Match Stats/Report - Connors vs McEnroe, Las Vegas semifinal, 1979

[Waspsting]

Jimmy Connors beat John McEnroe 7-5, 6-4 in the semi-final of the Alan King tournament in Las Vegas on a hardcourt

It took the head-to-head between the two men to 6-1 in Connors favour, with McEnroe's only win having come when Connors was forced to retire. Connors would go on to lose the final to Bjorn Borg

Connors won 71 points, McEnroe 65

McEnroe serve-volleyed off most first serves and occasionally off the second

Serve Stats
Connors...
- 1st serve percentage (61/75) 81%
- 1st serve points won (39/61) 64%
- 2nd serve points won (8/14) 57%
- Unreturned serve percentage (11/75) 15%

(Connors had no aces, double faults or in my judgement service winners)

McEnroe...
- 1st serve percentage (38/61) 62%
- 1st serve points won (27/38) 71%
- 2nd serve points won (10/23) 43%
- Aces 5
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned serve percentage (16/61) 26%

Serve Pattern
Connors served...
- to FH 44%
- to BH 49%
- to Body 7%

McEnroe served...
- to FH 31%
- to BH 55%
- to Body 13%

Return Stats
Connors made...
- 41 (13 FH, 28 BH), including 2 runaround BHs
- 3 winners (3 FH)
- 12 errors, comprising...
- 2 unforced (1 FH, 1 BH)
- 10 forced (3 FH, 7 BH)
- Return rate (41/58) 71%

McEnroe made...
- 64 (35 FH, 29 BH), including 3 runaround FHs and 4 chip-charge returns
- 11 errors, comprising...
- 4 unforced (2 FH, 2 BH), including on attempted runaround FH
- 7 forced (3 FH, 4 BH)
- Return rate (64/75) 85%

Break Points
Connors 4/6 (5 games)
McEnroe 2/8 (4 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Connors 23 (9 FH, 5 BH, 1 FHV, 6 BHV, 2 OH)
McEnroe 17 (3 FH, 3 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV, 6 OH)

Connors had 9 passes (5 FH, 3 BH, 1 FHV)
- the 5 FHs - 3 returns (2 dtl, 1 non-clean cc) and off non-returns, 1 cc, 1 dtl
- the 3 BHs - 2 cc, 1 dtl
- the FHV was a lob, played from well behind the service line

- off non-passes, 4 FHs (2 dtl, 1 @ net and 1 net chord dribbler) and 2 BHs (1 dtl, 1 @ net)

- off his BHVs, 1 was the first volley off a serve-volley point, 1 was first volley of a delayed serve-volley point, 1 stop volley and 1 was not clean but has been included as a judgment call

McEnroe had 7 winners from his serve-volley points - 1 first volley (BHV) and 6 second volleys (2 FHV, 4 OH)

- he had an additional stop FHV and drop BHV

- 4 passes (2 FH, 2 BH). The FHs were an inside-out and a lob. The BHs were cc and a lob

- 1 FH dtl was 1 BH net chord dribbler

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Connors 32
- 22 unforced (11 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)
- 10 forced (5 FH, 4 BH, 1 FHV)

McEnroe 33
- 10 unforced (6 FH, 2 BH, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 23 forced (5 FH, 8 BH, 1 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 OH, 4 others)

(the 4 'other' FEs for McEnroe are all attempted over-the-shoulder with back to the net attempts to retrieve lobs)

(Note: all half-volleys refer to such shots played at net)

Net Points
Connors was 21/28 (75%), including 4/4 serve-volleying plus 2/2 delayed serve-volleying (which I consider a net point but not really a serve-volley) - all off first serves
He was 1/1 when forced back and approached twice on one point (which has been counted as two approaches)

McEnroe was 28/46 (61%), including 23/34 (68%) serve-volleying - 19/26 (73%) off first serves, 4/8 (50%) off second - and 1/4 (25%) return-approaching
He was 1/7 when forced back, 1/1 when he retreated and approached twice on one point (which has been counted as two approaches)

Match Report
Competitive straight setter. Connors knows just what he wants to do, while McEnroe cycles through his options from the baseline without settling on anything in particular on a slow-ish hard court

Mac serve-volleys most of the time off 1st serve and initally, regularly enough off 2nds. Connors takes returns from on baseline and hammers them. Even when just getting return down the middle at regulation height, force of his returns are hefty enough to make the first volley not-easy. Just 1 first volley winner from Mac. And Connors doesn't miss too much - 26% unreturned rate is on low side for Mac - and even the ones he misses, he just misses - usually hitting very top of tape

Its enough to give the serve-volleyer something to think about - and Mac seems particularly open to think/doubt himself. 2nd serve-volleying - which he does just 8 times or 40% of the time - has feel of Mac testing the waters. He wins 4/8 so doing - same rate as his 6/12 staying back (sans 3 double faults), but Connors' powerful returns are enough to discourage regular 2nd serve-volleying. And Mac falls in line with that, and usually doesn't

Some good first serving from Mac. The healthy 62% in-count is divided signficantly by set - its about 50% in first set (when he's broken 3 times) and higher in 2nd (when he's broken once, first game of the set). He takes to serving more to the body and staying back in 2nd set too - again, in line with trying out different things

