serve and..
- 23/30 (77%) off 2nd serve
--
- 6/10 (60%) return-approaching
- 1/2 forced back

Match Report
First class match with high level, serve dominated play from both players on a fast-ish hard court and sometimes windy conditions. The result is a flip-of-a-coin deal. McEnroe wins 2 more points (while serving 6 points less), has break points in one more game and had 4 match points in the tiebreak (2 of them on his serve)

Some background. After a strong season in 1985, McEnroe chose to take some time off. This tournament was his first official one of the year. He had been impressive in reaching the stage, losing serve just once in 4 matches. 1 of those wins was against a 16 year old, playing in his 3rd professional tournament Andre Agassi. This match with Becker, who had established himself as a brilliant young star, seems to have been highly anticipated.

And it delivers. If McEnroe had any rust on him, he's worked it off in the earlier rounds. He plays like he never left. McEnroe serve-volleys virtually all the time (stays back on 6 second serves). Becker plays almost entirely from the back (serve-volleys a total 12 times). Its a quick court and as such, the serve and return become the key shots

Serve, Return & Play
Becker serves splendidly. First serves are banged down hard as can and always aimed at lines. When he misses, its by inches. Mac does well to keep him to just 8 aces. Second serves are banged down almost as hard but placed within the box... they're more powerful than many players' first serves. 6 double faults is a better than reasonable price to pay for hitting such initiative grabbing second serves

Mac is typically looking to chip-charge return second serves at the start. He soon learns that these aren't the type of balls one can chip-charge with impunity - and becomes very picky about when to try. Mac is excellent on the return-approaches, just the 1 error in 11 attempts and the ones he makes are well placed to the point of being forceful even without an approach. I'd say Mac returned as well as he was allowed to

Mac serves excellently too as 12 aces testify to. But Becker's return isn't the best. While some Mac second serves are powerful and/or well placed (he has 2 second serve aces) and its clear Becker can't read the serves (several times he guesses and is moving one way while the ball comes down the other) and Mac almost always following the serve to net.... there are enough not overly powerful serves within Becker's reach that the German could have done damage with the return. He doesn't much... instead making plenty of errors (usually going long) while taking big cuts at such serves

But Becker is Becker, even at 18 years of age. First set, he's stumped by Mac serving at 75%. For most of the second set, he's missing returns despite Mac's percentage falling... he looks like he's not even trying at times. Out of the blue, with Mac serving to push the set into a tiebreak, Becker comes alive. 2 return pass winners, another pass winner and a very forced volleying error give him the break and the set

Both players have their eyes open. Mac stays back on just 1 second serve in the first set, and Becker immediately return-approaches to take the point. Mac notices Becker's getting a read on his serve, and starts staying back a bit more in the third set
 
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Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Play
Even Becker's second serve is enough to give him control of points and he utilizes that advantage with attacking baseline play. The FH is his primary weapon and the inside-out is particularly effective. He hits winners and forces errors and for all that, makes fewer unforced errors than his opponent. And he hits hard enough that Mac doesn't have much scope to make an approach. The baseline play in this match is fast paced and open court of nature with Becker leading - and dominating.

Becker's BH is also strong, particularly dtl. I don't think he hits a single slice in the match. Its also a rather ugly, crabby shot, all forearm and wrist. A testimony to his strength that he can get such power behind the shots without using the shoulder, arm and body to any noticeable extent

Becker doesn't come forward much. His 79% net points are a bit deceiving in that a healthy chunk of them are 'insurance policy' approaches (particularly the serve-volley points). Nonetheless, he shows good skill at net. There are some good drop volleys and some penetrating deep ones, usually crosscourt but the odd inside-out too. He saves a break point by coming to net, where he's greeted with a powerful pass, then another and then another... he makes the first 2 volleys and is able to put away the third. Great stuff from Boris, but one imagines Mac would be disappointed at not putting that one away

