Match Stats/Report - Ivanisevic vs Edberg, Stockholm semi-final, 1992

[Waspsting]

Goran Ivanisevic beat Stefan Edberg 6-4, 7-6(8) in the Stockholm semi-final, 1992 on carpet

Ivanisevic would go onto win the title, beating Guy Forget in the final. He beat double defending champion Boris Becker in straight sets the round before also. Edberg had been runner-up to Becker those last 2 years and had previously won the title in 1986 and 1987

Ivanisevic won 77 points, Edberg 68

Ivanisevic serve-volleyed of all serves, Edberg all but 6 (1 first serve, 5 seconds)

Serve Stats
Ivanisevic...
- 1st serve percentage (30/66) 45%
- 1st serve points won (28/30) 93%
- 2nd serve points won (24/36) 67%
- Aces 12 (1 second serve, 1 possibly not clean)
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (36/66) 55%

Edberg...
- 1st serve percentage (47/79) 59%
- 1st serve points won (36/47) 77%
- 2nd serve points won (18/32) 56%
- Aces 4
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (26/79) 33%

Serve Patterns
Ivanisevic served...
- to FH 28%
- to BH 66%
- to Body 7%

Edberg served...
- to FH 34%
- to BH 61%
- to Body 5%

Return Stats
Ivanisevic made...
- 50 (23 FH, 27 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 7 Winners (4 FH, 3 BH)
- 22 Errors, all forced...
- 22 Forced (5 FH, 17 BH)
- Return Rate (50/76) 66%

Edberg made...
- 25 (9 FH, 16 BH), including 1 runaround FHs & 4 return-approaches
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 24 Errors, all forced...
- 24 Forced (9 FH, 15 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 1 return-approach attempt
- Return Rate (25/61) 41%

Break Points
Ivanisevic 1/4 (3 games)
Edberg 0

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Ivanisevic 19 (5 FH, 6 BH, 3 FHV, 3 BHV, 2 OH)
Edberg 18 (3 FH, 1 BH, 6 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 6 BHV, 1 OH)

Ivanisevic had 8 from serve-volley points -
- 4 first volleys (2 FHV, 2 BHV)
- 4 second volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH)

- 9 passes - 7 returns (4 FH, 3 BH) & 2 regular (2 BH)
- FH returns - 3 cc, 1 inside-out
- BH returns - 1 cc, 2 dtl
- regular BHs - 2 cc

- regular (non-pass) FH - 1 cc

Edberg had 14 from serve-volley points -
- 10 first 'volleys' (4 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 5 BHV)
- 4 second volleys (2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)

- 4 passes ( FH, BH) - 1 return (1 FH) & 3 regular (2 FH, 1 BH)
- FH return - 1 cc
- regular FHs - 2 cc
- regular BH - 1 inside-out

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Ivanisevic 19
- 3 Unforced (1 FH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)
- 16 Forced (5 FH, 7 BH, 1 FHV, 2 FH1/2V, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.3

Edberg 19
- 7 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV)
- 12 Forced (4 FH, 4 BH, 2 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 54.3

(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
Ivanisevic was...
- 42/52 (81%) at net, including...
- 40/49 (82%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 17/19 (89%) off 1st serve and...
- 23/30 (77%) off 2nd serve

Edberg was...
- 50/72 (69%) at net, including...
- 47/66 (71%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 31/42 (74%) off 1st serve and...
- 16/24 (67%) off 2nd serve
---
- 2/5 (40%) return-approaching
- 0/1 forced back

Match Report
Serve-volley match and Ivanisevic is virtually lose-proof. His serve-volleying is impregnable (mostly for big serves, also sure routine volleying), while he delivers winning returns to be a threat to break. Edberg plays well too - but can’t get strong returns off, and while volleying the difficult stuff well, sometimes the returns are just too good to do anything about. Court is fast and low bouncing

Keys to match are -
- unreturned serves - Goran 55%, Edberg 33%
- return winners - Goran 7, Edberg 1

In context of the two players’ general games, also important is
- volley UEs - Goran 2, Edberg 5

Goran serve-volleys 100% of the time. He wins more points second serve-volleying at 77% than Edberg does firsts at 74%

Normal, fat serving from him. There’s nothing wrong with Edberg’s movement for return, but the serves are just too good. 55% freebies would be good to hold comfily at worst of times. Edberg’s hopes of gaining a break would be for Goran to double fault a lot and/or mess up routine volleys (he can’t present Goran with difficult ones often). Both things Goran’s generally capable of - but not here

Goran’s routine volleying is excellent. Not just because of the low 2 UEs, but he volleys with authority and leaves Edberg very poor looks on the pass
And 5 doubles (along with 1 second serve ace) is worth the value of strong second ‘first’ serve.
Goran goes through match without facing break point. Job on serve, done.

