Stefan Edberg beat Boris Becker 6-4, 6-1 in the final of Cincinnati, 1987 on hard court
Edberg was the reigning Australian Open champion (played on grass) and would go onto defeat Becker at the next Wimbledon final also
Edberg serve-volleyed on all but one second serve point, while Becker serve-volleyed on the vast majority of his first serves and frequently of the second
Edberg won 69 points, Becker 48
Serve Stats
Edberg....
- 1st serve percentage (28/39) 72%
- 1st serve points won (21/28) 75%
- 2nd serve points won (8/11) 73%
- Aces 2, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (14/39) 36%
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (42/78) 53%
- 1st serve points won (22/42) 52%
- 2nd serve points won (16/36) 44%
- Aces 3, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (13/78) 17%
Serve Pattern
Edberg served...
- to FH 19%
- to BH 81%
Becker served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 68%
- to Body 2%
Return Stats
Edberg made...
- 58 (17 FH, 41 BH), including 1 chip-charge
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 9 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 8 Forced (5 FH, 3 BH), including 1 runaround FH attempt
- Return Rate (58/71) 82%
Becker made...
- 23 (3 FH, 19 BH, 1 unknown)
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 11 Errors, all forced.... (1 FH, 10 BH)
- Return Rate (23/37) 62%
Break Points
Edberg 5/12 (6 games)
Becker 1/2 (2 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Edberg 29 (6 FH, 6 BH, 6 FHV, 8 BHV, 1 OH, 2 BHOH)
Becker 17 (2 FH, 4 BH, 4 FHV, 2 BHV, 5 OH)
Edberg had 10 from serve-volley points - 5 first volleys (3 FHV, 2 BHV), 3 second volleys (1 FHV, 2 BHV) and 2 third volleys (2 BHV)…. 1 of the first volley FHVs was a drop
- 1 additional drop volley - a FHV
- 10 passes (6 FH, 4 BH)
- the 6 FHs - 2 cc, 2 dtl and 2 lobs
- the 4 BHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl (1 return) and 1 lob
- the OH was hit from the baseline
- 2 BHs at net
Becker had 8 from serve-volley points - 5 first volleys (3 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH), 2 second volleys (2 OH) and 1 third volley (1 OH)
- all 6 groundstrokes were passes (2 FH, 4 BH)
- the 2 FHs - 2 cc
- the 4 BHs - 2 dtl (1 a turnaround shot after being forced back from net) and 2 inside-out (1 return)
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Edberg 16
- 5 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 11 Forced (4 FH, 5 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)
Becker 19
- 4 Unforced (1 FH, 3 FHV)
- 15 Forced (4 FH, 3 BH, 3 FHV, 4 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
(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)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Edberg was 35/46 (76%) at net, including 25/33 (76%) serve-volleying - off first serves 18/25 (72%), off second 7/8 (88%) - and 1/1 chip-charge returning
He was 1/1 when forced back from net
Becker was 28/ 50 (56%) at net, including 23/40 (58%) serve-volleying - off first serves 16/31 (52%), off second 7/9 (78%)
He was 2/2 when forced back from net
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Match Report
One of the cleanest exhibitions of volleying you're likely to see. Edberg barely puts a hand (or knee) wrong throughout this one-sided match
Edberg serve-volleys constantly (staying back on just one service point) and draws an unusually high number of return errors (for him against Becker anyway) at 36%. Does Edberg serve particularly well? Does Becker return particularly badly?
I've taken stats for a whole host of Edberg-Becker matches (mostly on carpet)…. and this hard court is relatively high bouncing. Edberg, as always, isn't painting lines with his serve. I think Becker had a below-his-norm returning day... but given he's a hot-and-cold player and how well he frequently returns, that's not abnormal.
A number of returns Becker makes are on the high side, over the net when Edberg makes his volley. These aren't 'put-away' volleys by any means, but the grace of Edberg makes them look it.
Edberg has to hit the odd low volley too. He barely misses these at all... and gets them in nice and deep anyway
On the flip side, Edberg has an exceptionally good day on the return. Becker isn't in his looking-to-bang-down-aces-mode of serving (another indication that the court isn't the fastest, though I've seen Becker occasionally forego this approach even on the fastest of courts). Nonetheless, Edberg returns superbly - hitting the ball forcefully and getting a large number of them back (82% return rate is very high against anyone, but especially someone like Becker)
Edberg's passing is on par with his volleying.... he puts many a ball passed the German, of both sides. The lobs in particular are excellent - and well disguised.
