Match Stats/Report - McEnroe vs Gerulaitis, Forest Hills final, 1983

[Waspsting]

John McEnroe beat Vitas Gerulaitis 6-3, 7-5 in the Forest Hills final, 1983 on green clay

McEnroe would defend his title next year beating Ivan Lendl in the final

McEnroe won 75 points, Gerulaitis 58

Serve Stats
McEnroe...
- 1st serve percentage (27/68) 40%
- 1st serve points won (19/27) 70%
- 2nd serve points won (27/41) 66%
- Aces 5, Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (19/68) 28%

Gerulaitis...
- 1st serve percentage (44/65) 68%
- 1st serve points won (27/44) 61%
- 2nd serve points won (9/21) 43%
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (5/65) 8%

Serve Patterns
McEnroe served...
- to FH 28%
- to BH 62%
- to Body 1%

Gerulaitis served....
- to FH 39%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 3%

Return Stats
McEnroe made...
- 59 (25 FH, 34 BH), including 2 runaround FHs & 2 return-approaches
- 5 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 4 Forced (2 FH, 2 BH)
- Return Rate (59/64) 92%

Gerulaitis made...
- 46 (22 FH, 24 BH), including 7 runaround FHs & 8 return-approaches
- 12 Errors, comprising...
- 6 Unforced (3 FH, 3 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 1 return-approach attempt
- 6 Forced (1 FH, 1 BH)
- Return Rate (46/65) 71%

Break Points
McEnroe 3/7 (5 games)
Gerulaitis 1/4 (3 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
McEnroe 24 (9 FH, 6 BH, 5 FHV, 2 BHV, 2 OH)
Gerulaitis 19 (7 FH, 4 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 OH)

McEnroe had 11 passes (5 FH, 6 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 1 inside-out and 2 lobs
- BHs - 3 dtl and 3 lobs

- non-pass FHs - 1 dtl, 2 drop shots and 1 net chord dribbler

- 1 FHV was the first volley of a serve-volley point and another was played net-to-net

Gerulaitis had 8 passes (5 FH, 3 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl, 1 inside-out and 1 lob
- BHs - 3 cc

- non-pass groundstrokes - 2 FH inside-out and 1 BH cc running-down-drop-volley at net

- 3 from serve-volley points - 1 first volley FHV and 2 second volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV)

- 1 other BHV was played net-to-net

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
McEnroe 31
- 12 Unforced (5 FH, 6 BH, 1 FHV)
- 19 Forced (11 FH, 7 BH, 1 FHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.7

Gerulaitis 31
- 13 Unforced (4 FH, 5 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH)
- 18 Forced (5 FH, 8 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BHOH, 1 Over-shoulder lob retrieval)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 51.5

(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 for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
McEnroe was...
- 24/39 (62%) at net, including...
- 6/8 (75%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 5/7 (71%) off 1st serve and..
- 1/1 off 2nd serve
---
- 1/2 return-approaching
- 0/2 forced back

Gerulaitis was...
- 27/53 (51%) at net, including...
- 10/17 (59%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 8/15 (53%) off 1st serve and..
- 2/2 off 2nd serve
---
- 1/8 (13%) return-approaching
- 2/5 (40%) forced back/retreated

Match Report
Little serve-volleying but plenty of approaching characterizes this match and as such, gives a demonstrations of what John McEnroe is capable of as close to purely as a baseliner as is likely to be found

Curious about how often McEnroe desisted from serve-volleying on clay. Saw him serve-volleying almost all first serves vs Lendl French Open '81, but he was playing from the baseline against Vilas the same year on green clay at Boca West. According to commentators, he stayed back throughout this tournament (which includes a double bread sticking of Vilas in the semis) and he was only broken once (that was in this match). And in next years final against Lendl, he's mostly serve-volleying off first serves

Worth noting is that he had just switched to graphite according to commentators and apparently loved it

Insights? @WCT , @KG1965 ?

Like Mac, Vitas doesn't serve-volley much, but that's more token. On his service games, he usually tries to approach as soon as possibly, as often as not off the third ball. Probably didn't like the way his so-so serve stacked up against the Mac return on clay (should be noted that for clay, its an exceptionally fast court, though naturally still slow) and fancied a strong groundstroke approach more. Action suggests this was wise... Mac returns surely and well all match with a 92% return rate (missed 5 returns out of 64, including against the not insignificant 17 Vitas s/v's)

Mac is significantly less hungry to find the net. He even resists being drawn in.... when he has to advance half-way to service line to play a groundstroke, he usually falls back to the baseline after the shot. Which is not to say he looks allergic to the net (he approaches 39 times total), but is... shall we say 'reserved' about coming forward

