Match Stats/Report - Chesnokov vs Muster, Monte Carlo final, 1990

[Waspsting]

Andrei Chesnokov beat Thomas Muster 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 in the Monte Carlo final, 1990 on clay

The two would go onto play the Rome final shortly afterwards, with Muster winning in straight sets

Chesnokov won 114 points, Muster 96

(Note: Set 2, Game 1 cuts off at 40-30, with server Chesnokov winning the game. Based on elapsed time on clock on show, its been confidently approximated that there was only 1 more point, won by Chesnokov

Set 3, Game 5, Point 8 - serve direction and corresponding return data is missing)

Serve Stats
Chesnokov...
- 1st serve percentage (61/103) 59%
- 1st serve points won (37/61) 61%
- 2nd serve points won (23/42) 55%
- ?? serve points won (1/1)
- Aces 5
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (13/103) 13%

Muster...
- 1st serve percentage (90/106) 85%
- 1st serve points won (46/90) 51%
- 2nd serve points won (7/16) 44%
- Aces 4
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (11/106) 10%

Serve Patterns
Chesnokov served...
- to FH 26%
- to BH 68%
- to Body 6%

Muster served...
- to FH 21%
- to BH 79%

Return Stats
Chesnokov made...
- 94 (28 FH, 65 BH, 1 ??), including 9 runaround FHs
- 7 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (1 FH, 4 BH)
- 2 Forced (2 BH)
- Return Rate (94/105) 90%

Muster made...
- 88 (47 FH, 41 BH), including 23 runaround FHs & 3 return-approaches
- 1 Winner (1 FH), a runaround FH
- 8 Errors, all unforced...
- 8 Unforced (5 FH, 3 BH), including 3 runaround FHs
- Return Rate (88/101) 87%

Break Points
Chesnokov 8/17 (9 games)
Muster 4/12 (6 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Chesnokov 22 (3 FH, 6 BH, 4 FHV, 2 BHV, 7 OH)
Muster 24 (9 FH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 7 OH)

Chesnokov's FHs - 2 inside-out, 1 inside-out/dtl
- BHs - 5 cc (1 bad bounce related, 1 at net, 3 passes), 1 dtl pass

- 1 FHV was left by Muster

Muster's FHs - 2 cc (1 at net, 1 pass), 1 cc/inside-in, 1 dtl pass, 1 runaround dtl/inside-out return, 1 inside-out, 1 inside-in/cc, 1 drop shot, 1 lob

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Chesnokov 59
- 32 Unforced (12 FH, 17 BH, 1 FHV, 2 OH)
- 27 Forced (11 FH, 15 BH, 1 BHV)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.9

Muster 77
- 60 Unforced (33 FH, 23 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 17 Forced (3 FH, 7 BH, 2 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 OH, 1 BHOH)... with 1 FH that he made, but then stopped the point believing opponents shot had been out
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.7

(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
Chesnokov was 27/37 (73%) at net, with...
- 3/3 (100%) forced back

Muster was...
- 35/53 (66%) at net, including...
- 0/2 serve-volleying, both 1st serves
---
- 2/3 (67%) return-approaching
- 1/4 (25%) forced back/retreated

Match Report
Chesnokov is more consistent, and Chesnokov has more grit and stamina to come out ahead in what starts as a top-spinny grind and adds on more and more and earlier and earlier net play as it progresses

Ground UEs - Ches 29, Muster 56, with FHs the big difference (Ches match low 12, Muster match high 33)
Net points - Ches 27/37, Muster 35/53. High numbers. Very far from a pure baseline slog

Yet baseline slog is how it starts out. Painfully slow, long, passive rallies that go on until someone blinks. Muster blinks more. He does ‘lead’ the rallies a little more, with Ches reacting by same marginal extent. Early on, Muster more often than not plays FH cc’s to test Ches’ BH. Its far from systematic and both players get to use both groundies plenty

Little back-away FH inside-outting from Muster. In years to come, he’d favour that line of play

And Ches is that little bit more secure to come out on top. There are approaches, but they come after long rallies, both players coming in equally

First set - ground UEs
- Muster FH 12, both BHs 13
- Ches FH 5

Net points - Ches 9/12, Muster 9/13

Similar, slow action in second set, with more approaches. Still after long rallies. Muster leading a little more than before, still by small extent. Wouldn’t call it Muster attacking, Ches defending
Again, Ches more consistent and winning

