Stefan Edberg beat Mats Wilander 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 in the Stockholm final, 1986 on indoor hard court
It was Edberg's first title at the event and he would go onto defend it the following year. Wilander had won it in '83
Edberg won 84 points, Wilander won 47
Edberg serve-volleyed most of the time, Wilander about half the time off first serves
Serve Stats
Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (45/63) 71%
- 1st serve points won (33/45) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (11/18) 61%
- Aces 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (23/63) 37%
Wilander...
- 1st serve percentage (37/68) 54%
- 1st serve points won (20/37) 54%
- 2nd serve points won (8/31) 26%
- Aces 2
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (11/68) 16%
Serve Patterns
Edberg served...
- to FH 43%
- to BH 52%
- to Body 5%
Wilander served...
- to FH 39%
- to BH 27%
- to Body 33%
Return Stats
Edberg made...
- 55 (30 FH, 25 BH), including 3 runaround FHs, 3 runaround BHs & 10 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (2 FH, 1 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 9 Errors, comprising...
- 3 Unforced (3 FH)
- 6 Forced (1 FH, 5 BH)
- Return Rate (55/66) 83%
Wilander made...
- 40 (17 FH, 23 BH)
- 4 Winners (3 FH, 1 BH)
- 17 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 16 Forced (8 FH, 8 BH)
- Return Rate (40/63) 63%
Break Points
Edberg 8/14 (8 games)
Wilander 1/2 (2 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Edberg 31 (8 FH, 5 BH, 4 FHV, 11 BHV, 2 OH, 1 BHOH)
Wilander 9 (4 FH, 3 BH, 1 FHV, 1 OH)
Edberg had 13 from serve-volley points -
- 9 first volleys (4 FHV, 5 BHV)
- 4 second volleys (4 BHV)
- FHs - 5 cc (1 runaround return, 4 passes), 1 dtl return, 1 inside-out pass and 1 lob
- BHs - 2 cc and 3 dtl passes (1 return)
Wilander's FHs (all passes) - 3 dtl returns and 1 running-down-drop-shot cc at net
- BHs (all passes) - 1 dtl return, 1 dtl/inside-out and 1 lob
- 1 from a serve-volley point, a first volley FHV
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Edberg 27
- 15 Unforced (5 FH, 2 BH, 4 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 12 Forced (2 FH, 3 BH, 2 FHV, 4 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.3
Wilander 28
- 8 Unforced (5 FH, 1 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net
- 20 Forced (9 FH, 9 BH, 2 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50
(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
Edberg was...
- 51/73 (70%) at net, including...
- 34/50 (68%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 25/36 (69%) off 1st serve and...
- 9/14 (64%) off 2nd serve
---
- 4/10 (40%) return-approaching
Wilander was...
- 14/29 (48%) at net, including...
- 8/19 (42%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 8/18 (44%) off 1st serve and...
- 0/1 off 2nd serve
Match Report
An utter thrashing. Edberg serve-volleys his way to holding and returns powerfully to go about breaking almost as certainly on a quick-ish indoor hard court
Edberg's returning and ground game takes the eye - particularly the strenght of the FH, including on the return
Edberg serve-volleys near enough to always. He stays back off 3 1st serves (wins 2) and 4 2nds (wins 2). He stays back off a couple 2nd serves early, before getting into groove of following it to net. He stays back randomly off the 1st serves and delivers more powerful serves on them (2 go unreturned)
His serve is considerably more powerful than it would come to be, and he serves in classic, out-wide to open court and volley into open court fashion
37% unreturned rate is high against Mats. And its mostly about Edberg's serving. Powerful, wide, damaging stuff - categorically different from the slower, more cramping and swervy/kicky stuff he'd come to deliver in early 90s
Its not that Mats goes for too much on the return. The serves are just too good. Mats can rarely get a low return off and Edberg's dispatches most everything above the net
Unbalanced 11 BHV winners to 4 FHV ones from Edberg. That's Mats' choice, not Edberg's. He looks for FH dtl returns (and has 3 winners on it) and down the middle from ad court. Edberg doesn't move over to play BHVs to any extent, its just that that's where Mats sends the ball - both on the return and otherwise
4 UEs apiece across FHV and BHV speaks to BHV being considerably better for Edberg, in light of his playing so many more BHV. On FE front, its 2 FHVs to 5 BHVs (including a half-volley)
Mats isn't allowed to do much. Returns are tough to make - and would be even sans serve-volley. 6 aces is high for Edberg. Net high returns are instantly flashed away for winners or punched hard and away from Mats. Hard hit or firmly hit returns doesn't matter. Mats sees maybe 2 stationary passes all match. Everything else is on the run, usually hopelessly so. He doesn't even have much chance of throwing up a desperate lob
Couple of excellent back-pedalling OH winners from Edberg too - again, different from his game in later years, when he was not so decisive on the smash
