Match Stats/Report - Murray vs del Potro, Canadian Open final, 2009

[Waspsting]

Andy Murray beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-1 in the Canadian Open final, 2009 on hard court in Montreal

It was Murray’s first title at the event and he would go onto defend it the following year. del Potro would go onto win the upcoming US Open

Murray won 118 points, del Potro 92

Serve Stats
Murray...
- 1st serve percentage (47/89) 53%
- 1st serve points won (40/47) 85%
- 2nd serve points won (28/42) 67%
- Aces 16 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (39/89) 44%

del Potro...
- 1st serve percentage (69/121) 57%
- 1st serve points won (46/69) 67%
- 2nd serve points won (25/52) 48%
- Aces 11 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (32/121) 26%

Serve Patterns
Murray served...
- to FH 25%
- to BH 67%
- to Body 8%

del Potro served...
- to FH 46%
- to BH 53%
- to Body 2%

Return Stats
Murray made...
- 84 (37 FH, 47 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 3 Winners (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 21 Errors, comprising...
- 13 Unforced (9 FH, 4 BH)
- 8 Forced (5 FH, 3 BH)
- Return Rate (84/116) 72%

del Potro made...
- 49 (10 FH, 39 BH), including 1 return-approach
- 2 Winners (2 FH)
- 23 Errors, comprising...
- 10 Unforced (1 FH, 9 BH)
- 13 Forced (6 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (49/88) 56%

Break Points
Murray 4/10 (7 games)
del Potro 2/3 (2 games)

Winners (excluding serves, including returns)
Murray 19 (7 FH, 11 BH, 1 FHV)
del Potro 27 (16 FH, 2 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV, 4 OH)

Murray FHs - 3 cc (2 returns), 1 dtl, 3 inside-out
- BHs - 2 cc, 1 cc/longline, 4 dtl (1 return, 1 pass), 1 inside-in return, 1 longline at net, 1 drop shot, 1 running-down-drop-shot drop shot at net

del Potro's FHs - 7 cc (2 returns, 1 at net), 2 dtl, 2 inside-out, 1 inside-in, 2 longline (1 at net), 1 running-down-drop-shot cc at net (very finely angled), 1 net chord dribbler
- BHs - 1 cc, 1 net chord dribbler

- 2 OHs were on the bounce (1 from baseline)

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Murray 32
- 17 Unforced (7 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV)
- 15 Forced (11 FH, 4 BH)... with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 45.3

del Potro 55
- 43 Unforced (15 FH, 26 BH, 2 OH)... with 1 FH at net & 1 OH on the bounce from the baseline
- 12 Forced (6 FH, 5 BH, 1 FHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.8

(Note 1: all half-volleys refer to such shots played at net. Half -volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke counts)

(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
Murray was...
- 4/8 (50%) at net, with...
- 0/1 forced back

del Potro was...
- 19/27 (70%) at net, with...
- 1/1 return-approaching
- 1/4 (25%) forced back/retreated

Match Report
Commendably solid showing from Murray, who has better of things throughout, including the first set that he loses in tiebreak. More than that though, this is an “injury match”, with something up with del Potro’s condition that worsens over time and he just goes through the motions in last set. Figuratively speaking. Literally, there’s not much motion to him of any kind by then. Court is slowish

Delpo’s fine in the first set. Starts, showing signs of something being less than A-ok early in the second as he allows an ace that was little more than a regulation, in-swing zone delivery go through for an ace without moving. His movements become more lax as the set goes on, particularly on the return shot and in return games. Smart enough to save himself fully for his service games, given he’s up a set. If he can hold onto serve, anything can happen in a tie-breaker. In fact, “anything” did in the first one, which he pinched despite Murray having considerably better of the set leading into it, with a crucial return-approaching scoring him the sole mini-break

Murray continues to be solidly strong to take the second ‘breaker and its onto the decider, which turns out to be a no-contest with Delpo as good as not there. To a degree beyond warranted by his steadily declining showing in second set. Would probably lose whatever he effort he put in, but the poorness of Delpo’s showing at the end stretches beyond whatever physical issues are ailing him and into mentally checked out territory

Part 1 - First Set, fit del Potro
Good set of tennis, with play centered on BH play. Essentially, both players probing at the other with and at the others BH. Both seems happy with the dynamic, neither goes out of their way to implement or change it

