Match Stats/Report - Berdych vs Ljubicic, Paris final, 2005

[Waspsting]

Tomas Berdych beat Ivan Ljubicic 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4 in the Paris final, 2005 on carpet

20-year old Berdych was unseeded and this would turn out to be his only Masters title. Ljubicic had recently been runner-up in Madrid Indoor also, where he’d lost the final from 2 sets to love up

Berdych won 130 points, Ljubicic 132

Serve Stats
Berdych...
- 1st serve percentage (79/136) 58%
- 1st serve points won (66/79) 84%
- 2nd serve points won (31/57) 54%
- Aces 18
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (47/136) 35%

Ljubicic...
- 1st serve percentage (85/126) 67%
- 1st serve points won (71/85) 84%
- 2nd serve points won (22/41) 54%
- Aces 28, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (58/126) 46%

Serve Pattern
Berdych served...
- to FH 58%
- to BH 36%
- to Body 6%

Ljubicic served...
- to FH 39%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 3%

Return Stats
Berdych made...
- 66 (22 FH, 44 BH)
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 29 Errors, comprising...
- 12 Unforced (5 FH, 7 BH)
- 17 Forced (4 FH, 13 BH)
- Return Rate (66/124) 53%

Ljubicic made...
- 87 (44 FH, 43 BH), including 5 runaround BHs
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 29 Errors, comprising...
- 12 Unforced (9 FH, 3 BH)
- 17 Forced (10 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (87/134) 65%

Break Points
Berdych 3/9 (5 games)
Ljubicic 2/3 (2 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Berdych 33 (17 FH, 5 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV, 6 OH)
Ljubicic 17 (10 FH, 5 BH, 2 FHV)

Berdych's FHs - 7 cc (2 passes), 2 cc/inside-in, 6 inside-out, 2 inside-in
- BHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 1 inside-out, 1 inside-out/dtl, 1 inside-in return

- 1 from a serve-volley point, a first volley OH

Ljubicic's FHs - 5 cc, 1 dtl return, 1 inside-out/dtl, 1 inside-out/longline, 1 inside-in/cc, 1 net chord dribbler
- BHs - 3 cc (2 passes), 2 net chord dribblers

- 1 FHV was a non net, swinging inside-in/longline

Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Berdych 55
- 41 Unforced (25 FH, 14 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)… the FHV was a swinging shot
- 14 Forced (8 FH, 5 BH, 1 FHV)… with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.0

Ljubicic 48
- 29 Unforced (18 FH, 11 BH)
- 19 Forced (10 FH, 7 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)… with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.9

(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
Berdych was...
- 22/27 (81%) at net, including...
- 1/1 serve-volleying, a 1st serve
---
- 1/1 forced back

Ljubicic was 5/12 (42%) at net,

Match Report
Server dominated, baseline match. Ljubicic has significantly more potent serve, though Berdych’s is strong too. Off the ground, Berdych is far more powerful and commands action readily, especially with the FH. Fitness and energy levels become important as match ticks on. Ljubicic is stronger player at the end, but Berdych pips him for the result. Court is fast

Things are as close as can be and its unfortunate that match is essentially decided by a bad call.

In serving out the second set, a Berd second serve is called an ace to give him 30-15; ball was 3-4 inches out. Far out enough that even an overrule seems plausible. All things remaining the same, Lube would have broken in the game, putting the set back on serve

All things remaining the same beyond that game, scoreline shifts (from Berd’s point of view) to 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-6 tiebreak, with Lube having run of play and Berd visibly more run down. Smart money would be on Lube to win from there

So add this final to ‘96 YEC Sampras-Becker, ‘01 Hamburg Portas-Ferrero and ‘05 Miami Federer-Nadal as matches decided by bad call

Basic stats are a beauty -
First serve in - Berd 58%, Lube 67%
First serve won - both 84% (Berd 83.54%, Lube 83.52%)
Second serve won - both 54% (Berd 54.4%, Lube 53.7%)

Would obviously favour Lube to have won looking at that. He wins 2 more points, while serving 10 fewer (in percentages, wins 50.4% points, serving 48.1%). Tough luck for Lube; he’s recently lost 5 set final in Madrid from 2 sets up, where he’d won 9 more points, while serving 19 fewer (in percentages, won 51.5% of points, serving 46.8% of them)

