Match Stats/Report - Massu vs Fish, Olympic Games final, 2004

[Waspsting]

Nicolas Massu (Chile) beat Mardy Fish (USA) 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Olympic Games final, 2004 on hard court in Athens, Greece

Massu was seeded 10th, Fish was unseeded. Fernando Gonzalez (Chile), who Fish had beaten in the semi-final, would win the Bronze medal by beating Taylor Dent (USA)
Massu would also win the doubles Gold, partnering with Gonzalez in another 5-set match against Germany

Massu won 153 points, Fish 151

Fish serve-volleyed about three-quarters of the time off first serves

Serve Stats
Massu...
- 1st serve percentage (89/155) 57%
- 1st serve points won (60/89) 67%
- 2nd serve points won (34/66) 52%
- Aces 10 (2 second serves)
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (39/155) 25%

Fish...
- 1st serve percentage (75/149) 50%
- 1st serve points won (53/75) 71%
- 2nd serve points won (37/74) 50%
- Aces 23 (2 second serves)
- Double Faults 9
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (45/149) 30%

Serve Patterns
Massu served...
- to FH 38%
- to BH 56%
- to Body 6%

Fish served...
- to FH 32%
- to BH 60%
- to Body 8%

Return Stats
Massu made...
- 95 (45 FH, 50 BH), including 18 runaround FHs
- 6 Winners (5 FH, 1 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 22 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (4 FH, 1 BH), including 3 runaround FHs
- 17 Forced (8 FH, 9 BH)
- Return Rate (95/140) 68%

Fish made...
- 110 (49 FH, 61 BH), including 6 return-approaches
- 7 Winners (2 FH, 5 BH)
- 29 Errors, comprising...
- 11 Unforced (4 FH, 7 BH)
- 18 Forced (8 FH, 10 BH)
- Return Rate (110/149) 74%

Break Points
Massu 6/12 (9 games)
Fish 6/13 (8 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Massu 24 (16 FH, 5 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)
Fish 37 (5 FH, 11 BH, 8 FHV, 5 BHV, 8 OH)

Massu's FHs - 4 cc (1 return, 1 pass), 1 cc/inside-in, 3 dtl passes, 5 inside-out (4 returns - 2 runarounds, 1 pass), 1 inside-in, 1 inside-in/longline, 1 longline
- BH passes - 2 dtl (1 at net), 1 inside-out return, 1 running-down-drop-shot dtl at net
- regular BH - 1 net chord dribbler

- 1 from a serve-volley point, a first volley FHV
- 1 other FHV was a swinging cc

Fish's FHs - 2 cc (1 return), 2 inside-out (1 at net), 1 inside-in return
- BHs - 2 cc (1 at net), 8 dtl (5 returns), 1 inside-out

- 10 from serve-volley points -
- 4 first volleys (2 BHV, 2 OH)
- 4 second volleys (2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 2 third volleys (2 OH)

- 2 other FHVs were swinging cc shots & 1 other OH was on the bounce from the baseline

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Massu 63
- 24 Unforced (17 FH, 7 BH)... with 1 BH at net pass attempt
- 39 Forced (22 FH, 17 BH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.9

Fish 81
- 60 Unforced (27 FH, 27 BH, 2 FHV, 4 BHV)... with 1 FH at net
- 21 Forced (6 FH, 6 BH, 1 FH1/2V, 4 BHV, 4 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.2

(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
Massu was...
- 10/11 (91%) at net, including...
- 1/1 serve-volleying, a 2nd serve

Fish was...
- 60/89 (67%) at net, including...
- 26/41 (63%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
---
- 5/6 (83%) return-approaching
- 0/2 forced back/retreated

Match Report
Intense, lively, fun and very good match on a slow side of normal hard court. And with varied action. There’s a bit of almost every tennis skill set on show. All on show are -
- Good, big serving. Fish is more accurate, Massu when he wants to is bigger
- Very good returning, both defensively and offensively. Especially Fish. The aggressive returning is a defining part of match and turns the whole serve-return duel into a show
- Intense ball-striking from both players. Pressuring, bordering on attacking on power grounds alone on just the stock stuff. Fish is little more regular with it but again, Massu’s FH when he wants is the biggest dog in the park
- Fish’s shot tolerance and Massu’s speed and defence are both a treat to see
- Fish serve-volleys off first serves to add more variety
- Off the ground, Fish is more adventurous in attacking wide and does so off both wings. If anything, more the BH than FH. He gets a bit sloppy with it at times. Massu stays in powerfully pressuring mode more often, but again, his FH is deadliest shot when he wants it to be