Good, cramping body serves and as 5 aces testify, there's power behind serve too. But Connors deftly moves aside (usually to hit BH - he has 2 runaround BH returns) and heftily hits the returns, still planted on the baseline

Good 1st serving from Mac, and good power returning from Connors. Even with Mac winning large 71% first serve points, he's faced with enough that its likely Jimbo will break sooner or later even against high in-count

On flip side, ordinary serving from Connors. Not quite 2 'second serves' - you can at least tell the difference between 1sts and 2nds, if just - but not threatening. No aces, no service winners (or double faults). Mac again, tries a few different things on return

Early on, he's content to put balls in play. Odd weak or at least not-strong return that Connors dispatches from the back. Later, he looks to hit out against the return and pushes Connors back a few times (also, misses more returns). And a few chip-charges, but he's only 1/4 on the play due to some great passing

Early on, Mac looks to trade power groundies and swings his BHs. He doesn't come off second best and play is about even with Connors edging power on the BH side though on FH, its near enough even. Play is orthodox - cc exchanges with rare longline change-ups. Not a given for Connors, who generally, is apt to change directions very regularly. Mac is more likely to give up the loose UE or be pressured into it or occasionally, even forced but not by much. In this early phase, its Connors' coming to net more often that gives him advantage

Soon enough, Mac falls behind baseline and is content to push and counter-punch, while Connors continues to hammer. Result is more Mac being pressured into UEs or forced, different type of Connors approaches (he comes in off short or/and weak balls now, as opposed to manufacturing approaches against neutral ones earlier). And more loose errors from Connors, though its often when he's well up in games

Mac rarely looks to approach from baseline rallies. Wouldn't be easy against Connors' hitting, but inevitably, there are chances that spring up. He'd need to proactively be looking for it, which he isn't. When he does approach, it looks like he'd decided beforehand that he was going to

In second set, its Connors who gets sloppy off the ground, looking to hit hard. Ends up not costing him as he goes unbroken, but there are a few hairy moments for him

Connors' lobbing is highlight of the match. His only winner is a perfect, low FHV from on the baseline, but he's forced Mac back very high 7 times. Mac has 4 Over-Shoulder-with-Back-to-Net errors - as good as a winner from Jimbo's point of view. Mac also has 6 OH winners (and 2 errors - 1 UE, 1 FE). Most are defensive lobs against punched, wide volleys... great job by Connors here

Baseline UEs read Connors 20, Mac 8... with Mac's BH the standout with just 2. That's counterbalanced by rallying to net figures - Connors 15/21 at 71%, and he usually comes in off Mac's BH and draws passing errors from it. Mac's just 4/8 rallying forward

Effective baseline FEs read Connors 9, Mac 13... almost all off Connors' would be passing shots, while minority of Mac's would be from baseline rallies

Keys stat is Mac with 11 'volley' FEs (counting the forced back errors), to go with Connors' 9 passing winners. Mac has just 11 'volley' winners and 2 UEs.... when he loses at net, its all down to Connors' power passes or perfect lobs

That's match in 2 nutshells. Connors able to pass - including lob - well and regularly enough to commandingly beat the at net Mac, who volleys well. While from the baseline, Connors is apt to outhit Mac and come to net to finish cleanly - though he's also quite sloppy with the errors from the back too. And behind it all, Connors knowing just what he wants to do (exactly what he's able to), while Mac seems to be making it up as he goes along, without sticking to anything in particular, or anything working especially well

 

[KG1965]

1979 was a very important year for many reasons: it was the consecration of Borg also on "american soil" (where he was struggling to impose itself), the swedish finally becomes ATP number one to Las Vegas, Connors gets married and loses 6 or 7 times v Bjorn , the star of Mac starts to shine.

Las Vegas is the moment of real overtaking for ATP. Borg is overflowing for Connors but he plays the tournament pretty well (much better than later in the year, for example in Dallas, Wimbly or Flushing).

The match seems very balanced and won by Jimbo only on the greater determination in the break points.

 

[KG1965]

- 1st serve points won (39/61) 64%
- 2nd serve points won (8/14) 57%

1 serve = 2 serve

- Aces 5
- Double Faults 3

McEnroe served...
- to FH 31%
- to BH 55%

John seems to fear more fh return.

Break Points
Connors 4/6 (5 games)
McEnroe 2/8 (4 games)

Jimbo won here.

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Connors 32
- 22 unforced (11 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)

This data is instead negative for Jimbo, and makes us understand why he was not competitive in 1979.

 

[WCT]

Those are some higher serve % there. Even 62 was good for Mcenroe at the time.
I remember him making some pretty easy errors at inopportune times. Still learning, I guess.

Exactly one week later he beat Connors in 3 straight sets in Dallas. His first real win over Connors. Then he beat Borg in the finals.

 

[Waspsting]

Its been awhile since I did this match and I'm going to put off the match report til I watch it again. For now, just note some interesting stuff that came up on commentary.

