Match Stats/Report - McEnroe vs Lendl, Brussels final, 1984

[Waspsting]

John McEnroe beat Ivan Lendl 6-1, 6-3 in the final of the Brussels Indoor 1984 event on carpet

This was one of 6 times McEnroe beat Lendl in the year, for only 1 loss

McEnroe won 58 points, Lendl 30

McEnroe serve-volleyed 100% on 1st serves and frequently off the second. Lendl also frequently serve-volleyed off his first serve



Serve Stats
McEnroe....
- 1st serve percentage (29/44) 66%
- 1st serve points won (25/29) 86%
- 2nd serve points won (9/15) 60%
- Aces 8, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (19/44) 43%

Lendl....
- 1st serve percentage (20/44) 45%
- 1st serve points won (16/20) 80%
- 2nd serve points won (4/24) 17%
- Aces 1
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (6/44) 14%


Serve Pattern
McEnroe served...
- to FH 40%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 2%

Lendl served...
- to FH 25%
- to BH 75%

Return Stats
McEnroe made...
- 34 (11 FH, 23 BH), including 2 runaround FHs and 4 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (1 FH, 2 BH)
- 5 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 4 Forced (4 BH)
- Return Rate (35/40) 85%

Lendl made...
- 25 (12 FH, 13 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 2 Winners (2 FH)
- 9 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 8 Forced (1 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (25/43) 58%


Break Points
McEnroe 4/4 (4 games)
Lendl 0

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
McEnroe 17 (5 FH, 4 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 OH)
Lendl 12 (4 FH, 4 BH, 3 BHV, 1 BHOH)

McEnroe had 4 S/V point winners - 3 first 'volleys' (3 FHV, 1 FH @ net) and 1 second volley (FHV)

- 2 BHV were return approach points

- 2 passes - both FH dtl (one on the run)

- 3 returns - a FH inside-in that dribbled over on a net chord, and 2 BH cc (one taken very early)

- 1 additional net chord dribbler was an BH inside-out. a finely angled BH cc and a step in FH dtl

Lendl had 7 passes (3 FH, 4 BH)

- All 3 FH passes were cc - 2 returns and 1 on the run.

- Of the 4 BH passes, 1 was cc, 3 dtl. 1 dtl was hit at net and one on the run

- Sole non-pass groundstroke was FH dtl, hit from near the service line

- 2 BHV were first volleys off serve-volley points. The other was not-clean, but has been included as a judgement call

- The BHOH was hit with both men at net


Errors (excluding returns and serves)
McEnroe 11
- 3 Unforced (2 BH, 1 FHV)
- 8 Forced (2 FH, 1 BH, 2 FHV, 3 BHV)

Lendl 18
- 3 Unforced (1 FH, 2 BH)
- 15 Forced (4 FH, 11 BH)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
McEnroe was 32/46 (70%) at net, including 21/27 (78%) serve-volleying - 16/20 (80%) off 1st serves, 5/7 (71%) off 2nd - and 3/4 (75%) return-approaching

Lendl was 11/14 (79%) at net, including 8/10 (80%) serve-volleying - all first serve points. He was 0/2 when forced back

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Match Report
As fine an exhibition of attacking tennis as your likely to see from John McEnroe. Lendl doesn't actually play too badly - which given the scoreline and the almost 2-1 points won ratio - is stunning. Serving, volleying, returning and baseline play.... in all areas, Mac is up from his norm

Mac serves particularly well - and Lendl would likely have struggled to get returns in play even if the American weren't charging the net. In fact, I thought Lendl did well to get all but 1 second serve back in play.... even those were good enough to force errors
Mac volleys well - if he doesn't volley a winner, he leaves Lendl with very difficult passes to make. Again, Lendl doesn't pass too badly... he hits a few stunning ones and forces a handful of volleying errors, but he's up against a handful; I don't think he has a single 'easy' pass

Not to downplay the quality of serving and volleying, but I was more struck by how good McEnroe was with the return and off the ground.