On flip side, an average serve from Mats and for that, a poor in-count of 54% (Edberg's is 71%). And a very high lot of 33% directed to the body. Those are mostly 2nd serves and Edberg handles them superbly. He moves around towards center of court, regardless of which court he's in (he has 3 runaround FH and 3 runaround BH returns - and many more that he moves less substantially for), creates space to have a good swing and then takes said good swing
The move around FH cc return is particularly powerful and damaging, and he's often moving forward as he hits them. Also 10 return-approaches from Edberg. Hard hit shots not chips, including a few against first serves and even a couple against the serve-volleying Mats. In that light, winning just 4/10 is disappointing from Edberg's point of view and a small mercy from Mats'
Edberg doesn't miss much, despite attacking returning and his return rate is 83%
Baseline rallies favour Edberg too. Again, his FH is the most powerful and damaging shot on show. FH play is the majority. Neither player particularly implements it to be so and both seem happy that way. Mats' hitting isn't passive, Edberg's is particularly strong
Baseline-baseline UEs slightly favouring Mats -
- Mats 5 (4 FH, 1 BH), Edberg 7 (5 FH, 2 BH), but he has 0 winners to Edberg's 2 (both BH cc's)
To complete picture of baseline-baseline starting point, Edberg's a perfect 13/13 rallying to net to Mats 6/10. Edberg mainly approaches off strong shots against short ball, usually FH cc or manufactures an approach with a dtl BH
As match goes on, Mats takes to serve-volleying more and more and by end, he's done so 18/35 or 51% off 1st serves. He wins just 8/18 or 44% such points, while staying back, its 10/17 or 59% (excluding 2 aces)
Some clean, powerful returning against the serve-volleys by Edberg, Mats doesn't miss regulation volleys (just 2 UEs), but leaves volleys where Edberg can take a decent shot. And Edberg delivers with 8 passing winners (+1 return). He's only got 5 groundstroke FEs and Mats has just 2 volleying winners to put that in perspective - Mats wins just 42% serve-volleying and 48% of all net points. He seems to prefer passing at Edberg's FH wing and Edberg reads/anticipates Mats' favourite line BHV to be ready for a FH too. 4 FH cc passing winners from Edberg. He has just 2 FH FEs
In short, Edberg returns comfortably, consistently and with authority (down right attacking fair amount too), is harder hitter from the back particularly off the FH, able to create approaches off of that and return-passes strongly when Mats turns to serve-volleying. Edberg breaks 8 times, Mats hold 3 times
Edberg's 31 winners is more than both players total errors (he has 27, Mats 28) and triple Mats' 9 winners
Match Progression
1st set isn't too one sided, though Edberg's always in drivers seat. He opens match by swishing away a BH cc winner from regulation position and throws in 2 more net winners to break, but he his taken to deuce in his first 3 service games (faces and saves the sole break point) as Mats also holds to take score to 4-2
Edberg breaks again in an lively 10 point game where he's at net 6 times and Mats finally starts coming in to keep Edberg from it. Lovely BHOH winner from Edberg brings up his 2nd break point of the game. Mats serve-volleys on it, has to make a 1/2volley first up and Edberg swipes a BH dtl pass through to break again
2nd set begins with traded breaks - Edberg's net play getting him in and again, on break point, flashing a return + pass 1-2 combo ending with a FH inside-out winner. Mats breaks back with a series of powerful returns - a winner and 4 volleying FEs to make it 1-1
That's last bit of good news for Mats and he wins 1 more game in the match
Starting last game of 2nd set, Mats serve-volleys 12/13 1st serve points (and comes in early on the one he doesn't). Doesn't do him much good. When Mats switches to testing Edberg's FHV for a game in 3rd set, result is 2 FHV winners, 2 UEs and 2 aces. Powerful returns and follow-up passes against serve-volleying Mats + pounded returns against 2nd serves sees Edberg get the breaks he needs to see out the match
Summing up, overwhelming showing from Edberg. Powerful serving allied to killer volleying leaves his opponent with next to nothing chances on the pass. Powerful returning and hard hitting groundstrokes - especially the FH, including on the pass - dominates his opponent almost as much. There are matches where Wilander is too passive and gets swept away. This is more his not being allowed to play at all
It was Edberg's first title at the event and he would go onto defend it the following year. Wilander had won it in '83
Edberg won 84 points, Wilander won 47
Edberg serve-volleyed most of the time, Wilander about half the time off first serves
Serve Stats
Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (45/63) 71%
- 1st serve points won (33/45) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (11/18) 61%
- Aces 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (23/63) 37%
Wilander...
