Match Stats/Report - Djokovic vs Monfils, Paris final, 2009

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Novak Djokovic beat Gael Monfils 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(3) in the Paris final, 2009 on indoor hard court

It was Djokovic's first title at the event. Monfils was playing his first Masters level final and would be runner-up the following year also

Djokovic won 109 points, Monfils 95

Serve Stats
Djokovic...
- 1st serve percentage (67/98) 68%
- 1st serve points won (48/67) 72%
- 2nd serve points won (18/31) 58%
- Aces 2 (1 not clean, 1 whiff), Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (15/98) 15%

Monfils...
- 1st serve percentage (64/106) 60%
- 1st serve points won (48/64) 75%
- 2nd serve points won (15/42) 36%
- Aces 12, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (36/106) 34%

Serve Patterns
Djokovic served...
- to FH 38%
- to BH 48%
- to Body 14%

Monfils served...
- to FH 37%
- to BH 55%
- to Body 8%

Return Stats
Djokovic made...
- 63 (31 FH, 32 BH)
- 23 Errors, comprising...
- 10 Unforced (2 FH, 8 BH)
- 13 Forced (7 FH, 6 BH)
- Return Rate (63/99) 64%

Monfils made...
- 78 (33 FH, 45 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 10 Errors, comprising...
- 3 Unforced (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 7 Forced (5 FH, 2 BH)
- Return Rate (78/93) 84%

Break Points
Djokovic 5/10 (5 games)
Monfils 4/7 (6 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Djokovic 26 (14 FH, 3 BH, 5 FHV, 2 BHV, 2 OH)
Monfils 11 (6 FH, 3 BH, 1 FHV, 1 OH)

Djokovic's FHs - 4 cc, 1 cc/longline, 1 dtl, 4 inside-out, 2 inside-in, 1 drop shot at net and 1 lob
- BHs - 1 inside-out and 2 drop shots

Monfils' FHs - 2 cc, 2 inside-out, 1 inside-in and 1 inside-in/cc
- BHs - 2 dtl (1 pass) and 1 inside-out/longline at net

- the FHV was a swinging shot

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Djokovic 43
- 32 Unforced (17 FH, 12 BH, 3 BHV)... with 1 BH at net
- 11 Forced (6 FH, 4 BH, 1 BHV)... with 2 FH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.8

Monfils 61
- 33 Unforced (19 FH, 10 BH, 2 FHV, 2 BHV)... with 1 baseline BHV
- 28 Forced (17 FH, 8 BH, 1 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 43.9

(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 for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
Djokovic was...
- 19/30 (63%) at net, with...
- 0/1 forced back

Monfils was...
- 7/18 (39%) at net, including...
- 1/4 (25%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 1/2 off 1st serve and...
- 0/2 off 2nd serve
---
- 0/1 forced back

Match Report
Action is not close for a match that comes down to final set tiebreak. Djokovic is vastly better player, somewhat counter-balanced by Monfils having sizable advantage on serve-return complex on a slow-ish court

One gets the sense Djokovic can do whatever he wants to to Monfils from the baseline. He falters nearly as often as not in executing moderate attacks by making errors, which allows Monfils to hang in. But Djoko has run-of-the-mill outlasting play and attacking net play to fall back or go to, where he is vastly superior

Serve & Return
Monfils with huge 19% unreturned serve advantage. That's a potential maximized - maybe even exceeded - figure.

His serve isn't that strong and he's serving regulation first serves in swing zone more than half the time. 12 aces though is an excellent figure (Djoko has 2 - 1 not clean, the other a Monfils whiff)
Below par returning from Djoko. Note the 10 UEs (Monfils has 3). He misses odd attacking wide returns, isn't great at getting wide ones back in play (they're not overly powerful) and falters some on regulation returning too. Furthermore, even the returns he makes aren't too strong and Monfils retains initiative on third ball most of the time, even of second serves

7 double faults are also too much. And prove costly. And wasn't called for the way Djoko retuns

On flip side, average serving from Djoko, mostly in Monfils' swing zone. Still, great job by returner to make 84% returns. In second half of match, he barely misses a return and does well to get to the odd wide ones. 3 service winners from Djoko is more credit to Monfil getting racquet on ball than anything. He returns slightly less authoritively than Djoko

In nutshell, good serving and excellent, consistent returning from Monfils, average serving and below par returning from Djoko. Taking the two to be similar calibre servers, 19% difference in unreturned rates is about as big as can be. You see figures like that when the biggest of servers meets below average ones, and even then, not always. Monfils needs every advantage he can get because once returns are put in play...