This is a different type of match though. There, he’d dominated 2 sets and generally been holding more easily for next 3 (while getting broken and failing to break), subsequently, dominated break point stats
Here, break points read Berd 3/9 (5 games), Lube 2/3 (2 games)

As stated earlier, server dominated match, with rare chances for returner, so things like points won/points served ratio is of limited use in assessing matters; Cutting closer to heart of result is choice games, amidst easy or comfy holds for both players and Berd’s done better there

With correct call and alternative scoreline of Lube 2 sets to 1 up and a 4th set tiebreak, those break points would have shifted to Berd 2/5 (4 games), Lube 3/4 (3 games)

All 5 sets are decided by 1 break and games are short
Berd’s service games average 5.67 points per game (just 3/24 deuce games - 2 of them 10 pointers), Lube 5.25 (also 3/24 deuce games, all of them 8 pointers)

Lube leading aces 28-18
Berd leading winers 33-17

That’s very simplified summary of things - Lube significantly better serve, Berd a lot more powerful in court action
Add Berd zippier of movement for first half of match, with Lube quite sluggish
As match wears on, Berd’s movement declines to about Lube’s below average level. Lube’s doesn’t change much

Serve & Return
Lube serves better (more powerful, better placed, higher in-count, probably even smarter in balancing force and percentage), Berdych is good too
Berdych is better returner. He’s able to return with some authority some of the time, while Lube isn’t really upto handling what he’s up against; to exaggerate, he looks like goalie trying to save penalites and can barely handle pace of straight fast first serves, let alone wide ones

It’s a quick court, but not so quick that returner is bound to be helpless against such quality serving

On top of more damaging serve, Lube leads in count 67% to 58%. A very good start from his point of view

First serve ace/service winner rate - Berd 23%, Lube 34%
Fair indicator of relative strengths of each’s serve

Coincidentally, 2 have identical figures on return errors - both with 12 UEs and 17 FEs. Lube being little more helpless in making such errors but also making 21 more errors

Berd’s directs 58% serves to FH, 36 to BH. 65% of Lube’s return errors are FHs, so he’s on to something. Lube being a guy of whom its commonly said that his BH is better than FH (such reputations are often fancy, but it holds up here)

Unreturned serves - Berd 35%, Lube 46% (with low 2 double faults for both players)
The ‘server dominated’ thing. For Lube, serve-shot dominant even

High rates, likely to (and does) lead to comfy regulation holds. Especially for Lube
Not much authoritative returning to cut back into it. Second serves more often than not draw returns that leave server with at least mild initiative for third ball

Berd less unauthoritive with returning is best way to frame his returning better, with Lube seemingly popping returns back reflexively almost, despite facing a less powerful serve. His reactions, and shot tolerance not upto handling what its tasked with, before movement even comes into question

Gist - better serving than returning from both, serve winning a lot of points outright and setting up good starting point for rallies

 

[Waspsting]

Play - Baseline
Baseline stuff with Berd leading, Lube reacting
Berdy attacking and Lube defending not bad description either

Berdy hitting hard off both wings, looking to FH to do so more, including with some back-away inside-out stuff. Not too much - he’s not slow, but he’s not quick enough that moving over all the time would be a good move
His FH is powerful by normal standard. His BH is harder hit than Lube’s. Neither of Lube’s groundies pack much punch, he’s often well behind baseline, often using BH slice to stay in rally

Winners - Berd 33, Lube 17
Errors forced - Berd 19, Lube 14
UEs - Berd 41, Lube 29

Pretty standard figures for given dynamic

FHs being centerpiece of action favours Berd as that where he has bigger power advantage and also where side he likes to finish with. And he’s the one to implement it
Combined FHs have 43 UEs, the BHs 25

Berd’s FH with match high winners of 17. He also has more net winners than Lube’s 10 FHs
6 are his favoured inside-out, but he’s got 7 cc based (+2 passes), so capable finisher from all parts of court. Lube’s not at all a runaround FH guy, and 5 cc make up most of his winners, which tend to be lined up shots set up by the serve. Given how potent his serve is, 17 winners over 5 sets and just 10 FHs is distinctly low, even accounting for high freebies limiting his scope to strike winners. It gets to just how much he’s relegated to counter-punching