Mac volleys as well as ever. Everything goes to a corner. and not just any corner but the corner of his choice - note Becker with 18 BH FEs to just 5 on the FH. Deuce court or ad court, from the FHV or the BHV, Mac can find Becker's BH corner. And when Becker starts returning better in the third set, Mac starts throwing in stop volleys

There are some notable points in the match. In the first game, Becker makes a Nadal-esq running, stretching, 5 feet behind the baseline with back almost turned to the court FH passing winner. A few games later, Becker lobs McEnroe, forcing him away from the net, and takes the forecourt for himself. Only McEnroe runs down the ball and lets loose with a turnaround FH cc passing winner

There's a stupid call from the umpire, who judges that a Becker OH winner in fact went through the net and thus its McEnroe's point. It doesn't seem to have even touched the net... losing the point put Becker in a spot of trouble at 15-30, 4-4 in the decider. He responds with an ace, a BH dtl passing winner and an unreturned serve to hold. Without this call, Becker would statistically have won 100% first serve-volley points and passed 90% first serve points won for the match. There was a similar call in Stockholm '80 final when a Borg serve (which McEnroe thought was an obvious let) was called a fault for having gone through the net. Mac doesn't complain too much about. If he'd been on the receiving end of the call....

Of Mac's 4 match points, his best shot is a serve-volley point where he pushes a medium height, moderately powerful return just long. It was a poor choice of shot. He'd been hitting such volleys deep and into the corners most of the match... why change to hitting down the middle now? Its close enough that Mac feigns thinking it was in. If he really thought it was in, he would have putaway Becker's shot off of it

There's a fair bit of needle out in the middle between the players. Mac seems to be the aggresor. A not very bothered Becker occasionally indulges in mild gamesmanship also

Summing up, a fantastic match, dominated by serve and featuring lovely volleying from McEnroe and lively baseline exchanges commanded by Becker. Its a dead even match with a nail biting finish with a twist to boot

Stats for the final are here https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...s-becker-stratton-mountain-final-1986.633744/
 
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Wrecker

New User
Looks like a great match, will check this out. The context of the rising youngster against the returning great makes it even more fascinating
 

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Looks like a great match, will check this out. The context of the rising youngster against the returning great makes it even more fascinating

Let me know what you think of the action when you do

Given the drop in his wining rates round about this time, I was prepared to see a lower standard of play from Mac

But no, he plays as well as could be asked for. No one would watch this and be able to tell this is 1986 and not 1985 when he was right at the top
 

krosero

Legend
Becker was doing his full-on Henri Cochet impression in this tournament, saving two match points against Kevin Curren, then 4 match points against McEnroe, though he couldn't win the final against Lendl.

I thought like you, Wasp, that this was top-level McEnroe. Generally speaking he wasn't the same player after his '86 sabbatical as we all know, but he got up for this meeting with Becker. 48% unreturned serves is outstanding (only higher one I have is 50.5% against Lendl at 83 Wimb). Using your UE's, Mac's Aggressive Margin was 30.6%, Becker's 29.6%, not record-breaking numbers but very good especially considering the windy conditions.

And purely in terms of skill, McEnroe had Becker beaten, up 6-3 in the final tiebreak -- when he proceeded to serve a double-fault.

I sometimes wonder how Mac's comeback would have gone if he could have closed this match out. I mean I know this was only a second-tier event, but the match was huge. There was so much anticipation about when and where McEnroe was finally going to meet Becker. They had met once on the tour in early '85 when Becker was still a nobody, and since then Becker had won two Wimbledon's. At '85 USO there was a lot of anticipation about Becker and McEnroe scheduled to meet in the quarters but that meeting never materialized since Becker was upset by Nystrom. Then Mac took his sabbatical, and we all had to wait several more months. When it finally happened they both obviously got up for it; and I think it must have deflated Mac to lose it, particularly after losing match points the way he did.
 