And Murray’s a little better - off the BH and overall
No breaks going into tiebreak. Murray’s lost 7 points on serve for 6 holds, Delpo 13
Murray’s had the only break point
3 Delpo games have gone to deuce, not 1 of Murray’s. Murray’s never been behind in a service game

Murray’s superiority is based on his having the steadier BH. Delpo’s equalizer is he comes to net to finish. Not adventurously, they’re near token approaches after overpowering Murray (often as not with the BH), but a good way to finish points (as opposed to risk the very good possibility of Murray weathering a hitting storm to neutralize the point, or missing a big groundie trying to finish off a very stout defender)

All this is well captured by numbers. For the set -

Winners - Murray 8 (2 FH, 6 BH), Delpo 8 (3 FH, 1 BH, 4 volleys)
FEs - Murray 7, Delpo 4 (all groundies for both players)
UEs - Murray 11 (4 FH, 6 BH, 1 volley), Delpo 18 (4 FH, 13 BH, 1 OH)

UE breakdown -
- neutral - Murray 7, Delpo 11
- attacking - Murray 1, Delpo 4
- winner attempts - both 3

Combined 19 BH UEs to just 8 FHs speaks to which wing is on the frontlines

Murray winning the UE contest 6-13 making it clear who has better of it. The win is a credit to him more than discredit to Delpo - fine rallies and not short in length, with Murray commendably secure, not Delpo critically loose, with decent hitting from both

Murray with 6 winners to go with 6 UEs on the BH - excellent. He’s played very well, against good opposition here

Delpo making up the slack, or rather, seeing that the slack doesn’t get too far in front with net play - the volley winners and the extra errors he forces from net

Net points for set - Murray 2/5, Delpo 9/12
… including a crucial 2/2 for Delpo in tiebreak (Murray 0)

Well played tiebreak from both players, particularly Delpo who lands 5/6 first serves and does what your supposed to do with first serves; takes charge right away. He doesn’t lose a service point

Murray lands 3/5 and does the same thing in the follow-up (on top of serving 2 aces). He’s got BH cc and FH inside-out winners in the game
And its adventurous net play that decides the result - Delpo returning approaching to force a passing error. The only return-approach of the match. Couldn’t be better timed

2/3 Delpo FH winners are in the ‘breaker, so it doesn’t have much hand in the set as a whole

Part 2 - Second set, waning del Potro
Delpo’s descent begins subtly at start of second set. After being broken in first game, he simply doesn’t move as an all but regulation placed first serve goes through for an ace on his first return. Slack effort and slow movement characterizes his play throughout the set, getting more and more pronounced as set goes on

There’s nothing wrong with his hitting though, and he mostly confines energy conserving laziness for return games

He ends up breaking back at once for 1-1, striking 3 winners on the trot (OH, FH dtl and FH return cc) to get to deuce and eventually gets the break with combination of FH inside-out and inside-in to force error

Rest of set, he’s iffy in holding, while Murray cruises through his service games. He has to serve 58 points in the set, to Murray’s 35. Couple of break points faced and saved - 1 with a good serve, the other with a big FH

Takes an on court medical time out after holding for 6-5. Oddly, he’s treated around back of lower shoulder area. Judging by his play, its his legs, not his arm that’s off. Hitting and serving is just fine, but his movement has been steadily falling from start of set

After Murray takes the ‘breaker along lines of playing trend, Delpo takes a leisurely break before the decider, beginning…

 

[RS]

What's the best match you have seen Murray play?

 

[Waspsting]

Part 3 - last set, del Potro gone
No contest. Delpo barely moves, double faults, serves gently and is brushed aside easily. Wins 9 points to Murray’s 25

Not worth getting into details of action beyond that. It is odd that his level drops so drastically from end of second set. He’d been not all there clearly by end of second set, but nothing like this

Match Long Stats
Given divided nature, match long stats are of limited use, but there are points of interest to them

Delpo finishes with 16 FH winners to 15 UEs. A fine feat at best of times. Doubly so since he’s apparently physically not all there for the whole much. Trebly when considering action is BH oriented for the part where he is physically all there (the first set). Quadruply when considering he plays more or less in a measured way

Doesn’t particularly look for FHs and doesn’t unduly go after them either. Just normal play - and slapping down a whole bunch of winners on a slow court against a redoubtable defender.
In first set, if anything, he looks like he prefers playing BHs, and on minority FH rallies, its actually Murray who’s the harder hitter (still staying in neutral, not attacking with it).