- 1st serve percentage (37/68) 54%
- 1st serve points won (20/37) 54%
- 2nd serve points won (8/31) 26%
- Aces 2
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (11/68) 16%
Serve Patterns
Edberg served...
- to FH 43%
- to BH 52%
- to Body 5%
Wilander served...
- to FH 39%
- to BH 27%
- to Body 33%
Return Stats
Edberg made...
- 55 (30 FH, 25 BH), including 3 runaround FHs, 3 runaround BHs & 10 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (2 FH, 1 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 9 Errors, comprising...
- 3 Unforced (3 FH)
- 6 Forced (1 FH, 5 BH)
- Return Rate (55/66) 83%
Wilander made...
- 40 (17 FH, 23 BH)
- 4 Winners (3 FH, 1 BH)
- 17 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 16 Forced (8 FH, 8 BH)
- Return Rate (40/63) 63%
Break Points
Edberg 8/14 (8 games)
Wilander 1/2 (2 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Edberg 31 (8 FH, 5 BH, 4 FHV, 11 BHV, 2 OH, 1 BHOH)
Wilander 9 (4 FH, 3 BH, 1 FHV, 1 OH)
Edberg had 13 from serve-volley points -
- 9 first volleys (4 FHV, 5 BHV)
- 4 second volleys (4 BHV)
- FHs - 5 cc (1 runaround return, 4 passes), 1 dtl return, 1 inside-out pass and 1 lob
- BHs - 2 cc and 3 dtl passes (1 return)
Wilander's FHs (all passes) - 3 dtl returns and 1 running-down-drop-shot cc at net
- BHs (all passes) - 1 dtl return, 1 dtl/inside-out and 1 lob
- 1 from a serve-volley point, a first volley FHV
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Edberg 27
- 15 Unforced (5 FH, 2 BH, 4 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 12 Forced (2 FH, 3 BH, 2 FHV, 4 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.3
Wilander 28
- 8 Unforced (5 FH, 1 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net
- 20 Forced (9 FH, 9 BH, 2 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50
(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
Edberg was...
- 51/73 (70%) at net, including...
- 34/50 (68%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 25/36 (69%) off 1st serve and...
- 9/14 (64%) off 2nd serve
---
- 4/10 (40%) return-approaching
Wilander was...
- 14/29 (48%) at net, including...
- 8/19 (42%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 8/18 (44%) off 1st serve and...
- 0/1 off 2nd serve
Match Report
An utter thrashing. Edberg serve-volleys his way to holding and returns powerfully to go about breaking almost as certainly on a quick-ish indoor hard court
Edberg's returning and ground game takes the eye - particularly the strenght of the FH, including on the return
Edberg serve-volleys near enough to always. He stays back off 3 1st serves (wins 2) and 4 2nds (wins 2). He stays back off a couple 2nd serves early, before getting into groove of following it to net. He stays back randomly off the 1st serves and delivers more powerful serves on them (2 go unreturned)
His serve is considerably more powerful than it would come to be, and he serves in classic, out-wide to open court and volley into open court fashion
37% unreturned rate is high against Mats. And its mostly about Edberg's serving. Powerful, wide, damaging stuff - categorically different from the slower, more cramping and swervy/kicky stuff he'd come to deliver in early 90s
Its not that Mats goes for too much on the return. The serves are just too good. Mats can rarely get a low return off and Edberg's dispatches most everything above the net
Unbalanced 11 BHV winners to 4 FHV ones from Edberg. That's Mats' choice, not Edberg's. He looks for FH dtl returns (and has 3 winners on it) and down the middle from ad court. Edberg doesn't move over to play BHVs to any extent, its just that that's where Mats sends the ball - both on the return and otherwise
4 UEs apiece across FHV and BHV speaks to BHV being considerably better for Edberg, in light of his playing so many more BHV. On FE front, its 2 FHVs to 5 BHVs (including a half-volley)
Mats isn't allowed to do much. Returns are tough to make - and would be even sans serve-volley. 6 aces is high for Edberg. Net high returns are instantly flashed away for winners or punched hard and away from Mats. Hard hit or firmly hit returns doesn't matter. Mats sees maybe 2 stationary passes all match. Everything else is on the run, usually hopelessly so. He doesn't even have much chance of throwing up a desperate lob
Couple of excellent back-pedalling OH winners from Edberg too - again, different from his game in later years, when he was not so decisive on the smash