Massu is stronger player at end and wins. His so being isn’t related to stamina, with the two players evenly matched of energy at that stage. And both are good

One player or the other take turns in having run of play, without the second fiddle playing badly. Match long figures have come out very close, with the runs canceling out

Points won - Massu 153, Fish 151
Points served - Massu 155, Fish 149

Break points - Massu 6/12, Fish 6/13 (Massu has them in 9 games, Fish 8)

Massu with 24 winners, 24 UEs, forcing 21 errors.
Fish 37 winners, 60 UEs, 39 errors forced
… to go with moderate freebies (Massu 25%, Fish 30% - with the latter helped with 76% first serve-volleying)

Those are deceptive figures. Would think its just solid player vs aggressive, loose one
Massu’s winners are low for 5 sets and Fish’s UEs are huge

Still, quality comes through. Massu with equal winners and UEs, Fish in net positives aggressively with the large lot of FEs he draws
aggressively ended points/UE differential - Massu +21, Fish +16

Constant intensity (rather than solid vs aggressive, loose) best describes the match. Baseline rallies are very hard hitting. Massu having better of them for being more solid. He is commendably so, but I would put that down more to Fish being loose. Occasionally sloppy, but not bad in context of dual beat-down staple action

Fish serve-volleying most of the time off first serves, so its not a baseline match. Not a bad contest there either, and he wins 63% so doing. Massu comes to net to shake hands, and is there just 11 times (Fish has 89 approaches, to contrast)

And finally, a very hot contest between server and returner
The two share 13 return winners - and only 1 is a pass. Plenty more winning wide returns, especially from Fish
That intensity of returning leads to both beefing up second serves, occasionally sending down a second ‘first’ serve. The 2 share 4 second serve aces - and none of them are due to misanticpation by returner

Only in last set does Fish not serve-volley much. He switches to powering his way to net from baseline rallies. He’s a stickler for ‘never approach cc’ and almost always comes in off line shots, but Massu’s steadily powerful on the pass (and very quick) to thwart him

Lot going on, almost all of of it good and certainly intense of nature
Run of play switching hands, but overall, virtually equal
Very good stuff, in short

Serve & Return
Strong serving met by substantial counter-attacking returning.

In counts are low. Match long, Massu 57%, Fish 50%
Those are lifted up by last set. After 4 sets, they’re Massu 42%, Fish 48%

On average, Fish serves bigger. He also serve-volleys most of the time off first serves
Massu’s fully unleashed first serves are bigger still. Must be around 140mph
Fish’s first serve placement is more precise

First serve ace rate - Massu 9%, Fish 28%
That doesn’t reflect the discrepancy in quality of first serves, though Fish’s is better. Massu’s figure is small, but he does serve with big power

Against such big serving, would think good returning would be normal, defensive returning
It isn’t. Both players, especially Fish, use the return as a weapon. Against both serves

Fish returns from on baseline or inside. Including against first serves. Against huge first serves even. He takes on dtl return winners against both serves. And delivers
Massu returns from more normal position, and takes his cue from Fish to attack with second return (he’s usually facing serve-volley against first serve). FHs is big weapon and he runsaround to take some huge cuts with it

Against baseline server, Massu has 5 return winners (all FHs, 2 runarounds), Fish 7 (2 FH, 5 BH - all the BHs dtl)
Plenty more error forcing returns from both. Plenty more pressuring returns. Good lot of third ball UEs drawn by above average force returns (for which, discredit to server, but it is more pressured than your run of the mill third ball UE)

You won’t find many matches where both players return with such gung-ho spirit
The shot choices are more edgily adventurous than ‘calculated risk taking’, but far from ‘wild’ too. Both return orthodoxly too much of the time, but attempts at winning return is always around the corner, especially by Fish

And very surprisingly, both retain good defensive returning too. Fish on baseline manages to reflex return back sound-barrier breaking first serves. His early position cuts down on how wide Massu can get his serves (1 reason for his low aces), but he doesn’t pay much of a price in terms of hard forced, overwhelmed by pace serves in swing zone (and he faces a lot of them). And early as he takes it, a push-reflex return is liable to rush Massu on third ball even

The combo of defensive and aggressive returning from Fish is outstanding. 1 type of aggressive return he probably under-uses is power return-approach. He’s 5/6 when going for it and doesn’t have an error trying. He’s done well with his for the throat straight winner returns, but not 5/6 good.

