Stefan Edberg beat Aaron Krickstein 6-2, 6-2 in the Stockholm semi-final, 1991 on carpet
Edberg would go onto lose the final to Boris Becker. Krickstein was unseeded and had beaten, among others, Goran Ivanisevic and Michael Stich to reach the semis
Edberg won 59 points, Krickstein 35
Edberg serve-volleyed off all serves
(Note: I'm missing serve direction and corresponding return data for 1 Krickstein serve - Set 2, Game 7, Point 3)
Serve Stats
Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (26/45) 58%
- 1st serve points won (21/26) 81%
- 2nd serve points won (12/19) 63%
- Aces 5
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (12/45) 27%
Krickstein...
- 1st serve percentage (28/49) 57%
- 1st serve points won (15/28) 54%
- 2nd serve points won (8/21) 38%
- Aces 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (9/49) 18%
Serve Patterns
Edberg served...
- to FH 31%
- to BH 45%
- to Body 24%
Krickstein served...
- to FH 40%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 2%
Return Stats
Edberg made...
- 40 (16 FH, 23 BH, 1 ??), including 9 return-approaches
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 5 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 4 Forced (1 FH, 3 BH)
- Return Rate (40/49) 82%
Krickstein made...
- 30 (4 FH, 26 BH)
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 7 Errors, all forced...
- 7 Forced (4 FH, 3 BH)
- Return Rate (30/42) 71%
Break Points
Edberg 5/7 (5 games)
Krickstein 1/3 (2 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Edberg 30 (2 FH, 5 BH, 9 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 10 BHV, 3 OH)
Krickstein 5 (1 FH, 2 BH, 1 FHV)
Edberg had 18 from serve-volley points
- 14 first 'volleys' (5 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 6 BHV, 1 OH, 1 BH at net)
- 3 second volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 1 third volley (1 FHV)
- 3 from return-approach points (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- FHs - 2 cc (1 pass)
- BHs - 4 dtl (1 return)
Krickstein's FHs - 1 cc pass
- BHs (both passes) - 1 cc and 1 inside-in return
- 1 BHV was played net-to-net
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Edberg 18
- 11 Unforced (6 BH, 2 FHV, 3 BHV)
- 7 Forced (3 FH, 2 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 BHOH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 51.8
Krickstein 17
- 7 Unforced (4 FH, 2 BH, 1 FHV)
- 10 Forced (3 FH, 7 BH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.6
(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
Edberg was...
- 40/53 (75%) at net, including...
- 28/37 (76%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 16/21 (76%) off 1st serve and...
- 12/16 (75%) off 2nd serve
---
- 7/9 (78%) return-approaching
Krickstein was...
- 4/7 (57%) at net, including...
- 1/1 serve-volleying, a 1st serve
Match Report
Edberg brushes Krickstein aside with seeming ease on a quick court
Edberg serve-volleys off all serves and Krickstein isn't good enough on the return to challenge him. 71% return rate on this court against 100% serve-volleying is nominally good, without taking into account how damaging the returns are. Krick's aren't close to damaging enough
Note Edberg with 14 first 'volley' winners. To compare, Krick has 5 total winners. Its a slaughter on Edberg's serve. Krick puts returns in play and Edberg whisks away volleys
About half of Edberg's first 'volley' winners are easy, putaway balls. The rest aren't difficult, but not necessarily easy to putaway. Edberg though is in '1-volley' mode, goes for and makes winners to open court. Or not too open... he serves high 24% to body, which tends to leave Krick in reasonable position to reach anything not placed perfectly. Most of the volleys though are perfect, and go through for winners
Standout volley would be the short angled one, enabled by Edberg's speed in getting close to net
Very few low returns by Krick. His best returns are a bit wide or above average paced down the middle - and they're the exception, not the norm. Edberg does struggle with these and has 5 volleying UEs... mostly to balls more makeable than not, as opposed to easy
Edberg's serve isn't particularly strong, but its quick enough conditions that returning it with authority isn't easy. 5 aces is high for him. If first serve isn't particularly strong, second serve is and there isn't much difference between the two. He wins 76% serve-volleying off first serves and 75% off seconds
In nutshell, Edberg serving decently, Krick returning quite regularly but without heat and Edberg having play time at net. Room for improvement in Edberg's handling of slightly powerful or wide hit returns, but he doesn't face many. And he's almost flawless in dispatching regulation and easy volleys, which are the bulk of what he faces
Krickstein's serve isn't much either, probably a bit less challenging than Edberg's and he only serve-volleys once. 3 of his 4 aces come in one game. One senses on a medium paced court, a good returner could aim to virtually never miss a return. As is, Edberg returns at 82%, which is is very good. Then they rally from the baseline
Krick leads the rallies with BH cc's, seemingly with intent to break down Edberg's BH. His shots aren't particularly heavy and its more who-blinks-first play than beat-down. He is the more consistent - he has just 2 BH UEs to Edberg's 6, but Edberg's the more aggressive in going dtl. He has 3 winners on the shot, most of his errors are also attackings shots. Note high 51.8 UEFI for Edberg, with 6/11 errors being BHs