Which leaves the small matter of finding a way into return games against Edberg’s class volleying
On top of the 7 return winners, he gets powerful returns off not infrequently. Enough that it’d take some volleying showing to resist being broken indefinately

Edberg goes long way towards it and is broken just once in the match. Handles tough first volleys well - he has to, to survive. But he’s a lot more strained to hold than Goran, with his combo of big serving and efficient volleying, is. In other words, prospects of him losing serve or a tiebreak seem higher

Break points - Goran 1/4 (3 games), Edberg 0
… with all the relevant games being in first set, and the tiebreak ending 10-8, and its decided by a double fault. Edberg’s done well to not lose the first set by bigger margin, but stayed neck-&-neck in the second

He’s done so by making tough volleys as well as Goran makes routines ones - with both doing so well.

Goran’s service games
100% serve-volleying from Goran
Big serving, of course. For him, not totally all in, which is like saying a tiger has a chipped tooth so isn’t at its most deadly

45% first serves in and 37% first serves are aces
In count is potentially problematic. Way he serves, he can expect to win virtually all first serve points (he wins 93%), but that in count potentially leaves him vulnerable on second serve points
37% first serve ace rate. Against Stefan Edberg, one of the smoothest returners around. That’s ‘not totally all in’ for Goran

Second serve double fault rate 14%. And wins 77% of the rest of the points - as much as Edberg can off all his first serves (aces included)
He’s serving virtually 2 first serves and given that, 14% double faulting rate is ok. A second ‘first’ serve effectively means he can expect to win nearly all those points too. Same deal as his real first serve, just toned down

55% unreturend serves. Top notch. Return errors are forced by quality of serves themselves, with the serve-volleying pressure in support role. In other words, Edberg’s not covering returns and missing them for trying to get a powerful or well placed return off. He’s missing them because he’s lunging and rushed. Even the second serves

Edberg typically moving well for returns - but still finds himself rushed. He eventually tries to step up and push them early from inside court and desperately block or chip approaches behind a few. Nothing to lose trying

Doesn’t gain much out of it either, with Goran keeping his head to volley normally, which is all it takes to counter desperate return-approach. Edberg wins 2/5 return-approaches, with a further error trying

When Edberg can make return - his return rate is just 41% - its average paced, net high stuff. Routine volleys for Goran to make
And he makes ‘em. With authority. Either puts them away or leaves bad look passes

4 first volley and 4 second volley winners for serve-volleying Goran, with the seconds being easy. 2 UEs and 4 FEs on the volley
Eberg has 3 regular passing winners for 8 FEs and 1 return winner at return rate of 41%

For Goran, low volley UEs is key, as that’s mostly what he’s facing. Given how rarely he’s faced with tough volleys, 4 FEs seems high, but still, too small to be a problem. Essentially, there’s too little tough volleying for him to do for him to get a mark on it

And the authority of the volleys, to go with the low UEs cooks Edberg’s goose. 3 winners for 8 errors sounds about right

Gist - Goran big serving (big seconds being particularly important)
- Edberg jumping about to return what he can, which isn’t much
- Goran faced with routine volleys which he barely misses and volleys with authority
- Edberg with poor looks on the pass

Goran holding like clockwork, no break points faced

 

[Waspsting]

Edberg’s service games
Edberg stays back on 1 first serve, so serve-volleys 98% of the time. Stays back of 5 second serves, so serve-volleys 83% of the time. Call it virtual full serve-volleying

His serve is average. Goran takes returns from on baseline and looks to smack them. They’re in reach, they’re not cramping, they’re not too fast. As good a look as return-passer could ask for

Goran getting return-winners off fairly often. When he doesn’t, returns are often powerful. Power more than being low or wide is his stock returns damaging quality
Edberg thus faced with such volleys

How has it come out in numbers?

Edberg with 59% first serves in and double faulting of 9% second serves
In count is decent. Given average serve that’s in reach to be swatted as Goran likes to, not great
For Edberg, very low 5% serves to body. He’s not even crampingly close with the placement. Closer than perfect for Goran to swat, but essentially, placement of serve is very good for Goran to have a rip
Good job with the double faults, especially since the serve is under such pressure of being swatted

Edberg with 33% unreturned rate or conversely Goran 66% return rate. With Goran returning powerfully, that’s bound to leave Edberg needing to volley well to hold
On the ‘volley’, Edberg with 14 winners, 5 UEs, 4 FEs

Goran with 7 return winners from 50 successful returns at return rate of 66%
On follow-up pass, Goran with just 2 winners, 12 FEs

That’s good volleying from Edberg in multiple ways
- Putsaway whatever’s there to be putaway deftly
- And relatively low FEs, given powerful returning
- UEs are below good level from his point of view, but not too bad

That’s not good follow-up passing from Goran. He has fair looks at the pass, even a few good ones, but done worse than Edberg, who has bad looks, has

Edberg at net vs Goran on pass contest is also different across sets of match
5/7 of Goran’s return winners are in first set. Edberg doesn’t serve any better in second - in fact, his in count slips down from 61% to 58%.
Goran does power returns in second set to potentially force volley errors or draw weak volleys. Edberg handling the power well to keep both down to minimum

Gist - average serving from Edberg
- Goran powering returns
- Edberg handling the rushed volleys, while dispatching whatever’s there to be dispatched
- Goran not making most of passing chances created by forced, not strong-volleys