Also reinforcing it is rallying to net points of Berd 21/26, Lube just 5/12
Berd’s approaches are direct product of overpowering off the ground and coming in to finish. A handy alternative to bopping FH winners, with not much work to do in putting away the volleys. Comes in commandingly, Lube’s groundies don’t promise strong passing (or his movement) and doesn’t deliver them. Throws up lobs most of the time, and Berd has 6 smash winners, to just 5 volleys

Lube rarely in position to look to come in and doesn’t show much interest on those rare times. 12 approaches in 5 sets, some of them forced, meets ‘comes to net to shake hands’ criteria. He’s got his hands full counter-punching from behind the baseline

Berd’s FH also has match high 25 UEs, followed by Lube’s 18. There’s considerable sloppiness (just missing routine shots, as opposed to missing straining to overpower) in his showing, especially late in match. Lube’s FHs pretty bad of consistency too, on top of being awkward, stilted looking. This ain’t some great FH hitting contest and errors coming from there

Though preferring FH for his overpowering scheme, Berd doesn’t just use BH to stay steady. His BH play is toned down version of FH - hitting firmly to hard (sizably more so than Lube, who falls back and often slices), not shy to go for finishing shots (all 5 of his winners are in baseline rallies - 1 a return. By contrast, only 1/5 of Lube’s are)

BH UEs aren’t far apart - Berd 14, Lube 11. In light of Berd pushing Lube back, leading bona fida baseline winners 5-1 (Lube also has 2 net chord dribblers and 2 passes) and almost as capable of taking need with comfort from that side, Berd doing better on BHs too

Neutral UEs - Berd 17, Lube 13
Attacking UEs - Berd 15, Lube 12
Winner attempt UEs - Berd 9, Lube 4

If its nice to see a dual winged, power-based attacking game, there’s also inefficiency and room for improvement in Berd’s showing. That’s a poor yield of attacking UEs. He forces 8 errors in baseline rallies and 9 passes (Lube forces 8 in baseline rallies, 4 passes). Lube’s not quick and not defensively stout. Combine that with Berd leading, bordering on attacking as staple dynamic, and squashing Lube in rallies without quite so many attacking UEs is very on. Lube’s attacking efficiency isn’t good either, but he’s rarely on the attack

Gist - Berdych commanding baseline action of both sides readily off both sides, preferring to do so with bigger FH. Finishing with winners from the back or by overpowering and taking net. Some sloppiness to his showing too, especially in later stages of match
Lube hanging in rallies best he can, relegated to counter-punching. He’s no wall, though steadier than Berd

Court action is Berd’s to win or lose

Match Progression
Every set of the match has a solitary break
Berdy with low in count of 42% in first set (Lube has 65%) but at his most dominant in baseline rallies. Lube’s shot tolerance isn’t good and his movements are sluggish

Cutely, Lube has 2 net chord dribbling winners within 4 points across 2 games at the start, but he’s broken for 1-3. Bad drop shot UE, slow to move to a strong return that he can’t handle and another net chord dribbler that brings Berd to net, where he polishes off FHV winner to win the game

Lube’s down break point next go around too that he comes away to hold with 3 unreturned serves (2 of them aces)
Easy holds from there to to the end, as Berd serves out to love with 4 unreturned serves
Same types of easy holds in second set, but it’s a dashing game that sees him break for 5-4 with 4 winners (3 FH cc’s - 2 passes, a BHV starting with an attacking FH cc)

At 15-15 on the serve out, Berd’s second serve is called in for an ace. It was 3-4 inches out. The game ends up going to deuce. In other words, with correct call, Lube would have broken back. Instead, its 2 sets to love

Lube breaks early in third set for 2-0 with good depth, a winning return and a strong pass. Starting from previous set, Lube has a run of making 19 straight first serves (streak that includes him getting broken in previous set)
Berd has 15-40 in game 7, but misses second return and gets service winner’d before Lube holds.
Making just 1 first serve on the serve-out ends up not mattering as Lube serves out to 15. He’d made 23/26 first serves going into the game

Balance of play shifts in fourth set and for first time, Lube is better player. Berd starts hurrying through points and getting a bit sloppy with quick errors, missed returns, trying to attack too quickly. Lube meanwhile is composed and his serve is even more effective for Berd’s drop in level

Its sloppy game of ground UEs (3 BHs, 2 FHs - just 1 a neutral shot) that leads to the break for 2-3. Lube meanwhile loses 3 service points in 5 holds and never more than 1 in a game to push things to decider