Lendl does himself no favours by dishing out a low percentage - in the first set, he serves at just 25% - but even Lendl's second serve is not easy to attack. Mac makes it look easy. He stands in the court to take the return, occasionally charges it, sometimes follows it to net and sometimes just hammers it. In other words, Mac takes charge off the point with the return

Baseline to baseline, Mac probably comes off the better player too. The key is his ability to avoid the Lendl FH.

He hammers FHs crosscourt to Lendl's BH, which Lendl doesn't look particularly put out by, but it does keep the Czech from dictating. You'd expect to Mac to make a fair few errors trying to do this.... but he doesn't

On the BH, Mac looks to play the ball with reasonable power longline, again to keep the ball off Lendl's danger wing. Its not the high percentage shot and again, I would have expected Mac to make errors trying this shot over and over again... but he doesn't

The only time Mac goes to the Lendl FH is when the court is open... and Lendl is usually on the run and/or facing powerfully shots when he gets the ball on the FH. When Lendl is able to hit a commanding FH from a stable position, Mac's BH is up to the challenge of coping with it. Within a shot or two, he goes BH longline to take the ball away from Lendl's FH

I thought Lendl could have gone BH down the line himself more often to trying to take charge of the point, but he mostly keeps things crosscourt. This leaves him on the look out for three lines of attack -

- a sudden, extra powerful shot
- an extreme angle
- a manufactured approach

By set, the first set is decided by Lendl making 4/16 first serves. He wins 4/4, but just 2/12 second serve points. The play here is similar to standard McEnroe-Lendl encounters... except for Mac's exceptional returning and baseline play, as outlined above

The second set is different. Lendl mostly serve-volleys off his first serve (9/15), and otherwise looks to take the net on his first serve points. On his second serve though, its a similar story to the first set... with Mac returning aggressively, both directing and attacking from the baseline and making improbable approaches look routine

Final verdict - A+ for McEnroe

 

[KG1965]

I remember that year well.
The game of Johnnymac. Oh wow.
Never seen anything like it, not even remotely.
The 1984 Mac's numbers were incredible but perhaps others have come closer.
But the level of play was out of reach for Laver, Fedr, Pancho, Tilden.
Not approachable.
He had confidence. He did what the American wanted. He attacked/approached the net on the return!!!!

But the incredible thing was that he did it with great opponents who were not injured or retired or old.
Lendl and Connors played a great year. Lendl played better than in 1983. Connors was very fit, lost a few matches ... basically only v Mac.
Pulverized.

 

[KG1965]

- 1st serve points won (25/29) 86%

- Unreturned Serve Percentage (19/44) 43%

- Unreturned Serve Percentage (6/44) 14%

Poor Ivan...

- Aces 1

- 1st serve percentage (20/44) 45%

Great analysis as always.
The Mac level is so superior to that of Lendl and others in 1984 that the american can easily win playing without s & v.
Play s & v for habit but IMHO could win even remaining at the baseline and attacking in approach.
The return 1984 is among the top 10 all-time, the only return that terrified the player to serve.

 

[KG1965]

I went to review 1984 in the ATP site.

So ...
First part of the year ...
Lendl loses only against Mac in the final at Phila, Brussels, in the World Team Cup (team tournament) and Forest Hills

Both Ivan and Connors were particularly fit (Jimmy apart from a match v Tom Gullikson and a double bagel of Lendl that you had commented in the past, always wins against everyone and is always annihilated in the final by Supermac).

With this I want to "mean" that if the two main opponents had not died in 1984, continue to win all the others (as in the previous 2 years) their level is assumed equal or almost equal.
It's McEnroe playing a tennis of a different level. Another sport.

McEnroe has always had an incredible game, but in the previous years he did not manage to play with aggression, concentration, awareness, a physical level, always perfect control of shots. Sometimes he was wrong, he was human. In 1984, from the feeling of not being human, essentially has total control of the game. On all the hits also from the baseline.

