Match Stats/Report - Krajicek vs Grosjean, Miami final, 1999

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Richard Krajicek beat Sebastien Grosjean 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 in the Miami final, 1999 on hard court

This was Krajicek’s second and last Masters series title and the unseeded Grosjean’s first final of any kind

Krajicek won 131 points, Grosjean 107

Krajicek serve-volleyed off all but 1 first serve and majority of seconds

Serve Stats
Krajicek...
- 1st serve percentage (60/116) 52%
- 1st serve points won (51/60) 85%
- 2nd serve points won (25/56) 45%
- Aces 24 (1 second serve, 1 possibly not clean), Service Winners 4
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (45/116) 39%

Grosjean...
- 1st serve percentage (75/122) 61%
- 1st serve points won (45/75) 60%
- 2nd serve points won (22/47) 47%
- Aces 2
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (20/122) 16%

Serve Patterns
Krajicek served...
- to FH 23%
- to BH 74%
- to Body 3%

Grosjean served...
- to FH 37%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 5%

Return Stats
Krajicek made...
- 99 (51 FH, 48 BH), including 12 runaround FHs & 2 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (3 FH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 18 Errors, comprising...
- 14 Unforced (9 FH, 5 BH), including 4 runaround FHs
- 4 Forced (3 FH, 1 BH)
- Return Rate (99/119) 83%

Grosjean made...
- 66 (11 FH, 55 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 7 Winners (1 FH, 6 BH)
- 17 Errors, comprising...
- 3 Unforced (2 FH, 1 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 14 Forced (4 FH, 10 BH)
- Return Rate (66/111) 59%

Break Points
Krajicek 7/18 (9 games)
Grosjean 3/8 (6 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Krajicek 32 (15 FH, 1 BH, 6 FHV, 5 BHV, 5 OH)
Grosjean 24 (12 FH, 8 BH, 1 BHV, 3 OH)

Krajicek had 15 from serve-volley points -
- 10 first 'volleys' (3 FHV, 2 BHV, 3 OH, 2 FH at net)
- 5 second volleys (2 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 OH)

- FHs - 3 cc, 3 dtl (1 return, 1 pass), 2 dtl/inside-out runaround returns, 4 inside-out (1 at net), 1 running-down-drop-shot cc at net
- BH pass - 1 dtl

Grosjean had 10 passes - 6 returns (1 FH, 5 BH) & 4 regular (3 FH , 1 BH)
- FH return - 1 inside-out
- BH returns - 1 cc, 2 dtl, 1 inside-out, 1 inside-in
- regular FHs -3 cc (1 at net)
- regular BHs - 1 cc

- non-pass FHs - 1 turnaround cc, 1 dtl, 4 inside-out, 1 inside-out/dtl, 1 inside-in
- non-pass BHs - 2 dtl (1 return)

- 1 from a serve-volley point, a first volley OH


Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Krajicek 58
- 34 Unforced (15 FH, 11 BH, 5 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 BHOH)... with 2 FH at net
- 24 Forced (5 FH, 9 BH, 6 FHV, 4 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 49.4

Grosjean 51
- 25 Unforced (14 FH, 10 BH, 1 OH)
- 26 Forced (13 FH, 8 BH, 2 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50.4

(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
Krajicek was...
- 50/81 (62%) at net, including...
- 35/63 (56%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 23/32 (72%) off 1st serve and...
- 12/31 (39%) off 2nd serves
---
- 1/2 return-approaching

Grosjean was...
- 16/26 (62%) at net, including...
- 2/5 (40%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
---
- 2/3 (67%) forced back

Match Report
Krajicek’s awesome serve dwarfs everything else, and there’s plenty of good things going on besides it - his volleying and Grosjean’s returning prominently among them. The most serious threat to that serve is Krajicek’s conditioning, which is tested severely by the Miami heat. Court is typical Miami slow

At 5-4, Grosjean has set/break point in the fourth set, and with Kraj growing wearier by the game, would probably start favourite in a fifth set. Kraj holds him off, Gros plays a poor game to be broken, and Kraj serves things out to spare himself the extra round. He’s not quite a hospital case by the end, but closer to one than a run-up-&-down-the-stairs for fun one

Kraj serve-volleys almost all the time. Stays back off just 1 first serve (on which he approaches off third ball) and comes in behind 62% second serves (less and less as match goes on). He looks like he’s feeling the heat right at the start and tires linearly. No big moment when his shoulders drops, it’s a smooth process. By the end, he’s distinctly weary

Gros’ serve is harmless and he plays from the baseline on them. Not badly, but then again, neither does Kraj and Gros can’t get a big advantage over him

Match is best thought of in that 2 part way - Kraj’s serve-volleying and everything else

Krajicek’s Serve & Serve-volleying
Kraj serve-volleys off all but 1st serve and 62% off second serves