Murray finishes with 11 BH winners to 9 UEs. Also excellent and just as good when both players are fully fit as after. Its easier to keep the UEs down after that, with Delpo’s going off the boil, but he comfortably outsteadies a would-be solid Delpo earlier too, with a good proportion of excellent winners. From reactive and defensive positions, he’s particularly good out of his BH corner, making running gets, often with a slice that most player would give up errors or at least, weak balls too. And there’s plenty of outstanding shots in there, in all kind directions - BH dtl’s are a hit, and a couple of wonderful cc winners to just slightly weaker balls

These 2 items stand out as outstanding, in or out of context

The other context-free standout is a negative one - Murray with 13 return UEs to 8 FEs. Misses good lot of regulation first returns, particularly off his FH (UEs read 9 FH, 4 BH). Room for improvement there and below par for him. He tends to return these types of serves better of faster courts than he does on slower ones. There is a factor undermining obvious conclusion, both here and in general. He gets into position so quickly and early that he has higher scope for UEs than most player (in this match alone, by a country mile), who aren’t in perfect ready position to just swing through or block the ball

Everything else eye-catching is significantly shaped by circumstances

Murray with very high 44% unreturned rate and 16 aces. Product of Delpo going off on the return much of the time. Not bad serving, I’d estimate good for about the same 26% Delpo draws against normal returning. Certainly not 44%

Delpo’s return errors of 10 UEs, 13 FEs. Compared to Murray, heavily influenced by his movement woes. What are FEs for him are UEs for Murray because he can’t get into position while Murray can to an even greater extent usual

17 UEs for the match for Murray means just 6 in last 2 sets. Regardless of Delpo’s resistance, that’s excellent, and as second set goes to ‘breaker, resistance isn’t small either (third set is a different story)

Delpo at net 27 times, Murray 8. Classic, only-comes-to-net-to-shake-hands showing by Murray. Not much need for him to come in, but like many of his matches, some of the chances he foregoes are almost ridiculous even if his general outlook is to prolong points and keep Delpo moving. Delpo uses net well and needs to as he’s out-lasted from the back most of the time. Particularly commendable since he doesn’t look too good in forecourt

Good use of drop shots by Murray early on. He’s onto Delpo returning from way back, and uses third ball drop shots to change that. A little tactical win as Delpo moves up from preferred position

Match Progression
Both players lead with BHs in the first set. Steady, firm stuff with Murray getting better of it. There’s a 6 point stretch across 2 games early on that all end with BH UEs. Murray uses drop shots early on to move the backward positioned Delpo forward to good effect and is the one to go dtl to mildly attack. He even hits FHs harder, while Delpo seems content to keep neutral groundies in play. Murray usually outlasts or mildly moves Delpo about to win points, Delpo when pushing Murray back comes to net to draw passing errors. There’s a small amount of choice lazy movement, which stands in contrasts with Murray’s constant effort on the run. In conjunction with his indolent, casual walk between points, it has potential to lull opponents unfamiliar with him into a false sense of security. Murray and he grew up playing juniors tennis together, so not likely to happen here

No breaks in the set and Murray gets more into return games than Delpo does. 3 Delpo games go to deuces, none of Murray’s. Just the 1 break point, where Murray has a decent looka t a pass that he misses. Going into the ‘breaker, average service game lengths are Murray 5.17 points, Delpo 6.83

Good attacking ‘breaker from both players. Just the 1 UE in it, and it’s a pressured one from Murray. Both players with 2 aces, Delpo scoring with a third ball FH inside-out winner, Murray with an even better BH cc as well as a FH inside-out (neither third balls)

At 4-4, Delpo grabs the sole mini by approaching of a bopped return to force passing error. He wraps things up with an ace and a big serve that leaves him with an at net FH longline putaway

Second set starts with a trade of breaks, with some great shots in both games. Delpo’s broken first in 14 point game, where he fires off a few point ending FHs, but Murray gives nothing away. Wonderful BH inside-in return winner from Murray against a tight body serve in the game. Having saved first 3 break points with winning FHs, Delpo misses a big third ball BH cc on the 4th to lose the game

