Match Stats/Report - Djokovic vs Massu, Amersfoort final, 2006

[Waspsting]

Novak Djokovic beat Nicolas Massu 7-6(5), 6-4 in the Amersfoort final, 2006 on clay

This was Djokovic’s first title and he was 19 years old. Massu was seeded 4th, Djokovic 3rd

Djokovic won 80 points, Massu 77

[Note: I’m missing partial data for the following
Set 1, Game 2, Point 4 - serve direction, corresponding return and return error unknown (probably to BH and UE, but not marked)]

Serve Stats
Djokovic...
- 1st serve percentage (36/68) 53%
- 1st serve points won (27/36) 75%
- 2nd serve points won (16/32) 50%
- Aces 7 (2 second serves), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (22/68) 32%

Massu...
- 1st serve percentage (40/89) 45%
- 1st serve points won (27/40) 68%
- 2nd serve points won (25/49) 51%
- Aces 11 (1 second serve), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (23/89) 26%

Serve Pattern
Djokovic served...
- to FH 48%
- to BH 49%
- to Body 3%

Massu served...
- to FH 25%
- to BH 73%
- to Body 2%

Return Stats
Djokovic made...
- 62 (15 FH, 47 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 11 Errors, comprising...
- 4 Unforced (1 FH, 3 BH)
- 6 Forced (6 BH)
- 1 ?? (against a second serve)
- Return Rate (62/85) 73%

Massu made...
- 43 (27 FH, 16 BH), including 7 runaround FHs
- 14 Errors, comprising...
- 8 Unforced (7 FH, 1 BH), including 3 runaround FHS
- 6 Forced (3 FH, 3 BH)
- Return Rate (43/65) 66%

Break Points
Djokovic 3/10 (5 games)
Massu 2/4 (3 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Djokovic 17 (10 FH, 6 BH, 1 BHV)
Massu 19 (13 FH, 2 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)

Djokovic's FHs - 6 cc (1 pass, 1 at net), 3 inside-out, 1 inside-in/cc at net
- BHs - 4 dtl (1 return, 1 pass), 1 inside-out, 1 drop shot

Massu's FHs - 1 cc at net, 4 dtl (1 pass at net), 2 inside-out, 4 inside-in, 1 longline/cc, 1 drop shot
- BHs - 1 cc, 1 running-down-drop-shot dtl pass at net

- the OH was on the bounce

Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Djokovic 32
- 24 Unforced (14 FH, 10 BH)
- 8 Forced (5 FH, 2 BH, 1 FHV)... the FHV was baseline pass attempt (not swinging)
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.1

Massu 37
- 23 Unforced (14 FH, 8 BH, 1 BHV)
- 14 Forced (8 FH, 4 BH, 1 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 44.3

(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
Djokovic was 7/9 (78%) at net, with...
- 2/2 forced back/retreated

Massu was...
- 9/15 (60%) at net, including...
- 0/1 serve-volleying, a 2nd serve
---
- 0/1 forced back

Match Report
Good, hard hitting match from both players. Djokovic is just a little better at a few things - returning (both consistency and handling force), getting a few more first serves in, vigour of the BH, defence - to come up on top. Court is quick for clay, with comfy stomach high bounce ideal for ripping balls

Djoko winning just 3 more points in the match looks odd, but that’s due to Massu’s service games getting extended. Djoko also serves 21 fewer points. In percentages, he wins 51.0% of points while serving 43%

Break points - Djoko 3/10 (5 games), Massu 2/4 (3 games)

Along with Djoko always being the one to be up a break, that’s fairly comfy for him. Only time he’s in trouble when down 0-3 in the tiebreak (1 mini-break, a double fault). The game prior is a 16 point hold for Massu, who has to save a set point in it

The two players play similarly, with aforementioned small edge for Djoko in a few areas. The only one where Massu has one is in volume of grunting - and its much more than a ‘small edge’. It’s the most ferocious grunt I’ve heard, like the kind a karate master unleashes. Not necessarily a good thing as he telegraphs when he’s about to hit particularly big, particularly the FH, but he does it even with the serve. It sounds as if its designed to intimidate and he does draw it out to unnecessarily too

