Match Stats/Report - Djokovic vs Monfils, Eastbourne final, 2017

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Novak Djokovic beat Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4 in the Eastbourne final, 2017 on grass

To date, this is Djokovic’s only non-Wimbledon grass court title and Monfils’ only final on the surface

Djokovic won 66 points, Monfils 55

Serve Stats
Djokovic...
- 1st serve percentage (42/58) 72%
- 1st serve points won (32/42) 76%
- 2nd serve points won (8/16) 50%
- Aces 1
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (15/58) 26%

Monfils...
- 1st serve percentage (45/63) 71%
- 1st serve points won (30/45) 67%
- 2nd serve points won (7/18) 39%
- Aces 6, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (16/63) 25%

Serve Patterns
Djokovic served...
- to FH 51%
- to BH 47%
- to Body 2%

Monfils served...
- to FH 44%
- to BH 53%
- to Body 3%

Return Stats
Djokovic made...
- 46 (20 FH, 26 BH)
- 9 Errors, comprising...
- 2 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH)
- 7 Forced (3 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (46/62) 74%

Monfils made...
- 42 (22 FH, 20 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 1 return-approach
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 14 Errors, comprising...
- 4 Unforced (2 FH, 2 BH)
- 10 Forced (6 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (42/57) 74%

Break Points
Djokovic 3/6 (4 games)
Monfils 0/3 (2 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Djokovic 12 (6 FH, 3 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
Monfils 12 (9 FH, 1 BH, 2 FHV)

Djokovic's FHs - 1 cc, 1 cc/inside-in, 2 inside-out, 1 inside-in, 1 net chord dribbler
- BHs - 1 cc pass, 2 drop shots (1 at net - which can reasonably be called a BH1/2V)

- the OH was on the bounce

Monfils' FHs - 2 cc (1 return), 1 cc/inside-in, 1 dtl pass, 1 dtl/inside-out, 4 inside-out
- BH pass - 1 cc

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

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Djokovic 26
- 18 Unforced (11 FH, 7 BH)
- 8 Forced (2 FH, 4 BH, 2 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.8

Monfils 38
- 22 Unforced (14 FH, 8 BH)
- 16 Forced (5 FH, 10 BH, 1 BH1/2V)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.8

(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
Djokovic was 11/15 (73%) at net

Monfils was...
- 5/9 (56%) at net, including...
- 1/2 serve-volleying, both 1st serves
---
- 1/1 return-approaching
- 1/1 forced back

Match Report
Two part match readily dividable by set. In the first, Monfils’ movements are off, which trickles into other areas of his game and leaves Djokovic well ahead. In the second, Monfils’ is zooming around in is usual way and even shades action, despite losing the set in the end via his somewhat erratic game coming undone. The court is particularly quick, even for grass

Near identical stats for the two players in certain areas make isolating key differences fairly easy

First serve in - Djoko 72%, Monf 71%
Double faults - both with 1
Unreturned serves - Djoko 26%, Monf 25%
Winners - both 12

… leaving things to be decided by errors

UEs - Djoko 18, Monf 22
FEs - Djoko 8, Monf 16

Delving further into UEs -
- Neutrals - Djoko 9, Monf 10
- Winner Attempts - Djoko 5, Monf 3
- (above 2 combined) - Djoko 14, Monf 13

…. which leaves
Attacking UEs - Djoko 4, Monf 9

There’s your match, statistically, speaking. Monf making a few more attacking UEs, Djoko forcing considerably more errors - QED

Its not that simple, but as a one line summary, would do as well as anything else

With virtually identical in-counts and freebies, who serves better? Who returns better?

For serve, hint’s in the aces. Monf has 6 + a service winner. Djoko has 1. Exaggerated indicator, but Monf does have the more potent serve. And for freebies to be equal, it follows logically that Djoko returns better, at least, in terms of consistency (in fact, he’s better of both consistency and being damaging)

Djoko’s advantage on return is greater than Monf’s on serve for Djoko to come out on top on crucial serve-return combo

With Monf moving poorly in first set, it doesn’t take too wide a serve to draw error from him. It doesn’t even have to be too wide to strain his movement enough for the serve to be called ‘forceful’. Thus, Djoko needn’t bother with aces… in early part, he can count on freebies with slightly wide serves. Doesn’t hurt that he makes 20/23 first serves for the set either. In fact, serving that high a rate is perfect for him

8/23 or 35% unreturend in firs set for Djoko, compared to 7/35 or 20% in second. Ignoring the considerable division, match long, Monf returns without heat. Consistency varies, but his force of shot on return doesn’t much - Djoko retains control of rallies, usually, even second serve points. Or at very least, Monf doesn’t fully neutralize initiative even returning second serves

By contrast, Djoko not only hits his customary thumped returns deep, but how effective that is is augmented by Monf’s weak shot resistance. Movement accounts for some of that, but he doesn’t handle the deep returns well in second set either. Above personal average showing from Djoko on this front - deep as mode and good few right to the baseline. Almost always drawing an error. One reason for Monf with low 39% second serve points won (Djoko has 50% by contrast)

Serve-return complex in nutshell, both players returning at same rate (how and why they miss the returns they do is irrelevant), but Djoko doing a lot more damage with the return - winning points, snatching initiative and certainly, neutralizing any potential initiative. Monf does very little of any of these things (though he does have the sole return winner)
 