Or Edberg hits ball to open side of court and comes in. He's not in a rush to get forward and is quite comfortable rallying neutrally from the back. Once at net, its a similar story to when he's serve-volleying and he wins 5/7 such points
0 FH UEs for Edberg. He doesn't have to play many because that's not where Krick hits. The shot isn't just steady, but a capable point finisher after adequate set up. Krick has 4 FH UEs, mostly attacking shots that aren't particularly heavy
To complete picture of play, Edberg chip-charges superbly, winning 7/9 such points. Good, deep and/or wide shots to come in behind
Generally speaking, Edberg tends to approach of weak balls. In this match and in others from this period, that isn't the case. He's patient and steady from the back and comes in to wide shots when opening presents itself . In other words, he manufactures approaches, not makes dashes to net from regulation positions. His net play, particularly net coverage, is good enough that it'd likely win him bulk of points even coming in behind junk, and with good wide approaches thrown in, he's that much deadlier still
Options for Krickstein? He can't outlast or overpower Edberg from back and serve isn't strong enough to get him cheap points. Come to net? He does so just 6 times, winning just 3. He looks a sitting duck
30 winners for Edberg in 16 games comes to 1.88 a game - which is exceptionally high
Match Progression
Edberg opens up 4-0 lead, breaking twice by taking net at right time and hitting a BH dtl winner in each game
Krickstein resists being broken again, despite more of the same tactics but can't get into return games at all. He wins just 1 return point in the set
Edberg opens up a 3-0 lead with 2 breaks to start the second set also. He gains one back in poor game from Edberg - 3 volleying UEs and a double fault on break point. Rest of set is more competitive than first set, with Krickstein finding some above average power returns and Edberg less than flawless in handling the volleys, but Edberg maintains command
Tough serve-out, with Edberg going down 15-40 with some powerful plays from Krickstein. Edberg erases break points with FHV winners. Match point is sublime. Krickstein hits medium paced but dipping return. Edberg can reach it on full to take a low volley, but checks his forward movement, pulls back a step and perfectly drop FH1/2Vs it for a winner instead. Beautiful and perfect
Summing up, silky from Edberg as he's near at his best. Krickstein is unable to return with authority and Edberg is immaculate in dispatching volleys. From the baseline, controlled and poised from Edberg while Krickstein is steady enough without being damaging
Stats for the final between Edberg and Boris Becker - https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...becker-vs-edberg-stockholm-final-1991.646384/
Stats for pair's '90 Tokyo Outdoor final - https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...-krickstein-tokyo-outdoors-final-1990.659631/
Edberg would go onto lose the final to Boris Becker. Krickstein was unseeded and had beaten, among others, Goran Ivanisevic and Michael Stich to reach the semis
Edberg won 59 points, Krickstein 35
Edberg serve-volleyed off all serves
(Note: I'm missing serve direction and corresponding return data for 1 Krickstein serve - Set 2, Game 7, Point 3)
Serve Stats
Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (26/45) 58%
- 1st serve points won (21/26) 81%
- 2nd serve points won (12/19) 63%
- Aces 5
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (12/45) 27%
Krickstein...
- 1st serve percentage (28/49) 57%
- 1st serve points won (15/28) 54%
- 2nd serve points won (8/21) 38%
- Aces 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (9/49) 18%
Serve Patterns
Edberg served...
- to FH 31%
- to BH 45%
- to Body 24%
Krickstein served...
- to FH 40%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 2%
Return Stats
Edberg made...
- 40 (16 FH, 23 BH, 1 ??), including 9 return-approaches
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 5 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 4 Forced (1 FH, 3 BH)
- Return Rate (40/49) 82%
Krickstein made...
- 30 (4 FH, 26 BH)
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 7 Errors, all forced...
- 7 Forced (4 FH, 3 BH)
- Return Rate (30/42) 71%
Break Points
Edberg 5/7 (5 games)
Krickstein 1/3 (2 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Edberg 30 (2 FH, 5 BH, 9 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 10 BHV, 3 OH)
Krickstein 5 (1 FH, 2 BH, 1 FHV)
Edberg had 18 from serve-volley points
- 14 first 'volleys' (5 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 6 BHV, 1 OH, 1 BH at net)
- 3 second volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 1 third volley (1 FHV)
- 3 from return-approach points (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- FHs - 2 cc (1 pass)
- BHs - 4 dtl (1 return)
Krickstein's FHs - 1 cc pass
- BHs (both passes) - 1 cc and 1 inside-in return
- 1 BHV was played net-to-net
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Edberg 18
- 11 Unforced (6 BH, 2 FHV, 3 BHV)
- 7 Forced (3 FH, 2 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 BHOH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 51.8
Krickstein 17
- 7 Unforced (4 FH, 2 BH, 1 FHV)
- 10 Forced (3 FH, 7 BH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.6
(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
Edberg was...
- 40/53 (75%) at net, including...
- 28/37 (76%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 16/21 (76%) off 1st serve and...
- 12/16 (75%) off 2nd serve
---
- 7/9 (78%) return-approaching
Krickstein was...