Baseline to baseline match up isn't quite pure because there's always the likelihood one or the other will move forward lurking behind the action. Play is about equal, Vitas with a slight edge (note groundstroke UEs - Mac 11, Vitas 9... and I'd estimate 3/4 of Vitas' were approach shot errors). Mac's BH is able to create good angles, while he occasionally gets stuck into a FH. Both move well - but Vitas has a clear advantage here... his court coverage particularly early on is in Chang/Nadal category. Some of Mac's drop shots are near perfect... and Vitas still runs them down. Mac can only get winners from the drop shots when he hits them from mid-court

Mac has a big advantage on serve-return complex, as well as each shot individually. Note his terrible 40% first serves in (and in the first set, it was 10/31)… but his second serve is no buffet ball. Vitas attacks it with chip-charge returns (unusually, he does this always off the FH)… this doesn't work (he wins just 1/8 such points) because of Mac's passing, but they were good, attacking returns

And Mac's first serve packs a punch. 5 aces and 2 service winners from 27 first serves.... good numbers. Vitas has 0

Vitas has a bad day at net. Misses a number of easy to not difficult volleys and doesn't put away balls particularly well. His OH is particularly not-good.... though Mac lobs excellently all match

In fact, that's the highlight of the match: McEnroe's lobs. Note the 5 winners, Vitas being forced back 5 times (and there more when he came back to net), Vitas' 3 errors on OHs (granted, some of it due to his shortcomings on the shot). Not only are the lobs themselves measured to perfection, but they couldn't be better disguised, especially of the BH. Even in slow motion, one can't tell what shot he's about to play til he plays it (good disguise is evident on Mac's drop shots too)

Given he wasn't volleying particularly well, that his opponent was passing well and that he was the slightly better player of the baseline.... I thought Vitas could have stayed back more and tried to win points baseline-to-baseline. Perhaps he was wary that if he didn't take the net, McEnroe would... but early on, there are no signs that that's what Mac was going for

Summing up, a good indicator of what a not serve-volleying, slightly net shy McEnroe is capable of.... the serve and return are both high quality and the passing rather better than even that, particularly the lobs. Gerulaitis giving up too much ground on the first two shots to be a serious threat, but holding about even in play

you can find the following years final here - https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...rt-mcenroe-vs-lendl-forest-hills-1984.607707/

 

[KG1965]

- 1st serve percentage (27/68) 40%

There are no particularly negative or positive data if Mac service percentage is excluded.

With a different percentage there would have been no match. So the difference is just two breaks, which makes the match balanced.

 

[KG1965]

Insights? @KG1965 ?

What I can do is place the match in the period.

The fire of Gerulaitis was going out, its last real year was in fact 1982. This was the last significant result.
Vitas had a class higher than this one, but physically he was the most impressive after Borg at that time. The american had great speed, a great footwork and a great resistance, in fact in the Bo5 played very well.
Deficit of power.

Mac after having demolished Borg and hoisted himself to the number one (1981) without too much trouble, he had lost luster in 1982 (although ATP indicated number one actually Jimbo and Ivan were slightly above) and even in 1983 he didn't play sensational tennis (we have analyzed 1983 and we saw together that the distance between him and the 4th - Jimbo, Mats, and Ivan - is laughable).
We should read the newspapers of that period (the period of Forest Hills), but they probably wrote that the number one was Connors.
Nevertheless vs Vitas, Mac was well and almost always won peremptorily.
Both played high school tennis, but Mac had the serve that was not readable.

Oh I forgot a personal question.

The "game-style" that Vitas played was my favorite from mid 70s to today.
I don't mean the shots, I mean of strategy.
I don't like players who play only at behind the court line (Vilas, Borg, Courier, Bruguera...) and I also like systematic s & v (even if the game of Supermac is woooooow).
I like the mixed game with a preference for approaches during exchanges.
So Connors, Nastase, Panatta, Noah.
But most of all Vitas. He was the only one who played like Laver and Rosewall.
And me.

 

[Waspsting]

There are no particularly negative or positive data if Mac service percentage is excluded.

True

For all my fancy analysis, it could be done much simpler, e.g.
Errors - equal, apiece
Winners - Mac +5
Double Faults - Vitas +2

leaving Mac up a thin +3

Then there's unreturned serves - Mac +14.... there's your match, right there
(Mac's returning had something to do with Vitas' low unreturned serve count though)

With a different percentage there would have been no match. So the difference is just two breaks, which makes the match balanced.

True again

Am giving Vitas credit for gaining his one break. Only one of the tournament against Mac - that includes against the likes of Vilas and Smid
Game Mac broken in just has the 1 Mac UE - the other points he lost are a Gerulaitis passing winner and 2 FEs baseline-to-baseline... good game from Vitas

What I can do is place the match in the period.

The fire of Gerulaitis was going out, its last real year was in fact 1982. This was the last significant result.
Vitas had a class higher than this one, but physically he was the most impressive after Borg at that time. The american had great speed, a great footwork and a great resistance, in fact in the Bo5 played very well.
Deficit of power.

