Kevin Curren beat Jimmy Connors 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in the Wimbledon semi-final, 1985 on grass
Curren would go onto lose to Boris Becker in his only final at the event. He’d beaten defending champion John McEnroe and soon to Australian Open champion Stefan Edberg among others in earlier rounds. Connors was seeded third and looking to enter an Open Era record 7th final at the event. The two had previously met in 1983 edition, with Curren having won
Curren won 91 points, Connors 55
Curren serve-volleyed off all serves, Connors about half the time off first serves and a third of the time off seconds
Serve Stats
Curren...
- 1st serve percentage (43/66) 65%
- 1st serve points won (38/43) 88%
- 2nd serve points won (12/23) 52%
- Aces 17, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (38/66) 58%
Connors...
- 1st serve percentage (49/80) 61%
- 1st serve points won (27/49) 55%
- 2nd serve points won (12/31) 39%
- Aces 2
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (20/80) 25%
Serve Patterns
Curren served...
- to FH 37%
- to BH 52%
- to Body 11%
Connors served...
- to FH 23%
- to BH 71%
- to Body 6%
Return Stats
Curren made...
- 59 (13 FH, 46 BH)
- 4 Winners (4 BH)
- 18 Errors, comprising...
- 8 Unforced (4 FH, 4 BH)
- 10 Forced (1 FH, 9 BH)
- Return Rate (59/79) 75%
Connors made...
- 24 (7 FH, 17 BH)
- 3 Winners (1 FH, 2 BH)
- 18 Errors, all forced...
- 18 Forced (5 FH, 13 BH)
- Return Rate (24/62) 39%
Break Points
Curren 6/12 (7 games)
Connors 0/1
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Curren 21 (2 FH, 7 BH, 2 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 5 OH, 1 BHOH)
Connors 14 (1 FH, 5 BH, 4 BHV, 4 OH)
Curren had 9 from serve-volley points -
- 4 first 'volleys' (2 FHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 BH at net)... the BH at net was a drop shot
- 5 second 'volleys' (4 OH, 1 BH at net)... 2 OHs were on the bounce after being forced back/retreated (1 from baseline, 1 from no-man's land)
- FH passes - 1 dtl/inside-out, 1 inside-out
- BH passes - 1 dtl return, 3 inside-in returns, 1 lob
Connors had 7 from serve-volley points -
- 4 first volleys (4 BHV)
- 3 second volleys (3 OH)
- FH return pass - 1 dtl
- BH passes - 1 cc return, 2 dtl (1 return), 1 longline
- regular BH - 1 cc
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Curren 17
- 7 Unforced (2 FH, 4 BH, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH at net
- 10 Forced (1 FH, 4 BH, 3 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 42.9
Connors 31
- 24 Unforced (9 FH, 8 BH, 1 FHV, 5 BHV, 1 OH)... with 1 BH at net & 1 OH on the bounce from the baseline
- 7 Forced (3 FH, 1 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.3
(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 are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Curren was...
- 38/51 (75%) at net, including...
- 32/44 (73%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 20/25 (80%) off 1st serve and..
- 12/19 (63%) off 2nd serve
---
- 2/3 (67%) forced back/retreated
Connors was...
- 20/40 (50%) at net, including...
- 17/35 (49%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 13/26 (50%) off 1st serve and..
- 4/9 (44%) off 2nd serve
---
- 0/4 forced back
Match Report
Irresistible serving from Curren backed up well, and Connors at his worst make for one sided thrashing
58% unreturned serves for Curren is one of the highest I’ve come across. And nearly half of his 38 unreturned serves are aces and service winners (just 1 service winner). Confined to facts with no room for interpretation, 17/38 are aces
Jimbo has no read on the serve at all. He’s guessing direction and moving one way or the other as Curren delivers. Usually to cover BH. If serve is other way, it’s a sure ace. If Jimbo guesses right, its still a handful to get in play - and would be even if he could reach it comfily. He’s often lunging and hoping even with the guessing
17 aces comes to 40% of first serves. With a serve that effective, might expect a low in count, and chances to get stuck into second serves
Curren serves at 65%. 4% more than Jimbo
Its rare to see a bigger difference between strength of 2 players first serves as here - Curren as big as it gets, Jimbo with a first ‘second’ serve, but when the bigger server leads in-count on top of that difference, things aren’t likely to go well for the other player
65% first serves in, 40% first serve aces and most of the rest hard forcing return errors, Jimbo with no read on the serve… can just skip over Curren’s first serve points as being too good. He almost doesn’t have a ‘ball toss’. Seems to just release ball and strike it immediately
Curren with a big second serve too. On average, bigger than Jimbo’s first (which isn’t necessarily saying much). Wins 63% second serve-volley points, with Jimbo smacking returns. When he can make the return that is. Usual lot of return errors drawn when serve-volleying is involved, but returns are hefty or powerful. Some powerful second serves have Jimbo lunging and being hard forced into errors too. Curren’s smartly on top of whatever’s needed on the volley after