- 4/7 (57%) at net, including...
- 1/1 serve-volleying, a 1st serve
Match Report
Edberg brushes Krickstein aside with seeming ease on a quick court
Edberg serve-volleys off all serves and Krickstein isn't good enough on the return to challenge him. 71% return rate on this court against 100% serve-volleying is nominally good, without taking into account how damaging the returns are. Krick's aren't close to damaging enough
Note Edberg with 14 first 'volley' winners. To compare, Krick has 5 total winners. Its a slaughter on Edberg's serve. Krick puts returns in play and Edberg whisks away volleys
About half of Edberg's first 'volley' winners are easy, putaway balls. The rest aren't difficult, but not necessarily easy to putaway. Edberg though is in '1-volley' mode, goes for and makes winners to open court. Or not too open... he serves high 24% to body, which tends to leave Krick in reasonable position to reach anything not placed perfectly. Most of the volleys though are perfect, and go through for winners
Standout volley would be the short angled one, enabled by Edberg's speed in getting close to net
Very few low returns by Krick. His best returns are a bit wide or above average paced down the middle - and they're the exception, not the norm. Edberg does struggle with these and has 5 volleying UEs... mostly to balls more makeable than not, as opposed to easy
Edberg's serve isn't particularly strong, but its quick enough conditions that returning it with authority isn't easy. 5 aces is high for him. If first serve isn't particularly strong, second serve is and there isn't much difference between the two. He wins 76% serve-volleying off first serves and 75% off seconds
In nutshell, Edberg serving decently, Krick returning quite regularly but without heat and Edberg having play time at net. Room for improvement in Edberg's handling of slightly powerful or wide hit returns, but he doesn't face many. And he's almost flawless in dispatching regulation and easy volleys, which are the bulk of what he faces
Krickstein's serve isn't much either, probably a bit less challenging than Edberg's and he only serve-volleys once. 3 of his 4 aces come in one game. One senses on a medium paced court, a good returner could aim to virtually never miss a return. As is, Edberg returns at 82%, which is is very good. Then they rally from the baseline
Krick leads the rallies with BH cc's, seemingly with intent to break down Edberg's BH. His shots aren't particularly heavy and its more who-blinks-first play than beat-down. He is the more consistent - he has just 2 BH UEs to Edberg's 6, but Edberg's the more aggressive in going dtl. He has 3 winners on the shot, most of his errors are also attackings shots. Note high 51.8 UEFI for Edberg, with 6/11 errors being BHs
Or Edberg hits ball to open side of court and comes in. He's not in a rush to get forward and is quite comfortable rallying neutrally from the back. Once at net, its a similar story to when he's serve-volleying and he wins 5/7 such points
0 FH UEs for Edberg. He doesn't have to play many because that's not where Krick hits. The shot isn't just steady, but a capable point finisher after adequate set up. Krick has 4 FH UEs, mostly attacking shots that aren't particularly heavy
To complete picture of play, Edberg chip-charges superbly, winning 7/9 such points. Good, deep and/or wide shots to come in behind
Generally speaking, Edberg tends to approach of weak balls. In this match and in others from this period, that isn't the case. He's patient and steady from the back and comes in to wide shots when opening presents itself . In other words, he manufactures approaches, not makes dashes to net from regulation positions. His net play, particularly net coverage, is good enough that it'd likely win him bulk of points even coming in behind junk, and with good wide approaches thrown in, he's that much deadlier still
Options for Krickstein? He can't outlast or overpower Edberg from back and serve isn't strong enough to get him cheap points. Come to net? He does so just 6 times, winning just 3. He looks a sitting duck
30 winners for Edberg in 16 games comes to 1.88 a game - which is exceptionally high
Match Progression
Edberg opens up 4-0 lead, breaking twice by taking net at right time and hitting a BH dtl winner in each game
Krickstein resists being broken again, despite more of the same tactics but can't get into return games at all. He wins just 1 return point in the set
Edberg opens up a 3-0 lead with 2 breaks to start the second set also. He gains one back in poor game from Edberg - 3 volleying UEs and a double fault on break point. Rest of set is more competitive than first set, with Krickstein finding some above average power returns and Edberg less than flawless in handling the volleys, but Edberg maintains command
Tough serve-out, with Edberg going down 15-40 with some powerful plays from Krickstein. Edberg erases break points with FHV winners. Match point is sublime. Krickstein hits medium paced but dipping return. Edberg can reach it on full to take a low volley, but checks his forward movement, pulls back a step and perfectly drop FH1/2Vs it for a winner instead. Beautiful and perfect
Summing up, silky from Edberg as he's near at his best. Krickstein is unable to return with authority and Edberg is immaculate in dispatching volleys. From the baseline, controlled and poised from Edberg while Krickstein is steady enough without being damaging
Stats for the final between Edberg and Boris Becker - https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...becker-vs-edberg-stockholm-final-1991.646384/
Stats for pair's '90 Tokyo Outdoor final - https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...-krickstein-tokyo-outdoors-final-1990.659631/