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
They had met once on the tour in early '85 when Becker was still a nobody, and since then Becker had won two Wimbledon's. At '85 USO there was a lot of anticipation about Becker and McEnroe scheduled to meet in the quarters but that meeting never materialized since Becker was upset by Nystrom. Then Mac took his sabbatical, and we all had to wait several more months. When it finally happened they both obviously got up for it; and I think it must have deflated Mac to lose it, particularly after losing match points the way he did.

Commentators did go on about how highly anticipated a match this was

Do you have an idea of how significantly regarded their meeting in the Antwerp Invitational/Exhibition tournament in late '85 would have been regarded? or big money invitational matches in general?

One such that seems to have undergone a bit of a change in standing are the 4 man Pepsi Grand Slam Cups. Commentators for the '83 Forest Hills final between McEnroe and Vitas Gerulaitis repeatedly say that Mac hadn't won any major tournaments on clay and only 1 clay court tournament(?)

At one point, one commentator adds as an afterthought (paraphrased), "Well, he did win Boca West '81 but that doesn't count/isn't official" or something like that. Today, those are all in the offical record books

Probably won't happen for the old Antwerps... but I gather it was a serious tournament with fields as strong as you could ask for?
 

krosero

Legend
Commentators did go on about how highly anticipated a match this was

Do you have an idea of how significantly regarded their meeting in the Antwerp Invitational/Exhibition tournament in late '85 would have been regarded? or big money invitational matches in general?

One such that seems to have undergone a bit of a change in standing are the 4 man Pepsi Grand Slam Cups. Commentators for the '83 Forest Hills final between McEnroe and Vitas Gerulaitis repeatedly say that Mac hadn't won any major tournaments on clay and only 1 clay court tournament(?)

At one point, one commentator adds as an afterthought (paraphrased), "Well, he did win Boca West '81 but that doesn't count/isn't official" or something like that. Today, those are all in the offical record books

Probably won't happen for the old Antwerps... but I gather it was a serious tournament with fields as strong as you could ask for?
I remember reading about the Antwerp events back then in Tennis Magazine, and the bare facts (prize money, draw strength) were always impressive. I even wondered back then, when I first started collecting tennis records/stats, why Antwerp was not a bigger deal, or why it was not counted as "official". But I don't remember anything specific about the Becker/McEnroe meeting in late '85.

In that recent YouTube clip of the USO "podcast" among Lendl, Wilander, Becker and McEnroe, they mentioned Antwerp briefly; they all seemed to remember it, particularly how much money was on the line.

Yet, no surprise, every once in a while when McEnroe brought up some H2H stats, he used official ATP numbers. He said for example that Lendl beat him 21-15 in their lifetime H2H.

At one point Becker and McEnroe were going back and forth about their H2H. Becker seemed unsure about whether he ever met John in a GS, and of course John reminded him that they did, in Australia in 1992, and that Mac was the winner. He said that Australia was "one of the few times" he beat Boris. He has two official ATP wins over Becker, and he beat Boris in their Antwerp meeting in late '85, so who knows, maybe he recalls it as "one of the few" wins he had.

At 16:10 here, Mac recalls two non-ATP meetings with Lendl from Dec. '82, Barcelona and Antwerp (he refers to Barcelona as an exo):

 
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Waspsting

Hall of Fame
At 16:10 here, Mac recalls two non-ATP meetings with Lendl from Dec. '82, Barcelona and Antwerp (he refers to Barcelona as an exo):

Great... this fills something up for me

Several years ago, I was browsing a McEnroe book and remember this story... said he was so dominant over Lendl that he used to call the score before the match. Then one match, he had to tank a couple of games to let Lendl reach the score he'd called. Only Lendl went on to win the match... and that turned their rivalry completely around

The Barcelona match is online

Ironic that exho was part of something called "Europe vs Americas" according to wikipedia. And nowadays, the Laver Cup - organized privately, players hand selected, matches on day each day yielding more points than matches the day before - is given retrospective official status....
 
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