Ivan Lendl beat Boris Becker 6-4, 7-6(0) in the final at Stratton Mountain 1986 on hard court
Lendl, the world number 1, would go onto win the US Open and comfortably retain his top spot, though Becker had won the pairs previous two matches in straight sets - including the Wimbledon final
Lendl won 86 points, Becker 69
Becker serve-volleyed on the majority of his first serve points and occasionally off the second
Serve Stats
Lendl....
- 1st serve percentage (43/83) 52%
- 1st serve points won (32/43) 74%
- 2nd serve points won (22/40) 55%
- Aces 8, 2 Service Winners
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (20/83) 24%
Becker. ...
- 1st serve percentage (41/72) 57%
- 1st serve points won (29/41) 71%
- 2nd serve points won (11/31) 35%
- Aces 5, Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (22/72) 31%
Serve Pattern
Lendl served...
- to FH 24%
- to BH 75%
- to Body 1%
Becker served...
- to FH 34%
- to BH 66%
Return Stats
Lendl made...
- 48 (17 FH, 31 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 15 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 FH)
- 14 Forced (5 FH, 9 BH)
- Return Rate (48/70) 69%
Becker made...
- 59 (13 FH, 46 BH), including 1 runaround FH and 9 return-approaches (8 chip-charges and 1 'delayed' approach
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 10 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (2 FH, 3 BH), including 2 runaround FH attempts and 2 chip-charge attempts
- 5 Forced (1 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (59/79) 75%
Break Points
Lendl 3/7 (5 games)
Becker 2/12 (3 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Lendl 14 (8 FH, 3 BH, 1 FHV, 1 OH)
Becker 20 (3 FH, 2 BH, 9 FHV, 5 BHV, 1 OH)
Lendl had 9 passes (6 FH, 3 BH)
- the 6 FHs - 1 cc (a return), 3 dtl, 1 inside-out and 1 lob
- the 3 BHs - 2 cc, 1 dtl
- 2 regular FHs - 1 inside-out, 1 inside-in
- 1 second volley OH from a serve-volley point and the other OH was hit from the baseline
Becker had 8 from serve volley points - 4 first volleys (4 FHV), 4 second volleys (2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 1 other FHV was a diving volley
- 3 FHs are 2 cc and 1 dtl (a return) and 1 BH was a net chord dribbler
- 1 pass - a BH cc slice
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Lendl 23
- 9 Unforced (5 FH, 3 BH, 1 BHV)
- 14 Forced (7 FH, 7 BH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50
Becker 50
- 32 Unforced (14 FH, 10 BH, 2 FHV, 6 BHV)
- 18 Forced (7 FH, 4 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 BHOH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.8
(Note: All half-volleys refer to such shots played at net)
(Note 2: The 'Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is a measure of how aggressive of intent the average UE made was. 60 is maximum, 20 is minimum. This match has been scored using a four point scale - 2 defensive, 4 neutral, 5 attacking, 6 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Lendl was 12/15 (80%) at net, including 4/5 (80%) serve-volleying (all first serve points).
He was 1/1 when forced back from net
Becker was 33/56 (59%) at net, including 20/33 (61%) serve-volleying - off first serves 16/24 (67%), off second 4/9 (44%) - and 4/9 (44%) return-approaching (all but one a chip-charge)
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Match Report
Solid match from Lendl, while Becker is just a bit too error prone on this fast-ish hard court
Becker plays mostly from the baseline in the first set - and almost all of his approaches are off serve-volley points. Its a testament to his versatility that he can more or less hang in there with Lendl - who by all accounts, was absolutely juggernauting his way through baseline rallies against all and sundry around this period.