Second set - ground UEs
- Ches FH 3, Ches BH 4, Muster BH 5
- Muster FH 10

Net points - Ches 10/12, Muster 8/10

Third set is different, with Muster shortening rallies and trying to be aggressive with his FH. He seems to be tiring - his shirt is drenched in sweat while Ches seems much as he’d been at start of match. Error prone from back and for first time in match, in short rallies. And taking net a lot

Ches still better and for same reasons

Third set - ground UEs
- Ches BH 0
- Ches FH 4, Muster BH 5 (with Muster BH seeing little action, as he goes out of way to use FH)
- Muster FH 11

Net points - Ches 8/13, Muster 18/30

That’s match. Ches more secure off the ground at all times, with FH particularly good. Ches more successful at net, while calm about coming in. Muster outlasted when baseline rallies are at most passive and falling behind further when trying to overpower Ches a bit, and further still when tired + trying to overpower. And never as successful at net, least of all when he’s coming in quickly and most regularly

Stats & Action
Harmless serves from both players. Virtually 2 second serves, with exception of Ches occasionally zipping a quick first serve through. Both players are able to spontaneously runaround to hit FH returns against first serves - which tells you what you need to know about force of serving

Thus, high return rates - Ches 90%, Muster 87%

In counts are a little strange. Muster’s 85% is in line with 2 second serves serving, Ches’ 59% isn’t

Both players winning about same number of points across their 2 serves -
Ches 61% behind firsts, 55% behind seconds
Muster 51% behind firsts, 44% behing seconds
… again, in line with 2 second serves, serving

Aces are high, given the serves on show. Ches with 5, Muster 4
Ches’ odd quicker one coming good. And he occasionally tanks a return, just letting them through accounts for Muster’s number

Contrary to ace counts, its Ches who has both return FEs, while 8/8 Muster return errors have been marked UEs. Aren’t many tough returns to make, and both players make them when they’re faced with good serves (anything beyond ‘routine return’ qualifies as ‘good serve’ by match’s standard)

Small amount of aggressive returning from Muster. Small number of his 23 runaround FH returns are stepping well up court and blasting ball wide for attempted winners. Lands 1 such where he’s moved so far over that he hits it more inside-out than dtl from deuce court. Also comes in behind these types of returns 3 times. Small part of things. Both players return with conventional safety, without trying to do much more than get rally going overwhelming lot of time

Onto court action

 

[Waspsting]

Ground UEs are backbone of match (there are only 8 baseline-to-baseline winners, 1 of them bad bouce related but 85 ground UEs). And they read -
- Ches FH 12
- Ches BH 17
- Muster BH 23
- Muster FH 33

Muster’s FH sees the most action because in last set, he goes out of his way to play it. Rest of match, a 4 shots on display in about equal degree

Ches’ FH consistency shining through. Its steadiest shot around beyond even its statistical superiority
Ches’ FH UEs compromise just 6 neutral UEs, 3 attacking and 3 winner attempts. As far as who-blink-first goes (that is, neutral), its even steadier than other shots than overall numbers suggest. A thorough wall

Muster ‘leading’ action slightly and what passes for ‘attacking’ more from baseline. What does that consist of?

Hitting a bit harder, moving the ball side to side some. Does it mostly with FH, while still 2-3 paces behind baseline (which is stock position for both players). No great power. More dtl shots in the match are neutral shots than attacking, let alone winner attempts. Muster’s ‘attacking’ is harder to cope with than plain ‘ol neutral, that’s about it. Ches is well up to the task. Muster’s groundies lack the animalistic vigour they’d have in his ‘95/96 ‘king of clay’ days. Here, he looks like he’s going to miss sooner rather than later when he starts hitting harder . In those glory days to come, he’d hit harder than this with assurance of keeping it up as long as any player could hope to keep up normal, steady rally shots

Net points - Ches 27/37 at 73%, Muster 35/53 at 66% (including 5 combined serve-volleys and return-approaches)

Two come in in different ways. Ches is poster child of ‘never come in cc’. Probably does so 2-3 times. Otherwise, always line, usually BH line. How much of that is because its his approach shot of choice and how much because Muster is a lefty?