Wins 72% first serve-volleying
Wins 39% second serve-volleying
(also wins 63% not second serve-volleying - which falls under everything else category, but there’s a hint there as to his superiority)

Aside from the big 72% winning rate, there’s the small matter of 23 aces and 4 service winners (+ a second serve ace) or an unretunrable 45% of the time off first serves

Starting with the obvious, that is an amazing figure. The court is slow - as Gros’ serve among other things indicate. Gros is quick in moving for returns and doesn’t stand unduly close in for them. The 4 service winners is an indicator of his being good at reaching wide serves (they’d have gone for aces too if he weren’t)

Top drawer serving from Kraj. Its not just the biggest ones that go for aces. Biggest ones don’t even make up the majority. Slice serves and what passes for ‘medium’ paced serves for him perfectly placed aplenty go through untouched

The most brutal of all his serves is full blast one that’s travelling right for Gros’ face, who has no time to do anything but defend his good looks with the racquet

45% first serves being aces/service winners is mighty external padding to the cushion to get started with. And the comes the serve-volleying

In that light, 39% unreturned rate is low and just 17 return errors from Gros (3 of them UEs) is indicator of how well he moves for returns. Nothing to do against the aces, but anything short of that, Gros is on the ball

And excellent returning from Gros too. At times, he’s regularly getting return to Kraj’s feet, particularly for first 2 sets. Some great low volleying from Kraj too to keep FEs down, but can’t help leaving passing chances against the shoe music and can’t make all of them

What doesn’t go to the feet is usually firm, around net high. Generally, good enough to draw a few indecisive volleys that leave returner with a shot on the pass (+ whatever volley UEs come up)

Not much comes out of it. Kraj misses little around net high and either drops volleys short or puts them well away from Gros

It’s a great contest between serve-volley and return-pass, or would be, if the huge load of aces didn’t so completely load things Kraj’s way - all credit to him for the top-drawer serving and great credit to both players on the remainder - Kraj’s handling of both feet volleys and net high volleys, Gros’ for reaching so many returns and putting them in play with authority
 

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Kraj’s second serve is no picnic either, and how poorly he’s done serve-volleying behind it is indicator of how well Gros return-passes. It’s a performance that would likely rip a non-Huge serving serve-volleyer to shreds

If Gros has a ‘weakness’ in his counter-net game, its his follow up pass. He draws relatively weak volleys often enough, but is less adept at the follow up pass

In numbers, Kraj 18 ‘volley winners (including a pair of FHs at net), 10 UEs and 10 FEs
Many of the UEs come in late part of match when he’s weary. The FEs are a credit to Gros’ returns. Winners are a combo of easy putaways and neat 2 volley combos

Gros has just 4 non-return pass winners and 6 return ones. He’s not particularly looking for return winners, but to get ball down low, at which he’s successful. Low follow-up pass winners is where he stumbles

He’s also god 21 ground FEs, most of which are passes

Gist - great stuff almost all the way around
- Gros’ ability to not just make a lot of returns, but make them with authority. Even the regulation heights ones are firmly struck and there’s plenty right to the feet
- Kraj’s ability to handle volleys both to the feet (just making them is good play) and dealing decisively with the net high stuff
- Gros’ follow-up passing is a calibre or two below those things. Nowhere near to blackmark degree, but it’d have to be top drawer for him to make in-roads towards a break because of the biggest Dog in the playground

Kraj’s aces and service winners. They rain down so regularly that he’s half-way to holding even before the serve-volley vs return-pass contest starts

Everything Else
Harmless serve from Gros. Just 16% freebies and Kraj has 3 return winners. Returns first serves without strain and can take on seconds aggressively

Then they rally from the baseline. As Kraj’s non 2nd serve-volley points won of 63% suggests, he’s more than a match for Gros from the back. 63% is higher than Gros’ first serve points won of 60%

Gros’ only real advantage is that he’s quicker. BH looks good (compact, secure) compared to Kraj’s (nothing wrong with the look, but wouldn’t call it smooth either), but isn’t anymore secure (BH UEs - Kraj 11, Gros 10)

And Kraj has the bigger, more powerful, more damaging FH

Ground-to-ground FH winners - Kraj 7, Gros 8, with UEs virtually same (Kraj 13, Gros 14)

On top of the winners, Kraj is apt to overpower with the FH in a way Gros doesn’t, force errors or create a strong approach

Gros does have consistency advantage (neutral UEs - Gros 9, Kraj 13), but that’s not much when tasked to hold regularly. He’s a flop when it comes to going for winners from the back, particularly with FH dtl’s

Winner Attempt UEs - Kraj 11, Gros 10
… looks even, but Kraj has 10 net UEs, Gros 1. Most of Kraj’s misses are volleys, Gros’ are groundies

Not overly ambitious FH dtl shot choices from Gros. Balls are there for the shot (if not obvious putaways), picks and chooses when to go for them, but usually misses