Regular attacking second returns leads to both players sending down big second serves and both players have 2 second serve aces. And good lot more that’s first serve calibre

 

[Waspsting]

Unreturend serves (from returners point of view)
- aced - Massu 23, Fish 10
- return FEs - Massu 17, Fish 18
- return UEs - Massu 5, Fish 11
… from about same number of serves faced (Massu faces 140, Fish 149) and return rates Massu 68%, Fish 74%

Fish’s placement leading to large aces and his return position cutting down Massu’s

FEs about the same. Credit both players for relatively low number for different reasons. Massu’s faced with serve-volleying about 75% off Fish’s first serve (its near 90%+ for 4 sets, less than 50% in the fifth). He has just 1 return-pass winner against 41 serve-volleys, but does return heftily, while making Fish volley much of the time

Good UEs for both too, for slightly different reasons. Fish’s higher lot include more aggressive misses (he has FEs where he misses going for dtl winner too). Massu’s is superb. If not as regularly going for winning return as Fish, he still does so regularly enough

All this aggressive returning and consequent beefed up second serving is liable to lead to double faults. Which with low in counts, is a prospective game-changer

2nd serve double fault rate - Massu 9%, Fish 12%
Not just ‘not bad’ but pretty good, given the hot returning and big second serving on show. Both players with a pair of second serve aces too

Gist - furious contest between serve shot and return shot
Big, aggressive serving from both, with Fish being more sustained with it
Big, counter-aggressive returning from both too
And to be clear, its not wild, lash out returning. Both players returning well defensively too (which the quality of such serving would typically demand) and maintaining good consistency against strong opposition

Such is the fury of the returning that it substantially spills into…

Play - Baseline (& Fish at net)
Baseline rallies -
- Winners - Massu 12 (11 FH, 1 BH), Fish 14 (4 FH, 10 BH)
- Errors forced - Massu 7, Fish 14
(aggressively ended points - Massu 19, Fish 28)
- UEs - Massu 23 (17 FH, 6 BH), Fish 73( 36 FH, 37 BH)

Winners and UEs by shot, sans returns -
- Massu FH 6-17 (+5 return winners)
- Massu BH 1-6
- Fish FH 2-36 (+2 return winners)
- Fish BH 5-37 (+5 returns winners)

… total Massu 7-23, Fish 7-73
Including return winners - Massu 12-23, Fish 14-73. The return would be also be the winning shot for good lot of both players’ FEs too

The tennis is far better than those numbers look

Aggressive return creates an unusual dynamic where returner is often on front foot to start rally (taking rally starting point as third ball). If normal match sees third ball being servers opening to attack, here its more often the fourth ball. In other words, the returning is acting almost like a serve in setting up favourable starting position for rally

Rallies are hard hitting, off both wings, by both players. Massu plays FHs as much as possible, but with the power on show, its often not possible. Fish plays dual winged, if anything, is more aggressive with the BH
Massu tends to edge power on FHs, and when he lets loose, by a long way. He choosily lets loose
BH hitting is about even. Fish is adventurous in attacking dtl, Massu sticks to stock cc stuff

In line with how the different ways two players pressure or/and attack, the other reacts
Massu’s speed in defence stands out. He’s whizzing about to defend when Fish goes wide
Fish’s shot tolerance is very good. He has to deal with brute power, not widely placed, which has potential to simply crash through anyway

The 23-73 UE count speaks for itself so no question whose getting better of it. Rally length varies across match

There’s some sloppiness (giving up easy UEs in short rallies to ordinary balls) from Fish. Not a ton, not even a lot. There’s some looseness from Massu too on the third ball
Generally though, decent length rallies, given the intensity of hitting. Whizzing movement from Massu, spongy absorption of big power from Fish included

Massu stronger hitter on FH probably pushes Fish to attack more with BH. He’s got 5 winners there, just 2 FHs. Misses dtl kill shots too
Massu’s FH offense is hit-through opponent of nature, but he’s put out decent 6 winners. With Fish resisting well
Massu with next to no pointed BH offence, though he hits well. His only winner is a net chord dribbler. Fish by contrast, would probably look to attack off FH, but it’d be difficult against Massu’s power on that side