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
And then they rally from the baseline. Djoko plays dual winged, hard hitting baseline game. While Monf’s movements are down, he does whatever he likes. Looks like a practice session. He’s up on baseline, Monf is well behind it. Seems to be able to hit line or cross with equal comfort. Good, firm hitting and moves Monf around a bit with it too. Can come to net to finish readily (Monf blasts a couple of winning passes early on, which curbs that itch)

When Monf’s movements improve, control of rallies is up in the air, both players hitting hard. Monf gets a bit erratic. Every now and then, he starts belting the cover of every all, and not just with the FH. Not often, but occasionally, in contrast to the machine-like regularity (of hitting strength, not quality) of Djoko. And gets a little erratic with it

Hence, the extra attacking UEs - part 1 of the difference between 2 players
And combo of Monf’s not being too tough to ‘force’ an error out of (even when he is moving well, when he’s not, its downright easy) and Djoko being a tough nut on that front accounts for the extra FEs - part 2 of the difference between 2 players

The highlight of the match is Djoko’s defence. When Monf starts blazing, he doesn’t hold back. Vapourizing ball stuff. Djoko gets 2 or 3 balls back. Still loses the points usually, but these are very powerful hits on a very fast court… excellent defence from Djoko - leagues ahead of Monf. And credit also to Monf for being upto persisting with said attacks in face of having to hit another big groundie. Reasonable expectation would be that one such hit would do

The erratic part of Monf’s game comes in shot choices and when to go hard at ball. Seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Just decides he’s going to blaze the next ball (or hit it extra wide) and then does. No waiting for right ball, no working the point to draw a ball better suited (admittedly, the latter isn’t easy against Djoko), just seems to decide “the next one! Wherever it is” and wham

Not the best way to go about things. Djoko’s seamless shifting between solid neutral to attack - a hallmark of his play in general - demonstrates the superior alternative

As for Djoko’s showing, he’s sufficiently error prone as to be close to blackmark territory at times. Perfect form and set up… just misses a bit too much. Equal neutral UEs with Monfs is a relative loss for him and its not due to Monf overperforming, its down to Djoko a bit down form his norm

What else? Rallying to net -
- Djoko 11/15
- Monf 3/6

And that’s with Djoko losing his first 2 approaches to great passes from Monf’s, so he’s 11/13 after that

Better way to finish points than blazing guns from a foot behind the baseline. Monf’s court position and open-chestedness even when he’s tucking in would make it awkward to approach anyway

Monf FH with match high 9 winners (next highest is Djoko’s with 6) and UEs with 14 (again ahead of Djoko who has 11). So both finishing -5 winners/UE differential on the chief shot
BH UEs being virtually equal (Djoko has 1 less) and winners not to important (Djoko 3, Monf 1 - all of them passes or drop shots). Not much in it between the two off the ground on basic winners and UEs

Djoko though can force errors from Monf readily - as much for Monf’s weak resistance (and movement problems). And not just in baseline rallies. With the return. From net. Monf has to pull teeth (to exaggerate) to force error from back and does very little with the return or from net

Match Progression
Djokovic dominates a sub-par moving Monfils in first set. On top of breaking twice, he takes Monf to 10 points twice (once saving 3 break points). He meanwhile doesn’t face break point and loses 6 points for 4 holds (taken to deuce once, from 40-15 up)

Djoko breaks to open the match. 30-0 down, he bangs a return to the baseline that draws an error, draws UEs next 2 points (the second point is a good rally, with Djoko hitting several longline shots) and gains the break when Monf double faults

Serving for 3-1, Djoko comes to net at 40-15, and sees a blasted FH dtl sail by him for a winner. Monf chooses next point to thrash huge FH after huge FH and it’s a good job by Djoko to get 2-3 back before Monf finishes with a cc winner. Djoko puts an end to the dangerous looking spark with a beautifully judged, touch BH at net drop shot winner that’s very close to being a BH1/2V before holding

Djoko continues to threaten to break, until he does for second time to end the set, winning 2 points with the return (1 against a serve-volley)

A very different Monf comes out in second set, with no signs of injury. For rest of match, his movements are very good. Its odd that it switches on a dime like that

He has better of the set. Djoko staves off being broken but has to serve 35 points for his 5 holds, or 7 per game. Monf’s first 4 holds last 21 points or 5.25 by contrast. High 81% in count helps

It doesn’t help enough. He makes 6/6 first serves in last game of match too, but is broken anyway via looses ground errors. Something he’d never looked immune from, even while getting better of action and independent of his reputation

Summing up, a fun little match as Monfils’ tend to be, and its fluctuations in his playing level that shapes the match. In first set, he moves poorly, which miraculously seems to disappear in second set. Djokovic pushes him around and does as he likes in first set, but there’s a struggle for command of action after that, with Monfils having better of things before eventually faltering

From Djokovic, some excellent, powerful returns right to the baseline beyond his norm and same calibre defence against Monfils’ fierce power are highlights. Also changes directions readily at times and uses net sensibly, but is a bit loose with the errors from the back

From Monfils, when his movements are subdued, he’s poor. When it isn’t, he’s competitive with Djokovic from steadiness standpoint, with neither being great and able to up it from there occasionally with terrific power. Fun as that it, its not a great way to attack and falters more often than he can afford it to
 
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