Serve & Return
Both serve heartily, including second serves (Djoko has 2, Massu 1 second serve aces). Massu goes well beyond ‘heartily’ in second set to ‘very big’, where he’s banging them down at Andy Roddick levels of power

1st serve unreturnable rate - Djoko 17%, Massu 28%
Very high figures for clay (albeit, quick for clay), with Massu having substantially bigger serve coming through. Probably worth serving at a slightly lower in-count (Djoko serves at 53%, Massu 45%)

But Djoko leads unreturneds 32% - 26%. That’s advantage number 1, the return. Against hefty or powerful but not too wide serves (not necessarily first serves either), Djoko doesn’t take a step back and smacks them back without missing much. Massu is apt to miss or not hit as cleanly to give up softer return. Djoko’s also able to stretch and lunge to fend a few big first serves back while Massu rarely faces such serves

Return errors breakdown
- UEs - Djoko 4, Massu 8
- FEs - both 6
(1 Djoko error is unknown, probably a UE)

Djoko also delivering a few troublingly deep returns down the middle without strain. When Massu gets a strong return off by contrast, its an effort shot - usually accompanied by lion’s roar

Second serve points won - Djoko 50%, Massu 51%

Indicator of match being more hard-court like than clay, Massu not trailing much in court action. Also, justifying his low in count. If he can win a big load of first serves wantonly going all in (which he only does in second set), 51% second serve points is good enough to probably win. And the way he serves in second set, looks like that’s liable to happen

First serve points won - Djoko 75%, Massu 68%
… and Massu’s first serve points in second set, when he’s full-blasting every first serve, is actually the lowest winning rate by either player in a set. Wins 62%, with other numbers being 69%, 78% and 70%

The problems of serving even that big to someone that returns like Djoko. If its not wide on top of humongous (and when its humongous, its less likely to be wide), its apt to be smacked back just as hard - and now it’s the server that’s in frying pan. Literally, return to sender

 

[Waspsting]

Play - Baseline
Winners - Djoko 17, Massu 19
Errors forced - Djoko 14, Massu 8
UEs - Djoko 24, Massu 23

Action is hard-hitting, FH leaning of nature, both players trying to overpower off that side. Like with the serve, both are strong with the FH, with Massu more powerful when he fully lets rip

Two areas Djoko’s got better of things
- his BH is firm shot, Massu’s less so, with some ordinary slices in there too. Djoko can also play BH longline effectively in a way Massu can’t or doesn’t
- Massu’s defence isn’t as good and is average - both of shot tolerance and more, on the run

All of the above have come out in stats, to varying degree

Massu FH leads winners with 13. 3 more than Djoko
Djoko with significant 6 BH winners, to Massu’s small 2
Massu FH with 8 FEs - same as Djoko’s total and more than all his other shots

Not that Massu’s done badly. His is a big FH, secure BH game and on UEs, his BH edges Djoko’s 8 to 10. Shot isn’t powerful or varied, but stays secure enough. Djoko’s extra force doesn’t lead to him winning too many extra points and while the longline change-ups have a hand in directing action, it doesn’t translate to much in terms of winning and losing points

Minor advantage for Djoko on the BH at most, more about looking good than anything else

On FH - Massu 13 winners, 14 UEs, Djoko 10 winners, 14 UEs, with Massu having the more powerful shot (at times, not far short of highest del Potro or Blake category). Even unstrained, Massu edges force of shot (with both players being good)

Its the high 8 FH FEs from Massu that sees Djoko edge ahead on FHs too. Most are drawn by wide FH cc’s. Good, challenging shots but the kind a good clay courter would fancy putting back in play on the on the run. Massu always goes for counter-attacking big shot on the run, not a defensive ‘get’ and always seems to miss

Credit Djoko for having a moderate attacking gear, and Massu not being good enough to cope with it. By contrast, its hard to imagine Massu unleashing ‘moderate attacks’. Djoko doesn’t have to contend with such testing, wide running shots - Massu tends to go for all out winner to corner

With winners and UEs virtually equal, those FEs and Djoko’s ability to attack safely without going all in is what gives him slight advantage
Coupled with his slight advantage in serve-return, it adds up to decisive

Match Progression
Bright start by Djoko, who comes out swinging FHs and serving strongly to hold. Thumping returns sees him break to go up 2-0, with a running BH dtl winner standing out. And he consolidates with 3 more winners - a third ball FH cc to open and consecutive, creative BHs to finish (inside-out and an inside-out’ish drop shot)