Still, Becker needs his big first serve to give him enough of an initiative to win points. On second serves (which he almost always stays back on), Lendl is comfortably ahead
In other matches between the pair, I've noticed Lendl using a BH-BH crosscourt strategy.... waiting for Becker to make the error. That isn't the case as much in this match. Naturally, there are BH cc's hit, but it doesn't seem to be a systematic plan by Lendl. And Becker is also quick to escape these exchanges by going BH dtl. So we end up with a more dynamic, double winged baseline game than usual... and Becker's FH is just a bit more prone to error than the Czech's. There's plenty of moving-the-other-guy-around play... and Lendl's superior footspeed is evident
In the second set, Becker serves-volleys much more - almost always off the first serve, and frequently off the second. He also takes to chip-charge returning more. There's an epic 24 point Lendl service game in which Becker has 8 break points - the last of which he wins.
With Becker frequenting the net so often, there are fewer obvious unforced errors in this part of the match and the rallies are shorter. Becker forces many return errors (even when he's not coming in behind the serve), but isn't able to push Lendl out of his comfort zone.... it looks like the outcome is on the Czech's racquet. Odd but predictable errors from Becker have a hand in this.
7-0 tiebreaks are a rare thing - and one wouldn't expect Boris Becker to be on the losing end of one, but that's how the match ends. Despite taking the net 4/7 points, he loses convincingly.
Despite being a distant second from the baseline, its worth pointing out that Becker has enough firepower to threaten Lendl from the back. Not consistently, but of course, he doesn't need to do it consistently to win (one would think 1 break might be enough)…. Lendl has to be on top of his game to make sure he stays on top of his service games and can't afford lapses of concentration. As it turns out, he's able to create more chances with his passing shots on Becker's service games than he is loose on his on serve
Some statistical points of interest -
- Becker's serve pattern is more traditional than I've seen against Lendl ( 34 FH - 66 BH). In other matches, he distributes serves about equally.
- Lendl's consistency.... just 9 UEs to Becker's 32... and at a very high forcefulness index of 50. This indicates that Lendl just wasn't missing balls in this match and only when he went for something extra did the errors come. Becker by contrast, made errors fairly regularly - off either wing from the baseline (aggressive shots or otherwise) and even at the net. Basically, its his serve that kept this match close
Summing up - Consistent and consummate from Lendl winning out over forceful and dangerous from Becker
Lendl, the world number 1, would go onto win the US Open and comfortably retain his top spot, though Becker had won the pairs previous two matches in straight sets - including the Wimbledon final
Lendl won 86 points, Becker 69
Becker serve-volleyed on the majority of his first serve points and occasionally off the second
Serve Stats
Lendl....
- 1st serve percentage (43/83) 52%
- 1st serve points won (32/43) 74%
- 2nd serve points won (22/40) 55%
- Aces 8, 2 Service Winners
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (20/83) 24%
Becker. ...
- 1st serve percentage (41/72) 57%
- 1st serve points won (29/41) 71%
- 2nd serve points won (11/31) 35%
- Aces 5, Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (22/72) 31%
Serve Pattern
Lendl served...
- to FH 24%
- to BH 75%
- to Body 1%
Becker served...
- to FH 34%
- to BH 66%
Return Stats
Lendl made...
- 48 (17 FH, 31 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 15 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 FH)
- 14 Forced (5 FH, 9 BH)
- Return Rate (48/70) 69%
Becker made...