Though Berd doesn’t look too good - he’s lightly limping at times, playing quickly and showing signs of being tired - he holds easily enough in fourth set other than sole break and continues doing so in 5th. Per commentary, he’s taken a medical time out at some point and continues to have thighs massaged at changeovers

Lube’s demeanour hasn’t changed much over course of match. He was sluggish of movement at start and isn’t much better in the 5th, while quicker Berd’s dropped to sluggish now

Appearences can deceptive and Lube has a better poker face than the 20-year old Berd. Both returners semi-tank games in the decider. Not that that makes a big difference from earlier in match in terms of scores of games, but both seem to be well tired, only Berd shows it more

Routine/easy enough holds for the set. Berd’s down 15-30 once, Lube 0-15 is as far as returner gets

Until Berd breaks in 10 point game in stand out, effort game to end the match
Finds a winning BH dtl pass, knocks away rare FH inside-in winner set up by a strong inside-out and draws a moving UE with a wide return to reach 0-40
Lube reaches safey of deuce but Berd plays 2 strong points from there to wrap up - a winning FH inside-in from up the court, followed by a lively point where his counter-attacking running FH cc turns point around, and he finishes with a wrong footing BH inside-out winner from up the court

Summing up, close and simple match
Ljubicic making hay with big serve. Berdych bossing baseline action and hefty serving from him too. Ljubicic’s movements, reactions and shot tolerance not the best. Berdych tiring and getting sloppy in later stages of match
It comes to match of comfortable/easy holds. Ljubicic holds a little more easily, but Berdych is able to conjure a chance or 2 more and comes away with result
Sans a bad call, Ljubicic probably wins

 

[Galvermegs]

Ljubicic must have been sick of losing an indoor final over 5 sets.. nadal and berdych overcoming him respectively.

I wish i had seen this live at the time. Berdych was emerging slowly as a real prospect. He would get steadier but also have a lower peak level.
Unlike ljubicic he had many fine slam results.

 

[7thKingSlam]

Ljubicic must have been sick of losing an indoor final over 5 sets.. nadal and berdych overcoming him respectively.

I wish i had seen this live at the time. Berdych was emerging slowly as a real prospect. He would get steadier but also have a lower peak level.
Unlike ljubicic he had many fine slam results.

Very weird that Berdych's only M1000 title came probably about 5 years before he hit his prime as far as consistent results go. He's overall a weird case of a player whose accolades don't at all match public perception of how good he was.

Overrated? Maybe a bit; people like to give that "big 4 era boost" a bit too generously I find. But he did step up at the slams and made a lot of QFs/SFs, taking a lot of losses to the big 4. If you look at Berdych's results at the AO from 2011-2019, almost every loss is to the big 4, with the one exception being Wawrinka AO2014.

My favorite is AO2012 vs Nadal. That match was a masterpiece of a 4-setter. Great return performance from Rafa, big hitting from Berdych, just awesome all-around. I might say the 2nd best match of that tournament.

 

[Galvermegs]

Very weird that Berdych's only M1000 title came probably about 5 years before he hit his prime as far as consistent results go. He's overall a weird case of a player whose accolades don't at all match public perception of how good he was.

Overrated? Maybe a bit; people like to give that "big 4 era boost" a bit too generously I find. But he did step up at the slams and made a lot of QFs/SFs, taking a lot of losses to the big 4. If you look at Berdych's results at the AO from 2011-2019, almost every loss is to the big 4, with the one exception being Wawrinka AO2014.

My favorite is AO2012 vs Nadal. That match was a masterpiece of a 4-setter. Great return performance from Rafa, big hitting from Berdych, just awesome all-around. I might say the 2nd best match of that tournament.

The czechs or even czech americans have to work twice as hard for half the recognition..
Cf lendl in particular.

Also pliskova is maybe forgotten as a two time slam finalist and no1. Katie boulter may well not come close to sniffing the top spot but can always brag to everyone about the pliskova scalps

 

[MissileBackHand99]

The Madrid final the week prior was a classic, as was this final vs Berdych. Ljubicic had some hard luck in the M1000s, which made his title run at IW in 2010 that much sweeter

 

[Galvermegs]

The Madrid final the week prior was a classic, as was this final vs Berdych. Ljubicic had some hard luck in the M1000s, which made his title run at IW in 2010 that much sweeter

Or he was just another typical croat.. choking in the finals. Him, goran, cilic.. all fun to watch but also lacking clutchness in various big games.