On flip side, an average serve from Mats and for that, a poor in-count of 54% (Edberg's is 71%). And a very high lot of 33% directed to the body. Those are mostly 2nd serves and Edberg handles them superbly. He moves around towards center of court, regardless of which court he's in (he has 3 runaround FH and 3 runaround BH returns - and many more that he moves less substantially for), creates space to have a good swing and then takes said good swing
The move around FH cc return is particularly powerful and damaging, and he's often moving forward as he hits them. Also 10 return-approaches from Edberg. Hard hit shots not chips, including a few against first serves and even a couple against the serve-volleying Mats. In that light, winning just 4/10 is disappointing from Edberg's point of view and a small mercy from Mats'
Edberg doesn't miss much, despite attacking returning and his return rate is 83%
Baseline rallies favour Edberg too. Again, his FH is the most powerful and damaging shot on show. FH play is the majority. Neither player particularly implements it to be so and both seem happy that way. Mats' hitting isn't passive, Edberg's is particularly strong
Baseline-baseline UEs slightly favouring Mats -
- Mats 5 (4 FH, 1 BH), Edberg 7 (5 FH, 2 BH), but he has 0 winners to Edberg's 2 (both BH cc's)
To complete picture of baseline-baseline starting point, Edberg's a perfect 13/13 rallying to net to Mats 6/10. Edberg mainly approaches off strong shots against short ball, usually FH cc or manufactures an approach with a dtl BH
As match goes on, Mats takes to serve-volleying more and more and by end, he's done so 18/35 or 51% off 1st serves. He wins just 8/18 or 44% such points, while staying back, its 10/17 or 59% (excluding 2 aces)
Some clean, powerful returning against the serve-volleys by Edberg, Mats doesn't miss regulation volleys (just 2 UEs), but leaves volleys where Edberg can take a decent shot. And Edberg delivers with 8 passing winners (+1 return). He's only got 5 groundstroke FEs and Mats has just 2 volleying winners to put that in perspective - Mats wins just 42% serve-volleying and 48% of all net points. He seems to prefer passing at Edberg's FH wing and Edberg reads/anticipates Mats' favourite line BHV to be ready for a FH too. 4 FH cc passing winners from Edberg. He has just 2 FH FEs
In short, Edberg returns comfortably, consistently and with authority (down right attacking fair amount too), is harder hitter from the back particularly off the FH, able to create approaches off of that and return-passes strongly when Mats turns to serve-volleying. Edberg breaks 8 times, Mats hold 3 times
Edberg's 31 winners is more than both players total errors (he has 27, Mats 28) and triple Mats' 9 winners
Match Progression
1st set isn't too one sided, though Edberg's always in drivers seat. He opens match by swishing away a BH cc winner from regulation position and throws in 2 more net winners to break, but he his taken to deuce in his first 3 service games (faces and saves the sole break point) as Mats also holds to take score to 4-2
Edberg breaks again in an lively 10 point game where he's at net 6 times and Mats finally starts coming in to keep Edberg from it. Lovely BHOH winner from Edberg brings up his 2nd break point of the game. Mats serve-volleys on it, has to make a 1/2volley first up and Edberg swipes a BH dtl pass through to break again
2nd set begins with traded breaks - Edberg's net play getting him in and again, on break point, flashing a return + pass 1-2 combo ending with a FH inside-out winner. Mats breaks back with a series of powerful returns - a winner and 4 volleying FEs to make it 1-1
That's last bit of good news for Mats and he wins 1 more game in the match
Starting last game of 2nd set, Mats serve-volleys 12/13 1st serve points (and comes in early on the one he doesn't). Doesn't do him much good. When Mats switches to testing Edberg's FHV for a game in 3rd set, result is 2 FHV winners, 2 UEs and 2 aces. Powerful returns and follow-up passes against serve-volleying Mats + pounded returns against 2nd serves sees Edberg get the breaks he needs to see out the match
Summing up, overwhelming showing from Edberg. Powerful serving allied to killer volleying leaves his opponent with next to nothing chances on the pass. Powerful returning and hard hitting groundstrokes - especially the FH, including on the pass - dominates his opponent almost as much. There are matches where Wilander is too passive and gets swept away. This is more his not being allowed to play at all