- 59 (13 FH, 46 BH), including 1 runaround FH and 9 return-approaches (8 chip-charges and 1 'delayed' approach
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 10 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (2 FH, 3 BH), including 2 runaround FH attempts and 2 chip-charge attempts
- 5 Forced (1 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (59/79) 75%
Break Points
Lendl 3/7 (5 games)
Becker 2/12 (3 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Lendl 14 (8 FH, 3 BH, 1 FHV, 1 OH)
Becker 20 (3 FH, 2 BH, 9 FHV, 5 BHV, 1 OH)
Lendl had 9 passes (6 FH, 3 BH)
- the 6 FHs - 1 cc (a return), 3 dtl, 1 inside-out and 1 lob
- the 3 BHs - 2 cc, 1 dtl
- 2 regular FHs - 1 inside-out, 1 inside-in
- 1 second volley OH from a serve-volley point and the other OH was hit from the baseline
Becker had 8 from serve volley points - 4 first volleys (4 FHV), 4 second volleys (2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 1 other FHV was a diving volley
- 3 FHs are 2 cc and 1 dtl (a return) and 1 BH was a net chord dribbler
- 1 pass - a BH cc slice
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Lendl 23
- 9 Unforced (5 FH, 3 BH, 1 BHV)
- 14 Forced (7 FH, 7 BH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50
Becker 50
- 32 Unforced (14 FH, 10 BH, 2 FHV, 6 BHV)
- 18 Forced (7 FH, 4 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 BHOH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.8
(Note: All half-volleys refer to such shots played at net)
(Note 2: The 'Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is a measure of how aggressive of intent the average UE made was. 60 is maximum, 20 is minimum. This match has been scored using a four point scale - 2 defensive, 4 neutral, 5 attacking, 6 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Lendl was 12/15 (80%) at net, including 4/5 (80%) serve-volleying (all first serve points).
He was 1/1 when forced back from net
Becker was 33/56 (59%) at net, including 20/33 (61%) serve-volleying - off first serves 16/24 (67%), off second 4/9 (44%) - and 4/9 (44%) return-approaching (all but one a chip-charge)
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Match Report
Solid match from Lendl, while Becker is just a bit too error prone on this fast-ish hard court
Becker plays mostly from the baseline in the first set - and almost all of his approaches are off serve-volley points. Its a testament to his versatility that he can more or less hang in there with Lendl - who by all accounts, was absolutely juggernauting his way through baseline rallies against all and sundry around this period.
Still, Becker needs his big first serve to give him enough of an initiative to win points. On second serves (which he almost always stays back on), Lendl is comfortably ahead
In other matches between the pair, I've noticed Lendl using a BH-BH crosscourt strategy.... waiting for Becker to make the error. That isn't the case as much in this match. Naturally, there are BH cc's hit, but it doesn't seem to be a systematic plan by Lendl. And Becker is also quick to escape these exchanges by going BH dtl. So we end up with a more dynamic, double winged baseline game than usual... and Becker's FH is just a bit more prone to error than the Czech's. There's plenty of moving-the-other-guy-around play... and Lendl's superior footspeed is evident
In the second set, Becker serves-volleys much more - almost always off the first serve, and frequently off the second. He also takes to chip-charge returning more. There's an epic 24 point Lendl service game in which Becker has 8 break points - the last of which he wins.
With Becker frequenting the net so often, there are fewer obvious unforced errors in this part of the match and the rallies are shorter. Becker forces many return errors (even when he's not coming in behind the serve), but isn't able to push Lendl out of his comfort zone.... it looks like the outcome is on the Czech's racquet. Odd but predictable errors from Becker have a hand in this.
7-0 tiebreaks are a rare thing - and one wouldn't expect Boris Becker to be on the losing end of one, but that's how the match ends. Despite taking the net 4/7 points, he loses convincingly.
Despite being a distant second from the baseline, its worth pointing out that Becker has enough firepower to threaten Lendl from the back. Not consistently, but of course, he doesn't need to do it consistently to win (one would think 1 break might be enough)…. Lendl has to be on top of his game to make sure he stays on top of his service games and can't afford lapses of concentration. As it turns out, he's able to create more chances with his passing shots on Becker's service games than he is loose on his on serve
Some statistical points of interest -
- Becker's serve pattern is more traditional than I've seen against Lendl ( 34 FH - 66 BH). In other matches, he distributes serves about equally.
- Lendl's consistency.... just 9 UEs to Becker's 32... and at a very high forcefulness index of 50. This indicates that Lendl just wasn't missing balls in this match and only when he went for something extra did the errors come. Becker by contrast, made errors fairly regularly - off either wing from the baseline (aggressive shots or otherwise) and even at the net. Basically, its his serve that kept this match close
Summing up - Consistent and consummate from Lendl winning out over forceful and dangerous from Becker
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