Delpo barely moves as Murray’s all but regulation serve goes by for an ace to start the next game, but unleashes 3 winners in a row (OH, FH dtl from up the court and swatted FH cc return against first serve) to reach break point. He gets the break a couple of points later with more attacking FHs

Delpo saves another break point to consolidate for 2-1

No more breaks for the set, but balance of play is very much with Murray who barely breaks a sweat in holding while regularly getting into return games. Action is more dual winged than earlier. Delpo’s FH is heavy and damaging, but he doesn’t over do it. Doesn’t put much effort into return games and movements get slower as set goes on

More good shots than good rallies. A biffed FH cc winner by Delpo after being forced back from net, a wonderful running-down-drop-shot drop shot winner at net by Murray stand out

Delpo takes a medical time out after holding for 6-5, where trainer does some work on under-side of the his shoulders from the back. Seems odd given his problem seems to be movement and not serving or hitting

Going into tiebreak, average serve game length for sets read Murray 5, Delpo 8.83

Delpo starts the second ‘breaker the way Murray did the first, with a BH cc winner. A better shot than the earlier one, almost from routine position. Trade of mini’s in the middle - Delpo mishitting a FH error, then biffing a FH winner set up by previous biffed FH to move to 3-4 and on serve

He doesn’t win another point. Inability to putaway a not easy smash sees him lose next point on the baseline, a net chord pop over shot point after allows Murray to come in and finish with his sole volley winner to go up 6-3 with 2 serves to come. 1 is enough, as Delpo misses an attempted dtl BH return winner attempt

3rd set is a route. Murray wins 16/18 points to open the set - all his serves unreturned (including a second serve ace), while Delpo double faults twice, misses third ball groundstrokes and watches returns go by for winners without moving. He does land a second serve ace of his own

Snags a break back with a couple of big returns, but back to form to lose next to games to end match. He’d not looked 100% towards end of previous set, but nothing even remotely approaching this kind of poorness

Summing up, match seemed to be shaping to be a good one, before some physical/conditioning issues seem to aversely effect del Potro. He’d been the lesser player in a competitive contest even before then, despite snagging the first set and afterwards, hangs on to not get left in the dust. And eventually, just sits down in it as Murray races ahead to the finish line

Good showing from Murray, with an impressively solid BH that’s also offensively potent in multiple ways and directions, regardless of how up for the contest his opponent is. Also tough to finish a point against, with his defence on the run being good

del Potro’s physical issues take the eye more than anything else. Leading with FH isn’t his first choice, but it turns out to be the most effective one. Physically, something is clearly wrong with him though whether its to a degree justifying complete capitulation at the end remains to be seen

 

[Mainad]

Whatever was ailing Del Potro in that deciding set had obviously cleared up by the time the US Open came round a few weeks later.

He and Murray met 4 times in 2009, his peak year, 3 times on hardcourt (Miami, Montreal, WTF in London) and 1 time on clay (Madrid). He won only the Madrid encounter which, although Murray was defending champion that year, had switched from hardcourt to clay.

 

[Third Serve]

This was a pretty good tournament on the whole. The only Masters tournament I can think of where all of the top 8 seeds reached the quarterfinals.

 

[Waspsting]

He and Murray met 4 times in 2009, his peak year, 3 times on hardcourt (Miami, Montreal, WTF in London)

Lot of competitive matches between them - 2009 and beyond. Its a good rivalry

Murray's like the litmus test for these power players or shot-makers, and Delpo's one of the better ones. Murray just that little bit better though apparently

He won only the Madrid encounter which, although Murray was defending champion that year, had switched from hardcourt to clay.

Funny, I'd never thought of Murray as the defending champion there because it feels like 2 different tournaments with the surface change and the change of Masters slots

This was a pretty good tournament on the whole. The only Masters tournament I can think of where all of the top 8 seeds reached the quarterfinals.

didn't know that happened here

I'd be a little surprised if it were tne only instance. With the Big 4 almost locking down the semis, let alone the quarters, just need 5-8 to make it through. With mandatory participation for the top players and not much difference in results across hard courts and clay for almost all of the, chances seem good