He’s solid in his volleying and Muster prefers to lob than pass (common trait of his game). Some wonderful, leaping smashes from Ches - 1 in particular where the jump is perfectly timed, but he’s ended up with 2 OH UEs

Muster likes to overpower or at least, push Ches back and then approach by contrast and isn’t so particular about cc or line. While usually coming in from good positions, he does make chancey approaches more as well, particularly when tiring and actively looking to come in in third set

Not bad volleying from him either. He’s got 4 UEs, which proportionately, is a little better than Ches’ 3. Lovely touch BH1/2V winner. But coming in from less strong positions than Ches leads to him facing tougher volleys more often and he’s got 7 net FEs to Ches’ 1

Unlike Muster, Ches prefers passing to lobbing, going with latter when forced to

What else? UE breakdown
- Neutral - Ches 18, Muster 33
- Attacking - Ches 6, Muster 14
- Winner Attempts - Ches 8, Muster 13

With about same number of net UEs (Muster 4, Ches 3), those stats cover how the two players play. Ches more secure in all areas

Muster’s BH with 0 winners and large 7 FEs. Most are passes. He’s not effective on the pass from that side, which is where Ches usually comes in with BH line shots. Muster also appraoches to BH and has forced 15 BH FEs, but Ches getting 4 passing winners off and other winning shots too

Match Progression
Slow, loopy, grindy baseline rallies mark first set. Muster leads more, Ches reacting the same. Not much trouble for Ches. Ches occasionally manufactures an approach (after long rallies)

Match starts with a ‘bang’ with Muster forcing errors with cc shots of either wing on first two points. Muster doesn’t move awhile later as an ace goes down that’s far from unreturnable. Ches holds the game when Muster stops play but mark shows Ches’ ball to have been in

Its Muster who breaks first. Reeling off 3 winners in a row (FH cc and FH dtl passes against manufactured approaches and a net-to-net smash after he drop shots Ches in), he’s got a shot at making it 4 to break, but hits a not strong OH before retreating to baseline. Eventually goes on to break

Wonder of wonders, a quick game, with errors coming quickly as Ches breaks right back for 3-3

Two trade breaks again after a 1 game lull. Ches is bordering on defending and very much counter-punching in 12 point game that he breaks in. Game opens with a Ches bad bounce caused BH cc winner and he ends it with a BH cc passing winner. Muster breaks back to love

Set ends with 2 long games - Ches saving a break point in 10 point hold, then breaking in a 12 point game. He saves the break point with a perfectly timed jump to get an OH winner off. And net play has a hand in the decisive break, with Ches winning a couple of points with manufactured approaches, though its baseline UEs that end things

Muster wastes some time in that final game. First going off to change shirts after a spill, with Ches standing on break/set point. Next point, going off to change his racquet. Insists on taking a good look at the line on Ches’ side after a serve is called out too. At different stage in match, Muster in flagrant hindrance attempt lets out a shriek as Ches is about to putaway an OH (OH gets putaway)

Second set. Similar to first with slightly shorter rallies and more approaches
Similar in strucutre too. Two trade breaks in moving from 1-1 to 2-2. Nice BH1/2V winner by Muster and he wins return-approach point to break first. Ches too utilizes net to break back, winning 3/3 up front (once forced back) in 5 point game

And 3 long games to end set - Ches taking his only break point in 10 point game (blinky, baseline game, though Ches nails a FH inside-out winner from normal position early and raises his break point with an approach), sandwiched by 10 and 8 point holds. He has to save 4 break points, including from being 0-40 down in the former

Not much in it so far, Ches being just a little better

Third set is different. Muster appears to be tiring and is giving up errors quickly early on, going for aggressive shots. Switches tacks to coming to net quite early, with fair success. From back, looks to use FH as much as possibly and usually aggressively

Broken to start the set, missing 2 wildish FH winner attempts to close out the game

Commits fully to net play soon after and he’s at net 7/8 points in another service game that he manages to hold, saving 1 break point. Luck runs out as he’s broken to 15 to go down 2-5 with 4 approaches, with last 2 yielding shoelace BHV and BH1/2V FEs

Muster does grab a break back with more net play to prolong match, but is broken again to end it. His animated celebration at hitting a FH drop shot winner for 15-0 (while trailing 5-3) seems a bit odd. At this stage, he’s probably resigned to losing and certainly doesn’t look capable of grinding out a 5 setter. He’s at net 5 times in that final game that lasts 8 points too, including his second serve-volley

Summing up, who-blinks-first baseline action, with Muster slightly leading the dance with his FH and Chesnokov correspondingly reacting. Chesnokov is blinks less, especially with his FH, which is rock of the match

Approaching net livens up action - Chesnokov coming in from BH longlines, Muster after pushing opponent back. Both are successful at net, Chesnokov a little more so

And Muster tiring and getting antsy, eager to attack net towards the net, when the cool Chesnokov’s back-court advantage rises to its biggest of the match