Match Progression
Just 1 break, but first set is quite 1-sided, with Goran holding like clockwork while regularly getting into return games
Break points for the set are the same as for the match - Goran 1/4 (3 games), Edberg 0

Edberg saves a break point in holding 12-point game for 2-1. Down 0-30 from 2 winning returns (BH dtl winner and forcing a 1/2volley error), he makes a difficult, low volley first up to not go down 0-40. Stays back off a second serve later in the game, but gets enough freebies to hold

He’s broken next go around, despite opening with a gorgeous first FH1/2V drop winner
Goran knocks away consecutive return winners (FH cc and BH dtl - both against first serves), Edberg misses easy FHV and is forced into low FHV error to complete the game

He’s down 15-40 in his next service game too, but comes away to hold

Goran meanwhile, skates through his service games. Edberg return-approaches twice on the serve out, but Goran coolly dispatches volley winners both times

Second set is even. No break points. Goran serves 33 points, Edberg 34 for 6 holds
Only extended game is a 10-point one on Edberg’s serve

Early-middle of set, Edberg looks to take returns very early, from inside the court. What does he have to lose? He gets racquet on the ball and makes most such returns, but still presenting comfy volleys that Goran deals with

Goran ceases getting return winners off, but still returns powerfully

Edberg with some typical, perfect swished volleying. More importantly, handles powerful returns. Doesn’t miss many and doesn’t leave too good a look passing shots against them. Goran not able to make the fair look passes - but he’s doing better than Edberg, who doesn’t even see such looks when shoe is on other foot

Tiebreak comes in due time
A middling quality volley from Edberg to routine return is punished BH cc for pass winner to put Goran ahead 1-3
Edberg scampers around to come away with FH cc, second pass winner to put things back on serve shortly after

Another middling volley from Edberg down 7-8, but Goran misses the even look pass and its 8-8
Double fault from Edberg and Goran bombs down an unreturned first serve to wrap up

Summing up, good match and commanding one from Ivanisevic
Usual big serving, but with low in count, does good job to bomb second serves, while not double faulting much. Faces routine returns and volleys them consistently and with authority
And regularly gets testingly powerful returns off
Edberg with an average paced, and not well placed serve, that gets smacked fairly often, putting his ability to volley power returns on the spot. Handles it well - doesn’t miss many and volleys with fair authority too

Ivanisevic would be favoured with those 2 dynamics going on, and so it proves. Never in trouble on serve and creating his own chances on return

Stats for the final - Match Stats/Report - Ivanisevic vs Forget, Stockholm final, 1992 | Talk Tennis
Stats for the other semi-final - Match Stats/Report - Forget vs Sampras, Stockholm semi-final, 1992 | Talk Tennis

 

[Galvermegs]

Thanks yet again.

I always feel when looking at footage that edberg was hanging in against goran and could get those wins, but always had to play his near best.

Becker could find an extra gear or two and had some routs to his credit over his rival. Regardless the German would always be wary (after that convincing rg '90 loss).

Still a bit odd how relatively few indoor titles and no yec finals the croat made, and yes we know he underachieved.

 

[GuyForget]

thx. In the BBC 1992 WImbledon preview magazine, they talked about Goran raining down 32 aces against Edberg in Stuttgart earlier that year, + also gave a list of the top 10 fastest servers that year (Krajicek top at that point, followed by Rosset, Forget, Sampras, Goran, Leconte, cant remember the others), possibly first red flag being raised about too much power in men's game which gained further traction after the 94 final

 

[Waspsting]

Thanks yet again.

I always feel when looking at footage that edberg was hanging in against goran and could get those wins, but always had to play his near best.

Becker could find an extra gear or two and had some routs to his credit over his rival. Regardless the German would always be wary (after that convincing rg '90 loss).

Still a bit odd how relatively few indoor titles and no yec finals the croat made, and yes we know he underachieved.

Its an interesting match up

I'd name Edberg as one of the best returners of big serves around. Its based on his movement and anticipation, so doesn't get the accolades of power-thumping returning but power thumping returning big servers is rarely feasible against the biggest of servers, like Goran

And Goran's apt to make a mess of routine volleys

Combo of two, and I'd think Edberg would have pretty good chances against Goran

Flip side is what you see in this match. Goran is a power-thumping returner himself and Edberg's serve... is kind of asking for it. In a way Boris' does not
Going to have volley damn well to keep holding

thx. In the BBC 1992 WImbledon preview magazine, they talked about Goran raining down 32 aces against Edberg in Stuttgart earlier that year, + also gave a list of the top 10 fastest servers that year (Krajicek top at that point, followed by Rosset, Forget, Sampras, Goran, Leconte, cant remember the others), possibly first red flag being raised about too much power in men's game which gained further traction after the 94 final

Have you seen the '93 Paris final between Goran and Medvedev?

The crowd take to hissing and (negatively) whistling Goran's aces, because there's just too many of them
He even apologizes for it at the end, claiming he tried to serve fewer in response to crowd

 

[GuyForget]

I dont watch Medvedev lol. but agree, Stefan-Goran underrated rivalry, 10-9 to Goran