Massu’s BH doesn’t look too good and his slices are essentially, weak drives that stay at good hip height. He usually plays them when pushed back and short of time

Tough deuce hold for Massu to get on the board, but then he finds his game and things are even for rest of set. Breaks back for 3-4 in a loose game from Djoko where he double faults, misses routine third ball BH and on break point, plays a poor drop shot that’s dispatched at net

Djoko has to save 2 break points next go around too. Massu finding himself involves unleashing massive serves and FH returns when he can wind up for them - all with the sound effects of martial artist about to break bricks with a chop. He takes good amount of time between points

Couple of good games just before the ‘breaker. Djoko holds from 30-30 with 2 FH winners. And Massu’s hold takes 16 points and has just 1 UE in it, which isn’t particularly easy (on top of a double fault). Just 1 brek point in the game, in which Massu overpowers Djoko to come into net and finish

8 winners (2 aces), 6 FEs (1 return) and just 2 UEs (1 double fault) in the game

Tiebreak. Djoko double faults to start and Massu move s to 3-0 with powerful FHs. Djoko wins next 4 points - strong serves win him the service ones (1 ace) and he draws 2 BH errors (1 UE, 1 FE where Massu’s wrong footed a bit) on the return points

The 2 key points come at 4-4. Massu runsaround to hit a FH return dtl/inside-out - and just misses what would have been a winning a shot. Next point is a big serve from Massu, who steps into court menacingly behind it, but Djoko thumps a good, deep return down the middle. Its not one of his bullets to the baseline, but with Massu moving in looking for a bit FH first up, catches the server out to draw a weak ball, that Djoko dispatches from mid-court with FH cc

Djoko takes his first set point with a winning third ball FH inside-in that forces FH error

In second set, Massu ups his serving to his top level, including blasting down second serve. Rips FHs more often and harder too

Doesn’t do him much good when he misses 8/10 first serves in the opener to get broken. A good game, but ending with consecutive third ball UEs

Djoko’s no better though in being broken back right away to 15 with just 1 first serve in. Only point he wins is a second serve ace

Rest of match is played in that line - big serving, including seconds by Massu - and big, ripped FHs from Massu that sees Djoko stand down from going toe-to-toe with him as he’d done earlier and fall into firm, reactive partner in rallies. Reactive, not defensive

With 2 exceptions, rest are comfy holds. Both exceptions are Massu’s

Djoko breaks for 4-3, with the only point Massu winning being a net chord dribbler winner. Great defensive return from Djoko to stay in point which he ends by smacking a BH dtl winner from routine position stands out. On break point, Massu serve-volleys for only time in match (behind a second serve) and is met by a BH1/2V he can’t handle

Massu has to save 2 break/match points in the penultimate game also
Otherwise, 1 point stands out as Djoko toys with Massu, forcing him back from net twice before drawing him in with a drop shot again, only to pass him FH cc

Nice serve out by Djoko. He reaches 40-15 with a pair of FH winners - an inside-in from routine position and an inside-out after running Massu ragged. Massu leaves 1 last stamp on the match by vapourizing a return to Djoko’s feet on the baseline and hammering the rejoinder away for a FH winner at net, before Djoko closes matters next point

Summing up, good match and good look at the young Djokovic. Big serving and ripping FHs are at center of match and Massu has both the bigger serve and the more poweful FH (with Djokovic having good ones too)

Djokovic though is a little better at a number of things - the return most importantly (his ability to hit power serves back with authority and to make difficult wide returns), the force and variety of his BH, the less-than-full attacking ability of his wide FH shots - to come out ahead

More broadly, a good study of the young Djokovic, who seems to already have almost all the pieces of his matured game in place. Serve is strong, including second serves if anything more so than some of his most successful years such as 2011. Firm returns, played without strain, with a few troublingly deep down the middle. Solidly strong groundies, with BH being able to change directions and FH more the executioner. Good movement, mixed quality of drop shots, with a few misses too

He even plays a soft OH that he can’t finish point with. A missed smash is just about the only thing missing

 

[InsuranceMan]

Great stuff

 

[phl92]

Are you bored?