Play - Baseline & Net
...Djoko hits 15 more winners, forces 17 more errors and makes 1 fewer unforced error to finish +33. And that's with him faltering

He's at his most effective breaking down Monfils FH. Just hitting neutral FH cc's til Monfils' gives in. And from that position, Djoko can go extra wide of angle to force errors too. Monfils' FH with match high 19 UEs and 17 FEs. He doesn't give up errors easily and rallies have to go on awhile before they come. I'd say Djoko's FH is much steadier than his rather than call his FH poor for the match

When pressing for attack, Djoko's at his best coming to net. He wins a healthy 19/30 or 63% at net, and good chunk of those he doesn't were forced approaches or/and net-to-net points. Strong approach shots are enough to draw errors, but Djoko's particularly good on the drop FHVs. 1 in particular is played exactly like John McEnroe used to. Strong approach shot is usually enough

Where Djoko stumbles is in attacking from the baseline. When Monfils holds steady from baseline, instead of continuing to just put ball in court firmly, Djoko looks to play moderately attacking shots or at least, beat him down with power. Monfils defends reasonably well, but more discredit for faltering on attacking play

Look at UE stats. Totals are similar (Djoko 32, Monfils 33), as are breakdown by wing -
- FH - Djoko 17, Monf 19
- BH - Djoko 12, Monf 10

But Monf's errors are neutral shots (i.e. being outlasted, especially FH breaking down), Djoko's attacking misfires. Very large gap in UEFI - Djoko with high 48.8, Monf with low 43.9.
73% of Monf's UEs are neutral shots. Only 38% of Djoko's are

In nutshell, Djoko outlasting Monfils from baseline regularly though not easily. When Monfils holds steady, Djoko looks to attack. Doing so from the baseline, he isn't too good and makes errors trying about as often as he can finish the point. He's at his most efficient coming to net - which isn't hard given his being better hitter from back - and Monfils passing doesn't promise or deliver much resistance, but Djoko usually goes the attacking baseline route more often

Movement is a wash between the two. Monfils is called on to showcase it much more and its a big part of his sound, defensive game that contributes to Djoko's attacks faltering

Match Progression
Djokovic runs through first set, losing 3 service points in 4 games while breaking serve twice. He's able to breakdown Monfils' FH in cc exchanges. Beautiful McEnroe-like drop FHV winner by Djoko with racquet face pointing straight up at end of shot. He hits a similar shot later in match too

Monfils changes things up by coming to net a bit at start of second set. It doesn't change anything. He misses regulation volleys, Djoko is strong on the pass and continues to dominate baseline play

Momentum shifts in game 5 as Monfils breaks back. Monfils starts serving much harder, his baseline consistency goes up while Djoko gets a bit flat. With neutral baseline play about even and Monfils moving well, Djoko starts going for more attacking shots from the back. Its a poor game from him to get broken to leave Monf serving for the set, with 4 UEs, though break point is a swatted, error forcing runaround FH return. Monfils orchestrates the crowd during the game and at changeover, the umpire takes it upon himself to warn him about wasting time when server is ready to play

Third set starts like the second with Djoko breaking. Monfils is always playing catch up in set. He makes almost every return to get a rally going and hangs in enough to get a break back both times Djoko moves ahead. On serve, he largely rides on the first shot

Monfils first breaks back with Djok double faulting and making 2 UEs from 30-15 up. Then hands back the break by double faulting twice in a row from 15-30 down. His next service game comprise 3 aces, a service winner and 2 double faults

Strong tiebreak from Djoko, winning his first 3 service points with winners (inside-out drop BHV, FH inside-in and another BHV), before Monfils gives up a FH UE to go down a mini-break. Match ends with a double fault

Summing up, an ordinary match with Djokovic's greater consistency off the ground the key difference. His shots are regulation and not particularly heavy, he falters when trying to attack from back but effective in coming to net, which he doesn't do often enough. Monfils is usually just outlasted but when he holds up, there are some good, long rallies and defends decently while getting everything he possibly can out of his serve. Not a bad match but the sort you don't remember much about a week after
 
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