Mac after having demolished Borg and hoisted himself to the number one (1981) without too much trouble, he had lost luster in 1982 (although ATP indicated number one actually Jimbo and Ivan were slightly above) and even in 1983 he didn't play sensational tennis (we have analyzed 1983 and we saw together that the distance between him and the 4th - Jimbo, Mats, and Ivan - is laughable).
We should read the newspapers of that period (the period of Forest Hills), but they probably wrote that the number one was Connors.
Nevertheless vs Vitas, Mac was well and almost always won peremptorily.
Both played high school tennis, but Mac had the serve that was not readable.

Oh I forgot a personal question.

The "game-style" that Vitas played was my favorite from mid 70s to today.
I don't mean the shots, I mean of strategy.
I don't like players who play only at behind the court line (Vilas, Borg, Courier, Bruguera...) and I also like systematic s & v (even if the game of Supermac is woooooow).
I like the mixed game with a preference for approaches during exchanges.
So Connors, Nastase, Panatta, Noah.
But most of all Vitas. He was the only one who played like Laver and Rosewall.
And me.

Great! Thanks

Commentators mentioned Vitas having had personal and legal problems recently and he was recovering from them

His speed around court is exceptional. Early on, Mac hits a few volleys that look like clear winners, so my attention wanders... only Vitas has reached the ball (may or may not put it back in play, but still).

I can't say I like Vitas' groundstrokes though.... very stiff of look (doesn't look as bad as it is because McEnroe is of course, even worse, especially off the BH). Odd choices on the BH too... he drives some fantastic BH passes, particularly cc, but in rallies, usually slices (not badly, but particularly well either)

That drive BH looks like it could be handy in rallies, but apparently not his cup of tea. And for someone who slices so much.... no chip-charge returns off the BH also surprised me (always runs around to come in off the FH on return)

Can you tell me about McEnroe's serve-volleying habits on clay? I was surprised to see him doing it so infrequently on a relatively quick clay court - and the other stuff I've seen from 1980-84 is a mixed bag.

And Vitas... he was generally not a serve-volleyer?

 

[KG1965]

True

For all my fancy analysis, it could be done much simpler, e.g.
Errors - equal, apiece
Winners - Mac +5
Double Faults - Vitas +2

leaving Mac up a thin +3

Then there's unreturned serves - Mac +14.... there's your match, right there
(Mac's returning had something to do with Vitas' low unreturned serve count though)



True again

Am giving Vitas credit for gaining his one break. Only one of the tournament against Mac - that includes against the likes of Vilas and Smid
Game Mac broken in just has the 1 Mac UE - the other points he lost are a Gerulaitis passing winner and 2 FEs baseline-to-baseline... good game from Vitas



Great! Thanks

Commentators mentioned Vitas having had personal and legal problems recently and he was recovering from them

His speed around court is exceptional. Early on, Mac hits a few volleys that look like clear winners, so my attention wanders... only Vitas has reached the ball (may or may not put it back in play, but still).

I can't say I like Vitas' groundstrokes though.... very stiff of look (doesn't look as bad as it is because McEnroe is of course, even worse, especially off the BH). Odd choices on the BH too... he drives some fantastic BH passes, particularly cc, but in rallies, usually slices (not badly, but particularly well either)

That drive BH looks like it could be handy in rallies, but apparently not his cup of tea. And for someone who slices so much.... no chip-charge returns off the BH also surprised me (always runs around to come in off the FH on return)

Can you tell me about McEnroe's serve-volleying habits on clay? I was surprised to see him doing it so infrequently on a relatively quick clay court - and the other stuff I've seen from 1980-84 is a mixed bag.

And Vitas... he was generally not a serve-volleyer?

Vitas was IMHO one of the best at playing net-game gaming but not starting with serve (like Rosewall, Panatta, Laver or Connors).
The two main causes concerned the poor serve and the fact that running towards the net after the serve or after fh or bh on approach are two very different runs and probably Vitas felt better attacking after 2 exchanges.

Mac played a fantastic French Open in the year of grace 1984 but suffered a lot on the clay courts.
Har-tru was undoubtedly faster than red clay but was much less fast than hc, carpet or grass. I think that John did not feel safe on the net because clay serves and fh approach made it much less, and even the bh approach in slice (very good on fast surfaces) were not razed in back-spin like the reverses of Noah and Panatta, true and own lethal weapons.

 

[BringBackWood]

Yeah this is actually a good match from a shotmaking spectacle. The lobs from Mac were Wonderful. Almost flat off the Bh for maximum disguise. More top on the FH with his wrist.

Something that interests me is Gerulaitis 2nd serve. If one watches the 77 clash with Borg, his 2nd serve is more potent than Borg's. It has to be because he's coming in behind nearly all of them. The next time I watch Vitas is the 81 clash against Borg, and his pre serve bounce is more deliberate and routined, & his 2nd serve is just a safe dump into court, from which he always stays back. I've heard commentators speak of his troubles on 2nd serves with DF's, so I'm intrigued at what point between 77 and 81 this became an issue.