Just 2 ‘volley’ UE by Curren (1 is a groundstroke at net)
Along with 14 winners and 5 FEs (including half-volleys and groundstrokes at net serve-volleying). Jimbo has 5 passing winners (3 returns, 2 regular), so on the pass in play, 2 winners, 4 FEs. 58% freebies is of course, bulk of everything
Faces net high, firm returns. Misses next to nothing easy. Makes about as many tough one’s as he misses. Places volleys well, putsaway what’s there to be putaway. With 58% freebies, he doesn’t have to volley much
Gist, Curren holding easily. He faces just 1 break point in the match. That’s close to lose-proof, but to win, there remains the matter of getting into return games
Connors is terrible. Except for the OH. Make that the OH on the full. He makes a stupid on the bounce OH UE, with his body half-turned backward to a ball he could comfortably have moved to play a normal FH or BH or normal OH to (the excitable Bud Collins call it the Bucharest Twisty-Fisty or something stupid like that, apparently named after Ilie Nastase). But on the smash at net, impeccable from Jimbo. He’s got 4 winners, and some of them are tricky, back-pedalling affairs that he’s fully stretched out for, but strikes with finality
Other than that -
- he’s got 7 ‘volley’ UEs (including 1 groundstoke at net). Almost all of them easy putaways. Curren has 2
- he’s got 16 ground UEs to Curren’s 5
Good few routine third ball misses. Off both sides.
When rally develops, Curren largely chips BH cc, but its not a Jimbo-low-FH-faltering display. Jimbo’s FH has 9 UEs, the BH 7 in baseline rallies - both figures higher than Curren’s total. Curren strikes FHs by contrast, timing them well. Jimbo tends to hop back to play FHs, while holding his ground for BHs. Whatever he does, he’s apt to miss routine groundstrokes
Along with typical harmless serving. Barely a forceful first serve to be seen from Jimbo
He serve-volleys often
55% of the time off first serves. He wins 50% serve-volleying and 57% not (excluding 2 aces)
31% of the time off second serves. He wins 44% serve-volleying and 38% not (excluding 1 double fault)
Gets broken 6 times, holds 5
Curren would go onto lose to Boris Becker in his only final at the event. He’d beaten defending champion John McEnroe and soon to Australian Open champion Stefan Edberg among others in earlier rounds. Connors was seeded third and looking to enter an Open Era record 7th final at the event. The two had previously met in 1983 edition, with Curren having won
Curren won 91 points, Connors 55
Curren serve-volleyed off all serves, Connors about half the time off first serves and a third of the time off seconds
Serve Stats
Curren...
- 1st serve percentage (43/66) 65%
- 1st serve points won (38/43) 88%
- 2nd serve points won (12/23) 52%
- Aces 17, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (38/66) 58%
Connors...
- 1st serve percentage (49/80) 61%
- 1st serve points won (27/49) 55%
- 2nd serve points won (12/31) 39%
- Aces 2
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (20/80) 25%
Serve Patterns
Curren served...
- to FH 37%
- to BH 52%
- to Body 11%
Connors served...
- to FH 23%
- to BH 71%
- to Body 6%
Return Stats
Curren made...
- 59 (13 FH, 46 BH)
- 4 Winners (4 BH)
- 18 Errors, comprising...
- 8 Unforced (4 FH, 4 BH)
- 10 Forced (1 FH, 9 BH)
- Return Rate (59/79) 75%
Connors made...
- 24 (7 FH, 17 BH)
- 3 Winners (1 FH, 2 BH)
- 18 Errors, all forced...
- 18 Forced (5 FH, 13 BH)
- Return Rate (24/62) 39%
Break Points
Curren 6/12 (7 games)
Connors 0/1
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Curren 21 (2 FH, 7 BH, 2 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 5 OH, 1 BHOH)
Connors 14 (1 FH, 5 BH, 4 BHV, 4 OH)
Curren had 9 from serve-volley points -
- 4 first 'volleys' (2 FHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 BH at net)... the BH at net was a drop shot
- 5 second 'volleys' (4 OH, 1 BH at net)... 2 OHs were on the bounce after being forced back/retreated (1 from baseline, 1 from no-man's land)
- FH passes - 1 dtl/inside-out, 1 inside-out
- BH passes - 1 dtl return, 3 inside-in returns, 1 lob
Connors had 7 from serve-volley points -
- 4 first volleys (4 BHV)
- 3 second volleys (3 OH)
- FH return pass - 1 dtl
- BH passes - 1 cc return, 2 dtl (1 return), 1 longline
- regular BH - 1 cc
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Curren 17
- 7 Unforced (2 FH, 4 BH, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH at net
- 10 Forced (1 FH, 4 BH, 3 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 42.9
Connors 31
- 24 Unforced (9 FH, 8 BH, 1 FHV, 5 BHV, 1 OH)... with 1 BH at net & 1 OH on the bounce from the baseline
- 7 Forced (3 FH, 1 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.3
(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 are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Curren was...