UEs dominating. Some pressured by force, but again, not insignificant sloppiness involved

Baseline UE breakdown -
- defensive - Fish 1
- neutral - Massu 12, Fish 27
- attacking - Massu 5, Fish 16
- winner attempts - Massu 7, Fish 10

Fish’s offence isn’t confined to baseline and he as often powers his way to net. Virtually always powers, he’s not a chip and rusher
He’s 29/42 or 69% rallying to net (Massu is 9/10 - he comes to net to shake hands)
Along with 26/41 or 63% serve-volleying, all first serves (Massu’s 1/1, a second serve)
Off first serve, Fish serve-volleys 76% of time. When he doesn’t, he wins 46% of points

Fish on ‘volley’ has 20 winners, 7 UEs, 9 FEs
Massu on pass in play 8 (5 FH, 3 BH) winners, 25 FEs (9 FH, 16 BH), 1 BH UE at net

He’s comfy at net, but doesn’t get fully down for volleys. Passes (including returns) are at least above average of power. And Massu still whizzing around to make the pass
The approaches from rallies are from strong positions and powerful shots. Virtually always longline ones. Fish a real stickler for ‘never approach cc’ mantra

The volley-pass contest lacks the intensity of baseline ones and above figures cover it. High passing FEs from Massu is biggest part of it. Fish knowing to volley and pass to BH. Way Massu hits FH returns and groundies, it’d be madness not too. His BH isn’t soft either, but his FH is scarily powerful

All points when return is made - Massu 105, Fish 100
Fish with 13 more winners and forcing 18 more errors
Massu with 36 fewer UEs

 

[Waspsting]

Match Progression
Both players come out the gate powering the ball, but both dish out low in counts. In first set, Massu has 15/35, Fish 14/30 first serves in
Massu with big FH, firm BH. Fish serve-volleys and viciously attacks with the return. He’s quite hit & miss, but it’s the routine BH misses that are costly; he usually makes the powerfully attacking stuff, but Massu handles it well too

5-0 Massu to start, before Fish makes it 3-5. Massu serves out second time of asking

Massu starts the match with a FH dtl pass winner. Aggressive returns get him in trouble and he’s down break point in that opener. Fish with another powerful return on break point, but Massu weathers it to come away with point and in time, the hold

No shortage of power returns from Massu either as he breaks in 10 point game from 40-0 down. Net chord pop up pass wins him a serve-volley point after Fish had made the first 1/2volley and Fish missing groundies to wrap up the break

Both players have blasted return winners in next 3 games. Massu holds 2 games, Fish again gives up BH UEs in his to get broken

Serving for 6-1 set, Massu’s broken in 4/12 first serve game. Game starts with an early taken FH cc return winner and ends with a winning wide FH inside-in one against first serve
Massu serves out second time of asking to love with brute FHs and a wide, winning second serve

In counts remains low in second set, but servers hold with similar action. Fish tightens up his groundies. Both players get into one return game. Fish breaks in his, Massu doesn’t

Brilliant BH running-down-drop-shot at net pass winner by Massu to start game 3, and he raises break point by forcing FH1/2V error. Fish takes net behind a strong BH dtl on it, Massu still gets a powerful pass off but Fish up to making low FHV winner. Game goes on for 14 points - Fish saves another break point with a big first serve he stays back on - and its Massu’s FH that misses aggressive shots in the end

Fish’s chance comes in game 8. Some big second serves in the game, but Fish handling it. Down game point, Fish BH dtl return looks long, but is called in for a winner. He eventually breaks in 12 points, finishing with a deep return that he uses to take net.