So from the baseline, things roughly even off both wings. With serve doing minimal damage and Kraj occasionally attacking with the return, prospects of holding regularly for Gros aren’t good

So it proves, with the 1 & 2 middle sets. And much of Kraj’s loose errors come when he’s tiring in fourth set

Alternative to ending points might be net play, but Gros does little of it
Rallying to net, Gros is 14/21, with 6 of those approaches (and 2/5 of his serve-volleys) coming in a 16 point hold, leaving just 15 approaches for rest of match

Its understandable at least. Kraj forces 5 ‘volley’ FEs, while Gros has just the 1 UE up front. Not an easy time at net for Gros. Enough so as to discourage most players who are naturally disinclined to come forward, and he seems to fall into that category

But it leaves him in a hole as far as holding serve goes. He has no sure way of ending points, including with the serve, no consistency advantage and if anything, trails in point-ending prowess with Kraj’s FH the most dangerous shot out there, and Kraj being 14/16 rallying to net (considerable amount of which are on Kraj’s own service games)

Doesn’t do himself any favours by serving more than necessary to Kraj’s big FH, sending down 37% serves there. Does draw higher lot of errors from that side (3/4 FEs are FHs), but he’s not drawing many errors to begin with and Kraj does hammer a few good returns. Credit Kraj too for consistency of BH return in particular

Waiting for Kraj to tire out and get sloppy is what Gros is reduced too. It works, and he’s a point of taking fourth set and forcing a 5th set that he’d have been favoured going into

Match Progression
Kraj serve-volleys close to 100% of the time in first set and its met with a superb series of well hit returns to the feet. In baseline rallies meanwhile, Kraj’s BH looks a little shakey. Gros’ movements are impressive, with a flowing grace in its quickness similar to Lleyton Hewitt

Kraj survives break point in opening game, misses 4 returns in succession (2 UEs, 2 FEs) as Gros holds and is broken after that (return winner and 2 volley FEs - a wide second volley and a feet first one, with the former also having started with a feet return)). Breaks right back by taking net 4/6 points

Key game is Gros holding for 3-3 in 16 points, saving 2 break points along the way. It’s the only one where he attacks the net and is there 8 times (rest of the match, just 16). And he breaks right after with Kraj double faulting twice to start the game and missing a slice approach at the end (with a low return + BH cc passing winner combo) from Gros thrown in. Good enough to take a very played set. Kraj already appears to be tiring a little

Despite the 1-6 scoreline, Gros continues to ply on the pressure returning in second set with low returns, only Kraj proves excellent in making the volleys. On flip side, Kraj settles into comfortably returning. His FH is dangerously big, BH steady if a little awkward looking and he’s proactive in looking for net from baseline rallies. Tough serve-out for Kraj saving 2 break points, with 4 aces pushing him over

The tiring process continues in next set for Kraj, whose movements continue to steadily drop, but he still returns easily and still sends down aces regularly. Gros’ isn’t able to get returns down low much and Kraj holds with more ease than before (also because his in-count is match high 16/26 for the set). Gros serves an unwise amount to FH, often getting belted for his troubles and tends to miss his FH winner attempts amidst good rallies. Couple of breaks for Kraj - the second one that takes him to 5-2 is a particularly good game that sums up baseline action. Kraj with 4 FH winners - 2 of them running, Gros 3 FH dtl would-be winner misses. In serving out the set, Kraj stays back of 3/5 second serves, more than he had previously

Fourth set is a tired one from Kraj as his movements continue to decline, followed by sloppiness in all areas - return, off the ground and on the volley. In-count drops to match low 16/35
All that makes things competitive. Pair of FH winners puts Kraj up a break 3-2, before Gros levels at 4-4 (pair of return winners - 1 pass, 1 not and a double fault on break point)

Another double fault brings up break and set point for Gros at 4-5. Kraj stays back on it, takes net and dispatches an OH winner before going on to hold. This is the game with the brutal, potential face busting first serve in it

With momentum on his side and just shy of a tiebreak, Gros throws out a poor game to be broken after that, with 4 ground UEs in 5 point game. The last of them is a strange (and bad) choice, a BH inside-out winner attempt error

Kraj serves out to 15, appropriately finishing with an ace

Summing up, good match with Krajicek’s top class serve towering above everything else to give him an advantage that only his conditioning and vulnerability to the heat can compete against, but rest of action is high quality too. Some excellent return-passing by Grosjean who’s always firm on the second shot and often gets returns to the serve-volleying Krajicek’s shoelaces and some very good handling of such low volleys, coupled with efficient dealing with net high ones from the winner

Unlike Krajicek, Grosjean’s serve does no damage and he doesn’t have an advantage off the ground, making holding serve regularly an iffy business. Only through unsustainably good return-passing or Krajicek’s energy fading can the well playing Grosjean hold even or hope to come out ahead. Krajicek’s closes things seemingly on the cusp of when his fatigue is about to overtake his playing superiority
 
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