 

[hoodjem]

Indoor carpet.

 

[Waspsting]

I remember that year well.
The game of Johnnymac. Oh wow.
Never seen anything like it, not even remotely.
The 1984 Mac's numbers were incredible but perhaps others have come closer.
But the level of play was out of reach for Laver, Fedr, Pancho, Tilden.
Not approachable.
He had confidence. He did what the American wanted. He attacked/approached the net on the return!!!!

But the incredible thing was that he did it with great opponents who were not injured or retired or old.
Lendl and Connors played a great year. Lendl played better than in 1983. Connors was very fit, lost a few matches ... basically only v Mac.
Pulverized.

The Mac level is so superior to that of Lendl and others in 1984 that the american can easily win playing without s & v.
Play s & v for habit but IMHO could win even remaining at the baseline and attacking in approach.
The return 1984 is among the top 10 all-time, the only return that terrified the player to serve.

McEnroe has always had an incredible game, but in the previous years he did not manage to play with aggression, concentration, awareness, a physical level, always perfect control of shots. Sometimes he was wrong, he was human. In 1984, from the feeling of not being human, essentially has total control of the game. On all the hits also from the baseline.

Agree with all of this

Serve-volleying off first serves - Mac is always top drawer

What stands out from this year are -

- sense of control from the baseline.... he's aggressive, but not in a hurray to be so. He can rally neutrally and solidly... and you don't know when he'll take to the attack suddenly, or how (approach or big, court opening groundstroke). and he makes so few errors being so aggressive, its remarkable

- the return.... similar to above

And finally, he's beautiful to watch. Utter dominance can be boring in its predictability.... think Sampras on grass, peak Federer or Nadal on clay.... they all had fixed patterns of play. Very successful and magnificent patterns, but patterns nonetheless

Mac '84 is just an artiste.... just seems to do what he likes when he likes - blow away serve-volley, rally neutrally, open the court, power, sharp angles, drop shots, return approach or smack the return, the seamless combination of touch and power - no telling what you'll get any given point, but whatever it is, it'll be damn good

I think disguise of intent is a big factor in his the success of his groundgame. His swing is short that it comes as a surprise when he hits an extra big powerful shot

His game winning percentage at Wimbledon that year was the highest in that tournament's Open Era history.

Going to look at a few more of his '84 efforts - its a treat!

 

[WCT]

Look at that point disparity, The way I remember 84 Mcenroe is he was hitting the ball hard. Last month, I watched a couple sets of the 84 US semi with Connors. A bunch of times, right off of first serves, he comes with hard shots. Not chip and charge. These are shots that have Connors on the dead run. Off first serves, almost like he's walking through a 1st serve. Taking it on the rise. That requires otherworldly hand/eye coordination.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Look at that point disparity, The way I remember 84 Mcenroe is he was hitting the ball hard. Last month, I watched a couple sets of the 84 US semi with Connors. A bunch of times, right off of first serves, he comes with hard shots. Not chip and charge. These are shots that have Connors on the dead run. Off first serves, almost like he's walking through a 1st serve. Taking it on the rise. That requires otherworldly hand/eye coordination.

Yes, Newcombe said he'd never seen anything like it before, it wasn't chip and charge but rip and charge. I've probably posted that a hundred times over the years here...

 

[WCT]

Yep, Newcombe absolutely mentioned that.

 

[BringBackWood]

@Waspsting I noticed in another thread you were asking for suggestions of Connors victories you could stat: Connors vs Mcenroe Wembley 81, and at Philadelphia in 80.

 

[KG1965]

- 2nd serve points won (4/24) 17%

This is an important IMHO data because it shows Mac 1984 status.

Despite Lendl in other stats of your trheads having a yield of 50-60% on the second service here, in 1984, Mac always wins on Ivan second serve.
In essence, although Connors and Lendl were in a similar shape to 1982-83, John attacks them on the second, Ivan is forced to win only on the first service, hallucinating.

One of the most incredible years in history starts from this point.