The commentators were Arthur Ashe and Howard Cosell

- Cosell put forward the idea that because Connors put so much energy into every stroke that he wouldn't last too long in the game and would burn out relatively quickly. Ashe commented he won't be playing when he's my age. Not quite how things turned out

- Ashe in particular is absolutely in awe of McEnroe. He likens him to a combination of his two most admired players - Rosewall of the smooth movement and minimum-of-effort-maximum-of-effect style and Nastase of the genius shot making. He repeatedly stresses that Mac shouldn't be serve-volleying so much (its a pretty slow court), suggesting that he thinks Mac could have taken Connors from the baseline (I didn't see much evidence of this). Borg, who was already through to the final, was in attendance and as the camera went to him, the commentators talked about how he and Connors had been fighting for number 1 among themselves for several years.

The other commentator immediately states that Mac will surpass them both in a couple of years, and the first commentator says probably sooner than that (note this is before Mac had won a Slam and was 1-6 with Connors h2h after this match)

- They discuss stat taking quite a bit, pointing out unforced errors. They call a couple of return errors against Connors first serve unforced (I agree) and also give unforceds to some passing shot attempts

- There's a remarkably frank expression of views from Pancho Segura, Connors' coach. the interviewer asks him what's the way to beat Jimmy Connors. Today, that'd get an evasive, generic reply along the lines of, "you have to play well".... but Segura actually gives a pretty smart analysis.

- the post-match interview is funny. This enthusiastic interviewer effusively congratulates McEnroe (who's obviously not thrilled with having just lost), telling him he's five minutes away from being world no. 1 and stuff like that and asks him how he feels. You can see the irritation on Mac's face, but he replies, without too obvious sarcasm that he's never felt better in his life (or words to that effect)

 

[KG1965]

Its been awhile since I did this match and I'm going to put off the match report til I watch it again. For now, just note some interesting stuff that came up on commentary.

The commentators were Arthur Ashe and Howard Cosell

- Cosell put forward the idea that because Connors put so much energy into every stroke that he wouldn't last too long in the game and would burn out relatively quickly. Ashe commented he won't be playing when he's my age. Not quite how things turned out

- Ashe in particular is absolutely in awe of McEnroe. He likens him to a combination of his two most admired players - Rosewall of the smooth movement and minimum-of-effort-maximum-of-effect style and Nastase of the genius shot making. He repeatedly stresses that Mac shouldn't be serve-volleying so much (its a pretty slow court), suggesting that he thinks Mac could have taken Connors from the baseline (I didn't see much evidence of this). Borg, who was already through to the final, was in attendance and as the camera went to him, the commentators talked about how he and Connors had been fighting for number 1 among themselves for several years.

The other commentator immediately states that Mac will surpass them both in a couple of years, and the first commentator says probably sooner than that (note this is before Mac had won a Slam and was 1-6 with Connors h2h after this match)

- They discuss stat taking quite a bit, pointing out unforced errors. They call a couple of return errors against Connors first serve unforced (I agree) and also give unforceds to some passing shot attempts

- There's a remarkably frank expression of views from Pancho Segura, Connors' coach. the interviewer asks him what's the way to beat Jimmy Connors. Today, that'd get an evasive, generic reply along the lines of, "you have to play well".... but Segura actually gives a pretty smart analysis.

- the post-match interview is funny. This enthusiastic interviewer effusively congratulates McEnroe (who's obviously not thrilled with having just lost), telling him he's five minutes away from being world no. 1 and stuff like that and asks him how he feels. You can see the irritation on Mac's face, but he replies, without too obvious sarcasm that he's never felt better in his life (or words to that effect)

So they came up with the idea that since Connors put so much energy into every shot that would not last too long in the game and run out relatively quickly.
Ashe commented that he will not play when he is my age....
Not exactly how things have gone but two things are true in my opinion:
- from the age of 32 he has not been able to win at the highest levels, a good competitor but not a winner,
- just in 1979 he changed the way he played, with fewer jumps, less rush to the net, less waste of energy.

I agree with Ashe: McEnroe = Rosewall + Nastase

it's a rather slow court ... this is a surprise for me in fact, because at that time the courts in hc were described as uniformly very fast courts, there was not a speed measurement system, we have recently discovered that there are courts as slow as Miami and as fast as Cincy.

Now I understand better the score of the final even if Borg was too strong for Connors in 1979.

 

[WCT]

Ashe specifically mentions that the court is very slow and that the balls were also very heavy. He is almost shocked that Mcenroe would dare serve and volley on a court like that against Mcenroe.

It's Ashe who says that he thinks that Borg and Connors probably have another 2 years ahead of him. At one point, though, about Mcenroe he says, I love to watch the guy play.
Mcenroe just makes several easy sort of lazy errors at bad times. Ashe says something like, in a couple years he'll have it all under control and those things won't happen. I guess he just had the timeline a bit off.

I could be off about this. I think Dallas 1979 was the first time that both Borg and Connors were both beaten in the same tournament by a player younger than them. I believe I read that at the time. Again, that the next week after this.

 

[KG1965]

McEnroe served...
- to FH 31%
- to BH 55%

McEnroe fears the fh return more.