- 38/51 (75%) at net, including...
- 32/44 (73%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 20/25 (80%) off 1st serve and..
- 12/19 (63%) off 2nd serve
---
- 2/3 (67%) forced back/retreated
Connors was...
- 20/40 (50%) at net, including...
- 17/35 (49%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 13/26 (50%) off 1st serve and..
- 4/9 (44%) off 2nd serve
---
- 0/4 forced back
Match Report
Irresistible serving from Curren backed up well, and Connors at his worst make for one sided thrashing
58% unreturned serves for Curren is one of the highest I’ve come across. And nearly half of his 38 unreturned serves are aces and service winners (just 1 service winner). Confined to facts with no room for interpretation, 17/38 are aces
Jimbo has no read on the serve at all. He’s guessing direction and moving one way or the other as Curren delivers. Usually to cover BH. If serve is other way, it’s a sure ace. If Jimbo guesses right, its still a handful to get in play - and would be even if he could reach it comfily. He’s often lunging and hoping even with the guessing
17 aces comes to 40% of first serves. With a serve that effective, might expect a low in count, and chances to get stuck into second serves
Curren serves at 65%. 4% more than Jimbo
Its rare to see a bigger difference between strength of 2 players first serves as here - Curren as big as it gets, Jimbo with a first ‘second’ serve, but when the bigger server leads in-count on top of that difference, things aren’t likely to go well for the other player
65% first serves in, 40% first serve aces and most of the rest hard forcing return errors, Jimbo with no read on the serve… can just skip over Curren’s first serve points as being too good. He almost doesn’t have a ‘ball toss’. Seems to just release ball and strike it immediately
Curren with a big second serve too. On average, bigger than Jimbo’s first (which isn’t necessarily saying much). Wins 63% second serve-volley points, with Jimbo smacking returns. When he can make the return that is. Usual lot of return errors drawn when serve-volleying is involved, but returns are hefty or powerful. Some powerful second serves have Jimbo lunging and being hard forced into errors too. Curren’s smartly on top of whatever’s needed on the volley after
Just 2 ‘volley’ UE by Curren (1 is a groundstroke at net)
Along with 14 winners and 5 FEs (including half-volleys and groundstrokes at net serve-volleying). Jimbo has 5 passing winners (3 returns, 2 regular), so on the pass in play, 2 winners, 4 FEs. 58% freebies is of course, bulk of everything
Faces net high, firm returns. Misses next to nothing easy. Makes about as many tough one’s as he misses. Places volleys well, putsaway what’s there to be putaway. With 58% freebies, he doesn’t have to volley much
Gist, Curren holding easily. He faces just 1 break point in the match. That’s close to lose-proof, but to win, there remains the matter of getting into return games
Connors is terrible. Except for the OH. Make that the OH on the full. He makes a stupid on the bounce OH UE, with his body half-turned backward to a ball he could comfortably have moved to play a normal FH or BH or normal OH to (the excitable Bud Collins call it the Bucharest Twisty-Fisty or something stupid like that, apparently named after Ilie Nastase). But on the smash at net, impeccable from Jimbo. He’s got 4 winners, and some of them are tricky, back-pedalling affairs that he’s fully stretched out for, but strikes with finality
Other than that -
- he’s got 7 ‘volley’ UEs (including 1 groundstoke at net). Almost all of them easy putaways. Curren has 2
- he’s got 16 ground UEs to Curren’s 5
Good few routine third ball misses. Off both sides.
When rally develops, Curren largely chips BH cc, but its not a Jimbo-low-FH-faltering display. Jimbo’s FH has 9 UEs, the BH 7 in baseline rallies - both figures higher than Curren’s total. Curren strikes FHs by contrast, timing them well. Jimbo tends to hop back to play FHs, while holding his ground for BHs. Whatever he does, he’s apt to miss routine groundstrokes
Along with typical harmless serving. Barely a forceful first serve to be seen from Jimbo
He serve-volleys often
55% of the time off first serves. He wins 50% serve-volleying and 57% not (excluding 2 aces)
31% of the time off second serves. He wins 44% serve-volleying and 38% not (excluding 1 double fault)
Gets broken 6 times, holds 5
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