Edberg holds easily for most of the match, while Boris is forced to struggle for most of his service games. The Swede serving half as many points as his opponent indicates as much
Summing up - supremo stuff from Edberg - serving, returning, passing and volleying all off the top drawer. Becker doesn't play as well as he's capable, but plays well enough to not be thrashed like this. It doesn't get more elegant than Stefan Edberg having one of his perfect days.... and this is certainly one of them, and against a top class opponent
Edberg was the reigning Australian Open champion (played on grass) and would go onto defeat Becker at the next Wimbledon final also
Edberg serve-volleyed on all but one second serve point, while Becker serve-volleyed on the vast majority of his first serves and frequently of the second
Edberg won 69 points, Becker 48
Serve Stats
Edberg....
- 1st serve percentage (28/39) 72%
- 1st serve points won (21/28) 75%
- 2nd serve points won (8/11) 73%
- Aces 2, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (14/39) 36%
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (42/78) 53%
- 1st serve points won (22/42) 52%
- 2nd serve points won (16/36) 44%
- Aces 3, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (13/78) 17%
Serve Pattern
Edberg served...
- to FH 19%
- to BH 81%
Becker served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 68%
- to Body 2%
Return Stats
Edberg made...
- 58 (17 FH, 41 BH), including 1 chip-charge
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 9 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 8 Forced (5 FH, 3 BH), including 1 runaround FH attempt
- Return Rate (58/71) 82%
Becker made...
- 23 (3 FH, 19 BH, 1 unknown)
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 11 Errors, all forced.... (1 FH, 10 BH)
- Return Rate (23/37) 62%
Break Points
Edberg 5/12 (6 games)
Becker 1/2 (2 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Edberg 29 (6 FH, 6 BH, 6 FHV, 8 BHV, 1 OH, 2 BHOH)
Becker 17 (2 FH, 4 BH, 4 FHV, 2 BHV, 5 OH)
Edberg had 10 from serve-volley points - 5 first volleys (3 FHV, 2 BHV), 3 second volleys (1 FHV, 2 BHV) and 2 third volleys (2 BHV)…. 1 of the first volley FHVs was a drop
- 1 additional drop volley - a FHV
- 10 passes (6 FH, 4 BH)
- the 6 FHs - 2 cc, 2 dtl and 2 lobs
- the 4 BHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl (1 return) and 1 lob
- the OH was hit from the baseline
- 2 BHs at net
Becker had 8 from serve-volley points - 5 first volleys (3 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH), 2 second volleys (2 OH) and 1 third volley (1 OH)
- all 6 groundstrokes were passes (2 FH, 4 BH)
- the 2 FHs - 2 cc
- the 4 BHs - 2 dtl (1 a turnaround shot after being forced back from net) and 2 inside-out (1 return)
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Edberg 16
- 5 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 11 Forced (4 FH, 5 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)
Becker 19
- 4 Unforced (1 FH, 3 FHV)
- 15 Forced (4 FH, 3 BH, 3 FHV, 4 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
(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)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Edberg was 35/46 (76%) at net, including 25/33 (76%) serve-volleying - off first serves 18/25 (72%), off second 7/8 (88%) - and 1/1 chip-charge returning
He was 1/1 when forced back from net
Becker was 28/ 50 (56%) at net, including 23/40 (58%) serve-volleying - off first serves 16/31 (52%), off second 7/9 (78%)
He was 2/2 when forced back from net
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Match Report
One of the cleanest exhibitions of volleying you're likely to see. Edberg barely puts a hand (or knee) wrong throughout this one-sided match
Edberg serve-volleys constantly (staying back on just one service point) and draws an unusually high number of return errors (for him against Becker anyway) at 36%. Does Edberg serve particularly well? Does Becker return particularly badly?
I've taken stats for a whole host of Edberg-Becker matches (mostly on carpet)…. and this hard court is relatively high bouncing. Edberg, as always, isn't painting lines with his serve. I think Becker had a below-his-norm returning day... but given he's a hot-and-cold player and how well he frequently returns, that's not abnormal.
A number of returns Becker makes are on the high side, over the net when Edberg makes his volley. These aren't 'put-away' volleys by any means, but the grace of Edberg makes them look it.
Edberg has to hit the odd low volley too. He barely misses these at all... and gets them in nice and deep anyway
On the flip side, Edberg has an exceptionally good day on the return. Becker isn't in his looking-to-bang-down-aces-mode of serving (another indication that the court isn't the fastest, though I've seen Becker occasionally forego this approach even on the fastest of courts). Nonetheless, Edberg returns superbly - hitting the ball forcefully and getting a large number of them back (82% return rate is very high against anyone, but especially someone like Becker)
Edberg's passing is on par with his volleying.... he puts many a ball passed the German, of both sides. The lobs in particular are excellent - and well disguised.
Edberg holds easily for most of the match, while Boris is forced to struggle for most of his service games. The Swede serving half as many points as his opponent indicates as much
Summing up - supremo stuff from Edberg - serving, returning, passing and volleying all off the top drawer. Becker doesn't play as well as he's capable, but plays well enough to not be thrashed like this. It doesn't get more elegant than Stefan Edberg having one of his perfect days.... and this is certainly one of them, and against a top class opponent
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