Fish serves out to love

Great, aggressive returning from Fish in the third set. Massu resists it, but isn’t good on more normal third ball shots and makes a number of UEs on those. Massu with some amazing defence too and he keeps at big second serving

Blazing returns gets Fish deuce break to start the set
Amazing defence by Massu to prolong game 6 and even conjure a break point in it. Fish saves it with a strong, wide second serve. He needs 3 smashes to win the point after before holding
Fish breaks again for 5-2 with many impressive things. A FH dtl draws weak ball that he smashes away on the bounce from the baseline, he defends Massu like before taking net to raise break point and consummates it with a return to the baseline that uses to take charge and finish with a BHV winner

Fish is at 40-0 on the serve out when Massu unloads with 2 blasted FH cc winners (1 return). An ace wraps up for Fish

Massu takes a medical time out between sets. He’s been making faces, resting on his hunches between points and sweating freely through the previous set. The sweating can’t be faked but his expressiveness looks like ham acting. Must be good treatment he got at time out; the face-making and squatting down disappears at once and stays gone for rest of match

After 3 sets, Massu’s in count is 45%. Rest of match, its 72%
5/9 games in fourth set have break points in them, with a lot of exciting stuff happening

Fish holds deuce game for 2-0 with a second serve ace that was 4-5 inches out and so called, but overruled by the Chair. One of the worst overrules I’ve seen. Later in match when Fish argues a call, he tells the Chair that the ball was as far out as this one had been

From games 4-8 all have break points in them. First 3 are breaks, the next 2 holds
Its more bad misses that see Fish broken twice and strong play from him that sees him break
The crucial game is Massu holding 10-point game for 5-2, handling strong approaches from Fish

Around this period, Massu unloads with vapourizing FHs that are liable to crash through even when well covered. Fish shows great shot resistance to not be overwhelmed by it
Couple of these FHs help Massu to reach break/set point at 2-5. Fish aces it away, endures a bit more trouble before forcing Massu to serve out the set

The decider is different. Both players’ serving force drops from very big to hefty and they both deliver match high in counts.
First serve percentage in 5th set - Massu 83%, Fish 59%
Next best percentage in a set - Massu 60%, Fish 56%
Percentage for first 4 sets - Massu 42%, Fish 48%

5/8 other percentages by set are under 50%, with 1 that’s not is tottering at 52%

Fish for only time in the match, stays back more often than serve-volleys off first serves, but looks to power hit his way to net early. Almost always does so off longline shots, but finds Massu still quick and sturdy in his passing. Fish hits well, but is pretty sloppy with the ground UEs and struggles to copes with power of the passes. Massu is a lot more consistent off the ground and still powerful

Stamina isn’t significant factor. Both players moving and hitting well

Trade of breaks to start.
Bad game from Fish, missing a couple of BHVs (1 routine, 1 downright easy) and a routine BH in short rally, to lose serve to 15 to start
Excellent game from Fish to break back at once, with variety of winning shots. He’s got 4 winners (2 BH dtl’s - 1 a return, a BH cc at net set up by a BH inside-out approach and a smash set up by a FH inside-in return)

Fish’s next 2 service games are tough too
Holds 10-point game without facing break point for 2-1
And is broken in all first serves game to 30, where he serve-volleys just twice. Some big serves in the game, and Massu with doing well to return them. Starts the game with match’s only return-pass winner. Fish rallies his way to net on last 3 points. Gets cooped up by a pass at his body to give up BHV FE, and Massu diagonally races down a forced weak 1/2volley and dispatches it FH dtl from near service line

There remains for Massu to hold onto his break lead, with Fish attacking net whenever he can behind strong groundies. One hairy game for Massu to hold for 5-3. Down 15-30, his first serve comfortably out but called an ace. Its here that Fish queries the call (given circumstances, calmly) and mentions the ball the was as far out as the second serve of his that had been called an ace earlier. This one isn’t actually that far out, but it is out. Massu goes on to hold in 8-points, with all first serves for the game

And serves out next time go around. Fish bold to the end misses a BH dtl return winner attempt on match point. It’s the third or fourth he’s missed in the set, often as not against first serves. This was is a second

Summing up, match of brilliant and varied tennis
Big serving from both. Massu’s choice biggest is the biggest of all, but usually about equally powerful, with Fish more precise of placement

Daring, exciting returning. Both players looking for winning returns and scoring them. It leads to beefed up, first serve calibre second serving from both. Fish is more eager to find finishing returns. To say nothing of some very good defensive returning by both too - Fish’s standing out for handling big serves standing close in

Hard hitting baseline action from both players off both wings. Massu’s proves more solid and that involves defending on the run well, not just consistency. His FH is the biggest shot on show when he chooses. Fish is quite loose - at times, sloppily so - but does hit hard and his shot resistance against Massu’s power is just as good as Massu’s running defence

And Fish serve-volleys off first serves, with good contest developing there too

Massu is stronger at the end, unrelated to stamina and takes the win